You're listening to Comedy Central. We been going to pep se mm hmm. The Man, the myth, the legend. I don't know about that. How are you doing? My friend has been a long time man. Yeah, you've been conquering. The last time we spoke, we were just talking about how amazing your album was going African Giant. It was killing it. People were loving it was blowing up all over the globe. I was talking about the Grammys, your
future aspirations. Then the pandemic hits. You produced an album in that pandemic and you went on to win your first Grammy. Congratulations, brother, congratulations. That's up. So let's let's start with that. I was shocked to find out that you produced the album like on zoom. I mean, you've got some of the biggest features on the you know, got everybody from Chris Martin, and you do this on zoom technology. But how do you know it's going well
on zoom? Like, I don't even know something? You don't okay, you hope for the best. Was there ever a moment where you were recording something on zoom it sounded great, then you got it, Then you're like, no, it doesn't sound it's not like you record the song go on zooms like Zoom has a recording studio. I don't know, man,
I don't know how zoom works. So basically you just have the laptop on in the studio with all the parties involved, and while while we're making the music and stuff, and then you know, everyone's like, Okay, yeah, this is the song we have to choose. We're going to choose this, you know, and then yeah, it just worked out. I want to ask you about the artists though. You know, one thing I've truly loved is how like Nigerian artists have taken Africa to the world. Man, you loan up
the content. Everyone is now trying to emulate what Nigerian answers are creating. But but surely are the answers that you dreamed of working off, that you were shocked to be working with when you were working with them? Everyone everyone on my last album was and the previous like working with Angeli ki Jo on the previous one and working with you soon do like these are people that I worked on TV when I was in Pampas, you know, like so it's like seeing them in real life and
actually making music with them. And you know, getting the love and writing all that. It's it's sometimes it gets kind of weird because I'm like, ah, it's like my mom loves you. Your mom. A lot of people may not know this, but your mom is your manager. Yeah, yeah, Mama Berner crushes it. By the way. I love it. I love it. But but here's but here's what I've
always wondered. And it seems differently. You know, in America, there's a culture of they call them the managers, you know, and it's like this idea is like if your parents is your manager, things always go wrong on your side. It feels like it's going the exact American manager. But sure it was. It was there not a part of you that was worried about having your mom be your manager. I mean it's it's like it's it's obviously it's not. It's not all peaches and roses, you get me. But
it's a lot of food. So I mean that makes me happy enough. You're the artist, your mom is the manager. Technically,
that's a power balance that has shifted over. But now she's your mom and she's an African mom, which means the power balance never shifts over exactly So are there moments where your mom goes like, no, this is this is how we're doing and that's how we do it well, I mean you know what she does now, like she used to do that and then that wouldn't work out for her because you know it's like me, like I just get stomach. I'm not exactly so she figured out
an other way. She would make me feel like it's my decisions. Mama Bernard. You got your family with you, you tour with them, You're traveling around the world. Can I just say congratulations as well? And everything? I mean, selling out the Old two Arena in London, selling out, um you know the Forum in Hollywood now, the first Nigerian artist to ever sell out Madison Square Guarden and to play it as well. But you know one thing, do you know one thing I always wondered, like why why?
How come what it's me? They always point out that the fact that I'm the first to do it, like like the first landed on the Moon's like why why when rock bands performed in in Tokyo and stuff? They don't say the first American rock band to perform in Tokyo. I think because they're surprised. This is an element of surprise, you know, but why because we've come a long way. Do you know how far Medicine's square garden is from Africa? Yeah? But like do you know how far way Tokyo is
for for kids that money? But you see, that's the thing, if you think about it, culture has for such a long time been defined by America, and so it makes sense in a way for people to go like of course the music is gonna go there, you know what I mean? But now think about things like two women. But think about it right for for for the world to change the way it has. I mean you you you see Beyonce incorporating your music into her vibe? Do you get what I'm saying? These are big things that
have never happened. It's beautiful, Like everyone's everyone. I would incorporate my music into her you know every time when I love speaking to you every time I see the biggest difference between Bigerians and almost every other African is that like every other African has like a very um what's the word I'm looking for? Very timid approach to life, like literally with like if you say to like a
South African, Hey, Trevor, You're doing well, how are things going? Then, as a South African, my instinct to respond, it's like I'm trying, man, I'm you know, I'm doing okay, I'm trying, you know, like you see you see, this is what I mean about Nigerians. That's what I mean. No, no, but that's what I mean. So and everywhere you go to Kenya everything, how how are thing? We don't lie unless you want to stop you. This is Nigerians Nigerian. I've never met a Nigerian who's going to be like, no,
I'm not killing it. If they're killing it, they won't be like yeah, So you think it's you think it's that. It's just like sometime to lie about. Like if you're in court and you're about to go to jail, you should lie, you get me. But if you're killing it, if you're killing it, like you should be happy. Um, let's talk about the new album. I've noticed you've teased a few nippets from it. But you're doing that thing, always talk about that. Let's talk about this. Why have
we time this second time? I come here? You never for me? No, drink this for me chocolate and see and like like I'm bugs Bunny attended, But what I need to drink? What are you going to offer you things that people that look like me would maybe think? Maybe think this glasses up to you on that side. So you see, I mean, I'm I'm actually repressing that I need to drink. You know what I love. I
can always get you a drink. The only thing I have to remember is to switch out the things that happened, because I'll get you the drink, and then I'll leave the drinks there, and then you find like, let's say, like Kamala Harris comes to the show the next day and then backstage she's like, wow, I was getting turned um, what what is your drink of choice? What would you like next? I'll make sure I get a you next time. What you want? Man, I don't want to promote no
one right now? Okay, you'll tell me, but you want so Water's not for burner, you know what? That's definitely for me. But it's like, you know, when I'm when I'm dressed like this, make sure make sure we get burner. What else would you like? What else would you like? Backstage? Well, I mean, I've really got some weeds. I'm good, That's just what I love about it, right with you? All right? Now can we talk about the album? Yeah, now that you've called me out for stiff drinks, I like, how
angry about the chocolates are you offer me? Cho? Um? What did they bread to? Like? Oh? Man, Um, you've teased the album, but you've done that thing artists do where we don't know when it's coming, we don't know who's going to be. Like I saw a snippet of you in the studio. I saw I saw Edge Sheering and people lost their mindstars like Edge Sheering looks like he's going to be on the album. But you won't tell when is the album coming out? Brenad Ah. Okay, okay,
So now the Nigerian doesn't want to tell the truth. Okay. You see that's the thing. I didn't say anything like silence all right, okay about it because you're my guy. You know I won't. I won't let you down in front of all these people. Um, okay, So it's gonna I'll give you a hint. It's gonna come out on a day everyone celebrates for theirself when it's their own day. All right. I don't know what that means, but I see I can I feel it something deep for you
to tackle. You just left me with a riddle that I've got to go and figure out. I'm like, is it a Friday? Is it a birthday? Is it a Sunday? Is a Saturday? Depends on the day that you celebrate what you do? No know what you do? Is you just everybody? It's like, it's not everybody in the world that has a job, you know, So it's like nobody, no, everybody asks, but this everybody has it, So everybody has their day to celebrate it. Okay, we're gonna figure this out, man,
We're gonna figure this out. Burn a boy, everybody, Thank you, but heaven, I'll have a drink next time. Watch The Daily Show weeknights at eleven ten Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime I'm on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast