Mm hmmm, mm hmmm.
Welcome back. All the smoke coming to you from Dallas.
Man.
We got somebody who is obviously a legend in the comedic space, but you know, someone we've been chasing down for a minute.
I've been trying to talk to him for a while now because one of the funniest jokes told about me came from you.
Know, I talked to him about it. Were gonna get that?
Just went up and started swinging for no reason. Hey, welcome to the show, the legendary, said Danner. Taking appreciate you. So you got you got the travel buddy.
Got right with you?
Yeah, man, yeah, all right, brothers separated at birth man, Yeah yeah, he said, you see right. Said what's going on, man, how's life? Any new projects you're working on right now?
Man? Yeah, I got a lot of stuff popping. Man.
I got like the seventh season of The Neighborhood that I'm on. So this show has been on CBS for seven seasons. Rare air for TV shows produce it sorr and and then I'm also producing the show for Tracy Morgan on Paramount Plus called Crutch that will come on in the spring. So really building my production company a lot a lot of TV shows. Got the show called Johnson that's on Hulu right now that we shop or Bounce that's in season four.
So you know, just just steady, really growing at the production company.
How long you been on the producer side.
Very early on in my career, like you know, I started producing movie Johnson Family Vacation. Uh you know Cod named the Cleaner, all those movies and then and so then from television side, once I left, I did a show called Said the Heading Presents. It was like a sketch show before like Chappelle them and all that, and then and then soul Man with niece Nash and now The Neighborhood.
So I wish you would have kept doing Said in Time of Presents. Me. That was one of my favorites right there. Man, You know it sketch sketch comedy characters and all that. It was dope. I had the chef Reverend and we had a bunch of little fun characters on there.
But think about sketch comedy, man, you gotta be able to have the second season. Like a lot of times you just don't have that opportunity. We were on Fox that was early on and they had just got American Idol or something like that, and that show was out there. So then I showed just kind of Fell in the Shadows or something like that. They started putting it on like every night.
So nearly forty years in the game at this point, what still drives you? What still clicks inside?
I mean, you know, I mean it was interesting. I think we was in here that was on the shirts.
One man talk about like when you like a legend or something and you do it, it's still in you no matter what, Like you know, the idea of like being the best at it, Like that's not really the motiveation, but the fact is is that you know that you could do it at a high level, so you wake up really wanting to just do that part. Like you know, like I'm not here to compete with nobody, but I know that I know how to do this, So I just I just get up and enjoy that that aspect
of entertaining, you know what I'm saying. So I love creating. I love putting people on. So you know, with with the with the ability of being being able to produce, I'm able to put on like a lot of comics as writers and get them get them some real money, Like you know, like you can be a stand up and be great, but if I show you, you'll be like, well, thank you sir, Like I bought a house, you know
what I mean. So, so we've been able to do those kinds of things, and that's the thing I really really start to enjoy the most at this stage of my career.
And at the same time, man, I still like to go on stage.
I got a residency in Vegas with Tony Braxton and we do that at the Cosmo. So I'm able to get up on stage and steal rock, you know, and entertain at a big high level.
Uh.
And then and then and at the same time do the TV shows.
So that's what I love, man, Just the idea like waking up, being creative and just being a part of the the whole circle of life of what's going on, anything that's popping up.
Hyb yeah, yb. Yeah, Like I'm like, all right, what's what's up?
Yeah?
TV showing this? Yeah.
I mean I love your versatility though, from where you started to where you're at now. Yeah, when did when did you know in the comic space that you would kind of not only made it, but you had the ability to cross over and start doing more than just stand up man.
It probably had to go back to the butt light commercials like you know. So it was interesting back in I guess this early late late ninety early two thousands was I was trying to do but but wise. It was headquartered in Saint Louis. I was trying to get some money to just do a tour like with some people. I saw somebody, a country singer with a tour bus with his face wrapped on it.
That's all I wanted. So I was like, we go to bud Lights, see if they'll do this bud light to it so I could have a tool bust with my face on it. And then they did that.
They did that and then offered me the commercials, and so I did a Super Bowl commercial to one where I shake up the beers.
And and it won. It won, like the super Bowl. Yeah, a long time ago, but it won.
And then you crossed you you know, you wake up the next day and it's like you're walking through the airport and a whole nother fan base like your.
Boy and shake up mirrors. Ain't you I tell you what you get just shakeing them? Goddamn like what's your name? But you realize it's a whole new fan base.
And so that's when that's when you kind of you know, because you know, we take great pride like I, you know, I was the host of Comic View, So I became black famous before I was you know famous with other people like you the in the hood.
Because I was the host of Comic View and I was on every night.
Even in Hollywood standards, I was way more famous, you know, like in the like Dallas, down here, Houston than anybody would me out there before before I hit. So so I would go in meetings and you know, people wouldn't know who I was at all, and you know, but I came with this kind of like you know, this kind of sense of grandeur from the assistance and.
The secretary of everybody, like why he's so excited to see you? That was like early day.
They'd been like before, like how people are about YouTube stars now, like you know, you know, as adults were like I don't know who that person is, no, you know, but if you know, you're like, yeah, that.
One he owns something right now. So that's what it was.
So I think that you know, from there, I recognized it and then it just kind of just kept staying on my hustle like that. Always kind of also been very outside of business. You know, me and my partner Eric Eric Grohen, we've been together like my whole career of forty years, and we don't really we got you know, we kind of operate in the agency situation, but we never really like tried to be like in the inner circles of people and just kind of like walk around.
So what I'm saying this, I wasn't at no Diddy parties. One party, guys, just one. I mean my lawyer's dealing with that. Yeah, one time.
What I'm trying to say, always get around and trying to get yourself out of this shit.
Like yeah, I know you're gonna see the picture, but no, that was at a church convention. Yeah, I was only there for twenty minutes.
Was there any moment in your career where you felt like you wasn't reaching your potential, you was a failure and you almost gave up?
Man? I mean, you know it's had like shake back.
You know, Hollywood is a place where it is ebbs and flows to it in in a you know, in a real way where you hot, everything popping and h let me see, I did, like I did, like a couple of movies that I was really you know, I had ambition for and then you know, many circumstances, for different reasons, they didn't pop, right, the movies that rop and then you drop, you know, you lose your you lose the cachet and yeah, and it was gone and it was like some shit where you're trying to figure
out how to get it back, and you know, yeah, it just feel like Hollywood they check it for you. You just have to learn how to Luckily, you know, I always say for stand ups, that's how really our saving grace, the fact that we can go on the stage, go around anywhere in the country, around the world, and still make a living, like we don't have to depend on, you know, the business.
So that was really the saving grace.
But when you when you kind of hot, you got that it factor and then you not like getting the calls, that's a really that's a hard space to you know, to kind of live in as a young person. So luckily, I even feel like my career started a little late though,
Like I went to college, I had graduated. I didn't even really start doing coin it till I was like twenty seven twenty eight, which was kind of later late for people, you know, and then I popped, you know, in my thirties and so so I was a little mature for it and had worked.
In corporate, so it didn't scare me.
Scare me, but I definitely was shook that, you know, what was once like this super fun private jet life was back to that.
Yeah, what's up? You know? Think that's me too. I'm too b I used to. I used to be an all jet life you know change you all right good, you realize you're good, You're back to jet life. I've been on a couple of.
Ad been on a couple of inventions.
Yeah, jet life all right back.
But that that is one of those things I always tell young young people that too. You just got to enjoy the ride more than anything, like because it is an ab and flow to any you know, any business when you hot, and you know, you definitely feel like this always your spot and you try to like, you know, kind of respect that.
But then the littlest thing can change.
And so like these movies didn't hit like like I thought they was, and that was it, Like, you know, you like, damn, so you fight, you pivot, you fight, I pivot. That's when I changed the television and it's been really a great saving grace. So you know, a lot of times you don't have that with TV. You don't get if you're not on the IT show like you know whatever, you know, fifty producer or whatever, these
kind of it shows. But you know, my show been on seven seats, like it might not be everybody cup of tea, but it's CBS top networking world in the in the checks reflect that. So god, damn right, I don't really care if you don't watch. Yeah, actually, ground about me. I bet you nana know.
Who I am. I'm good with that. Hey you doing missus Johnson?
How is it working with Toshina that she that's my sister, that's my little sister acting. Who is I don't know who ste is either, she called me, I don't know everybody.
Yeah, yeah, she literally one of the greatest you know, you know, African American female comedians actors that we have, Like when you think about every show Tea ever been on Pop, she killed it pop. Yeah, and she's like she's such a pro and we she was such a you know, a lucky gift for me because like we was getting ready cast somebody else and they told me she wasn't available, and some reason, you know, just kind of waited like one more two more days or something,
and on random like her people called me, was like, you you're still looking for a wife for your show. I was like, is she available? I was like, you don't even have to come in this dones I called him. I was like, no, she that's who I want.
That's it.
Don't even worry about it. But she is literally one of the greatest fun you know. Shoot, I told her she'll get show. Really like, she really stylish. Man, Like a lot of people don't like, don't know that she be fly because she just always be on TV most of the time you see it. But she's one of the most stylish people in the business and just a great person, great human being.
Man. So it's been a blessing to have her around. Yes, yeah, did you ever sacrifice the bag for authenticity a couple of times?
You know, Probably one of the greatest ones I would say would have been for a barbershop. Was the first
barbershop I had an opportunity. Again, I was in the Hey they had opportunity to do a bigger movie with a bigger check to it, and and then but the character in Barbershop was somebody that I knew saw felt like this message needed to be said, like and actually playing that old man was a character choice, Like it was so many things that that movie, like you know, to your point where I like, I went for the authenticity over the other choice because it was more more
money offered. That role was a small role at first. It definitely didn't have to save money on it. Nobody wanted me to be the old man, and I was like, no, I know this character. I know exactly who he is. And so it was like one of the opportunity and it changed my life like that that movie went from the first Barbershop went from you know, like a you know, four digit number two. By the time they did too, it was like seven seven did It was like a whole move, Like it was like, damn, just by.
Just by making that pick, it changed to everything.
And so I really appreciated that kind of choice at the time, not knowing that's what it was, but the fact that I had the kind of integrity at that moment in my life that's a hindsight kind of thing right where you go like, damn, I don't know if I was thinking like that, but I do know that I much.
Rather had done that movie than the big movie.
Like I was just like, now I'm gonna make this choice, and I remember my agents and everybody like, come on, come on, this is a blockbuster im Like, I don't see it. When you read it, You're like, I don't it, don't feel it, don't feel real, like.
I don't like this. Hey, I'm Ley Le Brown. Nice to meet you. Low blow. That's right. Yeah, did you did you add the the the pool thing when you stepping in the pool?
Oh yeah, that wasn't in the script. Oh yeah, Joseph, Yeah, yeah that was funny because no no, no.
No, no no, when you outside argum with Queen Latifa.
Oh oh yeah Barbita too, Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. Is there m J Kobe Lebron comedy? M J Kobe or Lebron? You know who are those comedians in NBA terms?
Well, definitely, you know, I mean you gotta you know, it's always those top dogs, like I mean, you know, depending on the area that you grew up in. But you know, I'm an Eddie Murphy guy, like we come from that whole Eddie Murphy. Now, I definitely consider Richard prior with the King, but he also was a little bit for me that age before Eddie Murphy was the guy that you identify with like more like this.
I got right right, and then you know, then it's Martin Uh, you know, and then.
Chappelle like he's improved to be just as solid as they come, like consistently as solid and so.
Then and then there's then then there's a bunch of guys that you love. After that point, there's just like you know, you got your matter of taste.
But you know, but Robin Williams, it's so many people that I would throw in there, Like these guys they the goat ghosts, you know that that can they can go get a joke, They can give you crazy thought, you know, George Carlin, you know these guys, they just give you the way they presented a joke.
You're like, all right, them them some of the best they've ever done.
They're like for real, for real. So but I saw a different side of Robin Uh. I watched the old Richard Fowl ROAs h Yeah, six bro. They are brutal with how they talk to each other. They throwing all their business out there like that was brutal. Yeah, what they was saying, know they them roads right then, tol Paul Mooney.
Miss thing and they say everybody on the stage knows it. Yeah, it's just crazy.
That's like, yeah, it would be that kind of humor right now. But he was like fun while and they did. They hung out together and was wilding out. Yeah, the types of energy that would come out on the on the stage like that, I'd imagine. But yeah, you know, comedy is one of the things very subjective because you know, like they'll do the like top fifty lists. Yeah, do y'all ever be like you know, because they'll do like lists or whatever, and you're always trying to see if you own it.
This bullshit? Yeah, make this ship. Yeah, you be trying to act like you ain't talking about yourself. You got shunky ducky on, act like you ain't talking about yourself.
Yeah, you're gonna have a list, you know, doing each other jo say that after every joke, shuck it, nugget.
From here. We started to get the same time, shut from here. Bring your ass back up. God damn shuck it.
Why talk about Red Fox one of my favorite Red Fox again Man, one of these guys, you know, for me coming from Saint Louis, he always was branded as being the Saint Louis guy. So that was also one of the people that you know, when you come out of the city like that and then make it you always wanted to be, you know, you want to have that Red Fox day again Man sad for his son probably the most where I knew him from, you know, and then you would hear the albums when I was younger.
But you know, cutting edge, stylish. That's what I used to love about Red Fox more. He was different than his sad for his son character, Like on stage, That's what I always loved.
That's the thing I try to emulate. He was waly, wouldn't know junk yard drip.
He had the drill and the velvet jacket, you know, and we get them.
With the orange, with the orange and red tint.
That's what he got to find it very.
He had big words too.
He's kind of like early finding very, you know, precautious, have all these big ass words.
He would use the ship boys.
People don't know if you watch, if you watch the show samplersn he was really activist because a lot of stuff he was saying in that show, like he was talking about what was going on and speaking up on black issues, but.
He was making them as jokes.
Yeah, but in the end, you know what I'm saying, the end of the show, it all come all come back to all serious.
And he did that a lot in the show. Yeah, No, he was. He was.
He was like that as a personality to no nonsense. When he came to the business side, it was it was unfortunate, like when you kind of find out like he didn't really like pass with that royalty, like with the money that he had, because he did stand up for a lot of people, like you know, and how to get people paid.
Even remember the story about to get the guy from Karate Kid, Pat Burridy. You want to check. You brought him a nice check and helped him out. At one time that type of person that Red.
Fox was, Yeah, and he would do that like getting like makeup artists paid and are people that like especially for black shows. These people weren't even allowed him in unions and at the time and Red would be like, we ain't doing nothing if they ain't getting the same union money all that stuff. So that kind of thing, you know, you wish like those kind of credentials led to walking out, walking out the game on some raw T shirt. You know what I'm saying, Like, Yeah, that exactly.
Dick Gregory another another one.
Gregory.
So mat You're just funny though, because he like a guy that's like, you know you have been around Dick Gregory, like he had a lot of conspiracies, like he know a lot of information, Like so he knows so much information. But he was like again, another dynamic personality that like led talk. But every time you saw him, You're not getting ready to get away with Dick Gregory with no small conversation.
It ain't gonna be there you doing, Dick, how I'm doing? How you doing?
Think about the whole think about the whole trajectory and the financial student stocker walking at this time, you like, my man, I got to but he would he can go on and on. But you know he was mad at me on the Barbershop movie. Know that was the only time he was like d L hughlet got this one thing about because he's like nobody really ever talked bad about you said but then there's a thing on the internet with Dick Gray was mad at me about the barbershop.
He was like that saying that.
I was like, but I think that just was the moment he was in because he didn't like the he didn't like the wartin Luther King joke, and he didn't like.
He ain't like none of that ship. He didn't like the Rosa Parks part. He was mad about all man, So.
I'm talking about these people.
I was like, a character, Man, that's not me. The character said, didn't say that, bro. He was mad at you know. That was the only thing. So it was like, dah, I was like, oh man, I love this. I ain't nobody didn't like your man.
Obviously, comedy has changed drastically over the years, and we had to discussion with Kevin Hart how he said some of the you know, the eddies and some of those guys from back then probably couldn't survive because of the way they presented in the types of jokes. They told how, first of all, what do you think about that? And how has your stand up changed over the years with the increased sensitivity around whatever you say?
You know, I think it's a lot like music though, I think that people really just adapt.
To the circumstance that's in front of him and me. As an entertainer, you're gonna do what you know wherever the status quo is. I think that you know anything that's publicly acceptable, and you know where the lines are, you decide where you're gonna do. And people who are really good at being on the edge, say somebody like Chappelle, like that can be you know, controversial and still be for the masses, you know what I mean, Like you know, those those people know how.
To find the line of what it is that you do. And you're gonna have a.
Group of people that's gonna be, you know, totally against that. But I think that as a as an orator any type, right.
You gotta y'all do that.
You take these chances when you on the show like this and you wake up every day, you gotta speak what's.
On your mind.
You take the chance on not knowing where that one little group of people that's gonna be like, ah, you said that, and you be like, well, I ain't say it like that. You're putting a lot on that, you know, So as a stand up you gotta kind of trust that part like you know, if you're going to go out, which is unfortunate, like cause you know, people be bringing the phones in.
And we definitely, we definitely work in a like a free flowing kind of business.
Like when you writing a joke, it's not the joke, Like it's not the joke that you you know that you're gonna finally deliver if you allow me to get to it, Like I might have a kernel of an idea that I might try somewhere and if you if you hear it at this stage, it might sound you know, it.
Was ain't aphobic or you know, misogynistic, but.
I ain't quite got what I was trying to say yet. Let me give me me fo times on stage and let me get this jont right. But if you taping it and you put it out there the first day I tried it and it come out wrong, now, you know. So that's what I really, you know, really don't necessarily
like about that part of the business. But what I've learned is, you know, my mother was a school teacher, and so when I first started, I used to actually be kind of branded as a clean comedian, like people didn't think I cursed at all, Like and I still actually carry that like I carry uh you know, if you think about my image, it don't seem like I'm I'm you know, vulgar vulgar, right, And it's because of that, Like it's because like my mother basically put in me,
like you don't have to say it, then don't. But if I need to, then say it, right. So that's what I remember, like just kind of trusting that. So if I don't have to go up there and insult nobody to tell a joke, then't why do it, like, you know, but if if I feel like I got to say it, then say it then, you know, and be glad to be what it is and and go with that.
So that's what I really trust about it.
So I've never really been one to feel like the cancel culture of it all, you know, in a way applied to me. So I just because I've always been, you know, like kind of a citizen of the world, and comedy when I go on stage is literally not about me up here trying to you know, offend nobody.
Have you ever met somebody from the cancel culture and the cancel culture? Who are the who is that? Oh man? Yeah, people that look like Jim. Yeah, a lot of jobs.
He's so close to us, man, what I mean.
That's not right. Come on, I'll just get some week from later on. Yeah, you know what I did. I had that. I had this happened one time.
I remember I used to have this whole joke of you know, damn, I don't even know about say that ship now because it's super casl culture now, you know. But it was it was kind of like it was early on and I was just talking about you know, it was a joke I used to have about the gay Jean. I was like, it ain't no gay Jean because it'd have to be in animals too, like because people were like, I was born this way, my special.
I was like, that means you got you gotta you know, it's a gay kangaroo, like hopping around like what's in my pockets?
Gay cow somewhere, moove, gay duck, aflat big and so there. So and I did that. There was a gay couple there, ladies. It was a did the joke. It was a gay couple there. They were ladies, and I mean they couldn't wait till I got off stage. They was in my young now you know, I was like you joke, you know.
And that was the first time I ever had to deal with someone like just really adamant and mad about it. And I was just like, you know, let me do some research. Maybe there's a gay duck out there. Gotta go out here and talk to the gay duck and be like I didn't.
Well you're well, you're paddling under their water. Know that it's different for you.
Have you had any outside of that, like, you know, there was a there was a while where people were running up on stage and dressing comics. I was at the one actually at the Hollywood Bowl with who was it was? It was it Dave Chappelle. Ran got his asked were you there?
No, I wasn't a dog.
They beat the ship out of that dude broke his arm and everything beat the dog ship. That's a good one. Yeah, yeah, crazy fan interactions or off the stage early in your days.
Yeah yeah, yeah. And I had had a couple of nights, not necessarily booed.
Off, but I definitely had some nights where it was like, you know, yeah, you scraped up, you know, defin we're gonna need some real spoiling.
Oh, you know, like you walk up this day, like.
That very good game tonight.
Shit, might want to get that job at Jiffy Loose, like what you need a thirty way certain God damn. So. But I remember, like earlier in my career, like I was hot, Like I was in Saint Louis and I was hot.
I had it popping out. So I tried to do me a night and I did a night and you know, so I was charging people twenty dollars to come see me. You know, we packed joining out and I walked on stage and just thunk up the place.
Man.
I mean whatever whenever I'm saying was not working. So then it's like one of these moments were you're like, damn, you know this this not going well, like in the middle.
Of it, like fuck, like you know. And the thing about stand up is you the mic and the people, you know, we get, yeah, we get. Give us some good time, man, ki kick some love.
Ain't no time out?
Yeah what up?
So I had to offer the people. They running back, and I'm thinking, you know, like it's love. You know, it's the crill, like you know, anybody want their money back? You know what I'm saying. I appreciate y'all, you know, it's just one of them things, you know, they lined up.
I was like, yeah, there's three of us, like line they.
Lined they lined up when they little loop back. So that was a hard one right there, for sure, you know. But definitely, you know, it's that that challenge of getting and knowing that you're the only person up there on the stage trying to make it happen at that time. And if you lose them, it's like trying to like like what's what's like like a bunch of horses, like you got you gotta you gotta hold them all, like
eight nine horses. That's what a crowd is like that, like just because people one of them go this way is over. So this that kind of thing, you know. So and that's a very tough thing to do in this business. And then you know you have shows like Kings of Comedy when you're going up and this dog got the dog like you know, somebody go up there and they just boom Bernie killing them ship. You know in the movie Bernie Go Last, but in real life, Bernie lad in the middle. In the middle he always
wanted to be called a da hammock. He didn't really want to go last, So you know, you have to go up nights after.
You get hit the stage.
Let's jump to that. And we were we were we were gonna get to that a little later. But talk to us about that. I mean that King's of Comedy kind of set it off and set the tone for touring. But obviously we know, being hoopers and traveling and being with your dogs all the time, like most of the time off the stage is the funniest shit, fucking around, playing cards, drinking, just talking shit. What were those what was that tour like? And how'd that come together?
That came together? It was a guy.
There was a guy that was doing a tour with everybody. He used to do was all individual as kid walked to Latham. So he used to do me and DL because we had both host a comic view. So we had a tour that we would go out. Then he did Steve individually, did Bertie and then and then he had the idea of doing the Super Show like basically where everybody all together and we do arenas and you know, other than like some one offs like Eddie had done an arena tour.
I think Andrew, Dice, Clay.
And Martin who was the only people that had done Arenas as a comic. So so when he put this tour together, it was like just like like a superfest night, Like it felt like, you know, all your favorites coming at once, and so it was just a crazy phenomenon.
At the time. Like so you're right, man, we had the blast.
Man, it's like you know, and I was like the young one on the tour at that time without and I wasn't married when we first he was.
Acting man, hold up, streaks stopped, you had to stop. So yeah, that's crazy. So yeah, that's wild. But we have yeah.
Vegas they said that gummy just kicking.
Vegas ship dog.
But I remember, like probably you know, one of my first times, like Bertie used to come in, come in my dressing room.
Like again, like I said, I was a young dude, so I would have I would.
Have like the drinks and smoke and the girls and in my room be packed like every time, like I go and get everybody, like come in my room. And Bertie came to my room and a couple of times but he would do a show, like he would come in and just start talking and doing jokes and ripping it dogs. So you know, my room we ended up being this kind of like famous after party room. So you know, so we had had many epics on you know, he forty coming there. One night, I remember Jamie Fox
and Chris Rock showed up in New York. Like it was just you're writing, We're just sitting in the back, and it's that that that that camaraderie that's just like flowing and just epic energy and everybody.
Sometimes you would rather hear that than national comments.
Oh yeah, yeah yeah, because right, this is something that happening outside that room, you know what I mean. Yeah, you can't even yeah, you can't even explain somebody. You try to tell somebody what happened, they be like, yea.
Be there.
Yeah, talk to us about the great Bernie mac rest in peace. Incredible comment obviously one of your brothers. But talk to us about just what he was about his aura. I felt like he had. I never met him, felt like he had an aura.
Yeah, man, you know, b Mack was like really, you know, you know, like you know that that Chicago dude like like like kind of like you're envision them if anybody know them, like a man's man kind of dude.
But all so always kind of like solid in his skin. Like he would always had these catch phrases or walk along, you know, I want to fit the yard line, but it's first in gold. He had a lot of un He would just do that and be like all right, okay. But he was like one of those kind of He was just one of those kind of dudes. And but you know, I remember, like you know, like it was.
It used to be this thing called the Miller Genuine Drive in Chicago and now came from Saint Louis, so you had to y'all would drive up to Chicago to be a part of it. And so the first time I met him was there. He saw him and he was like, yeah, you are right, You're all right, you can be all right. So then when I saw him in New York the first time I was doing deaf comedy.
Jam, I was nervous.
I just remember New York was one of the places you know when they tell you, like dad, they'll like your ass up.
Ain't good.
Well and Bernie, but this was his second time doing it, and this is the when he did that famous I Ain't scared of you, motherfucker show.
But he was telling me.
We went to lunch that day, and he was just telling me like, man, don't be don't let them challenge you. You know, you know who you are, Like, go ahead, just be yourself, go be be great. Don't let them try. They kind of shook me the first time I was up here, so said, I'm gonna let you know, I ain't scared.
Of him, like you know.
And then it was supposed to be like one little statement, and he literally turned it into the most famous eight minutes of comedy.
Like I was like, that's how you do it, right there.
I ain't scared of you, motherfuckers, big NBA fan. Yeah, where's your passion for basketball?
Car?
You know, it's interesting too because growing up in Saint Louis, we never had a basketball team. We didn't have a team, but you know, of course, you know that was that was the sport everybody played like in the hood, like you know, and I played like junior high school, high school. I never really got you know, like got got tall enough, and you know, like and and I was. I was raised in a single parent household, and I don't think I really had to discipline to.
Like stay in sports like that.
My mother was just like, you know, like she could rather come get me and go with her as opposed to stay at practice and all that. So I never really liked it. But I was a pretty decent athlete though, so so I loved the game from there. And then of course, you know in the heyday when when m Jden was playing, you know, the great eighties Bulls teams,
Saint Louis was our Vegas. It was the quick southwest flight you could pop up going for the weekend kick here, you know, So we would do that, and me and my boys, like, you know, we get our little money together, get a little van or something. We go to Chicago for the weekend, come out, go to the game. So I ended up being a big Bulls fan doing that run. And then of course my family is all Laker fans.
I only all my even my Missouri family so many, so we came out here then, you know, once I moved out here, then it was just like easy transition become a Lakers fan, like just because they was the team close.
And then I'm with court Sirae a lot. So I'm just out there. I like that name. Of course, baby, you gotta pull up.
We got a clip right here. Let's watch this clip real quick.
N b A is fantastic trip.
You know, it all started because the little melee that happened, and you know in Detroit last year, everybody remember the big melee that ron I tes lost. It ran up in the audience and people thought that was wrong. Me personally, I loved it.
You know. I'm a cheer leader for coolishness like that. You know, I like Noah Sense especially, and that was my favorite dude because he ain't had nothing to do with the fight.
Fight over there, get him a hit in. He just looked and saw the fight. He didn't think nobody saw him. Like, dude, there's one hundred cameras in here.
Man.
They showed it back to we saw you, We saw you.
You know ship That's how that's a little too Steve that as you was wilding out.
And when I saw that, man, I was crying. That's so funny. I was crying.
They have to take away from some of the pains and that money was Oh yeah, motherfucker, at least respect me.
Yeah, that's funny because because both of y'all like god like real dude.
Images as far as like tough guy in it like, and the both of y'all have that thing like people respect y'all and dog boss basketball players like real go get us. But I remember, like it's something to have that kind of energy where people think like, oh, like, nah, don't run up that it's not gonna be a good move.
I love that, you know. So when y'all had this show again, I was like, that's an interesting combo like that.
Because it because but like I mean to know you both, it's not that that's y'all really not your go to it's not like who you are, like, but I love the fact that people you know, you know, anybody you know, you walk in the streets of any world. You want people to have that that kind of automatic respect that you somebody to be respected, right, And then I think that that's a very interesting quality for a man to have,
like you know what I'm saying. So that was something I always loved about, you know, Stackling, because he just had that kind of like he was a ball baller hooper, go get it. But you know you also knew like I don't run.
Up like and I'm the nicest guy ever. Yeah, I mean you know I met you many years.
The same insane thing with were mad, the same thing to super nice guy everything, but definitely had that rep like you know, and it's it's harder for.
You light skinned.
Yeah, that pretty ass half ship. Everybody like everybody like, wow, that's a good as quality.
To have, like you know ship.
Uh man, any truth, you used to gamble with m J and Barkley in Vegas.
So one time when we get that ship, get that ship, very goddamn clear. They gambled on another level man. So yeah, so I was gambling with Barkley. We was at a uh we was at the at the roulette table. Yeah, he liked to play roulette at that time, so he was at the roulette table. We're doing we just stacking. I'm stacking on top of him.
He going hard. You know, they Barkley and m J. They can they can do that thing. So he got you know, two three hundred out on the thing and I got a thousand.
He's trying and how can change for this thousand?
MJ comes in. M J just grab a stack.
He just grab a stack of Barkley's chips like maybe maybe like one hundred and fifty thousands or something like, hey man, what you get?
You know what they said, it doesn't matter, like ya know, I got you like whatever, it is, like, you tell me what I got you what?
I just don't want to go and get chips. So he went over there and then so he was gambling. They was like I tried to go over there with that game. You know, it was just embarrassing to try to get in there because they doing like three hundred thousands of hands coming over here with my love a hundred dollars chips, everybody like ya, hold on, wait, wait till the next one, wait till the next one.
I was like, oh, I can't even get in on this, Like, no, you don't need to be on this for you over here for golf.
I mean, you know he liked he liked the gambled golfing. So it's like that whole thing, like, you know, whatever you want to play for, it don't matter. You know, I'm trying to act like, you know, I got a gun table thousand.
Hold I wren't doing the math. I lost every hole eighteen thousand dollars. That's not a that's not one.
I'm explaining to wife.
Yeah, you just don't you know, you don't get in the tail nigga. Yeah, Like was like, it's what it is, you know what I'm like, because they doing thirty thousand, the whole.
They doing Billionaire Ship or whatever they're doing. But I was like, yeah, I'm like trying to act like I'm somebody that hurt.
That fuck your whole mind.
Course one. You know what I'm saying.
You up there like, yo, I'm gonna get him on this one, man, get I'm knocked down.
I can you know if it's going it was gonna happen. I glue ten, it's play, play yes play.
All Star weekends. You did some comedy jams with Shack. Yeah, experienced like being an all start that kind of crowd.
I mean always you know, of course that one of the big you know, one of the great kind of uh you know, we got big spectacles that that that happened in our community where you know, you got super Bowl weekend, you got NBA All Star weekend.
So you know, to have that and we did those specials.
Uh.
It was fun man, you know because it's like the energy in town, everybody there. That one was in Phoenix.
The first one we did Legendary we didn't want in Houston, then in Vegas, but that, you know, Miami, it's always you know, just you know, whenever the vibration of the like the whole country in one place for the you know, the energy of the NBA. So you got you know, friends, family, Pottinger, us from all around there and then and and then of course you got some of the best comics that's gonna be on one show.
So that's always been a fun shock and fun loving dude. Always love to have a good time.
So he really make for a great co host in that kind of environment because he he wants you to do jokes on him.
He wanted he want to do jokes on you, you know.
So it just is one of those kind of things that that that ended up being a great, great little partnership that ran for a ran for a minute.
Man, that was good. Man. We actually did a Sports Illustrate photo shoot after that where he like this, I got a whole thing.
He held jack one time too.
Yeah that ship was embassing, man. Yeah.
Yeah, we're playing each other, you know all we rocked every time we played each other. We chest bumped before the game start on different teams, right, and I ran up to him. I just ran him to a big fella and he just caught me mid are like man, if you don't put me down. Just caught me mid out with two hands, not even his arms, just his hand, like, but put me down, like.
Hut me down. The game.
I had a home, Yeah, baby man captain, Yeah, you can't do me like that.
Get you growing up, You're getting you getting So he had me like this, yeah, me like this, put me down. That's funny. Ship ship.
Paint the picture of young says upbringing in Missouri, single parent household.
My mother was a school teacher. She taught English and reading elementary school. So for over thirty years.
I had a younger sister who was also she a professor at Pepperdine right now, so she's been there. And we were up in Saint Louis, you know, middle income. You know my mother, you know, like mom, she knew how to make it look good, like you know what I'm saying. So we you know, we had our own.
Rooms, We had a nice little car outside.
We had cool clothes, and you know, it was just a very you know, simple, respectful household, a lot of love, a lot of laughter. But I was the man of the house, so you know, it was mainly you know, me like kind of being the father. My dad was you know, they got divorced when we were really young, so and my dad was around, but not like that like so, so it was just mainly you know, mainly us, but a lot you know, real fun house. I had a lot of you know, I had relatives that lived
in the inner city of Saint Louis. So my my my mother's sister, she had like eleven kids, so and then they was the inner city kids. So it's like wash, you.
Go to Saint Louis, just regular Saint Louis both side, you know what I'm saying. But then you go down there, you know, to get your stripes, so you know, and it was good.
And as the boy, I spent a lot of time down there because that you know, it was just you know, my mom just didn't know what to do with me. So I'll be down there with my cousin and filing out until that got too crazy and then you know, go back out to the suburbs and stuff. But you know, real, you know, real dope church lady, you know what I'm saying. So we had you know, we went to church on Sunday.
You know, just some fun, dope life, you know. And she was really one of those people that like encourage you to do a lot of good things. I always say one of my mother's favorite thing was that your good name enters the room before you do and stays after you're gone. So that was like she she always talked about that being credit. She was like, that's what credit is. When somebody say your name is what is it make them feel?
Do they like it?
You know? So when they say your name before you get there is it's gonna be a good feeling. When you gon do people speak you speak up you in a good way. And I always thought that that was just one of the greatest piece of advices to kind of take in life, you know, because you know you don't you know you do you rode through life flowing and you don't know when you're gonna cross these bridges
again or when when something happens. So what good is it to you to, you know, to have something negative about you in the space, you know what I'm saying, if it ain't necessary. So so I really loved that. That's the kind of woman she was. And so you know, I got a wine now that I named after her, So I do it with my wine. Since twenty nineteen, seta her name was real Setta, and so we do that Naple valley Wine, beautiful red. You know, she was redhead,
so and so it's a redhead. But now I got a red and a white.
So it's dope. Man. So I just I like them. It kind of She passed at twenty sixteen, so we've just been honored.
I got a I got a hospital women's pavilion with her name on it in Saint Louis. So that's the kind of charitrible stuff I do. So this will take you know, they do the kind of work for all, like you know, single parents and ladies and a lot of women's health things that they do when people don't have. You know that that helped make you know, bands go get folks and testings and.
All that kind of stuff.
So he was in church a lot. Did you sing in the youth choir and the yeah, man, we all had you had to do it, had to do it.
Man, And you know I used to be I used to really consider myself a little singer, you know. That's why I'm Yeah, that was about the first thing I remember.
I remember being in this group man with this dude, like he could really sing two in the group and just one night, I remember I wanted to hit the high note and I and it was like, you know, no, you got the lowest voice in there, like, don't try to do that.
But you know, we at the one church where all the pretty girls said and you know, and I was like, let me.
Get the note tonight. We was you know, seventeen and sixteen seventeen or whatever.
Man know, did not come out like and I was like, I would should have stayed in my lane. But though it's like one of the things you see the little girls up there was like, dog me.
Get to note.
The crazy heymen, hey man, sometimes the Lord you you just go into it.
Yeah, you know, the Lord works with you sometimes.
I had that same story, said, but I got to I got two young sisters that used to always lead the songs.
But they was good at hooping. I do nothing, and they was killing it. And I just thought.
I thought it was gonna transfer down the line to me and nothing.
Yeah, I ain't let a song.
I think I left the choir after that because it was so embarrassing and I tried to grab it and go straight to that.
Yeah it wasn't that gotta be in you. Yeah, you know, like they had the Holy Spirit or something in them. I didn't. I just thought they could just transfer down the line.
I don't work like that didn't work.
Yeah, I was in the street. I'd done so much ship the night before. It's no way to hold spread it on downside, Like you what are you doing? I know what you was ship man? I tried. Yeah, that's that's true.
That's funny though, But I love I loved that experience. Shoot, like because you know, like when I came to LA I ain't going to church as much, so you know, I just remember, like how you know that that feeling went to Kirk Franklin concert the other night.
He was out there and that that that having that kind of really.
Religious energy church people singing big songs, that spiritual.
I was like, man, you know you kind of really missed that vibration. I ain't like that no more.
It ain't like it's like you know, I mean, it's it's like, yeah, everybody just they they taking uh you know, sexy red songs and making church sounds out of Damn.
I can't believe it, bron, It's all all over my scripture. Pink, my scripture, pink. Sh Wow, he's a walk in the club and I don't know if you could do that. You're doing that for real? Yeah?
Is it true that you got to seize desist from General Mills because of the stage named Cheerio.
Yeah, man, official letters with the green stamp on the outside with you steal that, Yeah, ceazing decisse. Yeah, you know, because I used to go buy Cheerio.
You know, honey, nothing just regularly.
You say, honey, noting I got.
I think I'm glad I put it out because that was gonna be the that was gonna be the question throughout, like.
Calling you Cheerio people coming out. I had to change it there, Yes, sir, it was. It was the whole thing, cheer Yo, Cheerio. You know how you're trying to make it sound cool, Rio Rio, I kind of make it sound cool, but it was.
It all kind of came like, you know, at that time, people was like you have sid Bad, you have people like it was just kind of taking these one name names.
And making themselves brand.
It was used to be a dude named Kodak and you know, and I was like, oh, that's fly right there, and then my name is Cedric. But to see I'm going around like laughter, said cheer cheerio. It was like, I see right now, y'all my friends.
Friend y'all because everybody else was like, yeah, that's dope, y'all was both like I need it. I need it y'all at that time because the friends that I had then, it was like cheero change with a little, get a change what it did with the little put the cheerio be on it.
He said.
He gotta chatted on him right here. There's all the old school tattoo.
Cheerio go right like bad letterings like delicious. You should have said, man, you should have stayed with delicious man.
That that really happened.
And I'm glad I changed my name long before that happened because I was the Chicago the dude did that. It was funny now Bro walked there. That really happened. It was like, yeah, Daryl, Dona's whatever saying. But everybody called me delicious man. You just called me that said.
Delicious man, Delicious. You know, Bro Man said, what if you named Daryl? Said, they called me delicious?
Yeah, pull up, that's not gonna beat me. Your mama picked up the phone. Are you doing, miss Johnson? Delicious? There He was dead serious too. He wanted he was one of them Chicago pill dude. He was like, yeah you yeah, you finance Hell, I say you man, I'm gonna pay for half your meal.
I never heard that half Ye.
Stanks, thanks man, Yeah, man, Darren. Everybody call me delicious though, man, you could call me that.
You know.
Sorry.
You moved to l a in uh ninety two, ninety three, right around the time of the riots. Yeah, talk about that, but that.
Was like yeah, you know, so I actually came in ninety four, so it was right after that, and you know, but it was crazy times because it was still a very much of a big gang coach in LA.
We didn't really do that in Saint Louis. Yeah. Uh, it was that.
It was that kind of you know, the vibration of the city was of course, it was a place where you come to make it right, you know, if you're doing any kind of thing in entertainment. But it was wild to be, you know, in a city where you know, like culturally you had to be on you know, you had to be on your toes like in a different kind of way. And then you know, right after that, it was just really you know, it felt violent in LA.
At many times you go to this own place, it just felt like, you know, but it was also a place where you know, opportunity was happening. It was a lot of great you know, people was getting shows, you know, like you think about it, Steve Harvey Show, The Wayans, Jamie Fox, Martin was popping like. It was a lot of things bubbling that that had the city like growing. So you know, it's just it was one of those
things where you know, I was actually glad. Saint Louis was you know, of course the kind of city where you grow up and you feel like home, but it's also a place where you could, in a lot of ways know that you gotta out, you gotta leave in
order to go get something real. So so I was just I was really happy that, you know, all the things kind of lined up for me to be there at the time that I did, because I didn't move to LA like like most people will tell you as a comic Girol, you gotta go to LA or to New York to make it, But I like would come out there on trips because again I had, like I worked, I was. I was a state fum claims adjuster for
four years. I had like saved money, I had a house, I was I was doing like you know, I had insurance. You know, I was doing shit that wasn't like people would. I was grown, you know, like when I'm twenty nine years old, you know, so I wasn't out there really, you know, out there for the Shenanigans of it. So when I went to when I finally came to LA, it was because I had a deal and I became the host of Comic View and they you know, they paid and then was able to get me an apartment
and that's how I kind of stayed out there. So I just kind of kept going from there. But I had I kept all my main stuff in Saint Louis until I got married. Shoot, that was like in ninety nine s and it seemed like a long time.
Why why why Darius Miles of course, you know he's from East Saint Louis. Why he sayed Saint Louis East, Like East St. Louis is not close to being the same.
They not, they not, but they are, like I mean, it's real, it's a real thing, Like because East Saint.
Louis is Illinois, and it's definitely you know, known for being the more grimey, yeah.
Grimy of the two, and you know, in a lot of ways they are.
But because you know, like you know, for Saint Louis, dudes, like the East side is the late night side.
That's the yeah turnout. You go there, the four and the five in the morning, you kick it.
So that blown to us as much as it did to them as far as we're concerned, because so you had a lot of Kendrick you know, kind of energy there, but it was, you know, it was hardcore because they it was just super hood on that side right here. And I think, you know, as far as like where they kind of fit on the State, they was like at the lower part, I don't and I don't think nobody just really like they State money never really tried
to take care of them like that. So all the all the shiny stuff was right there on Saint Louis. So we kind of showed up like look at us, we're stunting, you know. So it always had that kind of undertone to it. But again, they had the clubs, they had the late night they had the fun get the strip clubs, everything on.
The East Side. So I feel way more safe in St. Louis that're not doing. Yeah, No, east Side is definitely you want to have you some relationships.
It's definitely yeah, yeah, definitely a place you want to Yeah, definitely want to go in and have a couple of names you can drop to to where people be like, okay, you good.
You know, you know T Rock Dall Me and T that's my god. Delicious not that much. Delicious ain't gonna get you far over there.
You need to know like a little run in, a little Rutherford the Pistil Starter, Yeah, yeah, yeah that group. Yeah, you voice three comedy skits on albums Nellie's Country Grandma, Yeah, Nellie's Nellyville and jay Z's The Black.
Album Threats, threatening, step in the step in the method like drug money man.
Those those are all great, man, you know, because you know you're a part of like music. You know, we all like you know, have that desire to do a little bit of all of it.
Right.
So you know, like Nelly being from Saint Louis, they was hot. You know, they was doing their thing and so when Country Granmar was coming out, they just called me. We had did like a comedy show or something, you know where they was a part of it, so we knew each other in that way. So when the album was getting call, they called, like I was in l a and they was like, yo, man, I want you to do these skits to be on the album.
And that was just you know, it was one of them.
You didn't you don't notice thing about to go diamond, but you know, like yo, but that's just fun, like you know, especially back then everybody. That was a good spot for comedians to be able to do a skin on the album because it's like that that consistency of being like known throughout by doing it and so, uh,
that was a great one. And then with jay Z that was kind of that was like a lucky one really in a way because I saw jay in different places, uh you know, around the world, different spots, and I just told him one time I wanted to see him work because I heard it, you know, like the way he right, And they was like, yo, he right. So I was like, yo, man, thought, if I'm in New York, I want to come to the studio. I just want to see when you work. He was like, no problem.
So I just happened to be there. I called he was doing the Black album. I go up to the studio. He hanging, He's just doing this thing, doing the jay Z thing, and he was like, I gotta leave and make a run. But I'm working on this record called Threats, and I need I need a mad mad rapper type skit, like a dude like, you know, like what a mad rapper was on he was on the Yeah, yeah, he was on the other album. But he was like, I just need somebody this on tripping, you know, saying about
threatening it folks. I was like all right, and he left. So it's just me and Guru and a couple of people, and I just went in there freestyled and I was just in there just saying shit. And then he called me down about like one. He's like, hey man, what's up. And he's like, yeah, you want to be on this album?
You made it. I was like, what wan the blackout? I just need a chain. I need the rock chain. Yeah, I ain't never get my damn check. I ain't never get my chain.
No.
So that but that was it.
That was the only thing I really wanted and so but it was fun though, but even again, it was just big you know, you know when you see them in hindsight and you recognize like how music just transferred people's lives and then it just go on and on.
And it was like because like I getting on for that, you know that Nelly skid that, you know, you know what I was like the big body bends with two dollars worth of gas and stuff like that, and just like people will know that was they'll quote those things to me to this day.
You know what I mean, you be like, yo, I was just going in there playing, you know, just having a good time.
He was a monster back then.
Oh crazy that that went so crazy?
Yeah, that was that that that album went off and then hot and here and the next joke that was crazy, that big.
Old that was a big tip drill video. No, no, I was Cheerio at the time. They wouldn't let me in. What you got relationship with Bun be from port author you and right.
Yeah Bun I did someone want a Bun album? Yeah that's all about that. Yeah I remember that. Yeah, I did someone one Bun album. But coming down, like so I used to go Steve used to be based here. Uh, Steve Harvey was based in Dallas and that was one of the starting grounds for me. So I used to have a lot of comedy here. And then his manager at the time, Rashaan was in Houston and he had a club, so they so you would do them both,
so you would come down there. So I spent a lot of time down in Houston, and then with Bun and Pimp and all them, they was like popping and you know they come popp a couple of times.
Tell the story about Himp, like you got these stories about.
Only only Real One. No no, because only Real one where we ever kind of really though, it was like an award show, and you know, he he was just like Pels, just like Hella Cole. You know, we just went just saying what up. We we we respect each other and pre each other, you know, just kind of thing. He met my daughter, you know what I'm saying. He just was like a real cool, cool dude. Like that was the only time me and him ever kind of
locked up like that. Yeah, but I keep it with Bun a lot more, you know, even even busting up in the Trio Burgers and yeah, you know, like just recently and then uh, you know, he just.
You know, he just slid. Dude.
I'm glad to see like that, that kind of spin like when somebody takes their you know, their celebrity and then go into another thing in life and then had great success as well, you know, especially for a dude like him, just so solid like for you know, this this new venture to.
Be just as dope as as he was as a rapper, to be like this dude. Yeah, barbecue sauce right, Yeah, I'm not trying to do a tril Burger. Yeah we did.
We did a little we did a day where we did little collab where we're down there we see barbecue, Yeah, popped up, you know.
So that was dope.
And so you know, we actually got some other you know, we had some other business uh deals going that prevented us from kind of locking in on it, uh for real. But but yeah, but that was dope, man. And uh so yeah, me and Anthony got ac barbecue been really growing. We in Walmart, Lowe's and H. H. G. B's down in Texas here and then uh and uh and then uh Amazon, So we just made Oprah's Favorite things this year. So that's a big thing, right there. A lot of
a lot of real cool stuff happening. We're gonna open up our first restaurant, our own Flagshire restaurant in the Century City mall, you know out there, the one in Century City upstairs the food court. So that's gonna be coming soon. Uh where We're gonna have our own, our first flagship store.
So we I walked around the other day like, yeah, yeah.
It got sexy over there.
Yeah yeah, because it's kind of indoor outdoor, but it's a it's a great spot for the you know when you know that holiday shopping, when you just out like strolling, it's gonna be a over there.
You got a nice list of movies you've been in and produced and been a part of, you know, anyone to stand out.
Do you have a favorite?
Yeah, man, like I guess, you know, probably Barbershop one was my favorite.
Like movie to do be Cool?
Uh yeah, be Cool with the rock dam Johnson Family Vacation had a blast doing uh you know the Mattagascars.
You know, you do.
Animation, that's the first thing. But it was like some of the biggest paydays I've ever seen in my life.
That was crazy.
That was crazy because that I didn't even know really what it was until like it was like like a year later. They said the residual check one time every bought the house with it. I was like, yo, just showed up in the mail.
I was like, this all mine. It was like, yeah, like it's crazy, man, y'all told my wife she don't know yet, you know about this. You don't know about this, dude. This not to go on the rolls, you know. So no, but if she see it, it's going on a new kitchen.
But if I see it, the double yeah, yeah, we get ready, We get ready, drop it on some forges, some wild ship. Just uh but uh yeah, but you know, like really just a lot of fun doing a lot
of picture. I did, uh this when we first reformed, where I got a chance to work with Ethan Hawk, like you know, like a more dramatic role, like those kind of things, like when you get to do stuff outside of your like kind of norm you know that that was dope, like to be with like heavy hitters, like a man to say Freed and Ethan Hawk, you know, like doing scenes with these with these that boy dog when he comes.
To that acting like you know what I'm saying.
So you got to step up and those kinds of things are really great experiences man. So you know, and I you know, and I had to do that intolerable cruelty. That's another movie I have fun on. Uh that Gus Petch character. That was fun, Like you just get to make up characters and just have fun.
Yeah, man, it's been, it's been. It's been a fun run.
Fatherhood for me, Yeah, your fatherhood father three? Yeah, what's that mean to you?
It's a very unique thing because you know, I didn't you know, my my father wasn't really you know, and again not the he not the ship on him, like he's not a bad dude, but he wasn't around like that, right, So, so I didn't really have especially as a male like you growing up in a household with just your mom's your sister, and you gotta like learn how to be
a male in these kind of situations. And and so like when I you know, when I had my first child, you know, like my my my first daughter was like again from a situation, not marriage, you know, it's.
Just it's sad. Damn there you go, there you go, I guess we're gonna do this then.
So but you know, it was crazy, and so like you know, like it was a lot harder my career was going at the same time, and you young, you just trying.
So I'm like really focused on my career. I'm like longest, I'm like paying my daughter good.
So you kind of missed the elements of really like being in on the on it because I'm like, I'm you know, I'm climbing on the you know, climbing up the career louder ladder. So she's in Saint Louis and I'm like in La mainly, and you know, you pay, you pay to say to say, hey, I'm the dad. You know I got you in school, do to show
up every now and then. But then when you know, when I got married, then my two youngest kids, you know, you got that more in the house, more on the ground, more part of the schedule, more a part of who they are is understanding, and so you definitely learned. So I had to go back and get some of those things with my oldest daughter, which is hard because now she's formulated her own thoughts and I have mine and
we have to earn these things back. And so but I do feel it's the responsibility to know that as the as the mail in the household, and you have these children, it's important for you to be a person that is a guide in life is a source of comfort for them, is a source of uh knowledge, a place for them to.
You know, ask questions and be guiding in a in a in the right way. You know.
I think that when we have money, you know, luckily, like say, I was able to learn that, you know, with my oldest daughter, that just having money is not
the resolve of that. So, you know, I was able to learn that you just can't pay your way through daddyhood like that ain't no that, ain't that ain't gonna win because you know, these you know, kids and people have a lot of needs and you know, and so uh so you have to go back and earn that now you know, now my oldest daughter has a daughter, So I got a granddaughter, and it's just you know, a unique bond because that's that would have been a space that if I'd have been on that same energy
I was, I wouldn't have that relationship with my granddaughter because I was on some you mad at me, I'm mad at you, you you know, like you know, you realize that my wife was the kind of person that was like, look that doesn't work.
You got to get in there, sir.
And so that's what I really do appreciate, you know, and learning about being you know, being a father. And then you know, our kids grow up in this space where they see us and they see our successes, and somehow they feel challenged that they have to be these things too early, you know, especially my son, you know, he has that that thing where he feels like he has to have all the answers and be successful because I'm successful. And he puts a lot of pressure on
himself for that reason. And it's like, you know, man, it's about discovery. So like there's a lot of like you know, I told him, you know, I was. I was twenty eight, twenty nine when I discovered comedy, you know, twenty seven or whatever in there, but thirty something when I made it.
So you know, I'm not. I'm not, you know, you twenty four years old, bro.
Like you know, just just work, Just go to work, wake up every day and be and be the best you and just kind of stay at that and don't put that kind of pressure on yourself, you know.
So, uh, I think those.
Those other kind of things that you know, I wish I had somebody guiding meeting, you know and giving me cool game and there for me and that's what I think is really one of the most important being being conscious, being aware, being alert, listening, and being being involved.
That's the best you can do as a father.
Absolutely, home stretch quick hitter is first thing to come to mind. Top five comedians of.
All time, Wow, top five all time? Wow. Listen my list.
I'm gonna go with I'm gonna go Richie Pryor, I'm gonna go with Eddie Murphy. I'm gonna go with the late Robin Harris. I'm gonna go with Robin Williams and uh and I'm gonna put up.
We'll push push push pel on it. We'll put feeling that I rock with him like that. Yeah.
Five Dinner against that Alive oh Man, Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King. I don't want somebody fun at that ship. I want Eddie Murphy there, and then I want like shot Dave there. Yeah, then yeah, yeah, shot A She'll be there and then.
And then like uh.
And maybe somebody like Abraham Lincoln Man just yeah, like yeah yeah, because he you know.
The first one had a hat that you like.
Yo.
See you know you so take the Briamball show you how to do it?
I like that one album repeat.
Oh man.
Man's combination combination. So Marvin Gay I Want you and reasonable doubts.
Jay Z Yeah, classes get the pleasure pizza like uh.
Yeah, like pepperoni and you know sometimes hallopeno, but some good cheese, good crispy crust. Yeah, like damn man, you know, I'm trying to trying to get off that od Zippy. They're drinking o zipic smoothies. Lady oh Shower the childhood crush. Shata was one one boy Sha from good time. She got to throw her on there boys. She was one of the ones at that time that look look horrible kind of thing right there. Lola Filanda, that's when y'all
got to go back over. But Lola Fla, that was like when yo mama got a friend.
That's like that. You like, you little you got that one older lady.
You're like, so your boy daughter just played Lola and yeah, yeah, exactly, yeah, exactly, Barbi dog Yeah Lori plays. Yeah, that's kind of the tonality if you see the real Lola, like Laurie, there's a good, good prototype for that. Who she was as a She was a dancer and just fun and energetic. I just remember being little as a kid, like you know, like, yeah, y'all was like yo, Mi's Lola.
Boy going to the bathroom, now BAM's lola that night.
One guess, one guest that you want to see on All the Smoke, But you have to help us get your answer.
On the show. People. You know a lot I do.
I know a lot of people that need to be on All the Smoke. Y'all need to have like, uh, you know, did y'all have George low Pans over here?
Like like George? George is a fun interview and a fun dude too like that. Yeah, he'll rock with y'all. Yeah, yeah, he'll He'll definitely do a cush up too.
Like a smoking event at his crib one time.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, you used to do the who Weed in My Pool? These parties?
Yeah that he was doing a party called who Weed in My Pool? And be a weed pool party? What said?
Man?
We appreciate you obviously one of the greats, but even a better person. And I mean we wish you continue success as long as you want to do this ship. Thanks for your time, man, Thank you.
Man love I started acting, so keep me in mind, please, brother, my brother. Okay, man, see you didn't laughing like Kevin Hart did. So appreciate it. I like it, man. You know Chump the only one that tried to do it like Shump is trying to jump into that ag. Yeah, so I can see it happen. Rolls that he doing like some of them. Rolls like to be closer to me.
But yeah, yeah, well you look the thing about the actor, man, you allow yourself to you know, have other experiences. You know, it's it's one thing to be yourself and it's a thing to be like, Yo, I've seen this kind of person before.
Let me figure that out right. You can make it. You can make it be true.
You'll be surprised, like if you just let it and you don't have to do nothing out of out of your mind. But you can just definitely identify with people like that. You know, you'd be like, oh, I know a character that's more like that. It's not like me that I can that I can hear. That's that's how you gotta.
Trust, well said man.
This is our first coffee table book with Simon and Schuster. We want to give you a hard man.
The first podcast with with the coffee table book up right there in second edition.
Man, I like this.
Man, that's a wrap, said the Ertay. You can catch us on all the Smoke Productions YouTube and the DraftKings Network. Man, we'll catch out next week.
M hm mm hmmm