QLS Classic: Robin Thede

Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora.

What up, y'all.

It's Liyah from Quest Love Supreme. And on this classic episode, we're taking you back to November twenty ninth, twenty seventeen for our first conversation with our good friend Robin Thti. Now this is before she was a big time show runner. Shout out to a Black Lady sketch show. This is when the writer, comedian, and late night host talks about her life in front of and behind the camera. Her puppetry skills are hung and everything you need to know about her past show, The Rundown.

Oh and if you enjoyed this episode, you've got to hear.

When she came to join us on this year's Roots Picnic stage from June twenty twenty two.

Oh yeah, that's a good one too.

It's always fun with our good friend Robin.

So enjoy Supremo Sun Sun Suprema Roll Call Suprema Sun Sun Suprema, Roll Call Suprema.

Son Soun SUPREMEA roll Call supremea Son Son Supreme role.

She don't smoke beaties. Yeah, she was owned some CDs. Yeah, she's been to d C.

Yeah, phone home with et hungry feeding fights me like.

Michael Jackson here, tired, I see my billy g lines to my key. Yeah, Phil, y'alls please leave me. Y'all tired of me? He Yeah, I'm feeling needy.

Yeah, I'm down with opp Yeah.

Uh, I'll skip to the letter t E. Yeah, ladies and gentlemen, It's Robert Feede, Supremo Sun Sun Supreme Roll So Supreme roll Car. Name is Sugar. Yeah. My life's a dream.

Yeah, except that one night.

Yeah, I had to record five hundred of.

Your name.

Supreme Supreme Supreme roll Call.

It was my name. Yeah, not a battle of arena. Yeah, I'm trying not to screw up.

Yeah.

Another Suprema roll.

Supremo SUPREMEA roll call, Supreme Son Son Suprema roll Call.

Hey.

Yeah, and I'm raging mad, yeah.

About angry white ladies. Yeah, Supreme SUPREMEO roll Call, Suprema Suprema role Car.

It's like and it's going to be a classic. Yeah, rob Yeah, flat Girl Magic.

Suprema Son So SUPREMEO roll Call, Suprema So Supreme roll call.

Yeah, in my groove. Yeah, and I don't dance. Yeah, make money moves.

Supremo Supremo roll came Suprema Son Son Supremo roll call Suprema Son Supremo.

Roll call Supreme Son Son Suprema roll.

That was like fifty What the hell, yo, I did not know so many things rhymed with my name.

It was dope. It's because we really just wanted to, you know, reiterate that it is thid.

Yes, I wanted to. I know.

Yeah, we were all having I know, halfway through I almost felt like I was in church.

Yeah, indeed, it was like, it's very good.

I hope you're a believer.

Now, don't be needy.

I forgot that, Okay, Jeff Tweety Wilco, I forgot to shout out Jeff Tweety, Stevie Wonder.

Yeah, that Beaty was brilliant.

Michael Jackson, Ladies and gentlemen, our guest today is a writer, comedian, actress, director, producer, author, chef Boxer. She's the current President of the United States. Box Exactly, you're the you're the president of the United States right now I'm declaring that, uh, you're the former showrunner. What's happening now?

It was my crow.

What's going, what's going on? Yes, you've been a butcher, baker, candlestick maker, the maker, breaker and title. She is currently breaking new ground on BT's weekly news program called.

The One Comedy Program. Oh okay, well based on the news.

Well, it's just I don't want people.

To think that I'm actually reporting the news because they'll be very configured.

But I assure you that the only way to digest the news in twenty seventeen is through comedy.

That is true.

It's a very informative show. So I see it. I mean you're the you're the new ed. Uh? Who was?

Can you please say that the black John Stewart and said, yeah.

And gentlemen, please welcome to Black John.

I take that back. Trevor Nor probably wants to be good or he does the vaginal John Stewart. I don't know anywhere.

This show is going to be.

Can I heard?

Yes?

Let's I think you're the host of the show.

No, I am not the host of the show.

You're please please, I just wanted to be casual amongst six friends. You know, so our thank you Robin for doing this.

Thank you you know what. You guys are over here killing it as always.

Thank you. You're killing it as well.

Thank you. You know. Listen, I'm two episodes in and I feel like I pretty much mastered the craft. And actually, by the time this airs, I'll be like a good like five deep, so I will have collected all the Emmys, all the Hoodies, all the is that yes, it is right, Yeah, so pretty much I'm on top of the world. Yeah, it's great.

That's good. Listen, visit to a time when you were in the bottom of the world.

Oh god, now it gets I don't want to take us back to the beginning episode, you know what. I know everybody goes back to the beginning like no one cares about the beginning.

Quarter. Like the last two episodes. You know, he was at the lag quarter.

Do you know the l I not personally, but I've heard tale.

No, but I have to say, even when I met you, and this is the weird thing, like this is the one super can't I hope to have a very super candid episode of course love Supreme because I know Robin well well, not like biblically, but I mean she's my pal, so you know, but I have to say that even when you told me that back when we first met, that you were born in Iowa.

I know it's weird.

Yeah, I will say that of the six black women that I do know from Iowa, you know, yes, you're you're the only one that's not in a certain industry farm porn.

Is it porn?

That corn corn?

It's corn porn? I gotcha.

I was suned out the most alarming rate of black porno actresses what and alone. But but here's the thing that would like wouldn't as blackborn and uh usually no with with like mensa level intelligence, right, and it's it's crazy to me. I'm glad you avoided.

Well, first of all, that's rude that you're assuming I'm not also doing that in my spare time. You don't know what I'm capable of. No, yeah, I did not know that statistic. Usually people go there's black people in Iowa when they find out that I'm from and I'm like, no, I left, there's no more. Yeah, no, my mother is actually you know this, My mother's the state representative. She was the first black woman to ever be elected to

Doing that thing? So are there a lot of first in your family? Because you already.

I'm like eighteen first just first right now?

Yeah? Oh more than that? Yeah?

Yeah? Yeah?

Well what other first besides first show runner or.

The first yeah head writer, black female head writer for late night show? I was the first black female uh to be the head writer at the cor Correspondence dinner.

I can't wait to talk about.

Yeah, I did not know that.

Yes, I was the first. I think I think we know, we haven't confirmed this, but I think I was the first black woman to be the head writer of a daytime show and a night time show and a nightly commis your daytime show? I was not the same time, but I was Queen Latipa's head right, A lot of ship for amazingly, you only do things of us first.

She used to work for a show that formerly had the at QLs.

Yeah that is so true.

But because the show was dormant, now I have to you know, it's fine.

They don't need it.

This this this pays to be friends with busin at Twitter. I just said, hey, guys, the show doesn't exist, no work.

Damn you got them to delete their old Twitter account?

Uh?

No, ARCHI I have known nothing.

Are going to work?

Yeah, y'all, are you powerful quest love you are I try?

So?

Okay. So you grew up in a political family.

Yeah, I did, And it was interesting because my dad was actually a Republican. My dad is white. My mom's black from the West Side of Chicago. My dad's white from a farm in Iowa. He met my mother in the seventies. She had a big ass afro. First day at college, he said, I want her.

She's in college in Iowa.

Yeah, she went to college in Iowa from Chicago.

Uh.

And uh they met and been married forty forty ideas. Yeah, they're still best friends.

What is parents?

I don't what parents? Just like, I know, it's crazy, it's crazy. It's at a very unrealistic standard for me. Yeah, I was like, this is I thought this was supposed to be forever, like every first boyfriend ID. I was like, we're gonna be together forever. And they were like, I don't even know your last name. But yeah, so they met, uh and and yeah they're still together. But yeah, what what was the question about?

Yeah?

None any but yeah, So my family was always political. My dad was a Republican growing up, and then by the time George Bush Junior came in, he had came over to the right.

I was or, okay, so he's now yes.

Now he's everybody's on the same team.

Wow. Still yes, Like he just.

Saw Trump and was like, hey, yeah, let's do this. No, no, he's like the he talks the mostion about Trump, like yeah, cause he's like, this is not the way it's supposed to be. Because I think I said this the other day to a group. I was like, I think white people are now like, you know, like they look at Trump and they're like, hey, hey, I don't want to be associated with that.

You know.

It's like how all black people are like, hey, don't you know, don't lump us all together. We're not the same. But now I think white people are starting to feel like that because you can't tell a Trump supporter when they're white, from you know, from a non Trump supporter.

Right.

So yeah, so it's good, it's good. My dad is dope. He has a family foot of black women. I have two sisters, so it's just nothing but black ladies in the family. Are you I'm in the middle, okay, yeah, so I'm the annoying. Yes, I was tapped in.

So is this why you're yeah, where you are? Right?

Now, I'm sure, I think so. Like I'm a Leo, I'm a middle child, and my father forced me into comedy very early on. He named me after Robin Williams. I found out after Robin Williams died, and I didn't know that. But I was always funny and weird and kookie and like I would always just imitate we you know, we didn't have cable, so I used to always just you know, imitate like the news and like, you know, whatever Sitcom's wrong. So they always just thought I was weird.

How did somebody, someone as in the cable company or someone realized no, like.

The neighbor we were stealing it from was like, stop stealing our ship, you know. So so you know, Chuck, the park is wrong. People not nice to each other, not neighborly, but but.

So especially.

But no so so, so we got it to watch Thriller and that was dope. And I hid behind my Bible watching Thriller because I was scared and I thought that I was little. I was like two, I was like tiny, So yeah, it was scary shit. So but I remember that, and then I remember later on when we had stole cable a second time that we had. He used to let me watch what was the Show?

So you didn't see the first stand up the Broadway one when she played the I don't.

I don't think I was online, Damn, Rob, I mean, I don't think I.

Watched She's were her elders.

I don't think. Sorry, Okay, yeah, I don't think so.

Probably were you in high school in the nineties or no, I'm.

Not gonna watch that. I wasn't even in the nineties. I made all this, but no, so so so I saw her and then he let me watch. They showed her one woman show on PBS as like an anniversary special ever or whatever, and that's the first time I saw it, and I was just blown away by this woman, like absolutely blown away. And then my dad like, let me stay up and watch. I remember we could stay up and watch s n L until the until weekend

Is that a time thing or do a continent? Yeah, it was a time.

Thing for them. It was just like, okay, that means at whatever time in the midwes. I think it was like around midnight.

We could go to sleep because I had to go to church or something.

Yeah.

Yeah, we were in church three days a week, which church is.

That seventh day of venice, no three day.

No, we were just like so because we were we were in the perform Like the only way we get performing arts was through church programs. So we were in the acting group and like the puppet group. Oh that's a whole other thing.

All about the puppet group. Yeah, we had the mind.

Yeah I didn't have the mind.

Wait you no, no, not me, but I think you didn't. You just know when I was in the church band, can you explain the puppet group?

So I was in it when I was so thirteen to like thirteen, fourteen fifteen. Every summer we were to the country with this Christian puppet group called King's Kids, right, and my sister and I this is good's even better. So we were like Jim Henson school trained, like I'm still a professional puppeteer, by the way, I helped the Wyatts and I perfect his puppeteering skills and don't let him tell you any different. So we uh, so we went on the road for three summers and we got

Where was your voice.

Oh god, I don't remember. I honestly don't remember. I did a bunch of them. You know, you just hear me slip into weird.

I don't know, Jesus, I don't know.

But some of them were just like regular little girls. And then some of them were like weird because they were like human looking puppets. They weren't all animals, hand puppets or yeah, yeah, hand puppets. Well, I can't do it. God, damn, it's this podcast I would show you, which you have to imagine. Yeah, so here, wait, can I teach you guys a trick that won't help the whole audience at all? Everybody hold up your hands. Okay, we'll physically describe it. Okay,

Hi?

How are you?

But move it down, don't move it up.

Go hi Hi.

Nope, opposite, move your thumb down. Hi hi hih. That's how. That's how a mouth works. And if you want to sing, you could do that. Oh if that's advance shit, got it. But anyway, at home, try this. Keep it top of your hand flat. Even the engineers in the other room right now, keep this fat. Only move the thumb. Doing the best job anyway.

Yeah, wait, can we just spend one minute doing this in silence, irust our audience right now?

Yeah, that's it's very hard. It took me years to master. So just move this and that looks real.

Wow, that is awesome.

Instagram page for video.

Yeah it's cool, right, is an art to it? Yes, it looks crazy, it's not. I can also use my other hand to make the hands and legs move. And we went to we went through training, no the Jim Henson School teachers. We went through actual profession. I'm actually a professional, like certified Bubbeto, You.

Were you not trying to make it to the children's television workshop?

Yeah?

Did you not have those golds like Fraggle Rock? Wait, they certify puppeteers, dude, mafia.

They started clowns.

Even even when Kevin first came degree in it, even when he came to the Tonight show. I mean he was saying that, you know, to get in Jim Henson's it's the it's the Marionette equivalent of going to George Lucas's uh school, Like it's fifteen people graduation ceremony.

So I only have like a certification. I don't have, like the whole degree is that expensive? I don't remember you didn't get a master's in moving your What is it you're gonna use that you're gonna thank me?

What is it grant you? Like if you wanted the audition for Avenue Q.

Or I have no idea. I don't think anything because I can't sing either, So they'd be like, could you leave?

I don't know.

I don't know actually Avenue Q. It would probably be helpful if I could actually sing, but I would think that they actually go through puppet training.

I have to say that. Oh wait, this is weird paid bill. I'm about to tell the story of your other job forgiving that you actually worked at for it. I was like, wait, I got this ring you do?

Am I not wrong?

I mean?

Am I correct?

He is the Joe Ropos of Sesame Street right now.

Whenever I watched them, they yeah, it's a yeah, we're still talking with that.

Yeah, I'm sorry. Podcast listeners, just fast forward this part. I don't know, just see us in three minutes really talking about the next track. Yeah, you guys have chapters on.

These are you are you move on? Are your no? Sesame Street? You know, I'm gonna get lost in at least like there's a wormhole about to be minute rabbit hole. So on Sesame Street. Are your puppeteers and well just puppeteers Muppet tears? Are they licensed or no?

But it's the same, like fifteen dudes that dude like dudes and ladies that do Sesame Street and the Muppets and mostly other other other things are the same fifteen or twenty people.

It is a mafia for sure, and they're like eighty because once you're in, you're in, you.

Know, Like the guy who plays Grover also does ms Piggy and Animal, and then the guy who does the Swedish chef's hands is also the cookie monster still and stuff like that. Yeah, that'll kind of cross breeze.

So what happens if all three of his characters are in the same sketch?

They throw their voice around and they were prerecorded. It's really cool to watch.

They're fantastic.

Are there any out takes? Any out take footage of them like just cursing, pacting a fool.

I've seen them do it, we had them on but yeah, they definitely do it. Yes, Sorry, I just don't want to get him in trouble.

AVL listeners Listeners at home were also like silent talking to each other like the question.

But I'm also like, they would just come do it for you, haven't They've been on the show.

I always come to the set whenever that.

I will Yeah, well, okay, when I do.

That thing, we do that thing, I will come.

So you would travel, uh at what part like Bible belts or like, yeah, not a Bible belt.

We would take a van and we would all pile in it and it said King's Kids on the side.

How many of you, like fourteen of us?

It was a lot like fourteen ten or fourteen, and then the funny thing is so one year so like the first year was like we drove out to California and did like West coast like you know, but like like normal places, right. And then the second year, No, first year we did the Midwest, so like Saint Louis, Chicago, that kind of stuff. Second year, we drove out to California, did some stuff like an Orange County. It's fine. Thirty year they're like, we're going to Appalachia, Appalachia.

However, you said Jesus puppets in Appalachia.

No, they played black people, two black girls. Ok So we were like and back then I was wearing a big afro, like my hair was you know, big, you know, and we were like, oh okay. My mom was like, how's this gonna work? And they were like, so what we'll do is we'll just go into the churches first and make sure that they're cool.

We're not doing it.

And like, in hindsight, my sister and I was like, this is crazy. Like there was a church where they had to pull up and go in and talk to them before we came in, and uh, they were not okay, with us performing and we canceled the performance, and it was those I don't know if you've ever been in like Kentucky coal country and all that stuff Virginia. So you go on these switchback roads where there's only one lane and so the coal trucks are coming down and

The Roots played a lot in Kentucky, right, Yeah, Actually, I mean we I was part of a tour like that, right where the day that we got.

Our official h offer for a record deal, A Hub and I snuck out of the church tour that we were on very similar to this where we were. We were in obal in Kansas, like in the cornfields, Like when I go to sleep, I'd hear like, yeah every night going to sleep, Like it was that sort of thing where you're just in the middle of America and you don't know what you're going to be burning to

Now they saw you on foul and they were like, God.

Damn it. I'm just curious about those church outings and whatnot.

Yeah, why, I mean, how.

Had Was it a repressive atmosphere or no?

It wasn't at the time. I think for me, it was all we knew and the people were very kind and very still really good family friends, you know. I mean it was.

Which there was a hard break moment where like you're disillusioned and.

You oh yeah, yeah, yeah that happened in college. Oh just about like Jesus.

Sorry, yeah, just with the church.

Yeah yeah, yeah, with the church for sure. I think at a certain point I just saw, you know, you wake up to hypocrisy. That happens in anything, right, but for churches. I'm like, Okay, I woke up to hip hop and I was like, get out the church. No, I I yeah. I think once I got older, I got to college, I was like, oh, okay, I don't need to be in the church this much. I mean even I think later in high school. But you know,

So I just feel like was guilt ever part of that? Like once they once my church found out I was doing music, right, you know, it's sort of like, so, uh, mirror, are you uplifting the Lord in your work or is it just like what I see on the Devil? Yeah? Then I just stopped coming to church.

Because, you know, no, I think once people heard me cursing in comedy, they were like, well, she's lost and if she comes back, then fine, we'll see her on Eastern I don't know, and I still I don't know.

I don't know.

I never had that guilt really. Also, I left home and went to Chicago, and then I went to Northwestern Second City like I was gone. You know, there was nobody to like follow me and be like you.

And you didn't walk into college like that church girl. No, I'm holding on to this.

No, no, no, no, no.

Yeah.

So what year did you go to Northwestern?

I will not tell you that, But it wasn't that long ago.

Did we just had this conversation?

Well, no, because I just generally wanted to know, like if we ever played her college or that sort of thing. You're trying to find out if you get younger.

Wait.

Wait, I've talked to you about this. He was in the two thousands. Oh sorry, I understand. I see what you're doing. I will tell this story. And I saw before I met you, I had seen y'all fourteen times, fourteen times, two of which I think were at Northwestern. I remember, Do you remember this story? I don't. Do you remember this night? Tell me how you were y'all were playing? But oh god, what am I forget?

His name?

Not Cameron. It's a rapper with a c name, and he wraps and he frees for a long time. Canada, Thank you Jesus.

There's a big difference betwe I knew I was.

About to say the wrong name. So Cannabis was over whatever, y'all, And this dude freestyle for forty five minutes. Do you remember this? Was that what he would do? Because I never saw him before in concert.

We've done it was so long an shows. Yeah, so obviously this was like ninety eight ninety nine when is out?

Didn't you just tell you it was?

No, it wasn't it was later than that. Well, it was later then when I saw it.

Okay, okay, well no, no, I'm yeah, okay, he had other Okay, okay, but I remember.

I would have told you. I was like, actually, that's not right.

We can edit.

Also, it was like nineteen sixty five. It's fine, It's fine now they know I'm eighty. Thanks a lot, I'm sorry forgiving thanks Amir. Wait, am I supposed to call you? Quest? What am I supposed to call you?

On this? We know each other?

Are can I tell you? It is so weird to talk about you because people are always like because I'm always like my friend of me or did something something, and they're like, oh, is he in the business, And I was like, it's quest love, Like I don't know how to like, do you know what I mean? Like, I tried not to say your stage name because it's the stage it's yes, and you can't just be like so quest love and I were.

Yes.

It's such an annoying, goddamn name drop. It's the same thing I called Queen Jana and people are like, oh, you think you're cool, and I'm like, no, I just don't call her queen.

This is weird because whenever I talk about Marshall yes, then it's like, oh, you think he's cool, you get the car mark.

No you can't call him eminem.

Why don't you say m though that is a little extra? Why not just say em because.

He makes you. I hate when people call me.

Correct even this is yeah, but it sounds like em whenever I hear M right, thank you, thank you. Anyway, we were talking about something else before I got up onto the standard, but go ahead, just yell oh yeah, oh yeah cannabis, So yeah, thank you.

I just ask you for something.

So cannabis was rhyming, and for the first five minutes we're like, yo, this Zude's killing it. He's really free sounding.

He says, she.

Got a shirt on her she got and then correct, We're like Jesus Christ right thirty eight minutes and we're like, this might be your world record in history right now forty five minutes saying the crowd is like, bring out the room. And then y'all came out and ripped it.

Thank you.

Yeah, it was great.

I appreciate that.

I saw y'all everywhere. Man, I saw you in Chicago a bunch. I think y'all. Did y'all come to Iowa?

You had to go back in those days, came to Iowa. No, Iowa has probably the the maybe the fourth best record shopping experience I've ever had.

Oh is that right?

Yeah? Because usually like those places that no one goes to, I could just it's enough, Oh God, clean up instantly. Yeah.

So what else do you go to Iowa for corn and porn?

You don't have to go there for the porn corn. Yeah, you don't really go to Iowa for There's a lovely place to grow up, sheltered from reality. But it's very affordable. I will say that.

Really, it's like a three bedroom house, it's like a one.

It's like going to North Carolina.

Yeah, you can easily get a three bedroom house for like one hundred and eighty thousand dollars easily and like a nice like a brand new, like new shit.

Yeah, like truth be told.

You know.

Uh, the towns that you have least expectations for are probably just some of the best places to visit the.

Worst weather because then you got hurricanes, you know, and Iowa. No it's not real tornadoes.

Tornadoes, Yes, that is true, tornadoes and cold hurricanes. That's okay. I know what you meant. I got you my head unless saying climate change is real, it might be some godamn hurricanes.

So second, what drove you to Chicago? The fact that you got accepted.

To my Chevy Lumina literally drove me to Chicago.

I'm a sharp comedian, but I mean, like, no, that's.

Just the truth. I wanted to go to I wanted to go straight to LA out of high school, and my parents were like, please, don't you will do porn, which now is why I see why you have that connection.

I want.

Uh, they were scared. They were scared.

They may have, yes, they may have.

So so you know, every summer I went to Chicago because that's where my family went. Some of my mom's whole side lived, so I was familiar with the city, and I was like, they were like, don't They said, they had just asked me two things. Don't go uh straight to LA because they knew I wanted to be comedian, actress, writer or whatever. But they said, don't go straight to LA. Get a college education, and also, don't ask us for

What was the name of the sketch group, the box okay.

And still going on to this day, seventy five years later. And so I, so I went to Second City. They gave me a full scholarship to go to Second City, graduated the conservatory, went straight to LA and uh, you know, did.

You have dreams of seeing Steve Higgins or larn coming.

In out door.

Because yeah, of course, for listeners, a lot of people that you see on SNL Saturday Night Live, they'll either be poached from one of three places. Either the Groundlings in LA is there groundlings in.

New York Groundings The home of Growndings is New York Growndings. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was thinking UC Bright There is no Groundlings in New.

York, Okay, So yeah.

The uc B here Growlings in lacon City was a grounding. Yes, Miam Melissa McCarthy, A bunch of them are groundling, right, And I think.

New York is uc being established.

By Amy Polar.

Amy Polar the team.

Uh she had Second City Chicago, right, and my group.

Last Second City. So those three, those are the three comedy universities that will guarantee you maybe half an audition at Saturday Night Live? Did you many years?

Yes, that was the goal. It'll happen, absolutely, that was the goal for sure. And I was there with a bunch of people who are now famous and they were my mentors, So Keing and Michael Key was leaving Second City to go do Mad TV and now I fucking dated myself, God damn it. But I was also twelve anyway,

I was about to say, who was a black lady this season? Because there wasn't.

It was Ellen Claghorn, and then it was Leslie Jones, like there was with Maya in the middle. That's literally it. But there was one more, uh what's her face? Who passed away Sandley? But years ago what was her name? Yes, thank you?

Yeah, damn. I remember a joke on the Apollo like get your baby some cool lights, or she did a joke about cool cigarettes. Oh did she a baby smoking? Yeah?

She wasn't on very long, but she was funny as shit. Yeah, but anyway, so so yeah, so it never happened. I went to LA. It took many, many years I didn't audition for Lauren until twenty thirteen.

WHOA that a long time? Damn?

But I was on other sketch shows. I was on you know, Jamie Fox, Savy on Crocodile Jehan Fox. I was a bunch of stuff that never saw the light of day. I did a sketch show with Mike EPs for Comedy Central that never saw the world. You know, I did a lot of sketch stuff. I wrote for a lot of stand ups. I toured the country with them. I wrote for sitcoms.

But did you wait? You're just here? Reminded me that I too was on a failed pilot that almost didn't make it. Uh, there was going to be a Black Saturday. I only remember because this is how we wrote break You Off for Frenalogy. Uh. Who is the the black comedy promoter? He did the Kings of Comedy Walter Latham. No, yes, Walter Walter, yes.

Not No, it's not him. Though it's not him. I know exactly who it is, and I am blanking somebody google it, got to look it up. No, I know who it is, and that's not Everybody's not a.

Charles King or nothing.

No, no, no, hold on Walter said, wait, he connects.

No, it's m It's M Latham.

Yea.

But once once the King of comedies, once the King of comedy kind of blew up. Then Walter decided to do, uh, to shoot a pilot. He wanted to do a black SNL And it was like Earthquake and other seven or eight other heavyweights that I'm forgetting right now. Earthquake, you know, don't sleep Earthquake man's funny. He's funny.

Door is a hell of a reality show actors.

But back when we were again thirsting for maybe a gig that could keep us in one place at the same time. Uh, we were the house band, you know, we were the s n L band for that show, but it just never got picked up.

Lounge people always forget about that.

That was the best Tracy, that was.

The best anyway. So you reminded me that I forgot.

About and then that kind of came true right in a way.

Uh yeah, eventually I saw my future.

Are you psychic?

No, I'm not. I'm also I'm thinking, I'm also remembering, Uh, is this why I tried to kill this? Also, she.

Real because that's not because she really did that.

Her husband dude, like we we were, says she's an Indiana girl. I understand it from Indiana. Yeah, said something smart or unsavory, and then she took her ear rings off and then she grabbed a weapon. Her husband had to hold her back. The only good thing that from that moment was like because music and she sat in with us like that was the thing, like when you.

Go, yeah, how did you prevent a murder?

Her husband held her back, but she did the whole like you don't know about me, motherfucker, and took her shoes off and took her ear rings off, and it was one she grabbed.

Wait butit did she really stab her husband?

Wait?

Did he die?

No?

No, oh, that's good.

He protected her.

Why she was gone for a while after that whole avunt Duet. I know you don't remember because you were a child.

I was only born yes day, so I just kept getting younger every time. I'm not gonna be born until this podcast.

So you went to LA what is it?

What is what?

Was the process of pounding the pavement?

Right?

So the nice thing was I went out there with a one woman show about you know, just like playing different character as and autobiographical. But what did I know at twenty two?

Wait, yes, if you didn't see that will be one woman show.

That's not as a kid people, Yeah, yah, that's not as a kid. Here's inspiration her all day. So I put a towel on my head and then I just I literally pulled him Malania Trump and just did her show. No, yeah, how did we let her get away with that? By the way, But anyway, so yeah, I went out did this one woman show and then I got seen by Mike Epps's manager, Like I literally only did the show like three times. And then I got seen by Mike Epps's manager and he was like, Yo, you are so funny,

How did you avoid the Hollywood shuffle or how did you avoid the Chitlin circuit uh Land minds that are usually there for comedians, especially for black comedians, like how did you avoid the some more route?

Right?

Well? Playing the CD bars and over? Like did you start off in the comedy store in LA and no?

So that's the thing, this is how I avoided it because I was a sketching, improv comedian. Even though I wrote for stand ups, I never did stand up. I've never done a minute of stand up in my whole career nevertheless, really never, not once.

That's weird and w I know.

And I'm always in the comedy clubs always. Yeah, I've never done a minute of stand up.

What do the comedians that you write for when you tell them that or if you ever had that in that conversation, do they ever what do they say about that or do they care?

I've never had that conversation. I've always been funny, right and always you know what I mean? Like, it doesn't to comedians. It doesn't matter, Like it's not there's not a hierarchy. It's like, is she funny case she write great jokes. The other thing about me is I have a because I would sit and mimic those people on television as a kid. I can mimic anyone's comedic style. So I know how to write for somebody. If I've heard five minutes of their stand up, I know how to write jokes for them.

You're trying to tell me that the rundown is the first time that you've consistently concurrently in a half hour or however you take your show at an hour, that you stood in front of the audience and dumb material and told jokes in a non sketch acting way for that amount of time.

Yeah, wow, that's dope.

Wow that's rare.

But you got to think about it this way. I'm an expert at stand up comedy because I've been doing it for a long like two decades. I've been writing it for years, but I'm a performer. Like even on the Nightly Show, I was doing the same thing. It was just like more sketches and like kind of panel stuff, And like my whole career has led to this if you look at the breadth of it, like, but no, it is true. I guess if you think about it that way. Yeah, it was the first time I actually

Because it's like trusting a food expert that's.

It's never cooked.

Oh my god, wait, I'm just talking about myself. You sure did anute.

Wait a minute, you got food books and everything. Motherfucker.

I'm probably the only James Beard uh dominated exactly author that's never cooked. That's weird.

No, you get it though, you know what I mean. Like, so for me, it was like I it's kind of better because I was on the road being a student of every Like literally, I can tell you if you give me a topic, right, like, I'm not gonna do it.

Listen.

This isn't like you know who's on the free but like, but like if you if I'm okay. So if if Trump does something crazy, right, so Trump goes after uh somebody in the media, right, he goes after Jamel Hill whatever, so she should be fired. I can tell you how every host in late night is gonna make a joke on it, all right.

So what was Steven Colbert saying so, so Stephen, Colbert is gonna make like, like, okay, so if you go for the gamut, right, So Kimmel is gonna make a joke that's probably okay.

It's the Jamel host. Well, he's not gonna do it right, right, I picked I picked a black person.

A lot of them would.

It was like, Trevor does these funny like impressions. He he does all these amazing voices, so he'll slip in and do an impression. Colbert's gonna make a stude upside down observation that's still silly. Kimmel's gonna make something that's a little bit more of a fight humor joke, and it's gonna take him down from A to B. Yeah, what do you say, Jimmy, He probably won't mention it if Trump said it. Yeah, but yeah, but I mean, but you know, it's like, but you have to be

How do you feel about, at least the different classes of comedy I'm curious about. Like in New York, I know that the Brooklyn comics are seen as the you know, alternative comics, and.

All do the same three jokes. It's really a joke. I am open minded. I love them, and I think some of them are pushing the boundaries. But like, if you take a Brooklyn comic, like I'm talking like uh straight up, like textbook Brooklyn, like ortismal cheese joke Brooklyn, and you and you take it anywhere else in the country, yeah, you'll bomb. You can't take that to Uptown, you know what I mean. You can't go to Atlanta with those jokes, especially for black comedians. But like, what are you doing?

So do you agree now Chris Rock thinks that any joke should be able to work in all three mediums.

Well, he says it because he's a genius. It's not fair. His opinion is not fair.

But I'm asking do you subscribe to that theory? Because Brooklyn is the alternative world and then sort of north of forty second Street is kind of I mean, I don't want to be dismissed him say hacky, but I mean that's where like Caroline's is and whatever, like you'll see.

Like, what are you talking about?

Well, yeah, I mean I don't know. It's just that they're so at the cellar in the village. Yeah, there's such snobs.

Yeah they are.

It's like Chappelle and Brennan, you know, those guys just like they know everything. They're like old real hip hoppers from like nineteen ninety two. Yeah, so I consider them the highest quest loves, the higher, the hardest to praise, the hardest to please, insatiable level of Ivy League comic.

There's a lot of class classes and classism in comedy exactly. And then the chillin' circa you got all that.

Yeah, it's Chris believes that. You know, Chris will go to Outpost and try his stuff in that place, and then he'll go to the blackest club uptown. Do you think that every comic should adapt to that situation.

I don't think it's necessary. I think that it depends on what you're trying to do. I think if you're trying to be a legend, you're trying to be great, yes, and that that's Chris is great. He is a legend. Like he's so smart, and he he never gets comfortable. He's always challenging himself. So I think for him that works, but I think there are other comedians whose thing is so specific that they're just using stand up to get in front of a larger audience anyway, And it just

Okay, Well this leads for Laya, who is currently pounding the pavement to when I'm not doing.

This, yes to be.

I was the girl that tonay and wanted to get to tell you better.

Reference on this show.

Can I have joy in my life?

You know what I say?

Can't two black women? Sharonmal merrel every day?

So what would you listen? What would you recommend this interviews over the table turn? So what would you recommend to? Uh? A young up? To start first of all.

With the whole myth of not for you young damn, I'm trying to set you up.

Okay, born in nineteen ninety four, thank you true. Anyway, what would you recommend, especially with the advantages is it advantage having you know, do you respect YouTube comedians and at the time Vine oh god the Iowa which.

Damn no, no, no no, it was at the question not at YouTubers.

See, in my mind I thought that.

Economic Look, I think it's good, but I think what happens is, here's what happens to people who have been in the game a long time.

Okay, Uh, you go out.

For something, you're up for something, and then they're like, we're gonna get this YouTube person. They're hot, and you're like, but I've done all the professional things like I've gotten a degree, or I've been in the streets, like I've been in the clubs, like I've been doing all this, like I've been doing you know, like I was in nine sketch groups at any given time, like like like for me, sketch groups and in Propalympic and Second City were my comedy clubs when I was performing in writing.

So this is sort of like how someone my age would see new hip hop and see like, okay, you're here.

Today the mumble something like somebody like me who's been doing radio or her life looks at someone like you that with a podcasted.

But I've brought you with.

Me, right, But I don't have the deal.

So it's just.

Personated, so we.

Cut her mic off engine. So okay, well, now this is going to be since you're wise with your with your words, looking at like you who's been trying to she's been pounding the pavement. Yes, what do you recommend?

Are you doing stand up?

I forget my writing a lot. I've done some stand up, I've been writing more and I've been standing.

So how do you help someone find their lane? So and again, Okay, I know someone that is a very talented person in the arts. I think I think he's better off.

Why are you choosing your words carefully? You said we were being candid because.

Show I'm saying that I don't think he's marketable as an artist, but I think there's a future for him as a songwriter. And I'm trying to encourage them.

Yeah, but no one wants Brandon T. Jackson to write songs.

I'm not going to name the person.

I was just trying to pull a name.

Listen, but what I'm saying is that you can you can open any door that you want once you get in, Like, you're not going to go through the front door. You might have to come through the kitchen or whatever. So I'm saying that, Okay, if you you ramp up your songwriting skills, which are brilliantly brilliant, and you get a public then yeah, you can write your own ticket. You could be like I want to fly to the moon next to get in. What I'm saying is, how do

Good question.

I think you just have to try everything, you know. I think if you think you want to be a stand up, you got to go be a stand up. Like I was denying myself the fact that I was a writer for many years. I was just like, no, I'm a comedian, I'm a performer. I'm just trying to be on SNL. This is what I'm doing. But I was writing for money on these TV shows and stuff, and I was like, yeah, yeah, but I'm not a writer.

Is it shame or is also like can I do this? Because that's like also a whole level.

It was.

Well, I always knew I was a good writer. I just didn't think of it as a job, which was disrespectful as shit to writers. But I just didn't have that knowledge. You know, I went to public school. I didn't have a lot of knowledge about this, about the industry, you know, I went to public school in the Midwest. TV was like, what that was just like a weird dream. So yeah, I mean I've always had this kind of

Yes, I'm very scared, and you get more scared the more time you spend not doing it.

Correct.

Oh, correct.

See Eddie Murphy, it's why he won't it's why he won't come back on stage. I mean, he says it. I'm not that's just what he says. I can't be out here working out material as Eddie Murphy. I can't do bad jokes. But the only way you do a special is to go out and work out the material, and they'll be bad. Chris is not afraid to do that. Rock goes into club with a notebook and a pen. He'll be like, I'm just gonna read some shit, you know when he's working things out, and it's genius to watch.

So do you think we'll never see Eddie Murphy.

I'm just waiting to see if he's actually gonna do coming to America too.

I believe it.

I don't either. When he was gonna host the Oscars, I was like, I believe, want to see it, and then he didn't, you know what I mean. He it's hard and I root for him, like I'm like, he's the greatest living comedian period and I don't think that there's any way to live up to that title. And so I have you know, I have sympathy for him. People feel different.

Even the ten minutes he did at Kennedy said Kennedy so dope, so dope, dude.

It made me so hungry. I don't care. If he just got on stage your talk, I would pay all my money. You can have all my money. But that's why he doesn't understand the love for him is so great. But anyway back to you, just be Eddie Murphy, that's all I'm saying.

That's all you got to do, or just don't be no.

Look, I think you just got to do it and you'll find out. It'll take you where you're supposed to go. But don't close the doors on yourself. And if you're already writing, then what are you waiting for? You got three minutes in the book right now, five minutes, whatever you got. That's all you have to do. People think you have to go out and do an hour long special. No, you work your way up. You do five minutes, then you do eight, and then you go back to five

Did you do this? But do you have some favorite clubs in New York?

Yeah?

Look, I think stand Up n Y is really good. Stand Up New York is great because they have a really good amateur night where anybody can get up. Go to Stand Up New it's uptown and then no, I think it's in the sixties, like Upper West Side, Cameron. I think that's where am I getting it confused?

No?

No, no, no, no, no no yeah the media no, no. So sant Up New York is a good one. Don't try to go to the cellar, no, like you know, that's crazy. But there's also like NYU has like random comedy nights and stuff where like literally anybody can go up and students are kind of a great crowd because they don't give a shit, and so they'll either laugh or they'll

I'll tell you my two secret Smurf spots.

Like you okay he said it on the rest, Yeah, because that's the small little places that any bar in Brooklyn has an amateur night.

By the way, I work out of two spots.

I say what now, Yeah, I do, which mean you work out of two spots.

Oh you telling me this?

Yeah? Well, back when I was actively teaching, you're not in.

Like a yeah, go ahead, because you're not in a comedy club. Comedy club, are you?

Yeah? I mean, but I don't do it as much now that I'm not teaching this semester. But I as you hear three seconds ago, I mean the reason why I write more and instagram more because it's easy for me to communicate when I can control my words with my ten fingers. But I hate public speaking. So you go and you try to given the show. I lose sleep the night before whenever we do it, and they could be like even the Jimmy Jame and Terry Lewis show, like I'm in the mirror like practicing, like like it's

So so you're doing like story slams and ship that's dope.

Story is also on the low kind of working.

Out to where do you go?

Where you said, I don't want to reveal that because I don't want people judging.

Me reveal stuff on this show.

You just said, I'm going to tell you the standing.

Look, that's a running theme with this show. Just yeah, what they are.

It's the Apollo at the top of the empire, say building, it's real.

Wait, since you're on the subject, there's no there's someone that I am cheering for in the world of me. Well besides you, Oh yeah, you're my hero. Jessica Moore is well just hilarious or just with the mess, just hilarious. She is one of my favorite, uh Instagram comedian, Like what she's done?

Are you No, not Jessica Williams.

She's just just with the mess or just hilarious is what she is on on Instagram.

Yeah, she's even with Azelia Banks and everybody.

She Yeah, she uses all fifty nine seconds of her Instagram account to do awesome crafted uh comedy bits where she kind of gives you the ratchet news of the week, and it's to the point where that's my show's funny, similar to what's his name? Who's who's like the star of Vine what's his name?

Yeah, he's in the movie with Sandra Oh my god, yes, wait really yeah he did. He was in the movie Oh my god was res Yes, he was in speed. Oh my god.

Now we're all going to forget his Yeah, sort of like how do you.

I didn't do it neither.

Less less about how do you feel about graduating and kind of cutting the front of the bank line. What do you recommend to those who are now going to make their careers off of strictly YouTube and Instagram to get to come or.

Is it just I don't know that.

Wasn't that like trap music to me?

Or like, well, you said that pejoratively, but I don't think that. Yeah, I don't. I don't Northwestern, Please give me my credit. I got that degree. Ok, Yeah, I don't know. I think whatever they choose to do is remains to be seen.

I don't you know.

Francesca Ramsey is a fantastic YouTube star who's got a pilot she's shooting out for Comedy Central, and like, you know, I just kind of just I don't know. I keep hearing that they all get these shows, but then I don't know what's going to happen. Like Joanne the Scammer's doing a pilot for Netflix, Like I'm so excited, excited, I know, but I don't know, Like I never see these things come to the light of day, and I wish I would. So I don't know what the disconnect is.

But what I'm asking is the definition of quote making it right?

It's different at the end of.

The ellipses, is making it that dot in our world, which is the standard that we've known of long form comedy. But what if that medium that they're doing now is going to be the standard of which we digest our entertainment.

Yeah, well, I mean I think we'll all have to adjust. I think late night comedy on streaming and on demand has proven to be tough. You know, Chelsea's show just went down.

I'm shocked about that because I thought it was doing the numbers.

I don't know if it was or not. She said, she made it sound like she made the move to focus on activism, so it may have just been her choice. I'm not sure, but I think Bill Night is the only other one that has a streaming talk show, So yeah,

On show now, but yes, what it was like to go from being a writer to now some writer who writes for folks and now you write for yourself? Like, what was that transition like?

Can you write for yourself?

I mean, like, but now you're like a performer.

Some people always ask that question, but I never stopped performing. It's like when people ask Eddie what was it like when you fell off, and he's like, check my resume. I always made movies. Every year he's made a movie. That's what's crazy about Eddie Murhy. But anyway, I just really put myself in the same sense as Eddie Murphy. Forgive me, Forgive me Black Jesus. Yeah, so I've always

So you're like the focus, it's your show.

I tend to think I was the focus on everything.

I asked about.

That's clear, and I've learned.

Thank you.

And how snobby were you at choosing writers for your own show?

Verry Verry, Well, I will actually answer your question. It is different when it's on you, for sure.

And how different is it that you're the star of the show and you answer to a showrunner a head writer, as opposed to where I was going to go with it before. You just skip the damn line of the question of you being a head a head writer for Larry's show before you got your show? What's easier?

Your question was so confused.

I'm blessed, I'm lost, I'm lost to you. Anyway, my question was before you got your own show, you were.

The head writer that question, yeah, okay, yeah.

No, he said, he just skipped to your show.

As if it was in the context of Bill's question.

But I understand it.

Why aren't we all hide because some of us just aren't smart enough to get high.

Anyway, I'll set up for the next minutes you five talking. Get what you're saying, Larry Wilmore.

No, I got it. I got it. So uh to answer your question, I think that, uh, the weight, the weight is on me now, right, And I've talked to all the guys and Samby and Larry said, yeah, it's different now, huh, which kind of answers your question, which was like, he said to me, you thought you knew what the weight was on me, you know, when you were my head writer. But it's different now. And I was like, you're so right, and there's nothing that can

I knew it. I think that being the star of your show and always use this this ray crop Ronald McDonald example, But I feel like as Ronald McDonald as the face of your product, I mean, I know, I'm like, but.

God, damn you and your clown. You're right about that now the show is over.

No, But I feel like when you're the face of your product. When you're Ronald McDonald, you should let Ray Kroc be Ray Crock. You should like Boss Bill is Ray Kroc? Which one is Ray Crock?

Oh that's right, the movie.

I'm sorry, I thought he's one of the.

Ray Crock Yes, okay, Michael, Michael Keaton.

Yes, so what I'm saying, you make it sound like.

Better for all the time I've ever heard in my life, all the time.

I'm afraid of Stephen listening to this everything right now?

I love it.

But okay, I know some people that can't let go. Yeah, and they got to make every decision.

Yeah, it's hard for me about you.

Oh you two?

Okay, so.

Again, because it's easy for you to be in.

Or is it easier for you not?

Look, I think I enjoy both. But uh, there's a reason I created my own show after I left Larry Show, as opposed to, you know, going to somebody else's show. Actually, we need to tell that story. You know you are an integral part of that story. But anyway we are in order because damn.

I had.

Would you have for breakfast this morning?

Tell that story.

I don't get to eat it anymore. My sketch busy now what did I have. I don't know. There's some eggs I don't know. But the end of and the end of that is that it is really difficult, and I'm trying to trying to take myself out of my meetings. But the thing is, I you also get this sixth sense when you are the host of a show, and when you create a show, you can see everything, you can hear everything, you know everything that's going on. It's weird.

So you trust it.

I do trust them, though, I was going to say no, I would tell you if I didn't know. And the reason why I hired the person I hired is because I've known him for years, and uh, I knew that whatever I needed, he was going to be there to say, hey, step out of that, I got it, you know. So so you have to do that. And I have co executive producers who are amazing, these amazing teams of women who are like they just have my back. So that's what's made it easier for me. But it's just a

Did you purposely staff your your writing staff? I mean this just feels like a dumb question. But with women, did you make and then black women, because you know there's been a whole yes and black and black female writers. There's not a lot this season on a lot of new.

Directs, and I have doubled the number, which I've done twice in my career. I did it at the Nightly Show and then when we got canceled, and then when I hired I have a room of uh, we only have one writer. My room is all black people, half women and half men. And uh so yeah, I single handedly employed the most black women in late night and uh uh my staff is seventy percent women and people of color, which is crazy. That's never been done ever

Who's the sister that used to be on Larry Wimore with you always?

Which one Holly Walker franchise?

I guess it was Holly. It was Holly because you two are seemed like to always be paired up.

Yeah, we've known each other forever. She was she was one of my teachers at Second City years ago. She's fantastic. She's dope. She was a writer perform on the nightly show. She's dope.

The kind of political climate that we're living in.

Right now, I don't like this question. You want to talk about how you helped me create this show?

That's what we were doing. We forgot we forget it.

Oh okay, how did I help you create the show?

So?

So show?

I hate shock, which is weird? Okay, so so so. I so the night they show have been canceled and I was a little sad, and uh Amir texted me, I think it was like Chappelle eight o'clock, like, let's go. And I was like okay, but I mean I text you back because I was like hYP but I was like, well, I don't think you know this. I was actually really sad and like I didn't want to leave my house and I was like in pajamas and I was like,

So then Dave uh was like hey, and you were like hey, and you were like you know Robin right, and he was like uh and you were like from the Nightly Show and he was like, oh right, both of us don't have jobs, like this was just after the night Show.

And I was like hey, you're right. And then and then he says what he always says to me now, which was a are you white?

What is you?

Are you white? And then he's like no, I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding. And so he said, what are you doing now that the Nightly Show is over, and I said, oh, I'm actually gonna go. I think I'm gonna go try to work on somebody else's talk show. I've got some offers, because I had offers from most of the white dudes and Late Night and Thank You, and so I was like, oh, I'm not gonna work on SO and soci show. And

And So Joe and So I'm going to record that and make that part of our edit.

So so I was like, Wow, maybe I should do my own show. And then I don't know if you remember this, we were trying to meet up with Rock. This was a very like Hollywood New York night, but we were trying to meet on the trope to completely question. Okay, yeah right right, So you and Dave Schabelle and Spike Jones he was also standing there, and we were trying to go get chicken at the spot.

You know, it's weird.

Yeah, you always take people to get always We've got chicken many times. But yes, this was the this is all right.

The weirdest thing about this night, yeah, was that I didn't realize that with Spike Jones until six minutes and.

You're talking to him. Yes, I remember you telling me this.

Yeah, I didn't know what spi Joe.

I saw the emphany on your face. You were not slick, and then you were, and then you tried to clean it up. You were like, yeah, I just saw your video.

It's so dope.

Yeah, are you that smart? I think I just know you, okay, because he was very flattered. He could not have been nicer, but you were like in the video at all man, and then the treadmills that I knew you went extra hard on letting him know that.

It was Robin know, I know, we gotta get married now.

So so so we went to go get chicken and we couldn't find Chris or David. So it's just me and a Mirr eating chicken. And the chicken was fantastic, but it was like.

Chicken right now, chicken?

No, it was not?

No, what is that?

Yeah?

It was probably No, it was not.

It's a place where we have to go up the rickety staircase.

I love the chicken right now.

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. I wasn't gonna say that.

Like Robin, I actually do like you.

Like you that's so cute.

No, I don't remember the first chicken spot I talked about on our pilot episode.

Yeahs a cigaret spot.

Damn only take the top tier bitches.

Was damn Okay, it's good that you remember it. I didn't remember. You remember that means I really like you as a person.

Yeah, Himson, I wouldn't say the name or where it is.

There's certain people I can't let me, let not them see me like throw down on yeah chicken.

It was.

First we ate the chicken on out. It was the best we ever did. Remember that, Yeah, like this and then after the chicken chicken, we'll put.

You straight like yeah. Yeah. So so we went there and I don't remember how much we really talked about it that night, but I was like, God, I think Dave is right. So I had a meeting two days later at Jack's Media, who does full fun Toble sam Bee, Amy Schumer's Inside of Me Schumer broad City. There's this amazing production company and I was in there to meet

So you were first for them too, because it's not you was the first piece of brown for that production company you say you name like Amy.

Fernandez is Brown owns that company. But I don't think they have any other shows with predominantly black people, and that's for sure. But they did produce Top five and they so they got they got some stuff under that. They have a lot of good shows. They're really great. But they were like, yo, so cause I told them the story about Dave and then they said, oh, well, and your friends with Chris. I was like yeah, and

Damn man. We all lived happily we did.

That was perfect because it was nobody else to feel that, like you really you were the answer, because when you think about it, it's like, who else do you think about? They could fill that void in that way.

You know, I know a lot of women who could do it. But the thing that Chris always says, the reason why he signed on to this so quickly is not because I was funny, because he there's plenty of people who are funny, but because he knew I could create and run a show, and he knew that when it came to making the pilot and when it came to making the show, I was going to put people in charge who were great. And he knows my standard or quality is like way high, so you know, I wasn't.

There?

It really is. No, it really is. And they're they're they're really open to having things that they haven't had or things that they've tried. You know, they tried the TJ. Holmes Show, but they didn't really try it with the comedian, so, you know, I think they wanted something in this genre. And this was when Stephen Hill was still there, so.

They needed something smart, like they needed smart cool at the same time.

Yeah, I think they were really excited about what we were bringing in, what they knew I could bring to the network. And it was really a homecoming for me because my first technically my first writing job was on the BET Awards. That's what got me into the Writers Guilt.

Which year were you, I'm sorry a couple of years.

No, No, that was my first BT Awards was two thousand and seven. It was with.

You didn't throw jokes at I thought, that's.

How No, that's how No. I met Chris Rock because of you. You told Chris Rock I was funny, and then he hired me to write for write sketches for him. I was already doing the BET Awards.

But yeah, that's all I. When I die, you will realize that I'm a bridge.

You told no. I was already going to work. So I worked for the BT Awards for like ten years from two thousand and seven, like well, not till twenty seventeen. But I wrote many years in between that, and so when Chris was hosting, Chris hired his writers. But then they have other writers the right leg sketches and monologue bits and or bits for other people. But Chris met me when I walked in. I walked into the meeting late as fuck too. They had given me the wrong time.

Joe, Robin, can you walk us through because I'm so curious about the process of a war show, Like you just said, like it was a room of people and then people certain people do different segments. Yeah, like how does that work?

So every host is different. Usually what happens is there's an in house crew three to four writers who write all the uh presenter bits and all the kind of connective tissue and stuff, so all the stuff that the

Do you recommend that I do? I do?

I do?

Like, Well, that's because yeah, BECAUSEL has twenty five writers who are all at the top of their game. So and SNL is writing for a specific they know themselves better than you know them. I think at SNL it doesn't make that much sense. But I think if you're hosting a wardsone where you're selling your personality and you're the host, yeah, you definitely need your own writers. And Chris, the funny thing is people like Chris they hire writers,

But.

Uh, and I am one of them. Let's be real. I mean, I'm a great writer, but I have to write my jokes, you know what I mean? Like, I need to craft my jokes. And I could. I could absolutely write all my own material, But.

I like music. I think comedy you should bounce off of other people.

Yeah, I do too too.

And there's no Kevin has that. Kevin will stand in the circle. Yeah, I mean his six guys will.

Be like yeah, but Kevin's also very funny on his own. I wrote for Kevin too. Kevin's Kevin's very funny. And you get Kevin something, you can give Kevin something like here's the cool thing. So, so Chris is like a wordsmith. Everything those words have to be in a formula and he will mess with it for months, years until he hits a joke. Right, Kevin Hart. You can literally go, Okay, Kevin,

Is the voice important in comedy? The voice. Yes, I was gonna say, how long have you had you have this sort of ratchy Joan Rivers thing going on?

I usually get Kathy Griffin.

Okay, I can hear that now. Yeah, but she said, but I'm just saying how she was if you had this scratchy voice. Because you can go Jewish grandmother, you can go hood, you can Italian grandmother.

Yeah, still racist.

Even more German grandmother.

That is my heritage.

Do that?

Yeah? How long have I had this voice?

Jesus puppets?

Yeah?

Probably it actually changed when I had uh, when I stopped eating dairy. This is actually true, This is not interesting. Feel free to cut it. Ten years ago I stopped eating dairy because it would make me sick and like my throat would start closing up. And I realized I was like definitely allergic to dairy, and my voice became scratchier and less nasally. I used to kind of tongue like, no, I didn't, but like it did sound more nasally. Yeah, then I do.

That, and now you're clear.

That's crazy. Yeah, now I'm clear. I'm clear and raspy.

I see.

I don't know. It's always kind of been this way since then.

Yeah. I mean, now that you're talking, this is the clear, this is the salters. Your voices sounded.

But what do you mean my voice is always sounded, But in the beginning.

Of the show, you had the Kathy Sledge. I know, scratchy.

It's just because I talk a lot. Right now, I just came from rewrite, like our shows tomorrow, What did I agree to do a two hour podcast the night before?

I need to take what time you have to wake up? We have a tendency to keep your guest up way past this forever. It's ten don't look at you. Don't look at you.

Christ you got ten minutes, but can you? Guys are so fun? Thank you Steve picked up my hat for me.

Thank you for introducing me to what's his name, du Duk Duckworth.

Oh my god, don't busy.

Did you know? Did I know?

Did you? Were you aware of Duckworth?

I know of d work he did what. I didn't know him personally.

Did you see him on the show. Yes, Oh, he's so right.

Yeah, I was gonna say, I love your your I was kind of jealous of the music. Yeah, you told me.

To do that little one hundred percent. I got his director. It wasn't as fire, but it's a direct goddamn ripoff. How about that?

Wait?

Andre Allen, who did all music, is my show director. That's why I look. I surround myself with greats.

That's what you need to show you're you're damn. I don't.

I didn't come to play.

You can't make it, But now you're not. Only are you going to make it. I think you're gonna thrive.

I'm gonna make it. I'm gonna make get.

Especially if you keep dancing with the folks like yeah, that's like as cool, like a dream.

There's a body roll in every episode. It's my Afford Hitchcock moment. Look for it every episode. You'll see it every episode. I don't know if you saw a Hairmaid's Tale last week, but I body roll out a window. Like I'm telling you you need to see it in every This is something that you will totally geek out on. Like if you just binge the show whenever you have time, you will see I body roll at least once in every episode. It's like a secret. And now we're like

Boss Bill is doing the fat Albert invisible. I am such a proponent of the body roll, right. I think everybody should body roll twice a day.

Correct.

I do it all the time. But I kept doing it in these like sketches we were shooting and in the music and all this stuff, and they were like, yo, everything we edit your body rolling.

Damn.

Yeah, that's the Easter Egg, look for it.

I have a question.

Yes, so I don't think.

What is happening?

I don't. I don't think. I get b E T H.

No problem, that's no problem.

He does? What what channel? I mean? What srime? What day is it?

It's on Thursdays at eleven pm Eastern ten pm Central. You can see it for free on bt dot com. Full episodes seven days from when we air, so between from one episode to the next you can see it for free. Otherwise gotta log in. You can probably also bootlegged. I don't know there were clips on YouTube.

But yo, don't I really, I really don't want this conversation to stop.

Robin, are you saying?

Uh? Anyway? I am single? That what are you looking?

What?

What?

What is a what is a man to you?

Like?

The perfect non perfect man?

Mate? Oh?

Sorry, oh ship, No, No, I like men.

Okay, no, no, just trying to steer around.

Her hetero vibes.

So I just thought, right, I'm just saying that we're.

Trying to lure all the men with my hetero vibes.

Woman, that's it. Men.

You like.

Your question?

She didn't answer. I have a question for you before we.

Love the Tables, I want to ask.

Okay, first, okay, what is your favorite Robin memory? Excuse just know what. Everyone turned around and stared at me right now. He's a sweating bullets, tiny bead of sweat.

Listen, I had it was good for you, Jamie Fox, whoa, I am sorry?

Sorry, look it up the best? All right? No, I have to plead the fifth on this because it's a definite moment. But I can't say on the air because as the third person, I know what it is.

Can you tell the story?

Does it involved Yeah?

An inside flood? Oh you don't even remember.

Was that cosie for something?

No, no, it's an actual flood that happened inside a building. It happened in Las Vegas.

There's Oh you were with us.

Yes, I'm with you everywhere. Don't you just look to your left. I'm there anyway. Whatever that might have been it, But I know, actually I know what it is. All right, Well tell a different story that you could tell. Okay, I'm putting you on the spot. It's fine. So you know you have seven your stories about you, but it's fine.

Yours are shorter.

Yeah, well I literally told like sixteen personal Yeah, do it so he can still we'll be.

Robin.

Thank you, Thank you guys so much. Relations Thank you. It doesn't sound girl.

Don't tell sugar Steve. We will help you find bet We're gonna help you.

Just help me.

Get to comedy comedy show bill. I'll make sure that the checks in the mill as always. Thank you.

Cocoa butter, Yes, we'll send you guys some coco.

You get some cocoa butter, and we in fante. Yes, we will be crashing your wedding.

Yeah, Mary, Yes, aren't we missing someone?

Yes, we're missing he's getting married right now. So thank you, I appreciate it, and we will see you on the next go around. The Quest Love Supremium. This is Quest Love signing off Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.