Kevin Hart Gets the Bubble Guts! - What Now? with Trevor Noah Podcast

Hey, everybody. Welcome to another episode of what? Now with Trevor Noah. Of today's episode, I sit down with comedian and international movie star. The one and only Kevin Hart, and I'll let you know. Now, I always have fun conversations with Kevin Hart, but this conversation may have been one of my favorites. I think we get into comedy, life and everything. that makes Kevin Hart who he is, and some really interesting ways. I really had a great time chatting to him, and so I think.

you'll enjoy the conversation too. But this is what now. with Trevor Noah. Change comes to. He comes in here with his people. He takes all my shit. That's sweet.

Give me a hug. I don't look at it. Look at fucked up my backdrop. What happened to our stuff? Sit down. Kiss your snot. Hi, there. How are you? Oh my God. I'm ready. Is this how you dress every day? This. Yeah. How far do you live from here? I don't wanna talk about it. I don't wanna talk about it. Make me drive so far. But I'll do it because I sacrifice my time. I'm in Calabasas, so it takes me an hour and 15. I mean, every day I come in when I'm here.

Do I come in every day? Yeah. So? So I was 15 to come in our night because I'm leaving. during traffic time. But if I wait, then it's like a 35 minute ride. No traffic, 35 minutes. That's terrible. Are you going to get a drone, a drone? Yeah. Why? Why am I getting a drone? You haven't seen the drones that are coming out that you can fly inside. They'll be coming out in a few years. They'll be little drones that you can fly in. Why do I want to fly on a drone? I want to be in traffic, Kev. Why can't I just. Oh, wait. You don't like the drones? Yeah.

Like you. And then you can just go. But you're going to. You're going to be in a drone. I can see you now. I'm not going to lie to you right now. You're going to be in a drone. If you're telling me that it's not going to fuck up my clothes. and I can get in a drone. I'll do it. If you're telling me I can, I can get in a drone. You know, most people would worry about their health. No, no, they gotta come with some type of. They gotta have air bags. That drone will have air. I think they do, actually. before.

So how is it going? Everything great? It's going good, man. Good for you, man. Are you back? You're back on now. I'm like I'm. You're in like you're in, like, cooking mode. Yeah. No. You know, warming up your income. It's good. You can always feel, you know, it's funny. You can always feel when a comedian is. So I feel like comedians have three stages. We have. Will I ever be funny again. when we have. cooking mode where you're excited and you feel like everything's. coming together and then you have this material is boring. I need to find a new job that's at the end of.

Yeah, yeah, that's like at the end of. you want to tape just before that you got gotta go. But that's why I always take my special early though. Like when I'm. When I'm. What do you mean early? Like early when I'm in. If I'm on tour because, you know, I do. You know, I'm probably 160 shows when I tour. So when I'm at, like when I feel the peak of the set, when. I'm laughing at 60 shows, I do do when I do a lot of shows. Wow. Because my process starts, comedy clubs, theaters, back to comedy clubs, back to theaters.

Then I'll go arenas. Why are you going back? What have what went wrong? Nothing went wrong. But you do it to make sure, like. All right, let me make sure I'm not jumping out to go content, okay? Because once you start killing the theaters, that mean I should destroy in a comedy club. I remember talking to Dave years ago. There's a time when Dave Chappelle, for those listening. Dave never used to want to do arenas. I did it, and then he. And then he. I mean, obviously everyone wants to see him, so now he has to do big events.

I bet you you you definitely lose something. I, I sparked a spark, the arena bug and, well, you you you did Dave. Absolutely. I sparked it with Dave and Chris. Right? I said, so I blame you for Dave doing things. Yeah. And and Dave, not only do you prefer arenas. I gotta get over to Trev. I got to be honest with you, man, I do, but let me wait. What? Let me tell you. Let me tell you why. Hear me out.

Hear me out. Why? And I better not say that you go. You agree? Go. And here's how I got Dave. So I got Dave Buck. I said, listen to me, Dave. The beauty of. doing the arenas when you're a good comic, okay, is turning the arenas into an intimate environment. Okay. You can turn it into you can get close. You can never turn it into, oh my God, Kev, you can never turn this. Oh my God, Kev. Oh my God.

The thing about arenas is. I always feel like the laugh does not happening in my section. Have you ever sat in an arena? You always feel like that section you like, who are those people? Yeah, those people have the jokes that they get. They're, they're they're really laughing when you go there. They're not really laughing as loud as you thought, because arenas have this width, because the sound is not designed. for laughter. It's designed for, you know, the basketball game or the whatever game. is supposed to play the whereas when you're in a theater, it always feel like it always feels like. every single laugh is coming from every single person, no matter where you sitting in the room, can I tell?

Okay, so this is where this is where your friend. Kevin Hart, the overthinker, goes. Ham. Okay, think about my production. Yes, I think about every excessive, I must say, very excessive. I might the audience. So the same way you can hear me on the microphone, you can hear the audience, you can hear the audience laughing. So I'll do I probably do like eight mikes. Maybe, maybe 8 to 10 mics so that the audience can hear. The audience can hear the audience. Oh, I like that.

So I need to find what section the mixer in. so I can just shout comments in your show. You just shout out, I can I know Mike is here. Shout things out. I know you put in my is a lot smaller in real life. Shout things up to the microphones. I I'll just be the guy heckling in a hurry. I'm gung ho on making that experience the best. But here's what you guys did. You do. You do love that. But here's what you guys did. You love being the best of the best of the best of like, you have this weird. Where did you get that from, by the way? Do you did you play a lot of sport when you were a kid like you?

You ultra competitive? Yeah, but like, you're ultra competitive. As if you also played sports where you have to play against yourself. That's that's the competitive. That's the biggest person I'm competing against. Like, I've never been competitive against my peers. I've been envious. Oh, you're competitive against your peers. Come on. Envious. I've never been competitive. I'm envious of my peers. And and I've I've said to myself, am I competitive nature? Oh my God, man, that's such a, such a good writer.

Such a great writer. Yeah, such a great joke. Yeah. tell is such a great storyteller. God, I got to get back in the lab. I gotta I gotta really raise the bar right for myself. because I'm so blown away by what this particular talent. has put on display. Yeah, yeah. What this particular talents put on display. I'm envious of your political humor. I'm envious of how you can go in between, political humor. and then go into a space of travel culture, different,

different ethnicities you're a stand in for to kind. You put like, I'm. I'm envious of that. That's not my thing. Right. So the thing that others. do at a high level to be envious is the biggest compliment, That's the biggest compliment because I'm like, man, I wish. I could operate like that because if I could, oh my God, there would be another dimension that I could get to, right? Yeah, I don't have that dimension. Hence why I stay away from it. You don't see me ever doing political humor. my favorite political bit of yours.

And I know it's it wouldn't be considered political, but I think it was way more political than anyone would ever think. Is the bit where you were talking about. being sucked into a Black Lives Matter protest? Black man in the middle of a bullhorn going off. Black lives matter and you don't think they matter. You're part of the problem and they find solution. The solution is death. Every black person showed up here today is willing to die. We will all die today. We don't give a fuck about life. If you black you here because you came to die. If you black and you in this circle around me, it's.

because you ready to die. First I look down, I'm in the fucking circle. I said, wait a minute. That's not why I came. I didn't come for that. That's not why I'm here. That. Can I tell you something that. Yeah, but what I loved about that bit was whether it was intentional or not, it told a very true story about how so many people get sucked. into the allure of appearing to be, yes, what they're not. And now you just that speech in that speech that you gave you in it, I don't even remember. I just remember trying to trying to repeat it to my friends.

yeah. It ain't. What do you say it ain't, it ain't. No, I know what it is. Now I gotta give a speech. You have to say something about you saying something. You realize you're not saying nothing, but you gotta keep trying to say some. That was my fucking speech. This is my speech. Word for word, verbatim. This is my speech. Y'all already know what it is. And what it is is what it's going to be.

It ain't going to be what it is to be what it is. I hear you in it. And what what? I will say that to my friends just randomly. I mean, like Amen ain't going to be what it is. It's able to work. Yeah, man. It ain't, it ain't, it ain't. You know, you know what it is? That joke. That joke was so dope, for you, for your people watching, listening. It was all because, to my point, I don't do political humor at all. Yeah, but it was about getting sucked into the thing that you think. you're supposed to do. Yes.

And I was like, man, I, you know, everybody around me. Yeah. You know, given this thing energy and I got a feeling about it. I'm going, oh, you know, can I, can I tell you one of the hardest things I think people struggle with. is so one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. And I don't know why this left such an indelible impression on me. was, dude, did you ever watch the movie, Devil's Advocate? Absolutely. It was Charlize Theron, Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves. Yes, there's a scene in the movie. So the plot of the movie, for those who haven't seen it,

and I'll spoiler. because you're not going to see it. Whatever. is, is basically Keanu Reeves plays this hotshot young lawyer. I mean, yeah, he plays that lawyer. Charlize Theron is his wife, and they're the perfect couple. They meet Al Pacino, he's running this law firm, turns out he's. actually the devil. Devil? Yeah. And Keanu Reeves is basically litigating a case that is terrible. But because he wants to be. this lawyer, he's going to do whatever it takes. The conversation is basically, what are you willing to train?

You're willing to trade your soul for everything. He doesn't do it in the end. But there's a moment where now he's the hero guy. Yeah. And then a reporter comes to him and says, can I do a profile piece on you? And he goes, no, I don't want fame. I don't want any of this. And the guy goes, come on, a lawyer. with a conscience, everybody will love it. And Charlize looks at it and goes, come on, baby, come on, do it. And he goes, okay, I'll do it just like that. And they leave and I'll never forget, oh, the the journalist turns into Al Pacino, looks at the camera, and he says a line that he dropped in the beginning and he goes, vanity.

My favorite sin. I thought about, I don't know how old. I just went to watch the movie because there was nudity in it. There you go. Because at that time you can, you can freely get nudity. I don't know if you remember these days, but this was, it was, it was what I like to call it was accidental porn. Yeah. You did not see nudity when I was growing up. Like kids today, I feel bad for them. because there is a there's, like, a diminished joy in seeing nudity. Now, the random tit back in the day.

Are you kidding me? Oh. Oh. Oh, pause it. does. That's crazy. That's not. Oh, man. Do you have toys? Oh what I have no, I have nothing. I'm all about. I have nothing accidental porn. But we just saw it and that was it. That was your moment. But. So that movie came out. I wasn't old enough to go see it, so I remember I would sneak into, I think it, I don't know what movie it was at the time. Always find a movie to sneak into that. I could then go out into another, you know what I mean?

Like, the reason I've seen parts of Titanic so much. is because I used to use Titanic to go and see the matrix. Okay, you used that, so you needed a clean movie. You need a clean movie to go and see the bet. So, so devil's advocate I couldn't get. But anyway, I remember that line. And for my entire life, what I've thought about. is how hard it is to not get sucked into doing a thing. that you may start off having good intentions doing, and then now stay in for the vanity side of it. And I think a lot of, I love what people do in. like, let's say people start off on social media, even in the world. They go, I'm going to I'm going to protest for a good cause.

I'm going to say these things. I'm online. I'm going to get into it. It starts off from a good place, but then you get that hits, you get that little hit with some of like a little piece, you know, like you said, it's short. King do your thing. Come on, come on. We need. And you go like, oh, now you start finding reasons to do a thing. that maybe you don't actually believe in because it's addictive. Man, we are high off the feeling. Yeah, it's addictive. I'll give you another reality moment. Right. I remember where, you know, this is like when the meme, the power of the meme started, right? You know, like, somebody would pass away and, you know, everybody's posting.

the meme, everybody's posting the picture of that person. Right? And I remember, you know, I was like, oh, man. Like, I met I met that person like like twice, man. Let me, let me throw up a picture. You know, and show some love. Right. And I put up the picture. and, you know, I remember, you know, I don't. I don't get into the comments like it is. I have no desire to go and read thousands of comments on my page. But the first one I like go back to like look at the picture.

and the first thing I see is you ain't even no bitch. And I was like, hey! I did, I did really, I didn't really know what. I was like, what is that me probably think, oh, probably never talk about me. I wasn't like a fucking idiot. I will follow which I'm following the meme craze. Oh man, I go find a picture off the internet. and put up with this man after he passed away. Oh come on, I was. You ain't even no bitch.

And I had to sit there myself and I had the best internet comments. are the ones where someone unwittingly stumbles upon the truth. Yeah, those are the greatest internet comments. because most comments online are noise and trash and hating. And then there's love. Don't get me wrong. But let's say all the all the negative ones, it's just people who don't like you or whatever it is. But there will be someone who says something that is so true. Wait, wait. Even though they're hating on you, you go, oh man, you got now you got it, you know?

Yeah, you got me. You hit him on the head. I am struggling with that. I do need to figure that out. Oh man. But the the concept attached to throwing yourself in environments. and not just conducive for you or who you are, you know, that was the that was the template for that joke. And I love the honesty. and transparency in it, but it also like acted as like. a moment for me in my life where I was like, yo, I'm not doing that anymore in general. Like I'm not putting myself in any position of discomfort based off of.

Yeah, what I think people could possibly think. if I were to go through with the thing. that they think I need to do, it's too much. Yep. That's too many thoughts about the thought that has not yet. shaped itself into actually being the thing to think about. Like, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not four steps ahead. Yeah, yeah. I'm no longer that machine. or or entertaining the idea attached. What do you, what do you think changed in your life? I, I could be completely wrong.

I'm taking a shot here. Okay? Every every artist has a moment in their lives. where something happens, something shifts, and you see that shift apparent in their work. There is no denying that you. came out with two of, I would say, these seminal specials. When you first, when you first came out right, was laugh at My Pain, little grown man. I mean, they would they would you remember? We all know what they were like in comedy. We all know what those specials are like.

There are specials where you can go like, damn, that was it. That's the time stamp that that right there. You can't. Kevin Holt becomes a movie star. You kill it in everything. I mean, I remember you in 40 Old Virgin. You you were honestly, I think one of the top. cameo performers, pound for pound I've ever seen. It was it was a huge step into a movie, and everybody in the theater would be killing themselves. and nobody would know your name.

Nobody know who that guy was. They would just go. I love every time I tell people movies you've been. and they'll be like, he was in that scene. I'm like, yeah. Then they go. They go, oh, that was, oh shit, I remember, oh, I didn't even know that one. And I at me, oh man, I want it. So in a weird way, I sometimes think some people feel like. you were this immediate overnight success. because in a strange way, they didn't remember all of these characters. you were playing in all of these movies. You get on saying, I mean, I'm not, because it does seem like all of a sudden.

you were just the face of a franchise on the face of a movie. But I go like, Kevin Hart was grinding away in three minute. segments seven and ten on a call sheet for years. For years. Yeah. And I was fearless about my approach to the cameo. I was fearless about my approach to getting the role. I can say it was crazy in the Scary Movie franchise, right? Let me tell you how fearless I was. They were doing table reads.

and my manager was like, hey, Kev, they're doing a table read. They just want some personalities to come in. Like, right, do the reason, see if the materials working. It's just a way for you to get seen by some people that do movies, comedies, etc. I was like, I'll do it right. I go here, I'm. improvising during the table read, I'm going off script. Coming back to the script in my mind, I said, if I do a good enough job, whatever the role is that I'm reading right, I may have a shot.

at getting the role right. I leave the. table, read within an hour, my manager called me back. He says, Kevin, you didn't get that part, but they got a part for you that they want you to have. if you're into it, they want you to come back. and they want to talk about the part with him. Very small part. Cameo, part. It was a friend. I talk about the part once again, fearless. Start improv. And yeah, doing things that I feel. the character could do could say whatever, they love it.

Oh my God, they write it in the damn script, put all my ad libs in the script, and it was the. as we talk about the hit, the fucking drug. Oh my God. So if I present the funny material at times, if it works and I'm. still on par with story script, that can be my engine. That can be my point. So from that point on, I stepped up to all cameos. There was the scary movies. It was Along Came Polly was 40 or Virgin was Drillbit Taylor.

I mean, I can go down a list. Jake in progress. I was the guy that would come in for a scene, and then after that scene, you wouldn't see me no more. But I made it my business to put together what I would consider. to be some funny, impactful moments and whatever the thing. Yeah, yeah. And I said, if I do enough of them, the casting directors are all the same. Eventually they got to say, this guy, this guy deserves a bigger part. We should do something else with the guy.

And I remember I got my fucking feelings hurt. Just didn't happen. I look back, man. I had like 12 cameos, all these credits, but nobody knew me from the credits. Nobody fucking knew me like I was the guy. The, he was in, Shit. What's your name? Goddamn it? But, hey, what's the fucking. We just saw him. What's the shit? He was in, clapping, stomping, trying to come up. It never could get it. The moment when they heard, the, he had on the hat, they say the, right in front of your face.

And you, like, just ask me, man, so I could tell you. Now I fuck it, then they just leave. The worst is when the worst is when they. They say something. that diminishes you in front of you while still giving you a compliment. By the way, they'll be like, is that is the dude? He's the dude down, motherfucker. And then. And then someone will say something to be like, no, no, no, he's not that funny. The guy, he ain't that good. He's a stupid motherfucker. What's the stupid motherfucking. We said, what's the material? we said ugly as shit. Oh, man. Yeah, yeah. Well,

yeah, I, I, I remember saying, all right, I'm going back to stand up, focus on stand up. Yeah. Then we got big after the specials. After the specials, there was a moment. where I transition from multiple shows. A comedy club. Yeah. To multiple shows in theaters. Yeah. And when it got to the. multiple shows at theaters, I was like, they're going to have to come like the. the movies are going to have to come because people are showing up.

So at some point it has to happen. Did they the movies. did not come. in the manner I thought they would. Right? Yeah, the opportunity did. Oh yeah. I like that. And yeah, I like when I believed in the opportunity. So the movie offers it's very religious of you. It's very spiritual. My mom would say something like that. The the opportunity came. Yes, this story is amazing, but.

I, I often try and remind people. that most of the time, the moral that you will take from a story. of a person who was successful is the incorrect moral. If you get an opportunity to go to a table, read, read what they give you. Yeah, don't do that. Yeah, don't do it. Don't do that and do it. Kevin Hart that's actually a really good point. Like don't don't do it. This I can imagine people walking into rooms. getting a script and they're like, we need you to help us work on the script. Need like bam, boom, boom. Oh, shit. Don't tell. I'm sorry. Kevin. Can we. Yeah. This is Shakespeare.

Yeah. I just thought. maybe, And I pray I make sure I set it up correctly by saying. I said, let me tell you how crazy I was. I made sure I said it correctly, like, that's how nuts I was. I went in there not thinking about the consequences. I'm thinking about how do I make my presence felt. Yeah. How do I leave a lasting impact? And you could have that could have turned out so hard. I almost hope it would have an end. And I still hope you would have achieved your success.

But I would have loved that moment to turn out terribly. Yeah, just for someone else to have a story with you. Here, let me tell you, my Kevin Hart story is idiot. This guy, this I mean, this guy. Talk about no respect for this sitting in those agency. meetings and Kevin Hart, this guy comes in. I've never seen anything like. I mean, this guy, he could every word he he added his own. Yeah, I mean ridiculous. This is. No, you know the crap he started rapping in the middle of. I mean, I remember there was one. I stood up, I stood up like one of the things like, yeah, yeah, don't check me.

Yeah, I was, I was going forward, we're going to continue. this conversation, right after this short break. And so you have these seminal moments. and you stand up and then I feel like could be completely wrong. And don't be offended when I say this, but I feel like there's a moment in between in your standup. where it almost felt like Kevin Hart was preserving Kevin Hart.

more than Kevin Hart was just being and doing Kevin Hart and. and and I say this as a comedian who's experienced it, that's not I seen it like this of it all honest truth. So every comedian starts off in what I argue is the best place you have. Nothing you get on stage. The only thing you have is your comedy, and the only thing you receive is a laugh. You don't even get money. People, people don't realize in the clubs we were getting $5, $10. He still owes me $15. You got to get it.

Do you know that? It'll never happen. I've accepted this, Kevin. I've accepted it, bro. So I'm gonna get money. So you. That's all you're getting is the laugh and the confirmation of a joke. Working or not, that's. It's something clicks. You start to become successful. Now there's a moment where on this bell curve, you have nothing. You reach the peak, and now it feels like you have everything. You don't have everything, but it feels like. you have everything because it's more than what you had. And now fear sets in and you go,

can I tell that joke, should I perform like that. Is that crazy. Do I switch up my style. Because comedians are always evolving. And now because you have. the people at this point you go, do I keep them at this point? What did I do that they liked? I guess I got to keep doing that. So you know what I mean. Doing now, especially in this, in the special, I don't know what it is. You walked out and you feel even. the baseball bat itself is such a you thing.

This fucking bat in my hand. Bring your ass up to the stage. I'm gonna knock your fucking head off, I swear to God, okay? I'm sick of you. Shit! We're fighting back. Don't you come up here. and knock your goddamn head to the top of this arena. Don't you come up here. Yeah, it just feels like. It's like, you know, I'm just like. What changed? Well, first of all, Trevor, it's a great question, all right? It's a great question.

It's a great observation, by the way, to my point earlier, it's what you do. Very well. Here's the big change. The first hint of success, the fear attached. to keeping the success clicks in immediately right. Oh, shit. We sold all these tickets. Goddamn. Whoa! Tour was crazy. Sold out all over. All right, well, shit, Tour's over. Well, I gotta get back to the comedy club, and I gotta figure out what I'm gonna do next. Yeah, because I got nothing.

After tour is over, I want to make this perfectly clear to an audience. Watching, listening. You kill that material immediately. Yeah. I cannot recite a joke of old from any, but it's killed. I blink and I fucking deleted the memory. because it, it has no more value or meaning. The specials tape. The tour is over. Well, what the fuck am I going to talk about next? Yeah. So the scramble in figuring out what that will be.

is a scary scramble. before you're like, Polish comedian ladies present themselves. When you're the new comic, you're the new star. You're the new like you're new. So although you got this light, you're not polished, you're not poised. You also are situated, you're not. You got a hit. And that hit was great. But you don't have an extensive contract. No. There's no guarantee to the next. There's no guarantee or anything.

There's no guarantee that this next tour. is going to sell as many tickets as this one. Yeah. There's no guarantee that the next movie will be a hit. There's no guarantee that the next starring role will be the right role. There is no guarantee. By the way, at the time when I was coming up, what we might overlook. is that I was in like I was in fucked up period movies. I was in a period of black actor Bom Baba. I was in a period of,

y'all can't sell movies internationally. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, yeah. This. And if these movies don't have any domestic success, Baba. Yeah. Bad investment. I told you black directors were going into director jail if they bombed. Yeah, you don't get another shot. So the fear and stomach. The stomach bubbles. This kids, well, stomach this stomach bubbles. That is a will them Tim story myself we did think like I mean one, two.

We did right along one with the right along two men. Will Packer did Wedding Ringer and about last night. I just named all six by the way, we have more. Okay, those six movies, you're looking at the trajectory of Kevin Hart. There was never a comfortable moment for release. You would tell me bubbles the whole time for right Along me and cube. I remember me and cube on a press tour, and we like, well, we hope they come out. because they don't spend some money on this.

If they don't come out. Damn. I mean, we ended up doing 140 million stomach release. Oh my God, right along. Two man. If we don't do 140. Yeah. Oh it's a failure. I immediately. Oh fuck man, if we don't crack the code and surpass. Yeah. Because they spent more money. The pressure. Well, let's go to stand up where there is no budget. That's just. That's you. Yeah. You're you're you're roaming on stages for free,

developing the material that you hope grabs the audience's attention. enough that they'll laugh, love, so that you can then grow. Announce a special. By the way, when you announce it, here come the bubbles. All shit. I hope they bodies fucking good. They solid. All right, class, let's we never we never get over that feeling, by the way. We never get over that feeling. Yeah, but what I'm. But what I'm saying is what changed? What changed for me? What changed? What changed for me was I got to a place of.

not just success, but understanding. So my understanding now is, you know, I built a fan base, I built. a global fan base of people. that no matter what, show up. because they go, I like that guy. And in that. But how did you develop the understanding?

The understanding comes where the noise from the outside, you realize is not noise. The things that things like, can I throw something at you? Go ahead. Could be wildly wrong. I noticed the shift or I noticed. the shift happening most. Apparently after the car accident. That was a that was a that was a different shift. Shift number one came with the understanding of.

I want to be a brand. I want to be a global brand, I want to own my brand so that my worry. attached to the craft goes away because I control it. So once I saw that the idea of control. is something that I could dictate around it. and I did that and I'm like, it's kind of like, don't. you think that changed your level of fear? Thousand percent? Because I control it. So I'm using stand up to set up the movie. The.

No, no, no, listen, listen, listen, I hear you, but I don't know, because I feel like you had that drive before. I just agree. No, the drive, I disagree. Drive is drive, right I don't, I don't, I don't. Yeah, but but what I'm saying is. what I'm challenging you on is this is like. and I say this as an observer and as a fan of yours, I think there's something you might take for granted. because don't get me wrong, there's Kevin Hart, the businessman, and you, you're very adept at doing that. But sometimes, like, as Kevin Hart, the human being, you like, you have moments where and not to get too deep,

but you have moments where, you know, because of how you grew up, because of your family unit, because of, you know, what it was like growing up with your dad as an addict, because it was like seeing your mom in her grind and everything. I think there are moments where you forget. how much you push and drive. because of. the fear of losing all of the things that have helped. you and your family to get to where you've gotten to the fear. The fear is with motivates. the complete sentences behind the drive.

In other words, like but what I'm saying is, what I'm saying is. that fear has slipped and something happened. and it cannot come from. I do not believe that the drive can be the reason for the drive, I believe, and I could be wrong, but I will fight you on this, okay? There's something that comes. There is, there is, you know, you know, when human beings are injured, Kev, there's something that happens. I remember talking to an amazing woman who's a disability advocates, and she she was one of the people who led the revolution in America on.

just getting, like, wheelchair access into venue, things. that you don't think were like you think of today as common. this was not normal. being like, hey, can we get a ramp into. And people were like, well, come on, what? What is this? Now we can go and have ramps for you. Come on. And people were like, we're in wheelchairs. And they're like, yeah, well, it's not my fault. You gotta build ramps for you. Go, my God, this was a thing. I could not believe this. when I, when I, when I watched the documentary, when I spoke to this woman, amazing woman. And we were having this conversation.

It's very funny, by the way. And, I said to her, I was I was having the conversation. I said, you know, disabled people. And I said as an able body push. And she said, no, no, no. She says, rather think of yourself like this. And I paraphrase, she said, think of yourself as currently abled. because she said the. mistake a lot of people make is they think that disability is both. a permanent and predictable thing that'll happen to everybody. Yeah, but there is a form of disability that every human being. is going to encounter at some point in their lives. It may be reduced mobility when you're older.

and it may be unfortunately, a disease or in your case, a severe traumatic accident, 1,000% that both threatens your life. and limits your ability to exist and be as like. And Kevin Hart, if I look at your trajectory. as a person, there are two things that were concurrently happening all the time. growing, moving, you know, constantly pushing as a. as a comedian and as a performer and doing the same thing physically. You've been playing sport your whole life. You've been pushing, growing, moving. It's been part of you.

There is something that you have to grapple with. when there's a possibility of paralysis. There is something that you have to go through. When a doctor walks into a room. and goes, hey, your spine may not be what it was before, and I think you move on so quickly sometimes. that you don't allow yourself to experience those, but you move very quickly and move very. You're very good at it, don't get me wrong. And I understand a lot of it. But the fear you gotta understand real fear, right? Like you come from a place of understanding where.

you can have real fear when you come from the bottom. and you start to experience things outside. of the bottom that you didn't know existed or could be true. Yeah. And you continue to push and you experience more and you obtain more. The fear is going back to the bottom. Yeah. The fear the further you get from. this is the thing I always try to explain to people. There are a few things that are more terrifying. than starting to do well when you've come from nothing,

and when your family has had nothing, because you know how far the bottom is. Yes, I always tell my friends who've come from well-off families, I go, the one thing I envy that you have. You do not think of your fault as being as far as mine is. Yes. So when you think of failing, you think of failing. So let's say level 5 or 6, because that's what your number is. Your, your bottom is I think of failing. And I go, this takes me back to zero zero complete zero zero that fear.

Yeah. That logic right. Yeah. When you start building the comfort for me. comes from I'm building. so that if the fall ever happens, I got multiple things to grab on. Oh, interesting. Oh you you're scaffolding so. Oh okay. Think about when we've got a scaffolding, brother. Over here. Think about you fall, you know, go to therapy. If you attempt to fail, you need to go to therapy. No, I'm not going. You need to go to therapy. No. And you just use the therapy where you need to go to therapy.

Here's where I see who you are. You're scaffolding. Brother, here's where I know you very well. Here's where you have to think. Here's where you have to go. and write everything Kevin Hart's about to say. I advise every listener to, I mean, listen to. But listen, don't follow it, all right? Don't follow. Okay? It works, but never it's not a permanent solution. Trevor is saying. Trevor is saying, hey, some people fall. and they go, I'm not going to use my hands to break this fall. No, that's not what I'm saying. Some people tell people to tell people about the scaffolding. that you're going to tell them about this, but you go, I'm going to follow my I'll even say to you,

and you tell me if I'm right about what you're about to say. First I'm going to say, let me say first you tell me if I'm right to my first. Okay? You may try to say it differently and make it sound better. So I'm going to say it first. Here's what it is man. Like I have watched people in our business. Yeah, comfortably. Perform comfortably. Work. Yes. And walk away with nothing. With nothing. Yes. Okay. Yes. The fear that I have. Yes. Is attached to the walk away. Yes. Or the opportunity to actually sit with self and go I have nothing.

I have all these years in a business that I've given my all to, and my all has done nothing but create success. for the operating machine, studios, factors, puzzles, promoters etc. all around me. And as the engine to that operation, I'm left with the shirt on my back. Yes. Or the moment of memory. Because of that and because of me seeing that.

I said I refuse tonight of anything. So what I'm going to do, I'm going to build as I go now that I've worked. And I got to this point where, okay, I saw the success, but. like if you go girl little man we go laugh for my pain. I was like, all right, well the tours and all this stuff and the lights or whatever is great. I'm selling tickets, I'm paying money off the ass with commissions and everything. But I don't really have anything. The opportunity came up for me to go and put the special in theaters.

where they were like, you're going to take the money. you just made, are you going to put it into the. you're going to fund that and put that into the theater. Right, right. And I was like, but let's get to the scaffolding. So I set out, you know, I'm getting again, here's this thing I said, but I'll own it, okay, okay. So I fell in love with owning that one thing. Okay. All right. And then owning that thing, I said, you know what? I want to build something else to own. Okay? All right. I want to own this, too. Right. You know what? I got two things that I own. Okay? All right. Fuck that. I'm going to own something else. that makes me go figure this real estate shit out.

Okay? All right, I'm going to own. Hey, man, you know what? This company. Shit, it's not as hard as people think it is. And if I build it correctly, I'm getting into venture capital. Let's go now, VC, they invest in it. And why I got to take. Why, why, why I to listen to you and I got to get. Why can't I raise my own and on my own. Okay, ma'am. Guess what? This carpet. that we stand on comfortably one day will be pulled out. One day these motherfuckers will come and go. That's it. And when they do, if you got shit, that takes a long time to go down.

Or if you got buildings that just rock a little bit. Well, the security of mine, the security is selfless. My security of mind, my security self only last. because I get to go, hey, no matter what, you can't. take what I built and what I built. It ain't under my name. It's under the brand. It's under the entity. It's under the infrastructure that I created. That everybody else is ignored. So when I fall down.

Oh, yeah. Kevin Hart may fall. But these buildings going to fucking stand. What them without you. And hey, when I'm done. Although it may be rough. Rocky. Whatever. My fucking kids going to look at them buildings. and they gonna look at that shit. They want to go, they're going to go, man. Dad did some dope shit. My security comes from the understanding. that the brand, the operation, the movement, the business outside of Kevin Hart, yes, is a business that works.

I appreciate that and that for that thing. Yes. I will never compromise my now feeling of comfort. So me going and selling tickets or not now it's a bonus. It's a bonus now. It's about now. It's okay. Oh, I see what you've done. You see what I'm saying? You're scaffolding bro. It's a it's a it's a thank you. I'm completely with no pressure at all. I hear you completely. There's no feeling attached to it. If I walk in the arena right today and and that arena. is a quarter full because 50 cent. What the front row who I.

got 51 folks. You know where I'm out of there. I'm like, man, I'm gonna get these people a great show. But you know what? I had a good fucking rant. I had about 13 years of. Have you have you ever done a half empty arena by the way? No, I've done one. No. And can I tell. I shouldn't say that, that fans that sounded really that sound. Really. Asshole. Oh that's fine. Yeah, I know, but let's not let me ask me that question again. Kev, have you ever done an empty arena? Half empty arena? Let me say, have I done an empty arena?

I don't know, do you have I don't know if I have, I would have to think about it. I mean, I'm quite sure there's probably been some. We're going to go with the first. Yeah, I like that better. so I've, I've done, I've done one before. This was in Springfield, Missouri. It was really the only venue that we could go to. Deep Republican. like the you know, enclave. And my team said, this is it. We don't know the promoter. You've never been we don't even know what's going to happen here. We don't even know if you have fans in this place. Let's see what happens. I said, well, let's let's go. We went there.

I think the arena, this is like a cut down arena. Could I think it could. The capacity was 6000 people, maybe six. Yeah. I think we sold 3 or 4000 tickets. Okay. everybody, when I walked in, everybody looked like. we were at a funeral, not the audience. I mean, everyone backstage. You know, the promoter can't look at you. You know, when, like, everybody is, everybody's ashamed. And I'll never forget this moment. They also don't know what your ego capacity.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And dealing with that. Yeah. How do you. And so I said, I said oh how did we, how do we end up doing. And they said they said well you know, we've try to move some people down. We've try to move things around. We you know, it should be a good show. It should be a good show. I was like, okay. And and I remember I was chatting to my manager Derek, who like, works. with me on the road and, and I said to him, he said, hey, man, I'm sorry. You know, we didn't know what this market would be. And I said, Derek, it is so crazy how our perspective has shifted in the wrong direction.

I said there was a. time when we would dream. of selling 300 tickets. in a place where I actually have fans. Yeah. Now everybody here is morose. when we have sold 3000 tickets in Springfield, Missouri. I like the fact that. people have come out in Springfield, Missouri is a big deal is wild. I said, if you think about it properly, if you think about it properly, there are always more people.

not coming to your show than people who are coming to your show. So if you focus on the people who have come to your show, it's. a bigger show. You've made it the best show, man show. Can I tell you, I had more fun with that audience than I've had in a long. ass time, because they felt like they had chosen me. Because there's a weird thing that happens. when an arena isn't full, by the way. There's two things. One, there's a feeling of doubt. Some people in the audience are like, all right, clearly. people know this somewhere else. We should be. There's a moment of doubt, and then you, as the performer, have to come out. and show the audience that they did make the right choice.

And then the second feeling I find in those moments is the audience. goes, no, we are specific in our choice. We've chosen Trevor, Noah, Trevor Noah has chosen us. This is not for everyone. And so this. this experience becomes more into this should be a feeling of of pride. Yeah. And so what I'm saying and that is the reason. I say you're a scaffolding brother, which I don't mind. I have some scaffolding in me as well as with the scaffolding. Me. So don't just throw therapy words out in the shot. Therapy words at all. I know this is out there. Don't get on your audience. This is not.

There is not a therapist. This is not. It's a very selfish therapist. Like this is not therapy talk at all. It's scaffolding is definitely therapy. It's like tummy bubbles. What did how many bubbles? Like someone someone would use that in therapy as well. Okay. All right. So you did a double stomach bubble. What I just said that was not a therapy word. And I feel like I feel like if you say. tummy bubbles I go, that's a therapy word. That's just the way it's what you say. Gaslighting. That's a therapy. Okay. That's that's a therapy that's different. Don't go anywhere because we got more.

What now? After this. What I mean by a scaffolding a scaffolding, brother, is. there are two ways. or there multiple ways, but I think two of the of the, of the, of the prominent ways. for us to deal with the idea of having less or going backwards. or diminishing in life or whatever it might be. The one way is to build scaffolding in our lives. and what that scaffolding is as we go.

Okay. If, as Kevin Hart, I'm not a movie star. Oh, okay. What do I have if as Kevin Hart, I'm not a comedian selling out, what do I have? Okay, so let me diversify. I'm going to build up these companies. I'm going to build up these institutions. I'm going to own that. I'm going to own this. I'm going to own this. I'm going to own that. I'm going gonna own that. I'm going that way. I'm in a situation. where my eggs are not in one basket, and that means that if in one space. I am, you know, unceremoniously kicked out, I still have everything else that I can go back to. I have basically created the scaffolding,

you know, that's that's why they use scaffolding in construction. so that they don't go backwards from that. But it's like, all right, let's build around this thing. to at least enable it to get to a certain place, and then we can sort of move back. But but it holds everything wet needs to be while it is being built up. Right. I think is a great breakdown. Right. And I would encourage you to try it a little bit more. I know it's hard, don't get me wrong, because you're Kevin Hart. and you have this mountain that you built, but I would encourage you as Kevin Hart to also realize beyond. the brands, beyond the buildings, beyond all of those things. And I would even speak on behalf of your kids.

I think you take for granted that the buildings. may not have as much of an impact on your kids. as the building that you've done with them. I would say you're probably correct. It's not. Not probably. Well, yeah, here's what you probably are. Correct. Are you said probably again. Well, I'm going to tell you why you say you are right. So. the idea. of follow through early on. it presented itself.

And I never took a serious right, school. I fucked it off. High school SATs fucked it off. Didn't take a series Abacha, dad, but the whole way down. I'm going to great adventure to go be with my friends. You know, applying to college, trying to get into college for what? Like everybody. Are y'all doing it? Fucked it off. Community college. Two weeks. I'm out of here. The same for me. Sneaker store. I guess that's what it's going to be. Everything because you worked at. Where do you work? A Foot locker within sports. City.

City sports. Okay. Yeah. Everything that was position. in front of me for me to take seriously, that my mother tried her best to get me to understand. Yeah, I fucked off swimming. Successful in it. Could have had scholarships, could have done it over. I fucked it off. You swim. I a phenomenal swimmer. Like at that level. Yes. I thought you had to be tall to be a good swimmer. No, you. This is not even a joke. It sounds like it's not a joke.

It really sounds like a big. Okay, let's go back. Let's go back. What you gave. I gave you a chance. Let's go back on that one. Yeah. You know, swimming. You swam? Yeah. That's. That's amazing. Yeah. What do you think it is about your physical makeup. that made you think. Let's, let's let's go to take three. Let's go. Yeah. Let's go. I feel, you know, swimming. You swam? Yes. When? When I think of swimming. Yeah. When you think of.

I find myself. thinking of an archetype, a certain type of person, you know? And this is because maybe swimming has been. There's been gatekeepers. Yeah. in swimming. And so you think of, you know, Michael Phelps, they look a certain way. Yeah. I know, you know, like, we're, you know, we're. what do they call it when you share the same love, you do the same thing. You practice. Yeah. But I think it's less about the it's less about the drive. I'm talking about the physical aspects of the person. Like I've been next to the swimming pool, like. Yeah, yeah. I can't really tell us apart in high water.

You can't. Yeah, yeah. So I so I thought about the stroke. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. My freestyle was amazing. Butterfly was phenomenal. Is that because you. Is that because you're pulling less I don't what do you mean? What does that mean? What does that. What do we say? Pulling less. What are you saying? It's all about strength, Trevor. And drag. Right. Well, isn't it about. Isn't it about minimizing drag? No, Trevor, it's about minimizing movement or wiggle. Okay. Great form. And swimming provides great results.

Now, granted, I fucked it off because I was a cheater, all right? I was God, it was cheating in practice and half assed in it. I didn't want to do shit. The point that I'm making. is that everything I was supposed to do, seriously, I fucked it all, So when I finally cracked the code and figured out the thing. that I could do, the fair is not fucking it off. I like. I fucked it off. Everything else I fucked off. So this here, I'm not gonna fuck it off. I'm going to not only take it serious, I'm gonna get so good at it.

and do it at the best of my ability, right? Oh, shit. Something else happened. Well, I'm not going to fuck that opportunity off either. Oh, shit. Another door. I ain't going to fuck that off everything now as an adult, because the adult that was giving me the information was right. My mom was right. When did you when did you first first start. realizing how right. your mom was when you realized how much you fucked off? Oh, you. When you look up and all your friends moving on. and going away to college, they got scholarships.

And you saying, what did you apply? What did you all apply to do that have you didn't apply? And now you realize you're ignorant, child. you realize you're a dumb child. Do you feel like. you got to the place where you got to reward your. your mother for the investment that she made in you? Because. Because I know how hard it was. You know, for you losing her. Absolutely not. You didn't feel like in your lifetime, you know. No. You don't think she was, like. Because she. Just as you were rising.

fools gold. I want to say this was like my we in Australia where we just. Australia. I'm just trying to think of where this movie, you know, this is this is basically like, you know, a big role for me. Yeah. Because I was number 3 or 4 on a call sheet. I was like Matthew McConaughey, kind of Kate Hudson. And this is a big role. So I went away to Australia. But this is like one of my like big roles. Yeah. And your mum was sick at the time. Sick time. So she didn't get to like the world of benefits.

came way after meaning like the real fruits of the labor. So, you know, mom didn't have a house. My mom, you know, we didn't have grass. My mom didn't have comfort in her life. My mom wasn't able to relax and on her later stages of life, she was sick. So in the perfect picture of I would love to provide my mom with. Yeah, the luxury item of comfort. Of sit down and don't worry.

but at the same time. there is a dual thought and dual feeling of. I kind of navigate through this business. in a way where I'm not bothered. or like ruffled easily by the ups and downs of it. And I truly do feel because I got the hand of on my shoulder. Yeah, I got I got that amazing guiding light, right? And an amazing like talent of processing.

information processing moments. And that's good from your mom. Absolutely. On your on your dad's side. Do you think you were ever able to forgive him? Do you think, you know, I know you had an interesting and tumultuous relationship. You connected as adults, but there's moments. where you even see this in your in your documentary. By the way, if anyone's keenly observing, you can still see that there were moments. where your dad has this, he had this hold over you.

It's like, you know, it's it's like on the one hand, he's sort of holding you back. On the other hand, he's proud of you. And and and like most parents, he's limited in his ability to be perfect. Did you forgive him while he was still alive? Absolutely. I think you know my dad. Absolutely. Yeah. No, I only say this because I think it's. I think it's tough and it's hard for us to think about these moments. But let's say here's I say absolutely. Yeah. There's no reservation towards my dad. Okay. okay. There's an understanding like, you can't go back and change the things you did.

Yeah, you can apologize and we can be grown and be men and move forward. But at this point, life wasn't about me. Like, I'm okay. Focus on being a grandpa. like, don't you don't worry about me at this point. And I'm telling them at face value, like I'm good. I love you because you're my dad. I appreciate you for tabling the mistakes and the bad choices.

By the way, I got some of you in me. so my bad choices are in my fucking blood life, right? I'm not the guy. To your point. Earlier, the monk or the walking stable of perfection. I get where I come from, I get where I'm a mess and where I'm not. But what I do very well is process reality. The reality is you're my father. I don't want to take that away. I don't want to change that. Yeah, and your mistakes are great mistakes.

because they gave me great examples and what I shouldn't fucking do. try my best to avoid that shit, because. Look at the consequences of it. Yeah. You live, do your consequences, you survive them. Your man will be a dope ass. Grandpa, tell your grandkids some dope stories. Go get some dope toys. Go put that time in over there. because you want to get more joy out of that than you are. going to get out of trying to redo or undo. When I'm telling you, I'm not looking back there, I'm looking up here.

My joy is going to come from my kids going, hey man, can we see Grandpop? My kids are going to go, my joy is coming from my is beautiful. Like saying that we want to go back and spend time with grandpa. They know about your past. That's you get it? You get a new chance. You get an opportunity. Absolutely right a script. That's your next version of Kevin. Yeah, that's the next version. That's your son's child. My mom always said the reason they call them. grandparents is because now you have a grand opportunity. to be a different type of parent, 1000 different levels of wisdom,

understanding, compassion, all of it's my my brother and my dad's wish. It was a little rougher. They figured this shit out. My brothers pound for pound. The best thing that ever happened to my kids. My brother. has taken the role. If I have to go, he comes. I got to go on the road. My brother comes to the house, I gotta go do movie. or promo or whatever.

My brother's out there. The feeling of love is never a void. Yeah or never a missed opportunity. Now for kids, for kids that all stand on. Oh yeah when they're like oh come on uncle helps us do this. My brother is the A man. Let me show you our fly a kite. Let me see. You never do a boomerang. You never seen these old movies rascals. Can they. You show rascals. That's funny. You, you've, you've maintained the village man. You don't. It's the village that you overlook. Yeah.

If you got a partner. Yeah. You got a partner in crime. that really understands you and has your best years. Well, I'm coming in. And dad is the cool dad that loves us and wants to do all the cool stuff. The dope activities. We watch, movies, we chill. But uncle or uncle got the activity game or lot. I love the dad. Uncle, you know, uncle showed me how to throw a strike. You can't throw no strike. Let me see it though. I bet I knocked that ball out the park. No, you not in my brother's. Throw the strike.

I'll beat the shit out that bomb my kids like dad. That's right. You know why I did that? Because your uncle ain't shit right now. We. We got a great rapport. But the fun, the energy. Yeah, that energy comes from understanding of where we come from. So what you build. is ultimately a comfort of just simply what you can fall back on. Right? And that fall back. What I want your listeners to understand that fall back. should be a feeling that we all have after the pandemic, after the, after the, the, the climate that we saw.

overtake our world after we saw the economy shut down. We all have a little fear of if it happens again. Well let me build something so I can fall if you don't ever. think about the fall, when you fall you're not going to get up. That's a real thing. You will not get up. And we're in a business of folded chairs by folded chairs. It means so many people chooses to no longer sit down on a chair. They say, you know what, fuck this. I'm gonna fold this chair up and put it up. I'm done.

And that comes from a mindset. It comes from a lack of understanding that you can create or build. what makes you feel strong. If you want real strength, give yourself the bandwidth. and mental infrastructure to feel as strong as you. possibly need to go out and do the shit you want to do, because now, fail or not, you feel good because you feel. like you are investing into you, and you can look back and see. if I can say I own a pair of pants.

What else are my fucking pants? Hey man, can't take these pants for me. These are my pants. This is scaffolding. It's fucking scaffolding. I need to do it. This is better. Call me the scaffolding, King. Okay? Because I'm gonna build all this scaffolding. Can call it what you want. I got it, and I'm gonna build it. Do not put all your eggs in one basket. I dream is to not even have eggs. Okay, that's my dream. Okay, I may not get there, but it's my dream. It's my dream before that. Before I say this.

Before you say one more thing, I got to say this and you talked about it. because you touched on it a little bit. We talked about the fear as a comic, right? Let's like, of course, take all his personal shit out of it. Bill Cosby, for a second. Did you then Bill Cosby in the end of a. in the end of a sentence, you see, why, Bill Cosby you can't. Okay, I can't, but can I just say I said, put it aside. Okay, I said it, but let me explain something. I preference to explain something right now. You cannot you cannot just say at the end of a sentence. Yeah. You kind of go like, you know, let's test all the personal shit.

I said, I want to Bill Cosby. Yeah. So anyway. Okay, you you have to like watching me prepare me. You. Right. I'm about to say some deep shit, but it's going to start off. as fucked up shit, and there we go. You see that? Okay, okay. You ready? All right, Bill Cosby. All right, so. I went. I was in Montreal, and I've got old. Bill Cosby was performing at some, like, little thing. Bill Cosby was, let's just call it 70 something. Okay. Came out and sat on a stool.

Bill Cosby started doing Bill Cosby. America comedy. Bill Cosby comedy. Bill got it. And it was a sold out crowd at 70 something years old. without any consistent see and touring or. Yeah, like, yeah. like real dedication to the craft over the course of time. But at the old age of the feeling and joy that comes from the laughter. Yeah, yeah, of a crowd is what we'll forever get high off of.

Yeah. Right. And when I talked about being envious, I was like, man, I'm envious that he still gets. to feel that at that age. I hope and pray that when I'm that age. I still have the desire to go in front of a crowd. And do the thing that I fell in love with. I hope and pray that. my love for the thing I do continues.

Because the fear to your point you talked about sex. Talk about the joke am funny am I not. Is this work. Is that not work. All he started does we have rights. But if you can beat all those thoughts. and just maintain a high level of love. Yeah. For the craft. Right. And for the energy, it will be attached to the people. that have invested in you through the years. And I looked at his crowd of people were older shit. met crowd, a bunch of old fucking people came out.

and I was like, it's because they grew up on it. that's their life. Their life was like always. His fans have still roll with them prior to. Until this moment. they're still buying tickets and excited. Imagine as Trevor Noah and as Kevin Hart. Hey don't don't put my name in the in the sentence. Go on imagine. Well I said as Kevin as mentioned you know I said you first I put a. I put a gap. Imagine myself imagine that's driving home is your show.

Imagine is Trevor Noah and Kevin Hart. We get to a place man. And you look out and you see some old people still rocking which. Right. What better feeling? I'll tell you. I'll tell you what better feeling for me. I hear what you're saying because I understand the moral of your story. What you're saying is, in life, be like Bill Cosby. Wait. Not what? Wait a second. That was the moral of your story. No. You said as white, no matter how old you get. No, you keep doing it. Just. This is. This is what I heard you say. So. Okay. No, I don't agree with it. But because you're my guest, I don't argue with you, okay? You know, I think this is a forum for everyone to air their opinions.

I personally would have just told. that story and not said who the comedian was. I would just say it was like an old guy on stage. who was a great comedian, and I. What you're doing right now, you're scaffolding. Oh. Don't be afraid. Those are just tummy bubbles. You relax. So. So I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what's great. Look, I'm not I'm not dismissing. And I mean this honestly, it is great to have that. But I think what would be a greater feeling for me as a human being. is to have that feeling, regardless of whether I was know on stage.

Okay. Do you know what I mean? Okay. That's honestly what I try and hope to pursue in life is where I go. That thing on stage is beautiful. Yeah, it is a wonderful compliment to my life, but I genuinely want. to feel like that. And I do in many moments now when I'm not on stage. Well, so and so I try and move through. You've been very active. about voicing this, like in our conversations, like, you know me from the time we even did, like The Daily Show. Yeah, you. But I love the even about the daily Show.

And I remember I walked away when we were talking. I was like, what an answer. Like I was like, what? Like, why are you like, it was just time. Yeah. Like I just, you know, I got to the point where I was like, okay, and I want to pursue something else. Yeah. And you were like, and I'm, I'm. So I'm trying to find a good level of life I can possibly be. Now, you're it's very genuinely it's genuinely genuine. The I have and, you know, have great conversations. with people before I let you go. You're very busy, man. Let me ask you this question. I ask everybody on the podcast what now?

We meet Kevin Hart in this moment. because it seems like you are perpetually building. and perpetually expanding. I'd love to know what now, as the as you move into the next stage. of doing everything that's VC, it's banking, it's all of these things. What? And do me a favor, Kevin. I ask you this as a friend and as a human being, don't ever release like some shitty credit product. that hurts black people and poor people. And I'm looking at you on camera saying this right now. I will not do that. I'm just saying that you right now, that card coming out, yo,

I don't have a I'm letting you know face to face. I'm telling you that I do not. Your people love you. Yes. I do not screw us over. I say this to you at face value. I mean this whole relationship. Yo, I'm just letting you know, partner. You remember I've offered you letters. You remember I had a dream. You remember? I even had a dream about you once. So this is the weirdest dream I've ever had. One of the strangest dreams, right? I had a dream. And this was before. Before you released it. I had a dream that Kevin Hart came to me, and he was like.

He was like, Trev, we got to release, a fitness drink. We gotta release a protein powder. And then I said to you, I said, okay, Kev, I love this idea. I said, but what are the ingredients? Is it going to be good? And you said, fuck good shit, man, who gives a shit if it's good, it's going to sell. We're going to do this. And and I started crying. This is the weirdest dream I've ever had. Because, Kev, we don't even roll like that. We don't even like, we've always been brothers in comedy. You always been wonderful to me. But we don't. It's not like we roll every day. People might have this false assumption. Yes, this was a strange dream for me to have.

And I remember I woke up and I was like, Kevin Hart, why would I even dream about that a few weeks? No, maybe like a few months later, you release, you released Vida. Vida Hustle. And I was like, oh my God, it's real. But then I tasted your tequila and you remember. I called you about this because I don't know why. I've been very honest with you from the time I've known you. I called you about called a good relationship. No, no, no, but I mean, what I mean is, like, it's like I'm more honest with you than people I've known for longer is. what I mean, right? With very few, like.

Very true, very true. Yeah. Very transparent. And I remember I called you and I said, Kevin, I thought this tequila was going to be shit. It's actually delicious. And you said, well, first of all, I'm offended. Why? Why would you say that? And I said, well, because I just assume it's a celebrity. You're going to put your name on a thing. And I was. And then you said something. You said, Trevor, you said, I'm trying to make everything I do be the. you like I want. Have the best tequila, not the best selling. I don't have the best tequila. Yes. I don't have the best protein. Not one of the best company. So what now? What? What's Kevin Hart moving towards now with Kevin Hart?

And other than therapy? Because I know you're going to try that. Yes. What I will say, I'm moving towards now. is finishing the sentences. there's incomplete sentences. Oh, beautiful. So I have to put periods. on the sentences, and those periods are attached to, the things that I'm building and the things that I'm building. The pressure I feel I put on myself is because I'm not just building it. for me. I'm building it for the people that have invested into me. and to the idea.

So heartbeat in the level of success is a studio. that I obtain to have that for myself. Oh yeah, the big what now is like. the creative platform, an opportunity for the stars of tomorrow. Like I, I got my light. It's not going to get any brighter. The star is not going to get any bigger. But the platform for or the studio of. if I can be attached or a part of saying, come this way. and the people that come to that door become man,

that's a fucking amazing way to pass the baton. That's beautiful man. So right now. I just want to get as close as I possibly can. to open up that next door that I don't have to go through. Yeah, but that those of tomorrow can I love them. That's what I want. That's what now I appreciate that, Trevor. I like talking to you, man. I love talking I always I always enjoy speaking to you. This is really good I think I think low key. I want to say that this was like. your way of giving me a therapy session. No, no, no. And I'm going to talk to you about it later.

I think you just know I thank you. Gas bomb me. What is that term? Right. Did you gas bomb. I thank you gas bomb actually like that? That's me. I'm a gas bomb. People know how much I appreciate you. I appreciate your transparency. I appreciate how you've always, always supported me. I always tell people the story, and I never hold back. I go. Nobody wanted to come on the Daily Show. when I was starting, everyone seemed, you know, like, now I hold an Emmy. People go, oh, it's obvious. Well deserved.

Nobody wanted to come on that show. Nobody wanted to be there because they were like, if I people were like if I say I'm with him, I don't know who he is, what he's going to do. How I understand that fear. I don't even hold it against people. You were literally the first person who said, I'll do it. I will open this random African person's TV show off the Jon Stewart. Absolutely. And I'll ride with it. And I'm eternally grateful. I was like, Kevin Hart and I get it. I was like, if he can support Bill Cosby, he can support me.

Okay, well, that's a weird way. And, and that and I just want to say I appreciate it. Okay. Well, I feel like we can edit that last piece. Oh, man, this was great. Thank you. Fucking love you, man. Thank you so much. Yo, can I just tell you the funniest thing? We can cut it out or leave it at the funniest moment. was when I was pulling in into this place. Security guard. He's like, he's like, oh, this is not your guy. The guy who like, someone who works outside, he's like, oh, you that dude, man, what's going on? What's going on? Jeff and Noah, Noah I'm like, hey, what's up man? He's like, oh, what are you doing here? I was like, oh, I'm coming. He's like, oh, you come and Kevin Hart, I'm like, yeah.

And he's like, oh, is about the Katt Williams thing. I was like, no, no, no man was like, what? No, why would you? I was like, what do you know man? What do you think we do? Oh, y'all come to me about that. Oh my God. Oh he he called it a true. I love you I love you, I love you. Do. What now with Trevor.

Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero. Productions, Fulwell 73 and Odyssey's Pineapple Street Studios. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Ben Winston, Jenna Weiss Berman, and Barry Finkel. Produced by Emmanuel Happiness, Marina Hankie, Jess Hackel, Natalie Pert, and Chelsea Williamson. Music. Mixing and mastering by Hannah Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now?