Matt Rife on Dave Chappelle’s $750K Advice, Nick Cannon’s Wild ’N Out & Overcoming Adversity

White people laugh. >> [laughter]. >> Yes. BLACK PEOPLE LAUGH. >> [laughter]. [screaming]. >> OW, OW, OW. OW. >> [music]. [music]. [music]. [music].

>> HELLO, WELCOME TO another episode of. Club Shay Shay. I am your host Shannon. Sharpe. I'm also the proprietor of Club. Shay Shay. Today's episode is at the. beautiful Lennox Bar in Washington D.C. Stopping by for conversation and a drink. today from club comedian to arena. headliner. He's He's comedy's biggest. lightning rod. He's one of the highest. earning stand-up comedians currently. working. He joined Taylor Swift as the. only other live act to break. Ticketmaster's website due to high. ticket demand. He's the youngest.

comedian to sell out two shows at the. legendary Madison Square Garden in New. York City. He's the youngest stand-up. comedian to sell out the Hollywood Bowl. He's the youngest cast member in history. of MTV's. popular series Wild'n Out, New York. Times best-selling author, viral. sensation, top creator, social media. savvy influencer, prominent actor, popular producer, famed writer, superstar. Here he is, ladies and. gentlemen, Matt Rife. Those are credits I didn't even know. that I did. Yeah, you did all that. You.

did all that. Easy, man. Okay, you were. asking, "What is this?" This is a. sidecar made with my cognac, Shay by Le. Portier. We normally do this, but now. we're actually in a place that can. actually do a drink. I want to know Look. at this Look at this, y'all. Got a big old cube. >> That's cognac? Yeah. I don't think I've. ever had I know you have it. This is the. best on the market. Let me know what you. think. >> [snorts]. >> It's not bad. >> [laughter]. >> It's not bad. Yeah. Why do you have it. in the bottle that turned donkey into a. horse?

>> [laughter]. >> That's terrifying. That's powerful. stuff, right there. >> Yeah, man. And what's what's this in. here? Is that straight? This This is. straight. This is straight. >> I'm going to try that. Hold on. I think there's a bug in mine. Yes. You just said yeah? >> [laughter]. >> What kind of production is this, man? Yeah, there'll be bugs in cups. sometimes, man. That ain't bad. That's kind of smooth. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, we going to We. going to be riding this thing here. It's. only 2:00 p.m., man. Let's go. I'm with. [laughter] it.

So, you have so much going on. Thank. you. You had the show last night, and. unfortunately, we weren't able to get in. because it was a quick turnaround from. us because we're coming from the West. Coast to get in, and then we had to had. my show. Nightcap with Uncle N.

[laughter].

>> my first ever guest spot was for D.L. Hughley, and it happened just from.

Twitter. >> Right. I literally tweeted him. I was. like, "Hey, I'm 15. I just started doing. comedy. I see you're coming to the. Columbus Funny Bone where I do my open. mics. Like would you want to Is there. any chance I could do a guest spot?" And. he said yeah. I showed up, and he was. like, "Oh, you're actually a child. I thought you were like a 35-year-old. man trying to just get some stage time.". >> Right. When. you grew up in Ohio, um. your mom. and your grandfather raised you. So, that's your mom's dad, correct? >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had a stepdad, but. like we weren't that close. >> that close? Nah.

It later found out that your your father. unfortunately took his own life. Um and Did we start the interview with. this? Yeah, we going to We going to. start with it. Uno mas. [laughter]. Dig in. How did you find out? Did your mom or. grandfather break the news for you? >> How did that happen? >> It'd be pretty funny if I was just. asking around, "Has anybody seen my. dad?" And people are like, "Oh, he. doesn't know." I think my mom told me. when I was probably. I had to have been early teenager or. something. I I I don't remember an exact.

moment when I found out. Um but I I feel relatively lucky that it. happened so early cuz I mean everybody. loses their parents eventually, right? And it's so hard. Like when I lost my. grandpa like that, it still hurts. That. was a few years ago. So, there's a part. of me that's a little happy I don't have. the memories cuz at 1 year old, like I. have I have no memory of this person. I. I barely know that I even met him. So, I. almost feel like I'm a little lucky to. have gotten to skip that pain a little. bit. So, you when your mom told you and it's. like, "Damn.".

Something, but and you see now. everybody's seemingly more open with. mental illness, with mental health. It. seems like guys are not because So, for. so long, that he is in the shadows. You. don't talk about what you're going. through. You're a man, you overcome it, you deal with it, you make sure the. family's okay. And whatever pain you. might be harbor harboring, you deal with. it. But now it seems to be coming to the. forefront. And and So, when you found. out, you felt like, "Well, damn.". How did that Did it Did it Did you feel. any type of way? Like you said, you. didn't have no memories of him.

Uh it's not something I really thought. about when I was young. It was just. like, "Oh, you know, he's he's dead.". You know, "I don't have a dad." I didn't. really understand like the severity of. like suicide and what that means and. what he could have possibly been going. through. He was also young. I think he. was 21 when it happened. Yeah, which is. always It's funny. A couple A couple. years ago, I was talking to my mom about. how I still don't have a mustache, and. she was like, "Well, you know, your dad. never had one." I was like, "He was 21. >> [laughter]. >> He didn't even get to grow into his. face. Okay, who knows what he was. capable of?". Um at the time, it didn't really affect.

me. But now as I get older and I'll go. through like little spats of depression. or whatever, and. I mean, I don't really. I've never really like I've never really. contemplated like taking my own life or. anything like that. But you'll hit. You'll hit some low moments. And in that. low moment, you're like there's a. there's a bit of recognition of like, "Oh, man, this I wonder if this is what. he felt as well." Cuz they say a lot of. mental illness stuff is passed down. So, I'm like, "I wonder if any of that. depression is is genetic or anything. like that." Um but, you know, I I I try. to.

I try to think about it too much. Not to. let me bring it down anymore. Just have. an understanding of what he was probably. going through, you know. He He and my. mom weren't really together. He didn't. really have a good job. I think he was. like a part-time job as like a security. guard or something. Wasn't that close. with his family. His family was into. drugs and stuff. So, I just try to have. a bit of an understanding of it as I as. I get older. I think the thing is is. that for me is that I really didn't My. dad and I only saw my dad once to know. who I was looking at. I think I was. about 13 years of age. And it really. never dawned on me until I got to things. like football, and I see everybody else.

has their dad in the locker room. Or I. see their dad standing on the sideline. Or I see their dad in the locker room. And then it's like, "Man, I wish my dad. could see this. I wish my dad could be. there to see my brother." And that was. the thing. Did that ever in a situation. like where you're in school and you go. to sporting events, and you see dads at. the game, and they're cheering on their. sons. And. like now, like you see so many comedians. have their father, and you're like, "Damn, I wish my dad could see what his. son became.". >> You know, as a as a kid, it didn't occur. to me as much cuz I had a stepdad. And. even though we kind of Y'all were hated.

each other to [laughter] death, I still. like I knew him since I was five. So, like I I still said the word dad, you. know what I mean? It's not like I never. got a chance to say that. Even though we. weren't close, it wasn't until the last. like 4 years cuz my my grandpa was like. my father figure really. Like that was. my best friend, my favorite person in. the world. And he passed away like the. exact moment within the same 6 months. that like everything started to happen. for me. I I he got to see me sell out a. comedy club, like the Columbus Funny. Bone, where he actually started taking. me when I was 15 to the open mics. So,

he got to see me sell that out, but like. now getting to do these arenas and. everything like that, like I when I did. the Hollywood Bowl, I had this giant. backdrop that was probably 30 by 20 ft. behind me that was like me and him when. I was like a baby and everything. >> Just cuz I was like this is this is the. first iconic moment in my life that I. was like I really wish he could have. been here to see this. I got Yeah, I I. pray to him before every show. Nothing. like nothing super super deep, but just. you know, wishing me luck and I wish he. could see every show that I do and. everything. It's easy He's the one.

person I really would have liked to have. like known that I made him proud. >> Right. >> So, it more more him than my dad, I. suppose. Shoot your shot on PrizePicks. and get $50 instantly in lineups when. you play your first $5. That's right. PrizePicks now is giving you $50 in. lineups when you sign up and play your. first $5. PrizePicks makes every dunk, every dime, every board that much more. exciting. So, don't miss a chance to get. started on America's number one app for. sports picks. Football season was. fantastic, but it's time to shift gears.

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you play your first $5 lineup. PrizePicks it's good to be right. You. mentioned that he used to give you. money. Did you all Is that all you ever. wanted to do? Did you play sports or you. always like, you know what? This is my. calling. I want to be a comedian. >> No, I wanted to play sports, for sure. I. I I played sports in high school. >> Okay. Football was my favorite, for. sure. Of course I had dreams of like, let's go D1, play for Ohio State, and. then we'll see if we can uh see if we. can go to the NFL. >> And then bro, I went to the Ohio. State-Michigan game this year uh in.

Michigan. >> Yeah. >> And I'm on the sidelines with the. players and I'm like, I was never going. to go D1, [laughter]. bro. I'm 12 years older than these. people and I still like I can't wait to. be like you when I grow up. They're. gigantic. The kicker's like 6'4. >> I was like this was never a possibility, man. >> I wanted to so bad. I have such a. passion for sports. And since getting. older I I've tried to I've I've adapted. new uh new like physical hobbies and. sports and everything. I love boxing now. and everything. I try to keep myself as. physically fit as possible cuz I mean I.

just. I I'm I'm miss That's the only thing I. miss about school, sports, man. >> Yeah. Even when I moved out to LA, I was. doing like they're like communal flag. football leagues, >> Yes. [ __ ] like that, racking up MVP and. everything, [laughter]. just showing out on a Tuesday night. >> So, you So, you Oh, so who you Would you. Tom Brady, you Bijan Robinson, Christian. McCaffrey? So, so what Oh, I'm going. deep, man. I was receiver Oh, you were. receiver? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I loved it, man. >> A C and a Chase ball. Yeah, bro. I'm I'm. I'm multifaceted, baby. I miss it so. much. I definitely have like that Uncle. Rico syndrome now. Like I I forget that.

I'm 30. >> Right. and I'm like, no, I can still I. can still put up a 4.7. Let's. Let's find some turf. Did you think your dad your your. grandfather You think your he knew that. that was your calling, that being a. comedian? Because you said you started. taking you to the Funny Bone in Columbus. at a very You're 15. That's That's a. prodigy. Mhm. Thank you for saying that. Um there is a. part of me that thinks that's possible. Uh in a really weird way. I mean, he. definitely believed in me. Like. >> Yeah. I I found out what comedy was. because I would go stay with my grandpa.

every single weekend from the time that. I can remember. >> Okay. So, we would watch like Adam. Sandler movies, David Spade, Rob. Schneider, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, like all these great comedians who have. turned actors as well. And it's like. that's kind of what instilled like a. sense of humor in me. My grandpa. >> Right. was also very funny. So, he. thought I was hilarious. Like that. that's definitely what gave me the. confidence to try to make other people. laugh. >> Yes. And I actually I have a I have a. tattoo of his handwriting that I found. on a photo after he passed away. He had. nicknames for all his grandkids like as. soon as they were born.

>> Right. As soon as they're born within. the first couple months, he has a. nickname for all of my sisters like. Chip or something like that. My cousin's. got one. My other cousin's got one. My. nieces My his great grandkids have one. And for some reason he chose Hollywood. Really? No idea why. This was before. >> the nicknames he could have given you. It could have been anything. So, so. >> Midwest, Ohio and he said, this is. Hollywood. Never even been to. California. Nobody in my family ever. has. And for some reason he picked that. name. So, that's a an odd manifestation, I suppose. But he was always very. supportive. Like I you know, I still.

have some of his voicemails in my in my. phone. And every now and then I'll go. back and listen to one and I'd say most. of them are checking in like, how was. the show last night? Did that new joke. work? How'd your audition go? I hope you. get this part. Like he was. >> Wow. so supportive, you know, I I think. I think there was a part of me that. really hoped he would uh that I did a. lot more than than he did. >> Right. Yeah, I made the most out of. this. I think the thing is that when you. look at and you mentioned Chappelle, uh. Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen. All these guys started as. teenagers. Most of the time comedians.

get started in their 20s. Sometimes they. don't get started until they're 30s. And. here you are, you know, reaching out to. DL Hey bro, I hear you coming to You're. coming to the Columbus Funny Bone. I'm a. comedian. I'm 15 years of age. Let Let. Let your boy get up there and open for. you. Do Do Do something. >> you like You like At that what At what. point in time did you realize that you. know what? My way out of Ohio is comedy. I'm not going to Ohio State. >> [laughter]. >> As a matter of fact, I did did not have. the grades. It was I was going to go to. Ohio Dominican, maybe. [laughter]. Ohio Dominican, maybe. Uh I was probably.

I had just went to LA for the first. time, but I had a manager out of a. comedy club in Atlanta, where I lived in. Atlanta the You lived in A? Yeah, my. junior year My the summer between my. junior year and senior year. >> Okay. >> I had a manager down there who owned the. Uptown Comedy Uptown Comedy Club, right. Yeah, you know Uptown? Yes. Oh, man. So, you know what I went through. It's like you you got to earn your props. at Uptown. They don't give you No, hell. no. They'll boo the hell out you. They'll boo you, take the car keys out, jingle the car keys out to.

>> Yes. They don't. >> This all you got? >> Bro, they don't care that you're 15 and. white. They're like, we paid for the. ticket or we got them for free at Lenox. Mall cuz I passed them out. Um that was. where I really got my chops and he he. obviously wanted the best for me and. wanted me to grow as a client of his. So, he had taken me out to LA for the. first time to like see the Comedy Store, see the Laugh Factory, do Chocolate. Sundays, uh do Monday nights with D Ray. >> Okay. That's how he and I became really. good friends. Um and then after that. trip there, I I went back to Ohio after.

and I was like, that's what I want to. do. Like I want to move to LA. And I. took another flight out there and I took. the it's like the California proficiency. exam. Uh which in Ohio you have to have. like a amount of credits to graduate. high school. And. >> in Cali, I guess you can just take a. test that says like you learned. everything you need to learn. Went out. there, took the test, passed it, and. then I went [snorts] back to Ohio, showed my principal and he was like, I. mean I guess you don't have to go to. school anymore, man. [laughter] And then. I moved out to LA like 2 weeks later. So, I I mean I graduated early, I. suppose. I don't have a diploma or.

anything, but. >> You don't get a diploma? No. No. No. It's like an equivalency to uh. a GED, I suppose. >> But I mean, didn't need it, thank God. >> [laughter]. >> The best decision I ever made was not go. to college. >> When I mention the young comedians, Chappelle, Murphy, Rogan, Davidson, Carrey, did you study any of those guys. coming up or you try to kind of charted. your own. >> No. No. Chappelle was my guy. Like that. Him and Dane Cook were like the epitome. of what I wanted to be as a comedian. growing up. This was This was when like. Dane was taking over the world.

>> Yes. Chappelle was in like the the heat. of Chappelle's show. I was I was. addicted to those guys. That's It's all. I would watch. Was either Chappelle's. show and his early stand-up or even even. Block Party. I was. >> [laughter]. >> And I I did and like Dane Dane Cook's. like Comedy Central specials and. everything. I watched that stuff like. religiously. And then that's when my mom. won tickets on the radio to see Dane at. Nationwide Arena. Um she took me to see. that and that like changed everything. That's when I was like, okay, now I I. kind of get what stand-up is and I want. to do this. And then last year I got a.

chance to go play Nationwide Arena and. actually. broke the record for like most tickets. ever sold there and I had Dane come back. and open for me. >> He brought this email printed out that I. didn't even remember writing until I. reread it. It was this whole email. printed out being like, hey, my name is. Matt It was like his fan mail email. address. >> Yes. Hey, my name is Matt. I'm like a. 15-year-old comedian. Same thing as I. did with DL. And I was like, I'm a big. fan of yours. I just didn't know if. maybe you could take me under your wing. and mentor me. I really want to be just.

like you when I grow up. It was the most. like. charmingly naive email you could have. sent to somebody. He held on to it after. all these years. Wow. >> unbelievable, man. Like I I couldn't. believe that. It was the coolest full. circle moment. >> Do you remember the first joke that you. told. and became hooked? Oh. >> [sighs]. >> First joke and got hooked. >> [snorts]. >> Or were you like a class clown in. school? Did you make jokes in school? So, that's why you didn't do well in.

school cuz you was bullying people. Well, what pissed them off is I did do. well in school, but I was but I was. still around. That was what pissed them. off the most. >> Right. I spent a lot of time being sent. out to the hallway, a lot of time in. detention. Uh we used to have up to like. 6-hour detentions. So, you would like. you'd be you'd be in detention. >> WHILE YOU IN SCHOOL. YEAH. You get up. So, you had ISS then. In-school. suspension. No, that's happening during. the day. After school I I What was that. What did they used to call it? It was. like a like an all-nighter or something. like that, where you Everybody gets out. of school at 2:30 high school. You'd be. there till 8:30 at night. That's all And.

you had to go home and just go right to. bed, man. It was awful. I had so many of. those. I was so sick of school, but I. >> I couldn't help but make it fun, man. I. was so bored. You You get on stage. You go to the. comedy So, so where did you perform? Were you at like a a talent show where. you did your. comedy stuff? >> do a talent show. >> You did? In seventh grade. This was. another weird uh I guess coincidence. In. seventh grade, I remember I had like I. had just started watching these comedy. specials and falling in love with. Chappelle and everything. And I sit down.

in home room in seventh grade next to my. friend Amanda. And for some reason, she. asks me, you know, what do you want to. be when you grow up? And I was like, I. think I want to be a comedian. And I'm. telling you, on cue, my teacher comes in. and says, "Hey everybody, I'm putting a. sheet on the wall. We're doing a school. talent show." And Amanda was like, "You. You got to do You got to do comedy." And. I I signed up. I I ate the biggest dick. possible. It was terrible. It was. terrible terrible terrible. I did like a. bunch of impressions of teachers and a.

bunch of terrible jokes of what I. thought was material. It was awful, but. that was that was like my first actual. performance. And then I started real. stand-up like a year later after that. At the start of every new year, I set my. goals. I tell myself, "This year I'm. eating right. I'm working out. I'm. working hard. Staying on track." Then. reality hits. Work, travel, cravings, distractions. Life just loves to test. your focus. I've been there. I've fallen. off, but I don't stay down because. Amazon helps bring me back up every. time. Amazon is here to make sticking to.

your goals easier. From healthy snacks I. need to work out gear I like to have on. hand. All of my everyday essentials are. available to purchase in one place. Not. to mention, I can get it delivered fast, so I don't have to worry about making a. trip to the store and adding to my. already busy schedule. Great prices, no. running around, no extra hassle. Now, that's convenient. So, when life tries. to steer you off track, Amazon can help. get you back to the plan. Focus on your. goals and stay on your grind. Save. everyday with essentials from Amazon.

So, when you started, did, uh, was your your grandfather your audience? Was your mom your audience? Were your. friend your audience? So, who are the. first people to ever hear Matt Rife tell. a joke? Probably my grandpa. I spent so much. time with him and I was like so free and. and confident. And like I said, like he. thought I was the funniest person in the. world. So, I used to love to try to make. him laugh. And then that kind of moved. back to like, "Okay, now I'm going back. home with my parents. I'll try some of. that on them." It'd work on my mom, not. on my stepdad at all. My sisters weren't.

trying to hear it. And then it moved. into school. Um, but once I started. doing like comedy clubs, I never really. performed for like people my own age. Like my material ever since I was 15 16. was always I was never like, "You know, homework is crazy." I was always like, "Man, teachers are. crazy It was always a little bit more. adult-skewing. Which I think helped the. transition a little bit cuz I remember. Nick Cannon was telling me he had a hard. time switching from like. being a a teenage performer Yeah, to now. being an adult. And that happens around. age 21. You can get away with being 19.

20 and people are like, "Okay, this is. kind of like, uh, kind of cute." It's. kind of cute, but at 21, people are. like, "Nah, I paid for the ticket. Like. you you got to be funny now. Yeah." So, I think that helped with that transition. a little bit is that I never really like. catered my set young or anything. >> Right. So, with. writing comedy teen, obviously you can't. do a [clears throat] whole lot of. cursing. You got to do. >> I I cursed a lot, man. Yeah, my my parents didn't care at all, man. Not at all. It was a lot It was a.

lot of freedom in it. Which I curse all. the time, man. It's such a problem. I. curse all the time. It doesn't even. occur to me that I'm like swearing and. all. It's just It's just Is this Is this. a on stage problem or this is a real. life like actually I'm having a. conversation? It's all the time. I've. been trying so hard not to curse as much. in this. I I know I can, but I'll say. like it's the word like. Like it's it's. [laughter] all the time, man. I'm trying. I've been trying to work on it. I know. it's improper. So, when you first Who. Who wrote your first set? So, did you. have a Did you have an idea of. what comedy was or did you got like,

"You know what? I'm just going to wing. it. I'm going to tell this joke. I'm. going to tell that joke." Or are you. writing? I was writing, but I didn't. know what a set was. So, these open mics. I was going to was usually 5 minutes. Yes. So, I had no idea about what. writing a set was. So, the first. probably 3 months I was going, so you. can imagine it's the first probably 12. times I'm going once a week. I was doing. a new 5 minutes every single show. And I. mean, most of it wasn't good, but every. now and then I would get I would get. some big laughs and that's what kind of. kept it addicting. But it wasn't until a. comic pulled me aside and was like, "Are you Are you working on any of these.

jokes?" And I was like, "What do you. What do you mean work on? Like don't you. just go up there and say them? And then. the next time try something else?" He. was like, "No, you're supposed to like. formulate a set and then you can build. on top of that. Craft it. Like going. home and working on the jokes is the. job. It's not just the performance. The. performance is the reward." And so that. that today is still my favorite part. about it. There's nothing There's. nothing more exciting than getting that. spark of a new piece of material, a new. idea, a new premise, and then going home. and being like, "I know how to make this. better." It's so rewarding, man. It's.

It's the most addicting part to it. It's. like the It's like. bakers say the first time you bake. something, it's not the best time. You. bake it over and over and over. So, you. tell a joke, and the first time you tell. it, it's not going to be the best time. You refine that joke. And over time, it. gets better and better. And you say, "What? This is the definitive product. that I'm going to produce." Exactly. The. only problem with that is eventually it. feels repetitive. Eventually you end up. performing the joke. Depending on how. many shows you do. Like Chris Rock said. you're supposed to run a set like I hope. I'm not misquoting. This is what I heard.

from somebody else quoting him. He's. like, "You want to run a set like 300. times before recording it for a. special." Really? And that's a lot, man. I mean, and we do do that many shows, but there's times that I'm like, "I. don't feel like telling this joke at. all." But it crushes. The audience loves. this bit. So, now you're not really It's. not as exciting to tell it the same, but. part of the job is you got to perform. it. You got to tell it like it's the. first time every time. But you know, Matt, the thing is like when old. comedians, you could tell a joke uh over. and over. I could tell a joke and say I. tell a joke in Tampa. I could tell that.

joke in Jacksonville. I could tell that. joke in Miami. I could tell that joke in. Atlanta. And nobody would have heard it. But now, I don't know if you have that. like Chappelle Chappelle have that zip. bag. He going to put your phone in there. and you're not going to hear this joke. We We only do it for some. I I try not. to do it because people hate it. People. complain. Can't be without their phone, man. What about kids? Yeah, what if. there's an emergency? They'll be fine. Crack the window in the car. They'll be. all right. [laughter]. It's so annoying because it does make. for the best show. It makes people be so. attentive. There's no They can't even.

think about checking their phone to. check the time or check the. notifications or whatever. It is 100% of. the time the better show, but I try not. to have to do it unless it's a recording. or sometime. But we do have a no phone. policy at the show. We announce it 100. times. It's all over the jumbotrons. Do. not have your phones out or we won't. take them out. >> at the audience and somebody is. Happens. all the time. Happens all the time. And. I have little cues on stage that I that. I'll do and my security knows that like. I can see somebody with their phone out. right now. Then you got to go, man. Just. follow the rule. Just be present. So, you can you kick them out? Yeah. I can't trust you, man. People record.

the show. They bootleg it. They try to. post something out of context. And also, without the getcha aspect, like I'm. working on a show. I'm building it every. show. I'm trying to change it. I don't. want you posting the the B- minus. version of the of the joke before I get. to film it for Netflix and it's the A+. version. And now you're not as excited. So, it's it's just about privacy and. respect and and respecting yourself as. well. You saved up money for a. babysitter. You paid for parking. You. You You came in here and bought drinks. Bought the tickets. Like just be here at. the thing. Be with me. Be Be in this. environment. It's much more exciting. Do.

you ever forget a line? Do you ever. forget a line? Um, when you first. started, obviously now you're you're a. full-time pro. Did you ever forget a. line? Like, "Damn." My first time? My. first time I was probably 2 and 1/2. minutes in and I literally I got to find. the footage cuz I know it's out there. somewhere. Well, I remember I remember. saying like, "Oh, [ __ ] I'm like I'm. kind of freezing up right now." And the. audience This was the perk of being 15. It's like they weren't really going to. boo you at the Columbus Funny Bone. I. remember just I remember It was just. some old black lady just goes, "You got. it, baby. You got it." And I was like,

that got a big laugh from everybody. And. then that kind of helped me get back. into it. But yeah, I I froze up. I. didn't really know what like memorizing. a set was like. I was just kind of going. up there and winging it. So, that. definitely happens. So, when you started. that, so you're like, "Okay, I got 5. minutes. I got 10 minutes. I got 15. minutes." And so, you're like, "Okay, I. swallowed that bug, by the way. >> [laughter]. >> I forgot it was in there. So, you're like, "Okay, I got 5 minutes. I got 10 minutes. I got 15 minutes." And. you're like, "Okay, I'm going to go. Here's step. Here's one beat. Here's two. beats. Here's three beats." Is that how.

you did it? Or you're like Or you just. wing cuz some people Marlon Wayans says, "I don't write down nothing. I'm just. going up on stage and I'm winging the. whole thing.". >> [laughter]. >> I I'll make a set list. I'll be like I I. can bullet point it. Joke one through. let's call it 12 or something like that. But I definitely don't go up there and. I'm not as meticulous with like word for. word. I end up memorizing it that way. once I'm up there just via repetition. But like no, I want to be loose. I want. to be I want to be free when I get up. there. I don't have I had to do this. video the other day. Live Nation wanted. to know like my routine beforehand.

Like, "Where do you write down your set? What's your motivation when you get up. there?" And I'm like, I I'm not like. sitting in a float tank 30 minutes. before [laughter] my show playing. tranquil music and that lighting. candles. I'm back there. I just play. some music. I'm hanging out with my boys. that open for me. Like I just want I. want to be loose. Like so much of my set. is they're like, "Hey, you're on a 5. minutes." And I'm like, "Oh, okay. All. right. I guess we'll just go go do the. thing." I don't want to be stiff. I want. to I want it to feel like we're all just. kind of hanging out together. You also. say that I'm not Justin Bieber in all. your sets. Do people think that's who. you are?

>> In all my sets. No, no, no, no, no. That. was No, that was like That was one thing. I used to compare in the very beginning. Yeah, cuz he was like he was it at that. time. Like he was taking over the world. when I was starting out. So, at that. time. Not a bad guy to be compared [laughter]. to. Wish Wish I had that kind of. success. But bro, watching what he went. through in like past documentaries and. everything now versus what kind of Not. It's not comparative, but I can only. understand the stress I've gone through. over the last couple years to then times. it by a thousand for what he went.

through. I have even more of a respect. Like I love his music already, but to to. see what he went through and how he's. persevered. I know he's had his. struggles and everything in the public. eye, but like so much props to him. I. can't imagine what it's like to be that. global of a superstar. Did you ever. think that being a comedian would cause. this level of stress, have this level of. anxiety? >> No, man. I thought it was going to be so. much fun. I thought [laughter] I thought. I was I just get on stage and tell. jokes. >> I thought I was just going to get to be. silly on stage at a comedy club every. weekend for the rest of my life. I. didn't know, man. I I used to be so.

stressed and as a as an artist starting. out as an aspiring comedian, actor, whether you're a singer, whatever it may. be, you're so anxious and you're so. stressed about like, "Oh, man, am I am I. ever going to make it? If I could just. make it, I'll be so happy and. satisfied." But that's not true. You get. You develop new goals, new aspirations, and then you start to wonder like, "Can. I keep it?" Keeping it is harder than. getting. >> than getting it. Anybody can get a flash. in the pan. It can happen. One viral. video can send you into, you know, a a. moderate level of fame. But like once.

you get a taste of selling out arenas. and hanging out with your idols, and you. got enough money to buy your mom a. house, your sisters a house, your. grandmas' houses, like that that's. that's a lifestyle you don't want to. give up, man. Right. It's it's so. addicting. I I never thought it would be. like this. I I've. By 30 years old, I've achieved 99% of my. dreams. Damn. Yeah. And you don't even. have you you have your life is not even. gone. >> I know. It's and it's such a blessing. Like everything I get to do from this. point forward is just amazing extra. credit, man. Like I I feel so blessed. But it also makes you think about like.

how much time I have left. Like what am. I going to do with the next 50 years? Like the possibilities are endless. Is. there a situation where you see yourself. retiring or you just like, "You know. what? As long as I can tell a joke, as. long as I can entertain an audience, I. don't see myself slowing down. I don't. see myself stopping." I can't see myself. stopping for the pure fact that I love. it so much and I don't know anything. else. Like this April will be. exactly half my life that I've been. doing comedy. It'll be the 15-year mark. >> Wow. So I I I haven't really known. anything. Like I I tell myself I want.

time off and how exhausted I I'm on like. 2 hours of sleep right now. Like I. really like, "Oh, I'm exhausted." I take. 3 days off, >> [snorts]. >> I feel like I fell off. >> [laughter]. >> I'm like, "No, I got to get back to. work. I have this thing I got to do. I. got to do this thing over here." So I. can tell myself that maybe someday I'd. want to settle down, but maybe it's just. a different pacing. Or maybe it's. transitioning over to acting more. Maybe. I just do stand-up kind of when I feel. like it. Like. Kevin Hart's found a wonderful balance, right? He'll go knock out a couple. movies a year and in the midst of that. he'll go tour, pop in and do spots, work. on his set. Like that seems. Ah, man, it's a hard it's a harder work.

load. Like I know he's like one of the. hardest working people on Earth. >> But it feels like it's a more exciting. balance. He's not in He's not totally. consumed in tour, which is what I've. been for the last. >> Right. Cuz that's a lot of travel. At. least it Well, like you're doing you're. on location, you're in one spot. >> Yes. >> When you tour, you're in Jacksonville, you're in Miami, you're in Orlando, you're in Atlanta. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> so sick of planes, man. If I can drive 6. hours, I'll avoid flying. >> Really? >> I would rather I would rather drive 6 or. 7 hours than I would fly for 2 hours. I. really would. So I mean you got a tour.

bus, do you and the boys the homies hop. on the bus and y'all chill? >> the tour bus in 2024. and it was so much fun, but it almost. killed me, bro. Cuz we were doing two. shows a night six nights a week with. meet and greets after each show as well. >> Wow. So we're doing like 40 to 50 shows. a month for like 9 months straight. And. it got to the point where like you get. done with the last show at midnight, 12:30. Then you got a meet and greet. till 1:00, 1:15. >> Are you cutting off the meet and greet? So you got a 100 100 in the meet and. greet? You got 250 in the meet and. greet? >> I think we did.

50 per show. I think it was. >> But as amazing it is to get to meet your. fans and everything and hear their. stories and all that, it's like doing. another show cuz you got to be on. You. want to be present. You can't. >> how you doing? Where you from? >> Yeah, you can't be the guy just being. like, "All right, get in here for the. picture." Even though you might feel. that way, but like they they're paying. for the experience. These are the people. that love you the most, you know? But. then you get done with that at 1:30 and. now you get to go back to the bus. Now. you get to like light one up with your. boys. And now now you want to just enjoy. yourself and decompress. So in other. words, you're not going to bed to what? 4:00 now?

>> 4:00, 5:00, 6:00. Get up at. 2:00, walk to whatever like the local. gym is there, and then now you got to go. back inside for show number one. I was. seeing daylight for like 30 minutes a. day for 9 months in a row. It it [ __ ]. my sleep up so much, man. Wow. >> Yeah, my I. I had to cancel some shows in Indiana. one time because I literally like I. couldn't walk. I went 5 days in a row. without a single minute of sleep. I. couldn't do it. I couldn't couldn't. perform. Had to go to the hospital and. everything. Had to cancel. >> Oh my god. They were so mad. They were. so cuz it was like night of the show.

Like people were getting sat. I'm. heading to the venue, almost fell over. in the bushes cuz like I couldn't see. Couldn't walk straight and everything. And I got there and they're like, "Yeah, you're you're exhausted.". >> yes, exhausted. >> sleep doctors. They ran some tests and. everything. They're like, "Yeah, you. know how like your circadian rhythm is. kind of what helps you find your sleep. patterns and everything?" They're like, "You don't have a bad circadian rhythm. You don't even have one. Like your sleep. schedule is so your body has no idea. when it's supposed to fall asleep." And. I still struggle I'm still struggling. with that. I've had it my whole life, but that definitely like sent me over. the. >> Definitely doesn't help.

>> But I also don't know how to not be that. busy. Like I would rather be exhausted. from work than sitting around being. bored. You mentioned D.L. Like you your first. start, you got D.L. was coming to the. Columbus Funny Bone and you reached out. to him and he put you on. I think you. have a story with Mike Epps. What's some. of the best advice cuz D.L. has been in. this thing 30, 40 years. Mike Epps has. been in this thing 25, 30 years. What's. some of the best advice these guys given. you? Some of the best advice I've ever been. given is. not to quote Nike, but like just do it.

Like you Sometimes you'll have an idea. of a piece of content you want to film. Maybe it's a script idea or just a joke. idea. Run [clears throat] it by a friend. and they'll be like, "I don't I don't. get it." And you're like Now you find. yourself arguing Yeah. why you don't get. it. Like now I'm trying to convince you. it's this and they're like, "It just. stop." My friend Eric Griffin told me he. was like, "Stop trying to convince me. Just do it. Like go on stage or or go. film the thing that you have an idea. for. Nobody else is inside your brain. Nobody can picture visualize exactly. what you're trying to create, which is. exactly why they're not in your shoes.

>> Right, correct. >> have to go show them and go do You got. to gamble on yourself. If you're if. you're not committed to your own. decisions, why would anybody trust them. in the first place? >> Right. So I mean I I believe in just. betting on yourself. And what's another. So another piece of advice somebody's. given. Um. Ralphie May used to tell me not to wear. cool shoes on stage. >> [laughter]. >> He used to tell me he was like, "Yeah, it's distracting from what people are. trying to say." I'm like, "You're 400. lbs. >> [laughter]. >> You don't think people are distracted by.

what you're saying right now?" He was a. little wrong on that one, but he was he. was a cool dude. You ever get a chance. to meet him? >> I have not met Ralphie, but I hear great. stories about him. >> The best guy. He was He was like my. first real mentor. Like he took me on my. first theater tour when I was 19. I used. every bit of that check to pay for my. teeth to get done immediately. [laughter]. He was the best. I Even when I was still. living in Ohio, he would let me drive. down from Ohio to Nashville where he. lived and do his Christmas shows with. him at Zanies so that he could pay me.

some money so I could go back to Ohio. and buy my family Christmas presents. with them. >> Wow. He was the nicest guy. When I moved. to LA, he'd take me out to lunch. He'd. make me order like five meals. And I'm. like, "Is this Is this for me or for. you?". And he was like, "No, this is yours. You. order five meals now, you get to take. the leftovers home with you. And now you. don't got to buy groceries this week.". Wow. >> the nicest guy, man. Fattest Yeah. Yeah. Cuz I'm sleeping in the middle bunk on. the bus, and he'll walk by, open the. curtain, fart in the bunk, >> [laughter]. >> and then go back to his room.

Diabolical, man. But the greatest guy. >> Yeah. You mentioned that the Uptown Comedy. Store in Atlanta, Uptown Comedy Club in. Atlanta. How did the Atlanta scene. because, man, you know, I I I think as a. comedian, you have to be able to branch. off. You have to be able to get black. people to laugh, white people to laugh, young people to laugh, men to laugh, women to laugh. It doesn't matter. because funny is funny. And you have to. And so you coming up in there looking at. this. Man, this young ass white kid they. trying [laughter] to make me laugh.

Because we laugh differently. Of course. It's more fulfilling to get black people. to laugh. I got to say. Cuz white people. laugh. >> [laughter]. >> Yes. BLACK PEOPLE. >> [laughter]. [screaming]. >> OW, OW, OW. OW. THAT'S THAT damn it, Shannon. That's how we laugh. We all. That we stand ON TOP OF. >> [laughter]. >> IT'S THE BEST, MAN. But when y'all don't. with us, you don't with us. There's no. pity laughter. Boo from the back. They don't care, man.

It's so fulfilling. So to get in that to. get to like grow up in in comedy in that. kind of do or die environment, it. definitely helped me like carve my. chops. Like Had I not done that, I never. could have done Wild 'N Out. Like. Atlanta's full of. beasts, man. Like I saw Ryan Davis come. on here talk about Ronnie Jordan and. everything. I mean even Special K back. in the day. Like anybody who went. through Def Jam at all, I opened for. them in Atlanta. >> Right. >> I'm getting to open for like Def Jam. crowds in the middle of Atlanta when I'm.

15, 16 years old. It was the best. possible place to cut my chops, man. Had. I gotten Wild 'N Out like 2 years before. when I originally auditioned for it, there's no way I could have survived, man. I could I couldn't have hung with. like Carlos Miller, Chico Bean, DC Young. Fly. There's no way. Those guys are. absolute beasts, man. Atlanta's an. amazing comedy scene. They really don't. get the credit they deserve. >> Cuz you have to be able to cut. But the. comedy scene's [laughter] amazing. Drive. into Atlanta. Yeah, because when you. think about it, you got Quake, you got. Bruce Bruce, you got Arnez J, you got.

What's the guy from St. Louis? Uh Tor. No, the guy that came on here. Osama. Osama bin Laden with the big guy. >> Ced. >> Um Crawford. And Lavell Crawford. Yeah, DC Curry. I mean you got the. heavyweights. DC Curry, as a matter of. fact, going back to. to to to great advice. I was opening for. him at the Cleveland Improv and I was. watching his show. You know, he's he's a. really great storyteller. He can sit in. 5 minutes of silence building up to this. one big punchline. I remember going back.

in the green room afterwards just so. naive and I asked him and I was like, "You know, there's like there's so much. silence in the storytelling that you're. doing up there. Does it ever feel weird. that like Does it ever feel like you're. like bombing up there?" And he just. started laughing to himself [snorts] and. he was like, "No, I'm not bombing." He. was like, "I've got their attention.". He's like, "Silence is one of the most. powerful things you can have in stand-up. comedy.". >> Yeah, absolutely. If they're quiet, they're listening. It's when they start. talking amongst themselves, it's when. they start heckling, that's when you. have a problem. He was like, "Patience. and timing is what I'm building up for. that one big punchline." And I that.

never really occurred to me. I thought. comedy was just supposed to be like, "Boom, boom, boom.". It doesn't have to be like that. If your. style is storytelling, grasp them, you. know what I mean? Grab their attention. Hold them for that one big moment. That's so powerful. Cuz some people are. storytellers. Some people, you know, 30. seconds, they boom, they go. Some people. it take a couple of minutes Mhm. in. order to build to build up to that. crescendo and then boom. Yeah, yeah, my. my set now is like a as a perfect mix of. that. I love stories. I'd say 45 minutes. of my of my set right now is just. stories. Like I need you to follow me on. that ride. I got to practice that.

patience and timing. But you like that. rapid fire sometimes, too, that bam, bam, bam. And that's just for me, you. know what I mean? That's where like the. crowd work is kind of fun, you know what. I mean? Like that's something new and. refreshing I get to do every show that's. just kind of spontaneous for me, you. know? It just mixes up the set a little. bit cuz like I said, you can get tired. of your own set. >> So at 17, you I think if I'm not. mistaken, you decided to go to LA. >> Mhm. And you're famous. So how was that? How was that received? You're like, "Mom, Grandpa, uh I'm about to be like Jed Clampett. I'm about to move to Beverly Hills." Jed. Clampett? Wow. [laughter] I'm about to.

What a reference. I'm about to move I'm. about to move up out of here. I'm. I'm going to Cali. I'm going to Maybe. not Beverly Hills, but I'm getting up. out of Ohio. They were so ready, man. Really? One less mouth to feed. They were so supportive cuz like nobody. in my hometown leaves that hometown. And. I knew Nobody in my family has also ever. been to college. So there was no like. expectation. It was like, "Okay, here's. this thing that you're already kind of. traveling to do. You're already making a. little bit of money doing it. You're. really passionate about it. Mhm. We. think you're good at it. So by all. means, you've got some good mentors out.

there." I went out there, I lived on. Eric Griffin's couch for the first like. 6 months I was out there. Then I moved. to another friend's couch. Then I moved. to a What What's it Oh, what's that. website called? Craigslist. Yeah, Craigslist couch. I did the whole couch. surfing for like 2 and 1/2, 3 years. Taking the bus. Like. I had to grow up so fast. I didn't know. about I didn't know about paying bills. I didn't know about grocery shopping. >> know anybody in LA. I knew a couple of. people, just comedians, though. Just. comedians I had met online or during. that first trip to LA that were like, "When you get out here, let me know.".

And I was lucky enough that they they. fulfilled those promises. Wow. >> Yeah, and I used to just walk to either. the Improv, the Comedy Store, or the. Laugh Factory every single night and. just hang out. Mhm. Like just wait and. see if maybe somebody didn't show up for. their spot and then somebody there would. vouch for me and be like, "You know, let. this kid fill the 5 minutes until. so-and-so gets here." And that's really. how I like built up to be in like I. think I'm the youngest regular performer. at the Laugh Factory besides Tiffany. Haddish. Wow. Yeah, just from just from. hanging out and people vouching, man. It. was It was an amazing opportunity. And. just getting to just getting to hang out.

with everybody who I had seen on TV and. that like made me want to do this was. just It was amazing, man. You guys have. an opportunity to be on Disney's, but. you hear these stories. A lot of these. kids that on Disney, you hear them. struggle not only later in life. And so. why why haven't you why haven't that. befallen you? What was. made you so mature I don't know, man. Thank you. that you were able to be in. that environment. and move forward and succeed? Well, I think it's because I didn't have. my own show.

I was a character on somebody else's. show and they were struggling, but I'm. checking in for a day. I'm like, "What. the [ __ ] is their problem? >> [laughter]. >> Breakfast was great this morning, man. This set This set has everything. You're. being pretty ungrateful right now.". I mean, there was just less pressure on. me. I got to show up on a couple of like. guest episodes on some really fun shows. there. But again, that was like my first experience with. television. So getting to like see what. it's like to have a green room, getting. to like rehearse on set, learning what. table reads are and everything, learning. that you can get replaced at a table. read. >> Damn. Yeah, I got invited back. reoccurring on this show. And after the.

first episode went so great, second. episode, I felt so comfortable. This is. like the next season. So I went back in. there, didn't know my lines. In the. first rehearsal of it, the the director. comes over and goes, "Hey, man, if you don't memorize these lines for. this network meeting we have coming up, they're like they're going to recast. you." I went back to my green room and. just studied the. out of every beat, every syllable cuz. you When the network comes in to watch. it, you got to perform it. Like they. want to see how it's going to be on. camera. That's when I realized like how. serious all of this was and also how.

many pieces there are. That's why it's. so hard to get work as an actor, I. think, cuz as a comedian, you're you're. in control of your own destiny to a. certain extent. Like you write your own. jokes. You book yourself for gigs. You. are in total control of what you can and. can't do to for the most part aside from. getting on television. Whereas acting, it's like there's 30 people you got to. get approved of Right. for approval of. to to to get a spot. You got the casting. associate, casting director, the. director, then the producers, then the. network. It It's It's It's It's such a.

complicated game, which is why I think. stand-up has allowed me to get in the. position I am now cuz like I I love to. work hard. I woke up every day in LA for. 12 years trying to create new. opportunities for myself. So when I. finally did break, I'm like, "I want all. the work now. Like exhaust me, man. I I. wanted to be this busy." Is it a. situation where like when you're a. comedian, you write a set, you're. writing that set compared to television, somebody else is writing a joke for you. And not necessarily you would you. wouldn't write that joke Mhm. like that. Mhm. And so it's like it comes off as as. strange or odd because that's not the. way I would have wrote that joke. And so.

me is. kind of feeling. >> No, it happens. Especially for network. stuff that's like, you know, PG, maybe. PG-13 at most, it's some of the worst. writing ever. I can't tell you how many. auditions I've gone on for like a. network sitcom that I'm like, "I'm a professional comedian. I have no. idea how to make this funny. This is. This is such a terrible, terrible joke.". And this person got paid six figures to. write this joke right now. It's. unbelievable. [laughter]. That's why getting this job is so. freeing, man. I get to just be myself. I.

get to I get to just float out my sense. of humor, project it out there, and and. and God willing, people like it, man. Did you get an opportunity to get on. Comic View before it got canceled? Yes, dude. That was my first TV credit ever, actually. Uh Sommore was hosting the. season. >> I got found at the the Comedy Union off. of Pico. Okay. >> You know that one? Down the street from. Roscoe's. Oh, no, I don't know that, but Oh, it's. it's it's an older joint. It's closed. down now. Um it was a It was one of the. It was one of like the the black clubs. around LA, which was one of the very few.

places I could really get stage time. And I went in there and Amber Bickham is. a great casting director. She casts a. lot of great [ __ ] And she saw me in. there. She goes, "I want you to audition. for Comic View." This is when it was. just coming back. I went in. We taped in. Atlanta, actually. I got a standing. ovation as the closer for my episode. They filmed three comics per episode. Got a standing ovation. I think I was I. think I had just turned 18. And. uh they they canceled the season before. my episode. So I never even got to see. it. >> Damn. I know. I know. I think Carlos. Miller might be the only person who got.

their episode actually [laughter] aired. And they saw it and they were like, "Nah.". Wow, that's unbelievable. I know. So in. that situation, now you parlay that you. get Wild 'N Out. You're the youngest. cast member so far of Wild 'N Out. Did. you like How did Because Wild 'N Out is. kind of different because you're like. going back and forth, somebody bagging. on you, you bagging on. It's It's a different. So it's like. Mhm. Yeah, the pacing's up. The the. intensity is there cuz like I said, everybody's a beast, man. And you're. fighting for episodes, too. It's like.

It's literally like a like a team. You. got a roster, right? But there's only so. many starters. Yes. And you don't get. paid unless you play, either. Yeah. So. we have these we have these workshops. for like a month before we start filming. everything. And that's Maybe No, it's. maybe like 2 weeks before. We're going. through all the new games and. everything, teaching everybody how to. play the games, how to write for each. game or whatever. And I went in there as somebody who had. never really been on a TV show outside. of a couple of Disney episodes. I'd. never done anything competitive in the. comedy space, either. And I was so.

nervous. I would go in there with my. my hands in my pockets and super. slouched over. And uh producer Nick. Cannon Evans was not having that [ __ ]. He was like, "No, you got to come in. here with confidence." Like that show. the workshops for that show like. kind of taught me how to like be a man. Like he used to make DC Young Fly like. get in my face. Like like about to like. hit me. Like we he was really about. establishing confidence in me cuz he was. like, "If you can't be confident back. here, you how you going to be confident. in front of a live, packed-out crowd, in.

front of all these cameras where you get. one shot?" And it was nerve-wracking, but it it it definitely pulled the best. out of me. It's one of those instances. where like pressure makes diamonds, right? Like that the pressure was such. an institution for for how I developed. as a comedian. Did you get turned down. the first time you auditioned for the. show? Yeah, yeah, I did. It was when. they first rebooted the season. It's. It's when Carlos and Chico first got on. and everything. I drove down from Ohio. cuz they had auditions at my at the. Uptown Comedy Club. And. my manager there was able to get me an. audition. I drove down, which was like 9.

hours. And it was an okay audition, but. didn't get it. I think Pete Davidson. actually got on for that one. And then I. got cast when he left as kind of his. replacement. Just replace white guy. after white. So they were replacing a white guy with. a white guy. different white guy cuz he. replaced Mikey Day when he left. It was. just one after another. So there was an. opening. Thank God. And uh I I I didn't. get the first one. Once I got it when I. was. just turned 19, I think. >> Yeah. I bro, I was so barely ready at. that time. You can go back and watch.

Like I was I was terrified. So much of. my stuff from episodes got cut cuz I. didn't deliver it confidently. But I. needed that. I I I hadn't been ready. And that that's a that's a reoccurring. theme in my life where like everything. happens so young for me. >> Mhm. Even the arenas and everything. When When our theater tour for the. Problematic World Tour sold out in the. first like 48 hours of pre-sale, we sold. like 600,000 tickets in in 48 hours. >> Wow. My agents were like, "Oh, we could. just we could just transfer these to. arenas." I was like, "Yo, I. just started selling out comedy clubs.".

>> let's let's go. I'm not ready for that. Like you you got to take the necessary. steps, you know? I also want to. experience theaters. A comedy club show. is different from a theater show, is. different from an arena show, is. different from a stadium show. And I. wanted those life experiences, you know. If I would have jumped right into. arenas, there's no way I would have been. ready. I was barely ready for the. theaters. But the comedy club was where. I was like just starting to like kill. So, it's baby steps. >> I don't know you can Pete I mean Pete. got a nice little roster. I don't know. your roster like Pete does. >> [laughter]. >> Oh, so we don't talk about comedy. You.

got it. Okay. But also someone from Ohio that's really. good in comedy is Gary Owen. >> Mhm. And I think. yeah, I think early in your career they. tried to compare you like no, bro. I'm. I'm I'm me. I'm Matt. Yeah, I'm a I'm a. different person and that's that's no. shade. Gary Owen is a. legend. Like that dude murders like no. There's very few comedians that I that I. would not want to follow. Gary's one of. them, man. But he he always has like the. the cachet of like.

uh he's a white comic for for for for. black audiences only, right? He's just. an urban comic or whatever that means. And I just didn't want to pigeonhole an. audience. You know what I mean? Like I. want I want to be for as many people as. possible. Now, whoever finds me finds. me. If it's all black people, amazing. If it's all white people, amazing. Doesn't matter to me. Funny Funny is. just funny, but I didn't want to be. pigeonholed into like oh, he only does. urban stuff because it's it's so. unfortunate that that limits. opportunities in Hollywood as well. Like.

Gary was great in Was it Think Like a. Man? He was so good in that [ __ ]. But because a lot of Hollywood and the. entertainment industry just thinks oh, he only has a black audience. I don't. know if white people will go see him. I. feel like that hinders a lot of his. opportunities. And I could be wrong. Gary, if I'm wrong, I apologize, but. it's really what it feels like. I feel. like he deserves a lot more. And from a. young age, I just saw that and I was. like I just want to make sure I leave. all the doors open that I can. But he's. oh, he's a beast, man. Uh were you surprised by how Nick the. jokes that he would allow you to say on. Wild 'N Out? Yeah, that was my biggest.

problem with the show, actually. [laughter]. That show everyone has their role, right? And my role was the white guy. And if you made any jokes outside of. being the white guy, that [ __ ] was like. not okay. Like it would it would it. would fall super flat that nobody wanted. it or it was kind of frowned upon. Like. at a certain point as a comedian, I want. to say other [ __ ] I want to say. something kind of clever, something that. I actually put some thought into, something that's not racially based. And. that's all they really wanted after it. So, all they ever wanted out of it. So, after it, after like three seasons of.

it, I was like I just want to do other. things, you know? This takes up so much. of my time. I'm not on every episode. It. doesn't pay well. I need to go tour. I. need to go be me on stage. So, it was a little limiting, yeah. But. I mean the exposure from it was amazing, you know. My first season on there, I. mean I I bumped up thousands and. thousands of followers. That allowed me. to tour for the very first time. So, I'm. so thankful for it. It was an amazing. institution. It was a great opportunity. and opened so many doors for me. So, I'm. very thankful for it. Well, you got an. opportunity to go against the 85 South. crew. You got DC, you got Chico. >> Bro, I want to go do that show with them.

so bad, man. Those are some of the most. talented people I've ever met in my. entire life, man. When you look at the uh the success of. 85 South as we mentioned those guys, are. you So, it strikes me as that you're not. surprised at the level of success that. they're enjoying? Not at all, man. It's. so well deserved. They're so talented, man. Sometimes I'll watch them just riff. a freestyle song and not only is it a. good song, but it's hilarious. They're. doing the instrumentals, they're doing. the lyrics, they're doing the jokes all. on the spot. They're so talented, man. I. I I really do love those guys. I'm so.

happy for them. Who do you think the. all-time Who's the funniest member of. Wild 'N Out cast? Of all time? [ __ ]. man. Oh, that's tough. >> [gasps]. >> Oh, I mean prime Cat was something else, man. >> [laughter]. >> Some people forget he was on that show. In the original seasons, Cat, Kevin. Hart, um but then I mean Karlous is up there, man. Karlous is up. Karlous is a brilliant comedian, man. I. I it's got to be one of those three, I. think. Do you have a favorite?

Probably Cat. Probably Cat? >> Probably Cat or Karlous. Um because the thing is is that Did Did. you see his new special? Oh, Cat Cat. Williams? Yeah, I did. I did. I watched. it. Okay, good. >> And you know what? The thing is is that. >> [clears throat]. >> for those guys, I mean, it's just like. this. It's just cuz you're on you're on. Q. And like for a comedian like if I'm. telling a set, it's one thing. But to. just Joan to just go back and forth. >> got to You got to grow up with it. You. got to do it. If you don't got black. friends, you're not going to laugh at. the jokes. There ain't no way, man. Cuz. white people don't do it. They They call.

it bullying. It's [laughter] so. frustrating, man. We call it Joan. We go back and forth. I. went to an HBCU. And so, we go into the. student center. If you If If If you. didn't have thick skin and you went to. an HBCU, you're going to end up leaving. You're going to end up going to a PWI. cuz we going to. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, cuz that's. ain't for you. Cuz you know, we talk You. know, you've been around black people. We talk different to one another than. way you guys communicate with one. another. >> Oh, of course. >> And so, we bring that right to you. Oh, well, you Ronald, so you going to get.

this too. Which is Which is why black. people are always the more fun comedy. audience, man. Y'all know Y'all know. what jokes are. The context is. everything, man. You realize it's it's. not it's not a personal attack. I'm just. saying the funniest possible The more. The more I Joan on you, the more I with. you, the more I would try to hurt your. feelings, the more I actually with you. Like I I genuinely love you as a person, you know what I mean? It's so. frustrating that white people don't get. that. It's so annoying. >> They take it personal like you bullying. him. Yeah, it's so We're so sensitive. [laughter] It drives me insane. If I. ever get a complaint for any of my. material, it's a white person, 100% of.

the time. [laughter] 100% of the time. The pay You mentioned that they didn't. pay a whole lot on Wild 'N Out. So, what. you get? 250, 300 an episode? >> It's a thousand an episode. But But if you want three episodes a. season. And by the way, you can't go do other. [ __ ] You taping for a couple of weeks. So, you making Don't hear now. It's. [snorts] all It's all perspective, right? So, I'm making $3,000 for over. the course of a month, which don't get. me wrong, that's not that's not bad. People pay their bills on that all the. time. It's more I I imagine that's more. than minimum wage, but you can't go do.

anything else. When I I could be going. touring, I could be auditioning for. other things that are going to pay more. So, it's just it it's uh it's an. investment. It's a gamble. You got to. hope you're on these episodes, though. It's not you know, it's not $9 an hour. or anything, but in comparison to what. touring pays or what other TV shows pay, yeah, it is very little. [clears throat]. And you got taxes on top of that. So, it. ends up being 300 an episode. >> Yeah. So, in other words, it's about the. You going Wild 'N Out is really about. the exposure. You're giving an You're. giving people an opportunity to see. Matt. To see like you know what? This.

dude is really funny. If he ever toured, I got to see him cuz I want to see what. he really like cuz I see him go back and. forth and he can Joan and he got the. gift of gab and he's quick with it. So, if he got a set, he can do something 30. minutes, 45 minutes, I want to see it. >> Mhm. Yeah, it's more of a launching pad. than anything. Like the exposure from. there is is unmatched, man. What are. they on? Season 26 or something like. that? That's not off luck. Like they. have they have an audience. People love. the show. People love the people from. the show. We all tour together. As soon. as you leave the show, it's like we'll. go do shows on the road, five, six cast. members at a time, sell out these big.

theaters, sometimes an arena. Like. people love the show, dude. It's. awesome. You mentioned that when you. started Wild 'N Out, you end up the. first thing you did is about bought some. new teeth. Yeah, man. After my first. season, oh bro, it was right after It. was in between seasons and Ralphie May. took me on tour. I couldn't wait to get. my teeth fixed, man. It was I had Ohio. [laughter]. teeth, bro. It was bad. I had them. straight hands, man. It was. It was. Bro, it was bad, bro. It changed. everything for me, man. Cuz I had I had. a beautiful 30-year-old girlfriend at. this time. I'm 19 years old. I got these.

terrible teeth. I was like I got to give. her a reason to stay. [laughter]. Cuz it's not the money, for sure. It. ain't the dick. There ain't no way. There ain't no way. She's 30. There's no way. You said you would. rather had died than smile. Yeah, man. So, I'm I'm still really bad at smiling. in photos. I just didn't But you got the. grill now. You good. I know, but I don't. know how to smile. I feel like I look. weird in photos when I smile with my. teeth cuz I didn't grow up doing it. I. didn't have like the practice of doing. it. >> So, how long you had the teeth? I got. them when I was 19, so 11 years now.

>> Well, you good now. I I try. Because you. know, you normally talk with you you. know, you got something you got a. missing tooth on the side, you got a. cavity or gap. >> the Jack-o'-lantern. >> you talking you talking like the. >> [laughter]. >> Because the thing is if a comedian, the. one thing and you bag on people, the one. thing you cannot have any imperfection. >> Oh, bro, are you kidding me? >> Cuz if they going to get you. >> you got something, oh yeah. Man, go. ahead on Jack-o'-lantern. They call you. Jack-o'-lantern. All of it. All right,

relax. Relax. [laughter] Okay. All. right. All right, no more Coney Island. No more. Coney Island for Shannon. That's enough. So, So, when you got So, why why did you. say you know what? If I ever cuz I said. the same thing. If I ever get me some. money, or I'm going to get my mouth. fixed. Y'all ain't finna be raggedy cuz. I've all them people face Joan and. talking about people and they say call. you snagglepuss or Jack-o'-lantern and. then you feeling some type of way. So, I'm like I'm going to get me some teeth. Is that how you thought about it? >> It was more of a confidence thing, man. Like I I knew they were [ __ ] up. And I. know how important teeth are. When you. meet somebody, you look at eyes and.

teeth. >> Yes. The two most important things. And. I was just so insecure about it. I know. there was nothing wrong. Like you If If. people You don't got to have a perfect. smile. You can be a wonderful person. People are still going to like you. But. I knew the career that I wanted to have. And by the way, I checked into getting. braces first cuz I I just couldn't. afford braces growing up. So, I looked. into that first. >> were straight gap teeth. Yes. That would. have [laughter] been great. That would. have saved me tens of thousands of. dollars. But they told me they were like. you're going to have braces for like six. years. I was like I am not about to be. in my early 20s with braces on. I.

wouldn't I wouldn't get laid. Are you. crazy? [laughter] My teeth were like I. think they were like $24,000. Yeah. So, I paid half up front and then. I had payments for the next like three. years, which was terrifying to miss a. payment. The dentist is going to show up. with some [ __ ] When he can't take. them out, they like oh, y'all stuck. Y'all stuck. Bro, I could have. I could have bought two pairs of fake. titties with these teeth. It's. unbelievable. I got a Honda Accord in my. mouth, man. It's unbelievable. When you But how do you feel about. people saying that man, you've had other. work done?

They They ain't just They ain't just. fake teeth. You done had some jaw line, you done had some Botox. The funniest. thing in the entire world, man. Ugly. people love to say that. It's the. [laughter] funny I'm. So, you just get better looking as you. get older. Okay. Yeah, not everybody. peaked in high school, man. I don't know. >> [laughter]. >> I don't know what the It's so funny. And. it happened the weirdest way because. when I search I first started to get. famous, everybody's first thing was. like, "Oh, he's not funny. People just. like him cuz of how he looks or. whatever." And then that caught on to. being like, "Okay, I guess he's a. good-looking comedian." And people were.

like, "Nah, I don't like that." So, now. they have to find some way to make him. not good-looking. >> Right. >> So, now I had Now I've had plastic. surgery. I look the. same. >> Right. I look exactly the same. I don't. know. >> people do age. People do age. And I feel. like I'm aging well. I like to think so. But you just work out, man. Take care of. yourself. Let me see what's going on. now. Now Jim Carrey's gotten cloned. Bro, Now here here I don't know, man. Come on, man. No, listen to me. Listen. to me, man. That [ __ ] it looks weird. It. don't look weird to you? The man got. cloned. I don't know about that, but.

>> [clears throat]. >> His eye color's different. His nose is. different. Face is wider. The The one I would believe more than. him You see Britney Spears? You seen her. videos? How'd she get a gap in her teeth? She never had that before. Yeah, I don't. know why. They gave her my teeth? >> [laughter]. >> That shit's so weird to me, man. I mean. I listen, I don't know. I've never been. invited to any any Diddy parties. I've. never been invited to any Illuminati. parties. I don't I don't know how it. goes. I don't know what the weird. conspiracies are in Hollywood.

I'm so far out of the loop. I'm kind of. mad. I thought I was doing well. I. haven't been invited to anything. So, how did it feel because you went from. this like I'm sure you was kind of. somewhat popular, but now you got teeth. and people like look He got teeth and. people Yeah, THEY BE LIKE, "WELL, DAMN, Matt Hey, Matt ain't too bad now that I. look at now that I LOOK AT HIM I'M. LOOKING AT HIM." THE WOMEN cuz now. you're ladies got Ah, that was very kind. of you to say. Yeah, you you you know it. you know it cuz they's like, "I don't. know I don't know who raw Matt or Pete. I think I think I think Matt might have.

Usain Bolted." Usain Bolted. All right. It's Listen, it's an amazing fan base to. have. Women Women and black people are. the best fan bases you could possibly. have. >> They going to spend the car. They're so. much passion, man. Like if they're. support, they're support, man. >> Absolutely. It's like In the beginning I. used to think I had to stand up for. that. People would be like, "Oh, he's. just like a girl's comedian. Only girls. like him." And I used to not understand. it. So, I was coming out of place of. like I was coming from a place of ego.

being like, "No, like I'm I'm for. everybody." Like guy guys like me, too. I used to get defensive about it and. deny it. Not realizing it was like the. biggest possible compliment. >> Yeah. Like somebody took something I. said out of context on a podcast one. time in the very beginning of everything. blowing up and they were asking about. all my female fans and everything. And. the way I was saying the way I responded. was incorrect verbage. I had said. something like I hate it. Which wasn't. which wasn't right. I was trying to. describe the energy at these shows cuz I. was doing smaller theaters in the midst.

of everything at the midst of like the. mania of like when I first first blew up. and like the whole crowd is is like 80%. women. And they're screaming like boy. band [ __ ] throughout the whole show. [laughter] I literally couldn't get. through the shows. Like couldn't finish. a joke. People are screaming, standing. up, trying to get attention. And at that. time I'm like, "I'm trying to build a. set. I have a Netflix special I have to. go film. Like I I I I really have to. work. I'm trying to be a performer right. now an artist and work on this. And I I.

can't deal with this distraction right. now." So, at the time it was just. frustrating. >> Right. It wasn't that I had a problem. with the fan base. I was just like, "Just sit and listen. And I promise you. will have a good time." But I had I had. misspoke in a podcast that got taken out. of context and people thought I was like. complaining about having a female fan. base. It's the best fan base to have. Just chill and laugh. That's all. Do you. see all the shoes in the in the handbags. they got? If they like something, they. going to spend. >> Bro, they'll be sitting next to their. husband being like, "Matt Rife is my. hall pass." on a shirt. And I'm like,

"You're just going to bring your cuck. husband to the show?" [laughter]. Who Who by the way paid for your ticket, probably. He's furious. Now he's sitting. there. He got He got swoll on you. He. ain't funny. He's furious about it, man. But it's the most fun fan base, man. They're not uptight. They're so. supportive. They give the best energy. Right. I hate that they got twisted out. of a. misconception. You was also on NBC Bring. the Funny with Ali Siddiq. Oh, Ali. Yeah. He great. I had Ali on. Dude, he's. so smooth, man. He's another one of. those people like a DC Curry where like. he can sit in some silence and tell you.

a story. He can sit there, take two, three minutes, and then just bang. >> Right. He's an amazing writer, man. I met him through Bill Bellamy back when. I was probably probably about the same. time 20 something like that. Dude, um. storytelling. You get guys like. Bill Burr, uh Louis C.K., Carlin. I think right now the greatest. storyteller, maybe the greatest. storyteller ever, is Chappelle. Mhm. The way he can The way he can jump over. and jump back and weave in and out and. dodge. He's the greatest of all time,

man. >> He's got to [clears throat] be. And I. I'm old enough to remember Pryor. I. remember Yes, I remember Murphy. It's hard for me to say there's a. comedian. better than Chappelle right now. Ever. I can't see it, man. He's He's from. about 45 minutes south of me in Ohio. I. grew up and my friends and I used to. joke around like, "What if we just drove. down there and just happened to run into. him?" Oh, that never happened. Then you. go to Yellow Springs. He is just around. town. He's just walking down the. sidewalk. It It's so It's so crazy that. somebody who went from being my favorite.

comedian of all time has become like an. actual like friend and mentor. Like he. he has given me He's given me so much. good advice not just stand-up wise like. business wise and everything. He's. trying to point me in the right. direction. He's somebody I'll call if I. have uh. any questions or want any advice on like. how to navigate a certain subject or how. to navigate something in in the public. eye. Like you know, what should I. I mean it's up to me ultimately up to. you, but like you know, when you're. coming to when you want somebody's. advice on like should I stand on. something? Do I give in? How long do you. play the game? How much do you be. yourself? He's somebody who sacrificed.

everything for what was important to. him. Came back and then still beat the. game. So, there's nobody's opinion I. respect more. And that's what, man. There's nothing. I love when like a another comedian will. give me [ __ ] like a certain comedians. won't like me or whatever. It's like. Dave Chappelle loves to watch my set. Like I'll I'll go do a set with him and. he'll come back with notes after being. like, "I love this. I love this. I think. maybe you should move this to the end. Move this up here." And I'm like, "Man, you actually cared enough to watch?". >> Wow. >> He's the nicest person.

>> Yeah, I can hear. I've ever met, man. And to to to to get the approval of. somebody you respect so much. Like. that's what that's what matters, man. I. think the thing that makes Chappelle so. great is that what they tried to take. away from him, he didn't value. Mhm. See, they can only cancel you if you. value something that. Yeah. they think you value it. Absolutely. They tried to take. Hollywood. He didn't never value that. And so he's like, "Okay, I'll go away. I'll do my own thing. He'll list. something out you know, I'm going to be. here." And it's sold out in a minute. Absolutely. He doesn't care, man. He He. He took all the power. He realized the. power He had it. is what you stand for.

and the power is in the the the love of. your fans, man. And no nobody can take. that from him. And he can talk about. anything. Right. The way The way he can. spin any topic into a 20-minute rant. that's just hilarious, can be off the. cuff, and it's so well informed. >> Oh my goodness. >> [clears throat]. >> man. >> Yes. I could listen I don't I don't. listen to a lot of podcasts, but I could. just put his voice on for. hours and just feel like I genuinely. learned a new perspective. >> Well, his special's on Netflix. If you. just like, oh my goodness. I watched. Sticks and Stones.

three times in a row when it came out. And I was on the East Coast in North. Carolina at the Charlotte Comedy Zone. when it came out. So, it came out at. 3:00 a.m. East Coast time. I stayed up. and watched it three times in a row. I. felt it's my favorite special of all. time. I wrote like 20 new minutes after. that special. I was so inspired. >> Wow. >> It's incredible, man. He's He's the. greatest of all time. What do you think. the biggest difference is in production? Let's say from black production when you. dealing with Wild 'N Out Wild'n Out. versus the NBC production Bring the. Funny. Do you notice the difference in.

how writers write? Um I would say it's. just the limitations really cuz you're. on network TV. Right? I I MTV you can get a lot You get. away with a lot of saying You can get. away with saying a lot cuz they bleep. things. They They do a lot of edits. But network, it's a lot of it has to be. under PG-13. And that was a weird. competition, too, because it was like. comedians versus. like magicians versus sketch comedy. groups versus like musical acts. It was. kind of an incomparable competition. But.

it was again, great exposure. When that. show had finished, I made it to the. semifinals for that one. And when that. had finished in end of 2019, I was like selling some really great. tickets in comedy clubs. I had some. really exciting momentum in my career. And then COVID happened and shut all. that [ __ ] down. But I had a really fun. experience on on Bring the Funny because. the night before the semifinals, they. make you submit your set like word for. word how are you going to say it to make. sure network approves of it. >> I had this set that I had submitted to.

them twice before cuz they make you. submit in advance as well. And I had. this bit that they I don't even remember. what it was. But they'd approved it twice. And then. the night before I'm laying in bed in my. hotel. at Universal Studios and they go, "Yeah, uh you can't do that joke." And I was. like, "I've already done all my material. I can kind of do for this show." And. they were like, "I don't know what to. tell you." So, I wrote a brand new bit. like the night before having to do it on. like network TV. Yeah. Ended up being a.

really fun bit. I really enjoyed it. It. didn't get me through the rounds, but I. was like very proud of myself that I. could take that kind of pressure and. inconvenience and like turn nothing into. something. If they had that joke they. allowed that joke, you think you. advanced? It's hard to remember what the joke was. at that point. I I I know I was. confident in it for sure cuz I was. saving it for the finals of the. semifinals. So, I mean possibly, but I I. believe Ali won the show, didn't he? Good for him, man. >> [laughter]. >> Good for him. That was interesting. It was It was a. Foxworthy, Chrissy Teigen, and Kenan. Thompson. Yeah. Yeah, very That's an.

interesting panel of judges. >> You you ended up on Tik Tok. Were you. surprised that what happened with Tik. Tok, those million of views actually. turned into like, damn? Bro, yeah, cuz I. never wanted to do it. I [ __ ] I hate Tik. Tok. It's It's. >> [laughter]. >> It's It's the most poisonous thing on. earth right When it was about to get. banned in America, I was stoked. You. like, yes. so excited, man. Cuz it's. also it's unreliable. >> Right. >> Like I built an audience of I think I'm. at like 20 million followers or like. 19.7 or some [ __ ] So I I mean I was. getting to a point where I was getting a.

million views an hour on there as soon. as I posted a video. It was an explosion. of um of exposure on there. And then. little by little it started to go away a. little bit a little bit little bit. little bit, which I'm like that's fine. You're only something new and fancy for. a for a little while. And then after. about a year and a half went by, um they. just completely dropped off. I couldn't. reach any of my followers for some. reason. So I started hitting up Tik Tok. like can find you a representative that. works over there and everything. And. they told me to my face on Zoom. They. were like, yeah, we just don't push.

stand up anymore. I was like, okay, so I have 20 million. followers who want to see what I'm. posting. And you won't let them see it. And they're like, yeah, we just we only. push the the trends that are current. right now. And they said stand up comedy. was a trend on our platform that you. kind of helped spearhead it quite a bit. But they were like it went on for much. longer than it should have. Most trends. only last like a month or two. And uh. yeah, now we just don't push stand up as. a platform. And they were like, uh you know, good luck. And I was like, well, how [clears throat] am I supposed. to like. >> So what am I do What am I doing with the.

20 million followers that I got? >> Yeah, so what I said how am I supposed. to reach them? What do you suggest? They. said, maybe just do the trends. Like you. know, if there's a new dance people are. doing or whatever. On Zoom, I said, I'll kill myself on Tik Tok live before. I ever dance on Tik Tok. Are you. crazy? They didn't find it funny at all. But I was also dead serious. >> Right. I'm not going to do that, man. Like my stand up is what got me this. far. >> Right. Whether it be the the crowd work. clips or the material from the special, whatever it may be. It's such a shame. that I can't advise other comedians to.

like build an audience on social media. because eventually they're just going to. shift the algorithm and you can't reach. them anyways. >> Exactly. >> It's so unfortunate. >> They they don't they want to keep you in. play. They're not going to let you get. too big now. No, no. They're not going. to let you get too They as as much as it. sounds like a conspiracy, they have they. have a knob. They have a knob. [clears throat] they can just turn. somebody back on or a topic or a. hashtag, whatever it may be. And then. that no longer gets exposure anymore. But I never I never wanted to do it. I'm. not I don't love social media. I think. it's incredibly toxic. It's not good for. you as a person, for sure. But it's such.

a tool that we have to use now. Comedians don't just have to write. jokes. >> Right. Used to just be like, man, write. your five, get on Carson, get you a. sitcom. >> Yeah. Now you're good. You got to be a. whole social media manager. You got to. be a production team. You got to learn. how to work a camera. You got to learn. how to edit. You got to learn how to do. sound. And it's not even for something. that can last. It's It's It's incredibly. unfortunate. When you look Matt, when. you look at you went from making 10, 15, 25 to 30, now you're making millions. Did this Did it seem like Is this real. or I'm I'm sure when you got that first. big I'm talking about big big big check,

you like, is this ish real? Did Did they Did somebody really just. send me a check for this? Man, this. ain't me. I ain't no way in hell. >> it wasn't it wasn't even the larger ones. that caught me off guard. I was doing. Off the Hook Comedy Club in Naples, Florida. >> Okay. That was my first like real club. headlining weekend. And um usually for a. weekend if you're doing. not that many tickets, your guarantee is. like $1,500, right? Which is fine, but. that's also your hotel, your flight, everything's included in that. And I.

think that check was for like $12,000. And I genuinely went I took the check. back to the manager and I was like, are. you sure? And he was like, yeah, man, you sold tickets. Like this is. this is what a headliner would get for. this weekend. And I blew my mind. I'd. never made that money doing any like one. thing in my entire life. It's It's been. unbelievable. The money. the money it it. it gives you a new freedom. You know. what I mean? You're not so much of the. world. >> One does. is consumed by check to check. payments, right? I got and you're having. to pay your bills out of that check.

immediately. You don't have any any room. to just enjoy your life with the money. >> discretionary fund Yeah, exactly. You. don't get to enjoy what you really earn. So now that creatively I can I kind of. afford to do the things I want, it's um. it's I mean a relief is such a obvious. word to say, but like it allows me to. focus on the other things that I want to. do. And I'm so grateful for that. To be. able to take care of your family, to be. able to take care of your friends. Like. getting to hire your friends is I don't. know if you know any of these guys. No. No. >> [laughter]. >> No.

I just I met I. I met them 5 minutes before you did. >> [laughter]. >> NOT EVEN THE DUDE with the ponytail? >> No. No. What? 5 minutes before you. >> like lovely people. Um the best part. about it is getting to take care of your. people, man. The fact that they get to. reap reap the rewards of your hard work. is is is so rewarding, man. I'm so. grateful for that. But if you think. about it, Matt, being a comedian today because of the. social media aspect of it. And you see a. lot of these guys they start with skits. and you see these guys blowing up where. before you had to grind. You had to get.

into the clubs. You had to be good. And. if you weren't good, you going to fall. by the wayside. Now a guy can get he can. blow up on social media. Now once you go. into them clubs, now you better be. funny. Yeah. Cuz doing a skit is in. funny a skit funny is one thing. Stand. up funny is something entirely. different. >> I'll see people take the viral fame and. they're like they're going on tour or. whatever. And my first instinct is is. good for you. Get your money. >> Yeah. You know what I mean? Do what you. got to do. People want to come see you. live, by all means, but. you got to do it right the first time. If you don't do it right the first time,

they're not going to want to come back. and see you twice. And that that's where. that's where the the power really lies. It's just consistency, right? Like. especially when you're upgrading of. venues, going from comedy clubs, I got. to get the same people who saw me at the. comedy club to come see me at a theater. Got to get the same theater audience to. kind of want to come see me at an arena. The consistency is key, man. You You got. to be That comes back to being ready for. it, right? There's no shortcuts to this. Had I not been doing comedy for 12 years. before all this happened, there's no way. I could have handled it. Wow. But the. work is where the the work is where the. fun is, man. They They say How often you.

hear like enjoy the journey? >> Yes. And when you're in the journey, you're like this [ __ ] sucks, man. This. is the worst road to take. >> an opportunity to appreciate it. You. really don't. >> You really don't, man. I I I I do kind. of miss the days of like just showing up. at the Laugh Factory or whatever and be. like, oh man, I hope I get a chance to. go up now. Versus now I can walk in and. they'll just be like, do you want to? Yeah. But there's there's there's. something to that. I don't know if it's. the I don't know if it's just the. humbling to it. I don't know I don't. know exactly what it is, but there's. just something to the unknown, you know? It's It's. it's not something to be overlooked.

Well, we bought you you mentioned Tik. Tok earlier. Mhm. America, we purchased. Tik Tok. Do you believe Tik Tok would. have been what it was had it been. American owned from the jump? Ooh. I mean I don't see a lot of Asians on. there. So it's always kind It's always. kind of felt American to me. I don't. know. It It always It It caters to your. average. >> Asians don't let Asians the the. uh they created it, but they don't let. their people get on Tik Tok. Is that. really a thing? >> I think so. >> Really? >> Yeah. Oh, that's a damn shame. But you. know what? Good for them. They.

[laughter] They created poison and. they're like, give it to the Americans. >> you drink it. Don't you eat it. >> brutal. Okay, China, I see you. All. right. Yeah, I didn't even think about. that. But I know certain country or. certain countries certain states are. kind of cracking down on that. I I I. heard that Florida's cracking down like. you can't be on social media before. you're 16. Wow. I think that's. imperative, man. I think it's not good. for kids, man. I would It's not good for. adults. Well, kind of I think I think. somebody whether whether a social media, but the parents have to sign up for it. Mhm. you will get alert if your kids.

look for something suicidal, say. something about if more if more than. once they'll get an alert if you're. signed up for it. >> Well, it's just the kind of content that. they're consuming. It opens them up to. cyberbullying and all that. I mean. haters live on the internet. >> Misery loves company. That is so true. And and they don't exist in the real. world. >> No. That's what these kids got to. realize. You turn close your laptop, turn your phone off, you'll be just. fine. >> [laughter]. >> YouTube uh you released a special on. YouTube. You like You like YouTube.

They've been good to me. Yeah, absolutely. >> good to us. Yeah. >> [laughter]. >> Because you you like like YouTube and. everybody's like that and you see a lot. of a lot of companies are trying to come. out and be competitive with YouTube. >> They're trying to get podcasts and. they're trying to get. >> Netflix is biggest competitor. >> Yeah. Yeah. Um and you see YouTube they. have NFL football, Netflix has the NFL. football because they're You need live. content. >> You need it. If you're trying to be a. network, you trying to be a television. station, you leave you need live.

content. >> Can I ask you, how do you feel about. like the live comedy specials on. Netflix? How do you feel? Do you feel. like specials are supposed to be. something that kind of takes its. production edit and takes its moment or. do you kind of enjoy the live aspect of. like we'll see how it happens. We'll see. how that show plays out in real time? Uh. I mean I I love specials. I mean. Delirious and Raw and and seeing all. those things coming up when I was a kid. Um. I love it. I love But But I know but I. It's like I like to go to a I go to a.

comedy I like like, okay, this is. unscripted. They You can't say this, you. can't say that. That's what I love about. the comedy show. When you go to a When. you go to a real comedy. >> it live, man. There's nothing like it. >> 1,000 I mean I would love to see. Chappelle. 1,000% okay, anything goes. Have you. seen him live before? >> never seen him live before. >> What? >> I haven't. >> Let me know a day. I'll make I'll make. that happen. I got you. It's there's. nothing like it, man. He'll go for 2 and. 1/2 hours on the most important subjects. going on in the world. >> That's what makes It may have happened. that morning. And somebody's got half an. hour on it.

>> Matt. Is that everybody everybody's. afraid to touch a lot of the things that. he's touching on? >> Mhm. They wouldn't touch that with a. 1,000 foot pole. Let alone it with arms. length. >> He's He's He's invincible right now. And. he's also It helps that he's a genius, right? You can respect what he says. You. can disagree [clears throat] with as. much as you can. And you're welcome to. do that. But he's going to well. articulate whatever his perspective is. on that. And there's just nothing like a. live show. You can't capture the energy. on camera. You can't. Think about how. amazing Ron Funches is. Yes. Now think.

about how amazing that would have been. to see live. You can't touch it. No. special, no matter how great your. favorite special is, it's nothing like. what it was in the room. No. It's it's. so unfortunate, man. Go see a live show. If you have a favorite comedian, no. matter who they are, go see them in. person. Just. additions. If that like you said you're thinking. about tran- maybe doing a little bit. more in the television movie space as. opposed to stand-up. Now, so how do you. how do you how do you transition because.

now you're starting to blow up and you. like you're really thinking about like. you know what I kind of want to do a. movie. I kind of want to do sitcoms. I. kind of want to do other things and kind. of transition away. Cuz Eddie was at. that peak of course and he said, "You. know what? I really want to do movies.". And you hear 48 Hours and you hear. Coming to America and you see all these. things that that happened. You really. really like you know what? I know I'm at. the apex, but you know what? I kind of. want to transition. I think it's just. wherever your passion lies, right? Like. I've always loved acting as much as I. like stand-up. I just haven't been doing.

it for as long and I haven't been able. to. I guess get my foot in the door the same. way as I have in stand-up. Granted we. talked about earlier, it's a different. game, right? It takes a bunch of. different people's approval rather than. just winning over your fans. Your fans. can't vote you into being into a movie, unfortunately. [laughter]. Um. so it's something I'm really really uh. excited about for show, but it's it's a. different craft, man. Like I spent 6. months living in Vancouver at the end of. last year filming The Out-Laws for. Netflix. That was the Julia Garner show. And I that was my first real experience.

being a part of this gigantic month and. month-long production and just getting. to really like study these other. performers. Like I've been around. comedians my entire life. Since 15 years. old I've been around 40 50 60-year-old. comedians and watch the way they craft. their art. Acting is a different beast, man. And I have such a respect for it. And it's it's something that's new and. exciting for me, right? Like I've been. doing stand-up for so long. Acting is. something that it it tests a new muscle. in me. It's it's learning a whole new. craft. There's something exciting about. being brand new at something again.

>> Yeah. So you like that? Yeah, absolutely, man. Like I would I would I. would try most things for the first. time. I think it's I think it's really. exciting. It's so rewarding as well, man. When you you know, you get the. respect of somebody you've really really. looked up to like a Julia Garner or. Anthony Boyle who are leading this show. Getting to learn and study from two of. the best in the business right now. It's. an amazing opportunity. Man, how you get. that brother called up at your show, man? Which one? You know the black guy. that got caught with the side chick. Oh, man. In. Pittsburgh. Terry? Oh, Terry.

>> EVEN KNOW HIS NAME? NO, OF COURSE, MAN. TERRY, I hope you're all right, man. >> all right. WHAT YOU MEAN? YOU HOPE. >> CHOSE. TERRY. He Bro, that [ __ ] was. wild. That's why you hope he all right. You know he not ALL RIGHT. >> DON'T BRING YOUR SIDE CHICK TO THE SHOW. >> YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T PUT THE LIGHT ON. HIM. DON'T LAUGH. So black. I don't know. what to tell you. He was bringing so. much attention to himself. I didn't want. it to be about him. He drove all the. attention to himself. All I wanted to. know is are you with your lady? And he. snitched on himself so fast. And then at.

another show, the lady came back. [laughter] and was like, "No, I know his. real girl." It was crazy, man. He did. that to himself. People get themselves. caught up, man. People I was cold. playing people long before. >> Yeah, I was going to say like the cold. play situation that she was up there. hugging. I was like, "Bro, that you know. you can't be doing that." You out there. out there roaming. >> In the wild? >> Yes. Yeah, it happens, man. People. But I hate to say those are the those. are the people that make the best. content, right? Like you come to a show. and you're the one screaming out wanting.

to be the person that gets talked to for. a. That's usually not the person you want. to talk to. It's the least assuming. person who does that [ __ ] They just say. I sure hope he don't talk to me. Don't. talk. >> Oh, 100%. Are you in a wheelchair? You. going to get it. 100%. I got I got to. know what's going on, man. If you look. suspicious, I got to find out. You you. on your crowd work you do. You go after. A. You don't have a problem like because. is there anything that you won't do in a. set? Is there anybody that you won't go. after? No, that's so insane. What are we. talking about? We're talking about We're. talking about comedy, right? We're.

talking about the context of a comedy. show. Jokes are for everybody, man. I. don't believe The idea of punching up. and punching down is so stupid. What are. you punching? What is jokes? We're all We're all. equal. We are in this room together, right? I don't think of anybody below. me. So I can't do jokes about you cuz I. feel sorry for you? I pity you? I feel. like you're less of a person than I am? Hell no. I want to I want to treat you. like I want to treat you like you're an. equal, right? You see somebody who's. uh we use the handicap as an example or.

whatever. How often do you think they. get treated different? >> Well, you can't say well you. theoretically you're not supposed to say. disabled or handicapped. You're. supposed to say. limited mobility. I'm just saying I'm just saying I don't. want to get my show I don't want Netflix. I want. YouTube to get me. So mobility. restricted. I'm just saying man I'm. saying hey I'm not giving it up until. >> Mobility mobility restricted. >> Until somebody with cerebral palsy. corrects me to my face, I'm. I can't give it up. I'm sorry. Mobility.

restricted. I've never heard that. before. If that is the correct term. I'm not changing it. I I. >> [laughter]. >> I. How how many times are we going to. change the restrictions on jokes, man, that and the terms you're supposed to. use? Didn't they change homeless. recently to like the unhoused or. something? That sounds way worse. >> Yes. Yes. I don't I don't You can't. cater to everybody's feelings, man. It's. also jokes aren't for everybody. It's. for the people at the comedy show. Like. if you come, I would hope you know what. to expect. There's nothing that's. off-limits. Everybody is the same. I.

don't do this whole victimization of you. can't talk about this person or whatever. they're going through cuz you cuz you've. never experienced yourself. That's why I. have a comedic perspective on it, right? Cuz I don't know about it. Sometimes. ignorance can be comedic as long as it's. coming from a good place, right? And how. often do you think people get treated. different? Especially people who are. uh mobility mobilely mobilely limited. People walk by them. They don't say. hello. They don't look them in the eyes. They don't ask They don't They're afraid. to talk to them or anything like that. This is the one place where they get to.

be treated like a a normal person. I. take a lot of pride in that. Before you. did your net first Netflix special, did. people really know that you had a dark. sense of humor? Yeah, man. Watch any of. the clips, bro. Watch any of it, man. I. I love dark humor. It's my absolute. favorite. To to laugh at the most up. thing is is the beautiful art of irony, right? Like you know what the correct. thing is to say. So saying the complete. opposite of that is what makes it funny. And if that's not for you, that's fine.

You don't got to like it. Change the. channel. You don't got to ruin. somebody's life over it. It's so it's so. frustrating to me, man. I love it. If. you can't laugh at the dark [ __ ] in this. life, how you going to make it? Because. there's a fine line that you have to. walk, Matt, because. you want sponsorships, you want. endorsements, you want brands, and those. brands sometimes succumb to people like. you if you don't if you have him. endorsing your product and he said this. about this this and this, we won't and. then they started online petition and. they start boycotting they start this.

and that and the the the networks and. the the advertisers and the brands. become like you know what? It's just not. worth the hassle and unfortunately. You. are you're speaking 100% facts, but all. that comes at the price of being. yourself, right? That's what I think. people mean when they say like oh. somebody sold out. It's like you okay, you sacrificed being truly yourself, which for me is what got me to where I'm. at now. My sense of humor and joking. about the things that I like to joke. about whether it be dark or not got me. to where I'm at now. So if I were to.

sacrifice that for a brand deal, which. don't get me wrong, I would love. You. don't think I'd like some money to work. with. Calvin Klein. >> [laughter]. >> or Levi's or whatever it may be. Of. course I would love that. But then I'm. betraying my fans. Then I'm also. betraying myself. Now I'm constantly Now. they have power over me of what I can. and can't say. And that's. I don't know I don't know if I can. sacrifice that, man. I I. battle with it all the time. My team. will call all the time and be like, "So-and-so wants to work with you, but. can you trim these jokes from your set?". And I'm like.

I don't think I can, man, cuz that's a. slippery slope. It starts here. Now I. can't do the rest of it. Now I can't. joke about this thing. Now I can't joke. about this thing. It's Now you cutting. all the material that I can and can't. joke about. Yeah, and I got a I have a. long future ahead of me, man. I don't. want to I don't want to start with that. and then have to bail myself. I don't. want to have to go to Africa for. [laughter] 5 years, you know what I. mean? Um. when you started receiving all this. backlash, did you become depressed? You're like, "Man, man, what am I doing? Can I can I just do this and and and. make a lot of people I can make a lot of. money. make some people happy, but the person.

that's going to be most depressed and. most sad is me because at the end of the. day I'm the one that lives with this. person. I will see all these thoughts. I. walk by the mirror all the time." No. Bro, I. >> [laughter]. >> when all of that stuff started to happen. when I first started to become. controversial, which is crazy. You think. I'm controversial? You weak as [ __ ]. >> [laughter]. >> I I I. To me it was more like, "Oh, wow. I. didn't know this is how a part of the. world is.". >> Really? >> Cuz I know I know who I am. I know my. intentions with jokes. No matter the.

subject I'm I'm joking about, my only. intention is to make you laugh because. it's something that makes me laugh. It. means nothing more than that. I'm not. trying to push an agenda. I'm not trying. to hurt anybody's feelings. So when I. saw that people would try to derail. somebody's entire life because of the. subject matter of a joke at a comedy. show, it was more eye-opening that I was. like, "Wow. People There's really people. out there who will try to take. everything from you just cuz they don't. like something that you did." So it.

didn't make me feel any type of way. about myself. It more just made me put. more walls. >> eyes up. I was like, "Oh, wow. I got to be I got. to be more careful about how I navigate. my my next career move, right? Cuz like. you said like brand deals or certain. networks cannot want to work with you. cuz they just don't don't to deal with. the backlash, right? It's not that they. even feel the same way about your joke. They could be like, "I thought it was. hilarious. We don't feel like dealing. with the comment section, right?" But. for me, I was more just. I was disappointed in. society. I was like, "Wow, those people.

are really out there trying to take. everything. I've worked so hard for. this. I've done nothing but try to do. good things. I'm nice to everybody. I. try to do as many good deeds as. possible. I try to extend the blessings. I've had to the people I love and and. and give to charities and all this. But they'll still try to take that from. me for for for doing wrong. Yeah, so it didn't really. didn't affect me on a personal level. I. was just It was more eye-opening, is. all. We talked about it off camera. You. bought a property in Rhode Island. I. think it's 85 acres. Why Rhode You're. from Ohio. How do you How do the kid.

from Ohio that went to LA, spend a year. in Atlanta, end up in Rhode Island? >> Man, it's beautiful up there. Have you. been? I have not been. >> But you're welcome anytime. >> Okay. Okay. I'll come up I'll come up. there sometime and check you out see. what y'all got popping up there. Well, we got a little horse farm up there. Speaking of You ever ridden a horse. before? I rode a Shetland pony. What? >> Shetland pony when I was a kid. What? Yeah, I was Why did you have a. pony? [laughter]. Who got you the pony? My grandfather. What? >> he paid like 40 bucks for it. Name was.

Ringo. Yeah, that wasn't the reparations he was. after. >> [laughter]. >> A SHETLAND PONY. THAT WASN'T A 40 ACRES. AND A mule that we were talking. >> pony. >> [laughter]. >> Wow. Okay. Little different from a. horse. >> Yeah. Yeah. Dude, it's it is beautiful. up there. It's so peaceful. I had shows. in Connecticut at Mohegan Sun up there. And I saw this house on Zillow that was. like an hour away and we had the. the first part of our day off before the. show. I was like, you know, let me just. go check out this house real quick. Fell. in love with the property. It's. beautiful. The area's great. I'm 7.

minutes from Walmart, 5 minutes from. Target. Like it's got it's [laughter]. got everything that I personally need. >> They got to do have a Costco up there. No, they don't. >> have a Costco? >> Boston's got a Costco. I do not have a. Costco. But I'm all right I'm all right. on the Costco as long as I got Walmart. and. Target I'll be all right. So it's got. all the essentials. Providence airport's great. It goes. direct most places, but if not, Boston's. only an hour away as well. I just wanted. something peaceful, man. Like this. this these last 4 years have been so. aggressive. I'm around people all the.

time. And we're in the big cities all. the time. I'm in LA all the time. I'm in. New York all the time. I'm in Miami, Chicago, Vegas, whatever it may be. I'm. around people. I If I want to see the. big city, I'll see it in a couple. months. I wanted somewhere that like. when I'm not working, I can just be at. peace. And this house is the first place. I've ever in 30 years woken up happy. every day. Open the window. Just the. fields are green, the trees are green. Everything is so peaceful and quiet. People leave me alone. The community's. really really nice. They've been so good. to me. We do a lot of local shows.

It's it's the perfect place for me right. now. I mean, Rhode used to like every. This is everything. Could you imagine. when you were a kid that you know what? If somebody would have told you if. they'd have asked you at say 15, man, where are you going to live? What. would you have told them? Oh, man. Probably no, Dayton probably. Probably Dayton [laughter] with four. kids. That's about it, man. Nobody. leaves this place. 15, the dream was. like maybe I could stay in Ohio and the. ultimate dream when I was starting out. stand-up was just cuz all I ever saw was.

comedy clubs. So I was like, "If I could. just sell out comedy clubs. every weekend for the rest of our life, that's that's the epitome of I'm not. going to be Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook. I'm not going to I'm not going to do. arenas. I don't have to do that. If I. make it, cool. So to be able to do what. I'm doing now is so far past what I what. I thought I would get to do. It's it's. the most amazing feeling, man. And I. don't know I don't know why it happened. I don't know how it happened. It. you know, the timing of it all happening. around my grandpa was so interesting and.

I prayed on it a lot and it really felt. like it felt like yin and yang, right? Like the good with the bad. It almost. felt like I had to lose something so. important to me to gain something. I. couldn't I couldn't have it all, right? So it's you just kind of adapt to. whatever God gives you and be grateful. and you know, see what he has in store. next. If you could go back and do anything. different, Mhm. um let's go back to like. 2018. Okay. If you could do anything, you give yourself some advice, would you.

do anything different? What advice would. you give yourself that would be. different? Probably would have dropped. these dick pics a little bit earlier. >> [laughter]. >> Probably would have. Probably could have. been not living paycheck to paycheck in. 2018. Probably wouldn't have had to do. Bring the Funny if I would have hopped. on OnlyFans as as an original content. creator. [laughter]. But in comedy, um there's not a lot I. could have done differently cuz that was. that was around the same time I started. to think about putting stuff online. I. did I didn't commit to it yet, but it. uh I took the necessary steps. I was.

touring a little bit. I was getting. ready for Bring the Funny. I was really. I was really dedicated to like. developing my my set in 2018. So there's. not a lot differently I could have done. I I did as much stand-up as I could. I. worked on my set as much as I could. I. tried to develop an audience as much as. I could. Um. Yeah, I mean maybe just would have. started on social media when people. started to talk about TikTok before it. blew up over COVID. Probably would have, but I was It's just something that. didn't interest me. Just It's just like. having a podcast or like you got to have. passion for it. You can't half-ass the.

work, man. This is a full-time job. whether people realize it or not. >> It is. >> And at that time I just didn't have I. didn't have the commitment for that. So. maybe I would have changed. >> run your social media pages? I do. I do. for a little bit longer. Not for too. much longer, but I I do for now. I just. don't trust anybody. I still I still. edit all my own videos as well. I do all. the I do all the comedic cuts for it and. everything like that. I have my my. videographer does the captioning and the. angle switches. But I mean, comedy's. about timing, right? Like if you leave. too much dead air in a space, the joke. might might not land the same. So I just.

don't trust anybody else to do it right. now. Right. Is there a joke that you. won't tell? Is there anything that you. won't say? No, [snorts] man. There's nothing I wouldn't say. Are. [laughter] you crazy? Given the right. context, given the right setup, it was. it was it's great. But uh Is Is there anything you feel. like a comedian shouldn't say? I mean, I go back uh Matt, to be honest, I go back and forth. Um for me, I I look. at it like this. If somebody tells me. something is offensive and all all I.

need is one person from that group to. say, "That bothers me." Okay, I'm cool. Interesting. One person? I had a buddy. of mine uh when I worked at CBS, he was. on camera three. His name was Fresh off. the Boat. Um I used to call him Ichiro. Ichiro in Japanese means firstborn. Okay. But he wasn't the firstborn. His. sister was because. Ichiro Suzuki, the baseball player. So. that's what I called him. He was. Japanese Ichiro and he loved he loved. Ichiro. Yeah, that's No, that's racist. So. You can't You can't just look around and.

call somebody the first ethnic name that. you know. No. And so but don't worry. about it. He's like, "I could be You. could be Idi Amin or you could be Johnny. Manziel." So we went back and forth. But. his sister, which was the oldest, was. firstborn. and she passed. And he came to me and he. said he said, "Shannon, I really. appreciate it. My sister was firstborn. if that you're not calling me Ichiro. anymore.". I said, "Okay, bro. Fred, how you. doing?". >> [sighs]. >> That's tough. >> So if somebody in in the group says that. that's offensive to me, I won't say it. anymore. But I'm not a comedian either,

though. So thank you for clarifying the. context, right? It's like it's having a. job. You go tackle somebody, you go, "Well, he's a football player, right?". If I go tackle somebody, that's assault, right? It comes It comes with the. context of the job. A comedian is a. clown. The only [clears throat] thing. we're supposed to do up there is make. you laugh. And if we can if we can push. a perspective like Chappelle is so good. at doing, by all means, do that in a in. a humorous way. But other than that, we. don't mean anything we say, you know. what I mean? If I were to call somebody.

Ichiro in the audience and he was like, "Actually, my sister passed away." I'd. be like, "Thanks for bringing down the. mood, man." You know what I mean? Like. you don't got to think it's the funniest. thing, but don't don't ruin it for. everybody. I'm just messing with you. I'm not trying to I'm not trying to make. anything personal. I think it all comes. back to context, man. People forget what. a comedian is. They think I think I work. at Costco and I'm just out here saying. wild [ __ ] Like no, it's just it's just. the job. I'm just I'm just playing. You do have a large female audience. A. woman women's audience. I mean, I guess. I'm not supposed to say female. Women's.

audience. You can't even say female? >> No. No. No, that's the right So like let. me let me. You have a large fan base that are. women. >> Yes. That that are women. What's some of. the wildest things? Do they do stuff. like at like at a concert like if you. were a a singer, they'd be throwing. stuff on the stage. You mentioned like. you you mentioned the guy that uh Matt. Rife is my hall pass and the husband is. or boyfriend is sitting right there. Do you like Do you ever like, "I can't. believe this is my life now?" Oh, all. the time. People people will flash at a. show from time to time. They'll throw a.

bra on stage. Yeah, a girl People bring. gifts all the time. A lady brought me a jar full of her. hair. I don't know what part of her it came. from. It's. pretty long. Just a jar of hair. [laughter]. and a photo album of her and her family. Absolutely insane. First meet and greet. I ever did, lady bit my nipple. I give everybody a hug, obviously, and. she was about nipple height. Latched. right on. Drew blood. I had to like peel. her off of me. What? Yeah, people people. are insane. >> to be drunk, though, Matt. Probably.

Probably. She's from Oregon, so may it. might not even have been a liquid. >> [laughter]. >> But she. Yeah, people do weird stuff all the. time. But again, I'll I'll take. I'll take the passion, right? I would. rather have super highs and super lows. than just kind of, you know, intermediate the entire time. >> So you're the So basically right now, you're the Drake of the comedy. [laughter] world. Uh I don't know if that's a great. comparison. Um all my fans are overage. Um. There you go. See, man. That's not a. that's not a dig, by the way. It's not a. I was I was team Drake over the beef,

just saying. I'm going to go on record. right now. Um I mean, Drake's a great. comparison. I'm Drake, if you're. watching this, I play Toronto this year. if you want to come out. When are you in. Atlanta? When are you in Vegas? Uh. Atlanta, never. Uh Why you don't come to. Atlanta? That's where you trying. >> this is going to get me even in even. more trouble. I but. You're a real piece of work for doing. this, by the way. It's. >> [laughter]. >> 3:00 p.m. cheers. I thought we was going to sip. I thought. we were going to shoot. No.

You're not supposed. >> [laughter]. >> Matt, we're not supposed to shoot I. mean, we like hey, we're men. Look where. we are. We got booked. WE WE GOT BOOKED. YOU know Katt Williams read all these. books. >> [laughter]. >> I believe I thought you were it was so. little. No, I mean, we this is a. conversation. We're having a great. conversation. >> This is uh. >> When I come to Rhode Island, I'm like, "Hey, man, how you doing?" I'm like, We'll sip, I promise. >> what you've done WITH THE PLACE. >> [laughter]. >> YEAH, you got me in your study right. now. All right. Oops. Well, you're going to.

have me Orlando Brown in here doing. this. This is about to be wild. Not. more. No, but this this this is a. conversation piece. Oh, okay. >> Okay. Okay. What was the question again? I'm so sorry. The the women fans. Female. fans, um. Yeah, we talked about it earlier. Just. the it's it's the most passionate man. And also, it's it's not an easy fan base. to get. Not a lot of comedians have a. large female fan base. And I I take a. lot of pride in that. You know, like I. said, I want my comedy for to be for as.

many people as possible. If if if if. you're accepting. >> I'm for you, you're for it. Well, that's. also it's so frustrating. That's another. thing I got. that got misconstrued over my very first. special. TMZ caught me outside of my. hotel one time. And it was just a. question I wasn't really expecting, but. they were like uh, you know, what what. can people kind of expect audience-wise. from from your next up upcoming special? And I I used the verbage, uh, "This. one's going to be a lot more for the. guys." And. when the controversy over that stupid.

joke uh had come out, they thought. that's what I meant. They thought. me doing a joke that was implicative of. domestic violence, which by the way, every comedian has done. I'm not the. first one. I'm the only one being. punished for it for some reason. Um, they thought that's what I meant. I was. talking about the 15 minutes of [ __ ] in. the middle of the special. There was. like a 20-minute section in the middle. of the special that was purely about. like learning to jerk off as a kid that. only guys were going to be able to.

relate to. That's what I meant. But. instead, they took that as like, "Oh, this this special was intended to like. eliminate his female audience." No, that's insane. If anything, it was just. supposed to find something relatable to. some guys that maybe some girls wouldn't. get a certain portion of the special. Hopefully, they did. Hopefully, they. found it entertaining. Um, but the the. the the women are the ones that the push. the excitement. of your content. Like they share it the. most. They're they're the most. passionate. They're there for you. They. genuinely care about you. Something.

happens to you, you're sick, your guy. fans don't give a [ __ ] No. The women. are they're they're so motherly about. it. "I hope you get well soon." They're. they're they're the best audience you. could possibly ask for. I hate that so. many of them felt that I was trying to. turn my back on them. Is that is that. the situation where you had the Barstool. and you said, "I'm done with Barstool". because, you know, they they had the. interview where, you know, any kind of. kind of pitched you against the women. your fan base? >> Yeah, I thought that was super unfair. Granted, I mean, I probably could have. answered the questions better, but I. like I'm not media trained. I remember.

my publicist asking me when all this. happened like, "Do you want to go to. like media training to learn how to. answer questions?" I was like, "You mean. be a robot?" I'm [laughter] like, "No, that's that's so inhuman." I just didn't. know there's ways to answer questions. that are um a little more of vague and. are less often to be misconstrued. So, I. answered some of those questions maybe. the way that I shouldn't have, but also. that's what Barstool does. Like they. they want to get you. They want to they. want to get clicks. I thought that like. that thought that was super unfortunate. cuz I was really excited to meet them. Thought they were doing a good thing at.

the time. And um you know, I wish I I. wish that had gone better. >> Right. Stay we uh we saw Chappelle uh at the. Hollywood Bowl. Somebody ran up on. stage. >> show? >> not at that show. Okay. Were you there? No, unfortunately not. Have anybody ever. tried to run up on stage on you? It. happened in Chicago, actually. Damn. >> Yeah, I know. >> going to run up on stage on you? >> It was so weird. Like of all for the. amount of people who don't like me, I. expected it at some point in my life. This guy was so positive. Right. >> It was just a drunk guy. Like he he just.

he hopped up on stage real quick and was. running towards me. And he came from where. my videographer is usually set up. So, I. thought for some reason sometimes my. videographer has to hop on stage. It was. at the at the Chicago Theatre. So, sometimes he has to hop on stage and. like sneak by the curtain, replace a. battery, or whatever. So, I didn't think. too much of it. I thought it was him. getting up. And then I see him running. towards me. And by the time I had. noticed it, he was like 2 ft away. And. >> [laughter]. >> there was nothing threatening about it. He was just like. >> [gasps]. >> he was so happy and so drunk. He was.

like trying to like get a hug, but I. just kind of like got a stiff arm away. from him. And my my security like. snatched him off pretty much. immediately. I didn't really think. anything like that was ever going to. happen, but ever since that did, I'm. like so ready to swing. Like bro, it. [laughter] could be it could be anybody. >> want to get one You want to get one off, huh? It could be anybody at this point. And I'm swinging immediately. >> like, "Matt Rife fired on somebody.". >> Bro, I'm not I'm not taking in facial. expressions. I don't care about your. tone. I'm swinging immediately.

Cuz a lot of people were like, "Oh, he. didn't even defend himself." Like first. of all, the guy wasn't really a threat. Um, and second, I I never thought that. would happen. Now that I know it's even. maybe possible. We have more security. now. I didn't roll up with any today cuz. we're in Georgetown. I think I'm. [laughter] probably okay. Um. but uh yeah, now now I'm a lot more. prepared for it. Sometimes I'll hear. something happen like we're in the round. and I can hear something happen behind. me. Like every now and then you'll see. me just like grip my fist for a second. >> you you you just want to you just want. to fire on somebody just one time. Just.

one time. Street cred will go way up if. you fire on somebody. I'm what? >> IF YOU FIRE ON SOMEBODY? I LIKE MY ODDS. >> [laughter]. >> SO, YOU GOING TO GET ONE OFF and then. security tackle you? Yeah, man. That's. that's the best part about it. We're. going to fight for 4 seconds before it. gets broken up. I'm going to get one in. I know you you you you're close to Dave. Chappelle. He said he's giving you great. advice. He's seen some of your sets. He. take notes, tell you things that you can. improve on, things that you're really. great at. So, I mean, are you surprised.

that Dave Chappelle, who's at the apex, said, "You know what? He thinks enough. of Matt Rife to give him advice to help. him even go to a higher level.". >> It's something that's it's hard to. fathom, man. Like I would I would. consider him a genuine friend. And. there's still that air of like every. time I see him, I'm like, Wow. Like. that's that's the [ __ ] that's the best. to ever do what I want to do. But he's. been so kind to my family and my. friends. Every time he sees me and any. of my crew, he knows all their names. He.

always says hello, asks how their. families are doing. He he's so. invested in in in caring about other. people. And it's it's something I never. would have expected, obviously. But the. amount of shows we've gotten to do. together. I mean, the first arena I ever. did was I got a chance to open for him. at Madison Square Garden for his 50th. birthday party. And I never performed in. an arena at that point in my life. Um, so he's given me so many. opportunities. He gave me an opportunity. to work out at his his brand new club, the Firehouse in Yellow Springs. And he. hosts that show. And then I headline.

him. And then he came back on stage with. me afterwards. We riffed for like half. an hour. One of the coolest moments of. my entire life. He's the only person. that has the footage. I don't know if. it'll ever see the light of day, but. >> Probably not. one of the coolest moments. of my entire life. >> you want to save you 750k. How did you. do that? What did you. >> that? >> Yeah. Yeah, he we were talking about um. uh the money I had made from from Live. Nation for for a guarantee for first. part of a tour. It was more money I had. ever even heard of in my entire life. And he was asking if I had a good team.

and a good lawyer and everything. And he. was like, "Is your lawyer is he 5% or is. he is he hourly?" And I was like, "Hey, he's 5% like most lawyers." He was like, "Nah, I got a guy here who will do it. hourly, who does all my [ __ ] for me.". So, in doing so, saved me like close to a a million. dollars. Yeah. >> Which that's not my long-term lawyer, unfortunately. Most lawyers won't work. for that. Like don't search out an. hourly lawyer for everything that you. do. Often times you'll get what you pay. for. But if Dave Chappelle vouches for. him, I'm I'm going to trust him. It's. it's a lot of weird uh discrepancies in.

the uh. the the the budgeting of of your of your. team, right? It's like agents get 10%, your manager get 10%, your lawyer gets. 5%, your business manager gets 5%. So, when you hear somebody makes like a. million dollars, you don't you don't get. a million dollars. You get maybe about. 250, something like that. But the tax. but let's say I'm getting his 50% and. then everybody cut cut cut cut cut cut. cut. >> Mhm, it's not what you think. >> No. Which breaks your heart, man. You. you see the check you get and you're. like, "What?" And they go, "Well, Out of. a million, this is all I got?". >> Mhm. Mhm. But you try not to be. ungrateful, right? You're like, "Listen,

it's still it's still more than I. It's more than I ever thought I'd make. in my life that I'm making for a a. weekend, right?" But it is weird having. to break it up into so many different. pieces. You realize now as you've gotten. to this this level here, everything that. you say, Mhm. they dissect it. So, if. you say something about this comedian, man, you heard what Matt Rife said. If. you say something about this person, you. heard what Matt Rife said. Do you find. yourself have to be overly cautious, overly guarded about things you say. knowing that everything that you say is.

going to be dissected? >> Oh, of course, man. You don't think my. my publicist is like, "Be careful on on. on Shannon's podcast. Be careful what. you say. Everything lives forever now.". Yeah, people definitely I feel like. people definitely look to misconstrue. what you say now. And obviously, anything negative spreads better spreads. faster than anything positive, right? >> Absolutely. But I mean, it helps that I. don't I don't have anything negative to. say about anybody, really. Maybe a. couple of people in my personal life, but it's like but honestly, those people. don't deserve the press that I would.

give them by talking about them. But as. far as like my peers and comedians and. everything, I don't I I have anything. negative to say to about anybody. There's there's 8 billion people in the. world. >> Yeah. If I have. a few million fans and for some reason. that that pisses you off that I get to. be successful and find my fan base, there's 7 and a half billion other. people you're allowed to go make fan of. for yourself. I wish the best for. everybody, man. I don't have a single. bad thing to say about literally. anybody. But how did it make you how did. it make you feel? Because a lot of. times, like I said, you you the level of.

success that you've enjoyed, there are a. lot of older comedians that have been at. this a lot longer than you have that. haven't been able to enjoy that level of. success. And because and for whatever. reason, that's not your fault that they. haven't enjoyed the level of success. that you have. But when they say like, "Bro, I mean, you're I'm a fan of yours. And I. had I been in the situation, I would. never say anything negative about you.". Yeah, it it definitely happens, but. I'm not in their shoes, you know what I. mean? I don't know the decisions that. they made. I don't know the decisions. that they didn't make to get where.

they're at right now. But I know a lot. of them refuse to adapt. Like talk about. social media a lot. It's that's what. changed my life. You got to be able to. do it now. >> I grew up starting stand-up with those. comedians, right? The ones who were. they're living off of doing morning. radio in the city they're performing in. that night. Like social media is not an. important thing to that generation. when I started out. So, for me, it's. it's something for my generation. People. 30 and under, social media is their. whole life. I should love it. I should. embrace it. Just not really what I grew.

up on. It's not what I really respect. It's not what I have a passion for. But. a lot of these comedians just won't. adapt. They won't do the clips. They. won't do the social media marketing. They won't they won't brand themselves. on social media and try to really grasp. the the fan base. So, again, I don't. know the decisions they made or didn't. make to get where they're at, but I. understand it. I mean, I've I've been. bitter. I've been jealous. I used to be a hater, for sure. I [laughter] used That's why I. understand it now. I there used to be. comics that I would hate on, for sure. And then when I got.

>> better than him. I don't know how he's. so Oh, of course. It happens for. everybody. It happens for literally. everybody. If you say you've never been. jealous of somebody, you're a [ __ ]. liar and that makes you very insecure. for not admitting it. It it happens. You. can envy affects everybody at some point. in their life. But then when I got where. I'm at now and started to see what comes. with it, I had such an understanding. I. went, "Wow, I know what it takes to get. there and I know what you deal with. because you're in the spot you're in. now." Gave me such a respect for it. Now. I would I wish the best for everybody. >> Right. But these comedy beefs, did you.

when you got into comedy, did you know. anything about comedy beefs? No. It's so. weird. It's so high school. Why do you. care about I'm funnier than so-and-so? Okay. Are they more are they more. successful than you? Then statistically, I guess not. Go prove it. Numbers are. the only thing that matter, right? Unfortunately, statistically, it's the. only thing you can say. Opinions are. going to vary and it's not something you. you you can prove. There's so many. funnier comedians, in my personal. opinion, than I am that have. significantly less followers, sell less. tickets. There's so much more that goes.

into that. The the beef aspect makes no. sense. Why does it affect you? What what what's what is hating on this. person going to do for your career? If. anything, you look you kind of look weak. for trying to tear somebody down. You. should be lifting each other. Go on tour. together. If both of y'all are selling. out clubs together and there's a weird. beef there, how about y'all combine the. fan base and now go do a bigger. >> 5,000 and he does 5,000, so guess what? Now that's a 10,000. >> Now you can go do an arena together. It. it makes no sense. Ego gets involved, insecurity gets involved. It's it's very. unfortunate. I I haven't really had any,

thank God. Um there's there's nobody I. have beef with. I don't There's plenty. of people that don't like me, but I. mean, it hasn't really affected me and I. I haven't really been stuck in the. middle of anything. Have you heard. anything? No. >> [laughter]. >> Even even my my daughter I told my. daughter she talked to my daughter the. Friday and she's like, "What you doing?". I said, "Well, I'm getting ready. I'm. packing cuz I'm getting ready to go to a. I'm going to DC." She like, "Well, who. you doing?" I said, "Matt Rife." She. like, "Really? You know him, Dad?" How old is your. daughter? Uh she'll be 34. She's 33. For.

real? Yeah. What What does she do? Uh. she's an HR at Northside Hospital. Ah, sounds like stress. >> [laughter]. >> No, thank you. Tell her I said hello. I sure will. Uh. I'm going to I'm I'm going to send her. I'm going to I'm going to FaceTime as. soon as I get out of here. As a matter. of fact, let's FaceTime once I get we. get done. >> I would love to. 30 years of age, you've accomplished so. much in your first 30 years. What can we. expect from Matt Rife in the next 30?

Oh, man. I don't know. I think about. that every day. You know, like I said, I. I like to make the transition over to. more acting. I I love movies. I love I. love watching movies. I love making the. the few that I've done. Uh I've got one with Owen Wilson that's. going to come out later this year, which. was. crazy. I mean, talk about one of the. greatest of all time. He's an absolute. legend. Um I I hope to transition more into that. and maybe I'll end up doing less. stand-up as that time goes on or maybe. I'll find maybe I'll be able to find the. balance, but I know I can't tour like. I'm touring right now for the rest of my.

life. It's. piece of advice Chappelle gave me is. like, "You got You got to live your. life. Material comes from living your. life. You got to go experience things. You can't just live on the road. What. are you going to talk about? Being on. the road all the time? It's not it's not. relatable. People People don't know. about the tour bus and the behind the. scenes and all that. Some funny stories. can happen, but you got to go out there. and you got to live your life and. I mean, I live in this beautiful place. in in Rhode Island now. I want to I want. to explore the world with my friends, make memories and everything, so You. ain't mentioned nothing about no wife, no kids. You ain't mentioned nothing. We've been talking for hours for 90.

minutes and you ain't mentioned none of. that. We'll see what happens. >> to share that with? >> I just want somebody I can go online. with, you know what I mean? There you. go. That's the thing. Same change the. trajectory of my career, you know? JUST. SOMETHING. >> [laughter]. >> I'M SURE THERE'S SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE. THAT WOULD LET YOU LET YOU GO online. with them. >> Bro, you didn't know? I didn't know, man. I don't Bro, I still don't They. called me. I was wondering why everybody. was calling me. I would just I just hit.

decline, decline, decline. Jordan my my guy here is like, "Hey Hey, boss, you know." I said, "No, what?" I said, "How?" I said, "Did anybody see. anything?" They said, "No, they couldn't. see anything, but they could hear. everything.". Yeah, man. I never growled until I saw. you and I was like I was like, "Oh, this. is what I'm doing wrong. Got it.". >> [laughter]. >> He said, "All right. All right." Hey, I. appreciate the pointers. But we'll see. We'll see, you know what. I mean? And maybe maybe a wife and kids. is in the picture. I I I hope it is, but.

it's also got to be timing, right? Right. now, I live a very selfish lifestyle. It's like I'm on tour or my work is my. life. >> Is your wife married to that? Yeah, I'm. married to work right now and. eventually, I I really pray somebody, you know, can be a part of that I can. share all of this with them. But it's. got to be the right time. I don't want. to be a half-ass boyfriend. I don't want. to be a half-ass husband. I want to be. supportive. From when you started to now, is comedy. harder then or is it harder now? I think. comedy gets harder every year that goes. by. Uh I think social media doesn't make.

that easier, for sure, with meme culture. and all that. Like jokes jokes are all. over social media all the time. I'll. I'll think of a joke one day and I'll. see it as a meme the next day and I go, "Well, thank God I didn't say that on. stage.". >> Wow. >> could be doing one on stage and then. somebody makes a meme of it and I go, "I've been doing that joke for a year. Now, I can't do this. People going to. think I stole it from the internet." I. think it gets it gets harder and harder. as time goes on. More and more comedy. happens. People put up more specials. There's more people starting comedy. There's more perspectives being in the. game. I do think this is this is going to get.

clipped out of context, but I think. comedy was easier in the '70s, '80s, '90s just because nothing had been done. yet. Nothing but women be shopping was a. crazy concept in the '80s and '90s, right? Nothing had been talked about. All things. >> And nobody got canceled for selling a. joke. >> Nobody got canceled at all, which I. think people are getting less and less. scared. >> I do, too. And unless. unless it comes down to some kind of. malicious intent and you could tell this. person really means the [ __ ] they're. saying, right now, you can't cancel a. comedian. Our power lies entirely in the. hands of our fans. As long as people.

Look at people who got canceled. Let's. let's talk about Louis C.K. or Chris. D'Elia, whoever it may be. They still. sell out theaters, by the way. And they. got canceled. They had [ __ ] taken from. them professionally. Their fans still. sell out tickets. So, therefore, are. they really canceled? No. No. What What does the word cancel even. mean? You're in you're in trouble in the. eye of the of the public? What does that. do? Right. Uh you know what? The tour girl said you. a celebrity crush.

She said she tried to get at you. Haley. Welch, yeah. I met her on uh You better? Oh oh well, yes, I did. I met her first. on FaceTime. Whitney Cummings. FaceTime to her on her podcast. She was. very sweet. Said I was a celebrity crush. or something. And then I was performing. in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena, which. was my first. like real size arena that I ever did in. Nashville. I love Nashville. I think I'm. back there in October. Yeah, that would. be nice. Yeah, I love Nashville. Thought. about moving there. Yeah, I thought about moving there, too. But there's no land within the city. I.

want I wanted some land in the. >> to be out. You got to go out. >> But if you live an hour outside of. Nashville, you don't really live in. Nashville or you you're in Memphis. Memphis. You know what I mean? Chattanooga. Yeah, you're pretty sure. Pretty sure. >> So, then I invited her to that show. She. came out. And I do these like kind of. like behind stage walk-outs, like almost. I don't know if you've ever seen any. Morgan Wallen shows, where like the. camera kind of follows them on the. jumbotron from backstage out to the. stage. We do a similar thing. And for. this one, I rode a horse in. on at the very beginning of it. And then. I got off the horse and I walked over. The camera panned over to her and she.

like hawked a loogie into my spit in my. hands. You wild. You wild. You wild for that. one, Matt. >> She was she was so down for it. She was. very nice. She and then she got in. trouble for that. uh that crypto [ __ ] Poor girl. I know. people got mad at her, but I'm like and. I mean this respectfully as possible. You really think she had anything to do. with that? You think she knows anything. about crypto? You think she was like, "I. can't wait to [ __ ] people over." No. Somebody came to her and was like, "I. have an idea how you can make a bunch of. money." They [ __ ] up and then she got. in trouble for it. It's the problem with immediate fame,

man. Man, you know what? Bro, thanks for. coming Club Shay Shay. Is there anything. that you want to promote? Um no, just come out and see a show this. year. I think you'll really enjoy. yourself. It's very It's very different. It's untraditional, and I think uh I. think you'll really enjoy it. And if you. don't get to check out a show, watch a. special, watch uh watch a TV show or a. movie I have coming out later this year, and um thanks for the support. I. appreciate it. >> How close are you to Vegas? Vegas? Ah, [ __ ] I would a 5-hour 5-hour flight, something like that. >> No, I'm saying how close are you coming. to Vegas to do a show? >> I got Laughlin in May, which is what? An.

hour outside, something like that. >> Nevada? Yeah, some some casino lot. >> How do you go to Laughlin and not love. Vegas? Okay. Makes sense to me. Yeah, we did. Vegas last year. We did uh we did the. MGM Arena, I believe it was. So, we got. to take a little bit of a break. You. know, you can't exhausted. But I I love. Vegas, man. You live in Vegas? I do. What? >> Yeah, I I thought about the I thought. about it was Vegas, Nashville, Mhm. Houston, Dallas, Austin. Houston. White people's Atlanta.

I don't Houston is Houston Houston is. the devil's playground. >> Houston's ratchet, man. >> Yeah, bro. I. I mean, Vegas is scary, too. You gamble? I don't. Not at all? >> Not at all. Really? >> No. Not on sports or nothing? >> Not on anything. >> Interesting. It's like you have to say. I'mma ask you again off camera. No, I. don't gamble. No, hell no. >> I don't know how you do it. I can't go. to Vegas and not lose my whole check. It's so frustrating. So, check this out. here. Coming has uh tour dates coming to. US and Europe. He has a film with Owen. Wilson Rolling Loud dropping in. September and limited series with. Netflix with Julia Garner called The.

Altruist coming out later this year. Ladies and gentlemen, Matt Rife. Thank. you, man. Bro, I appreciate you. >> Appreciate you, man. Oh, man, this was. awesome. Thank you to [music] the Lennox. Bar for hosting Club Shay Shay and. letting us record in their incredible. space. We truly [music] appreciate the. hospitality and support. If you're ever. in the Washington D.C. area, do [music]. yourself a favor and stop by Lennox Bar. Great vibes, great drinks, and an even. better atmosphere. [music] Make sure you. follow Lennox D.C. Bar on Instagram.

All my life, [music] been grinding all. my life. Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price. Want a slice, got to roll the dice, [music] that's why. All my life, I've. been grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price. >> [music]. >> Want a slice, got to roll the dice, that's why. All my life, I've been. grinding all my life.