Black Comedy in America Episode 2 - Def Comedy Jam
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00:00When it comes to black comedy in America, there's life before Def Comedy Jam, and well,
00:21you know the rest.
00:22That's the legacy of Def Comedy Jam.
00:24It opened the door of who we are today as comedians.
00:27In the minds of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and legendary director Stan Lathan.
00:33That was genius, and they don't get enough credit.
00:36Def Jam launches the careers of countless comedy megastars.
00:40Def Jam introduced America to this brand of comedy.
00:44Yo, Martin Lawrence was in his zone.
00:49Uncut, in your face, unplugged, unapologetic.
00:53Everybody was in kill mode.
00:55It refines the 1990s.
00:58It was fashionable, it was loud.
01:00And remains a cultural phenomenon.
01:03Def Comedy Jam stamped you in time, and it stamped you in the culture.
01:08Just letting it go, butt naked, on the stage, and believing in yourself.
01:12Not only is black comedy everything, people want to see it.
01:16I ain't scared of you mother f***er.
01:20Ladies and gentlemen, Def Comedy Jam.
01:26What we created spawned a whole generation.
01:28Uncut, in your face.
01:29That guy has got it.
01:31First show I fell in love with.
01:32Good times.
01:33Jefferson.
01:34A movie star, that's rare.
01:35Fresh new energy.
01:36Multidimensional.
01:37Unapologetic.
01:38People want to see it.
01:39You can't even talk about black comedy without.
01:40Good shit.
01:41Def Comedy Jam.
01:42Eddie Murphy.
01:43Easy comedy.
01:44Kevin Hart.
01:45Choir.
01:46Fundamental to the black culture.
01:48When I heard the words, Russell Simmons, Def Comedy Jam, I immediately think, all the greats.
01:54That's when I was like, oh, we can say anything.
01:56She said, Mac, I said, yeah, that's my name.
01:57She said, can I ask you a question?
01:58I said, yeah.
01:59She says, does pussy taste like pumpkin pie?
02:00Made me mad.
02:01I said, don't ask me no damn question like that.
02:02I ain't never had no pumpkin pie.
02:03Yeah.
02:0490s comedy, it was like boundary pushing.
02:05Jesus coming back like a thief in the night.
02:06The night, the night.
02:07The night, the night.
02:08The night, the night.
02:09The night, the night.
02:10The night, the night.
02:11The night, the night.
02:12The night, the night.
02:13The night, the night.
02:14The night, the night.
02:15Pussy tastes like a thief in the night.
02:16The night, when you look at it, that's when you do most of your shit.
02:17You get that knock at that motel door.
02:18Who is it?
02:19It is I, my son.
02:20Girl, put your panties on that seat.
02:21It's not the door.
02:22You didn't let us in the door.
02:23We kicked the door in, so this is our space to do our thing.
02:34All the best black stand-up comedians, and there's a few white ones on there too.
02:39They come from Def Comedy Jam.
02:41Yo, yo, yo, Ryan Davis, what's up?
02:54My man, Bill Bellamy.
02:55What's up, baby?
02:56Hey, man.
02:57Let's do it.
02:58Hey, all the ladies in the house, make some noise.
02:59Yeah.
03:00Woo.
03:01I'm about to make history.
03:02Make history, baby.
03:04We're in the studio, man, we're in the studio.
03:06This is a vibe.
03:07We're going to talk about Def Jam.
03:09And you know, Def Jam is directly tied to music.
03:13Def Comedy Jam is one of the biggest, I don't know, black
03:18culture phenomenons ever.
03:20Ever.
03:21Ever.
03:22This is where we as black comedians come together and
03:23unite as one.
03:25Come here, girl.
03:26This is where we as black comedians come together and unite as one.
03:30Come here, girl!
03:33And that's just in the airport.
03:34I always tell people when they ask me about Def Jam,
03:37just imagine the Dream Team.
03:39All these talented people waiting to get on.
03:43They are gifted, they have nowhere to go but up,
03:46but they need something to help.
03:48And Russell Simmons, shout out to him, give him his flowers,
03:51is that Russell gave us an opportunity to show the world
03:55that not only is black comedy everything,
03:58people want to see it.
04:00First comedy we saw that was Def Comedy Jam-like
04:04was Robin Harris.
04:06If you want to get acquainted with me and my son,
04:09you'll have to take us to Disneyland.
04:11Ain't that a bitch?
04:13I went to pick up the next day, here she got four more kids.
04:17I says, uh...
04:22Who kids are them?
04:24Those are Bebe kids.
04:27I said, where the f*** is Bebe?
04:30It was not only his show that he had in Crenshaw,
04:33but it was all the clubs around the country
04:36where this new group of comedians were emerging.
04:40And so there were great comedians all over the country, undiscovered.
04:43These people needed their exposure,
04:45and once people got a taste of it,
04:47it became a cultural phenomenon.
04:52Guy Teezy!
04:54What up, man?
04:56How are you, sir?
04:58Good.
04:59This is nice, this is your place.
05:01Yeah, yeah, it's my place.
05:03Negroes in the house, I love this guy.
05:06My name is Guy T, y'all, peace.
05:09Russell Simmons.
05:11Man, Russell, man, every time I see Russell,
05:13I get starstruck when I still see Russell Simmons.
05:16Because it's just that he's that guy, man,
05:18that, you know, between him and Stan Latham,
05:20coming up with the idea for Def Comedy Jam, man,
05:23I mean, that was genius, and they don't get enough credit.
05:27Along with Bob Sumner.
05:29Bob Sumner, who booked every comedian you've ever seen on Def Jam,
05:32he went in these clubs around the country
05:35and picked these acts, you know?
05:38What we see today in black Hollywood and Hollywood
05:42with the urban shows and everything,
05:44they had a lot to do to be the orchestrators of that.
05:48It's the Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam!
05:54What was your role for HBO's Def Comedy Jam?
05:58My role was to just travel all over the country
06:02for Def Comedy Jam,
06:04and just, like, see him up close and personal.
06:07So when I came into the Comedy Act Theater
06:10and I saw D.L. Hughbery...
06:12He's an agent right next to that mother...
06:14And I saw Yvette Wilson,
06:17and I saw Ricky Harris.
06:19I knew that they were going to be on my first season
06:22along with the guy over at Mavericks Flat
06:25named J. Anthony Brown.
06:27Oh, you come home and smell chicken,
06:29but your punk ass won't find none.
06:31It's her...ass that made it all up.
06:33Sitting in the living room sucking her...teeth.
06:36You know, and I wanted to take Michael Kalia from Venice Beach.
06:40I love dreadlocks for two reasons.
06:42Number one, dreadlocks mean you stand up
06:44for what you believe in as a Rastafarian.
06:47And secondly, it means you'll never get a...job in America.
06:50And show them that he could get on a stage and do what he does.
06:54The only way you can do 100 miles an hour in a Hyundai
06:58is if you're going down a steep hill full of fat people
07:00with a heavy tail wind.
07:02It's deeper than looking at links and tapes,
07:05because that's like when you send your best game film.
07:08You know what I mean?
07:10I ain't see how many times you got the ball stripped,
07:13how many fumbles, you know what I mean?
07:15I'm coming to see you live.
07:18How did you even get on Def Jam?
07:21Bob Sumner, who at this time, he was my first manager.
07:25He was like, yo, man, hey, I think you're going to be something, man.
07:29People like you, you cool, and you could be on TV, man.
07:33I'd like to help you.
07:35I said, who's this dude that talks slow like this?
07:37Bill was a young kid coming in from Rutgers
07:40who I saw a lot of talent in.
07:42At that time, Def Comedy Jam was bubbling.
07:46I was thinking I was going to perform regularly at the Uptown.
07:50I did not know Russell Simmons and all the HBO people were in the house.
07:54That's why you always go hard, Ryan.
07:56Yeah.
07:57Always go hard, because you never know who in the audience.
07:59Five people or 500, go hard.
08:02I do my thing, stand in ovation.
08:05I come out, Russell meets me on the other end
08:08with these executives from HBO,
08:11and they were talking about this thing called Def Comedy Jam.
08:14Can I do Russell's voice?
08:15Yeah.
08:16First of all, I think what you did is absolutely amazing.
08:20We would have these showcases, and I'd be amazed
08:22at how many great people came forward.
08:25I love your charisma. I love what you're doing.
08:27I feel like you're epically the culture,
08:30and you bring so much swag to hip-hop.
08:34These white people here, they're all from HBO.
08:36They see you. They love you.
08:38You're going to be on my show. I'm Russell Simmons.
08:41I had no idea who Russell Simmons was.
08:43So cut to everybody's like,
08:44yo, man, Russell Simmons was talking to you, man.
08:46What'd he say? What'd he say? I didn't know.
08:48I said, man, they're doing something called Def Comedy Jam and shit.
08:52Cut back, call Bob.
08:53Bob said, that's what I was telling you, man.
08:55That's what's happening. You got to be on it.
08:57What did Russell say?
08:59I said, Russell said he liked me.
09:01He was like, yo, you're going to be on Def Comedy Jam.
09:03Boom, boom, pow.
09:04Auditions happening at the Peppermint.
09:06Bam, boom.
09:08That's how I got on TV.
09:09New York is fly, but one thing I don't like about New York, man,
09:12when you come over here and you drive,
09:14every time, tell the truth, though, when you park on a bad street,
09:17don't you always turn around and look at your car
09:19like you may never see that motherfucker again?
09:22This show Def Jam was like, I call it Moses.
09:25It took a lot of brothers to the promised land.
09:27It took a lot of brothers to the promised land.
09:30I mean, come on.
09:31Martin Lawrence, Joe Torrey, Eddie Griffin.
09:34I know y'all seen the Rodney King beating came on every night,
09:37turned into a TV series.
09:40Let's watch the Rodney King beating tonight,
09:427.30, 8.30, 9.30. We're whooping his ass just for you.
09:45Myself, to be completely honest.
09:47We'll be late to our own funeral.
09:49Go to a black funeral.
09:50I'm about to have an open cast of Niggas Coming Down the Aisle.
09:52Hold up, motherfucker.
09:55Makeup!
09:56Mike Epps.
09:57You ever seen a motherfucker take some dirty Levi's
09:59out the clothes hamper and iron them?
10:00Iron smoke be fucked as hell.
10:03Pants be shiny.
10:04Till it look like blue leather pants.
10:06Nigga iron chicken stains, jelly stain.
10:08And that style of comedy was hot.
10:11Define the style.
10:12The style was uncut, in your face, unplugged, unapologetic.
10:16It was fashionable.
10:18It was loud.
10:19It was like straight to the punchline.
10:21We don't need the B-sides.
10:22We don't need that much setup.
10:24Just get to the motherfucking meat.
10:25Def Jam introduced urban black comedy into white neighborhoods.
10:29Because it was successful.
10:31And it was successful because white people were watching.
10:33Because white people didn't have cable back then.
10:37So HBO was transitioning into they had the taxicab confessions.
10:43And they had the hookers on the point or whatever.
10:45Larry Sanders.
10:46And they had real sex.
10:47So they were turning into that programming that was edgy.
10:51And so Def Jam fit right in there.
10:53Boom.
10:55The 1990s.
10:57America.
10:58Race.
10:59It was a huge transition period.
11:01We saw so many comedians launched.
11:05But we also saw an unabashed performing.
11:08We saw a liberation.
11:10We saw a manumission in the performing.
11:13Because that's what we needed.
11:15We needed to say it loud again that we were black and we were proud.
11:19Def Comedy Jam allowed us to be liberated yet again, in my opinion.
11:27When Def Jam broke out, Def Jam changed the whole game.
11:31You know, Martin Lawrence was at the height of his powers at that time.
11:35And they ushered in a new style of comedy.
11:38Martin Lawrence was everything.
11:41Him as a host was crazy.
11:44So y'all ready to have a good time?
11:45Yeah!
11:46Let me say it, huh?
11:47Yeah!
11:48Y'all louder than that.
11:49Yeah!
11:50Yeah, that's what the **** I'm talking about.
11:56From New York City, it's the Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam.
12:04With your host, Martin Lawrence.
12:07What made Martin so great on Def Jam was the first time we saw raw hip-hop comedy.
12:13And the first time we saw real crowd work.
12:17God damn.
12:19What kind of glasses you got on, man?
12:21I know, I just...
12:23It just do me for a minute and ****.
12:25How many fingers?
12:29****, you see an eight, mother******. I was lying.
12:31Martin's crowd work was bar to none.
12:33I'm just ****ing with everybody. That's your lady right there?
12:36That's your lady! Hey, how you doing?
12:40I was nervous.
12:41That's a lot of hair way back, you know.
12:45What's up?
12:46What's up?
12:47No, I'm just joking.
12:51There's a bull horse in Central Park.
12:53His energy and he would just mess with people in the audience.
12:56And he'd shoot on people. It was the first time we seen that.
12:59It wasn't this whole, like, every day you see people doing crowd work on Instagram.
13:03But imagine, like, there was no social media back then.
13:06So when Def Jam came on, we waiting for Martin to shoot at somebody in the audience.
13:11We got Dr. Dre from MTV, give him a round of applause.
13:14Big ass, Dre.
13:16You a big mother****** to be hosting some shit.
13:19And Dre just don't give **** either.
13:25How did Martin Lawrence come about?
13:27Timing was everything.
13:28I've always heard that Def Jam was supposed to be for Rob.
13:32Why wouldn't it have been?
13:34Blah, blah, whatever your name is.
13:36Sound like some of you catch on your feet.
13:38You see my boy?
13:39No, I haven't seen him, sir.
13:42You sure?
13:43Why don't you go home and watch the Late Show, pops?
13:47Why don't you just go home?
13:49Little test tube, baby.
13:51So we thought Robin Harris would be our host.
13:54Robin Harris, unfortunately, passed.
13:57But then I went to Eddie Murphy and asked him if he wanted to host it.
14:00And he recommended Martin Lawrence.
14:04So when Robin passes, basically the torch is passed to Martin?
14:07Oh, no doubt about it.
14:08Martin was a no-brainer.
14:10Plus, he was hip-hop.
14:19Yo, Martin Lawrence was in his zone as the host of Def Comedy Jam.
14:24Hey, where my music, man?
14:27Chat it off.
14:28One, two.
14:30One, two.
14:31F***.
14:36Martin was doing stuff so off the head.
14:39His improv game was crazy.
14:41And he didn't give a f***, bro.
14:43He would, like, call you out.
14:44He'd point over.
14:45He'd put the camera right there.
14:47Lawrence Taylor.
14:49And Ice-T.
14:52And Ice-T, yeah!
14:57Now, what's up?
14:58Now, hold on, what's up?
14:59L-T, right?
15:00And Ice-T.
15:01What, man?
15:02What's up?
15:03Y'all got the same mother?
15:04What's up, man?
15:05What is she, an albino linebacker?
15:08It just made the show, like, church, man.
15:11That's another black cultural thing.
15:13What's crazy?
15:14Because if you're the host in any other culture, it's you here to set the tone.
15:19No.
15:20And bring the comedian out.
15:21Martin was like, I'm going to stand him up, and good luck to you.
15:24Oh, my man and lover MTV.
15:26What's up, man?
15:27Give that a round of applause.
15:30And Todd Won.
15:32What's up, Todd?
15:35You're here with MTV.
15:36Todd Won.
15:38You know who Todd Girl is, right?
15:40MC Light.
15:42And guess what?
15:44He got a tattoo on his chest.
15:46Got MC Light on this shit.
15:50And I used to f*** her.
15:52Go.
15:54Martin Lawrence was literally on his rocket ship at this moment.
15:59You got to understand, Martin Lawrence was Def Comedy Jam, and the Martin show was like, right?
16:05They was kind of, like, cooking at the same time.
16:07Yeah.
16:08He had You So Crazy.
16:09How do mother f*** get this drunk?
16:13He just came off a house party.
16:16Yeah.
16:17Just like he was.
16:18He's cooking.
16:19He is cooking.
16:20So.
16:21And he's the face everybody knows.
16:23They all know me.
16:24And you got to follow the guy everybody knows.
16:28What was Martin's appeal?
16:29Like you said, white people got a chance to really watch us and enjoy it.
16:34And I think a lot of it had to do with this Master of Ceremonies thing.
16:39Martin Lawrence.
16:40Martin was just likable.
16:41Right.
16:42He was kind of like, you know, it was likable.
16:43It's funny.
16:44Right.
16:45He was physical comedy.
16:46He was well written.
16:48And he was just energetic.
16:50That just popped off the screen.
16:53I guess when Martin stepped down, you know, Joe was ready.
16:58How you doing?
16:59I'm Joe Torrey, new host of Def Comedy.
17:01Hey man, what's up, man?
17:02Don't mess this up.
17:03This is my time.
17:04OK?
17:05Def new host of Joe Torrey, new host of Def Comedy Jam on the new circuit.
17:09Where you going to put him?
17:10Lippy store?
17:11He can't even hold a camera.
17:13Back at the comedy store.
17:15I know I'm a little late.
17:16All right.
17:17But better late than never.
17:18Let's have a good time.
17:19Let's go!
17:22All right, Joe, before we get to you becoming the second host,
17:25how many episodes of Def Jam did you do before you got that call?
17:28I headlined the first show.
17:30What's up, baby?
17:31Got on her little outfit and boots and shit.
17:33Got on her little outfit and boots and tights and shit.
17:35You a superhero?
17:38I do the warm up for every show Martin did.
17:41You were the warm up for HBO's Def Comedy Jam?
17:44Because nobody wanted to do it.
17:45Everybody was scared.
17:46If I was on Saturday night and I got there Friday night,
17:48I was like, who's warming up for Martin?
17:50So I would just work my jokes out.
17:52I would just get used to the crowd.
17:53I'd be telling the, you know, telling the stories
17:56and to the point where a couple things, a couple times,
17:59they told me, take your staff thing off.
18:02Oh, your badge.
18:03Take your badge off. We're recording this.
18:05And they played it back on VH1.
18:07A couple of them were my warm up sets.
18:10I got warm up sets they taped and put on Def Jam as my real set.
18:14Wow.
18:15My first introduction to Def Comedy Jam was my brother, Joe Torrey.
18:19Joe Torrey hosts Russell Timmons' Def Comedy Jam.
18:23Again, we didn't have cable television,
18:25so there was no flicking of the channels for cable to see what it was doing.
18:28It was like, hey, I'm on HBO.
18:30And the funny story is, you know, my parents lived in the city.
18:33My dad was telling everybody at church, his son's going to be on TV.
18:37His son's going to be on HBO on this comedy show.
18:39No one knew what Def Jam was.
18:41So my dad came over with a brand new VHS tape, you know,
18:46to put in the VCR to tape his son, Joe Torrey,
18:49on national TV doing stand-up comedy.
18:52He didn't tell his whole church, the entire church.
18:55So my dad came in with the tape, he took out the wrapper,
18:57put it in the VCR on top of the television,
19:00and sat back down like a proud parent.
19:02And my brother came out with...
19:04Look here, if you motherfuckers ready to laugh, let me hear you say,
19:06Hell yeah!
19:07Hell yeah!
19:08And my dad's face went from...
19:11And he's just...
19:13The smile came to a frown.
19:15So you're watching your dad watch this?
19:17Yes. Uncomfortable.
19:19So in the middle of Joe's set, my dad got up,
19:22he ejected the VHS, sat back down,
19:26and he enjoyed the rest of the...
19:28He watched the rest of the set.
19:30But it was like, wow.
19:32And that's what kind of made me timid to do stand-up
19:35because of how my dad reacted.
19:37But once he saw Joe making an honest living out of it,
19:40it made it easier for me.
19:43How y'all doing?
19:44All right!
19:45Shit, y'all came out to laugh at me?
19:47Say hell yeah!
19:48Hell yeah!
19:50Applause for my man, King Capri, in the booth.
19:53What made King Capri so great?
19:55Why was he the guy for the job?
19:59Def Jam was cool because it was black people having fun,
20:03and the audience was so close to the comedian
20:06that when they reacted,
20:07like their leg kicking up, the screaming,
20:09it was like you just wanted to be a part of it.
20:11Even if you wasn't a comedian, he's like,
20:13I want to be there.
20:14That's what Def Jam brought to me.
20:16It was like, the way they shot Def Jam,
20:18you wanted to be in the building.
20:20Y'all welcome to Def Comedy Jam.
20:22Y'all give it up for the baddest DJ in the land,
20:26my man, King Capri!
20:28What's up, kid?
20:30What's up, son?
20:32This is my New York stuff, I just learned it.
20:35What's up, B?
20:36What's up, Hop?
20:38We're in life, son.
20:40We're just fine, kid.
20:43You can just say them three all over again,
20:46you know what I'm saying?
20:47Just in that order.
20:48What made Kid Capri so great?
20:50Why was he the guy for the job?
20:52Because what that turned into
20:55was like having the hipness at a comedy show.
20:58Having a concert and a comedy show at the same time.
21:01That's what Kid Capri was.
21:02I mean, okay, how can you come to,
21:04oh, man, I almost forgot it was a comedy show.
21:06Because he opened up with like 15, 20 minutes
21:08of just rocking, scratching, and wherever he went,
21:11he was a concert all by himself.
21:13And his self was an artist.
21:16By all means necessary, it's the Kid Capri,
21:18and as we put it on, a little something like this
21:20for the uptown crew.
21:21I'm feeling the way you make me feel
21:26Feel, feel, feel
21:30Tell you baby
21:31What Kid Capri does is why DJs make money now.
21:34I think Kid Capri put DJs on the map
21:37as far as being universal,
21:39getting paid as much as they want to.
21:41I can't imagine a comedy show now without the DJ.
21:44Without the DJ?
21:45Without the DJ.
21:46Well, can you imagine a party without somebody
21:49with the energy as Kid Capri now?
21:51Right.
21:52The energy.
21:53You gotta be this.
22:02Kid Capri, give it up for my man.
22:04That is DJ out there, yo.
22:07Kid Capri was just a whole nother concert
22:11where you was like, is this a comedy show?
22:13Man, we got comedy?
22:14Right.
22:15One more time for the baddest DJ ever,
22:17Kid Capri!
22:20And that right there, man, I don't care how you feeling,
22:23you just gotta like, okay,
22:25if you ain't feeling like you're doing comedy,
22:27you just gotta jolt of something strong.
22:29You don't know the fullness of Kid Capri
22:31until you've been to one of his shows.
22:34Outside of a Def Jam.
22:35Outside of a Def Jam.
22:36Okay.
22:37Like, Kid Capri is electric.
22:38It's just his voice, his energy,
22:40is that New York swag, that Brooklyn swag.
22:43And the thing about it is,
22:45during the tour, the Def Comedy Jam tour,
22:48you got 5,000 people in there, man,
22:50and the way he would get them hyped before a show,
22:52it always made you afraid to go out there.
22:55What's up, man?
22:57What's up, G?
22:58How you doing?
22:59Give me something, man,
23:00because see, you know what?
23:01People don't really know how bad you are,
23:02so hook something up for me.
23:04You know, I'm a dam.
23:05Can I get a little lady to dance with me?
23:07Come here.
23:10That's it.
23:12This is my friend,
23:13and now you're telling us,
23:15now, what the f*** up?
23:16I know Big Bird out of business,
23:17but what the f*** up?
23:21I think the outfits were trash, right?
23:24Let's just be honest.
23:25Everybody on Def Jam looked like
23:27they were on unemployment,
23:30and this is the best they can do, you know?
23:33And I don't know what the financial payout was
23:36for Def Jam back in the day,
23:37but it could have been a lot.
23:38And I don't know if they had, like,
23:39a wardrobe person backstage.
23:41I don't think they did,
23:42because it was almost like
23:43every comedian came out like a stepdad.
23:46Tucked in, shirt under their jeans, overcoat.
23:49Like, they just got off work,
23:50and after they said,
23:51they had to go pick up their kid.
23:53That's the only bad thing about Def Jam.
23:55None of you n****s could dress,
23:56and I don't want you getting mad at me,
23:58because I can't dress,
23:59but we're not talking about me.
24:00We're talking about you guys,
24:02and all of you were bad,
24:03and you guys were very funny
24:05and pioneers of bad clothes.
24:07D.L., in the 90s, you know,
24:08I used to watch you.
24:09You had the, you know,
24:10flat-top everything.
24:11Your set was good.
24:12Outfit was bad, you know?
24:14Bernie Mac, rest in peace.
24:15If he was here, I'd tell him,
24:16you were funny.
24:17Outfit, trash.
24:18But Eddie Griffin always looked
24:20like an angry little genie.
24:21He was funny,
24:22but if I rubbed a bottle,
24:23that motherf****r coming out.
24:25Give it up for my man Bernie Mac.
24:27Bernie Mac.
24:41I ain't scared of you,
24:42motherf****r.
24:43Iconic sets on that first year.
24:46And we gotta think,
24:47Bernie Mac,
24:48I ain't afraid of you,
24:49motherf****r.
24:50Eddie Griffin with the
24:51Michael Jackson.
24:58Chris Tucker.
25:05Sup, man?
25:06Here's a little fun fact.
25:07That leather vest he has on
25:09is mine.
25:10Oh, that's your leather vest?
25:11Yes, we were performing
25:12at the Fun House on Crenshaw.
25:14Jay Anthony Brown was the host.
25:15And he was like,
25:16say, man, where'd you get that vest?
25:17I was like, oh,
25:18I got it at this place
25:19called Shout on Melrose.
25:20He's like, let me wear it.
25:21I go, excuse me?
25:22Yeah, let me wear it.
25:23I'm doing, I'm doing
25:24deaf comedy jam,
25:25I'm gonna wear it.
25:26This ain't eighth grade
25:27where we exchange clothes.
25:28And so that vest you see
25:30is my vest.
25:31Wow.
25:32So your vest made it before you.
25:34The vest blew up before me, yes.
25:40Def Jam imprinted on me
25:42comedy-wise.
25:43And I've seen some of the
25:44greatest sets I've ever seen
25:46even to this day.
25:47Oh yeah, to the, yeah.
25:48On there.
25:49And I know you were there.
25:50What was backstage like?
25:53Thing that made
25:54Def Jam so iconic was
25:56all of the
25:58hot black comics, man.
26:00I mean, some, not black,
26:01but the majority
26:03of black comics that you knew
26:05and you had seen over the years
26:06through other shows
26:08and other performances
26:11were all together
26:12just on line-up,
26:13line-up after line-up
26:14after line-up.
26:15Peace, y'all.
26:18What was backstage like
26:20with all those comedians there?
26:22It was so much pressure, bro.
26:24People don't understand.
26:25They don't talk about this.
26:26I wish we had cameras
26:27to film conversations
26:29in the hallways
26:30and stuff like that
26:31because everything was about
26:33getting a standing O.
26:34Everybody was in kill mode, bro.
26:37I will never forget, bro,
26:39the first person that got booed.
26:41It was so crazy.
26:43Adele Gibbons had
26:45one of the best sets
26:47a girl could ever have.
26:49I couldn't give him
26:50no blowjob.
26:51My big-ass lips
26:52his little old dick.
26:53It wouldn't work.
26:55That'd be like trying
26:56to give a whale a tic-tac,
26:57mother-----.
26:58Boo!
26:59Like, you could hear
27:00the explosion
27:01coming through the walls.
27:02You're in the back.
27:03You're like, yo,
27:04somebody killin',
27:05somebody killin',
27:06somebody run back there.
27:07Yo, Adele just stood
27:08the whole theater up.
27:09You like, oh, shoot,
27:10when you on next?
27:13You're like, oh, my God.
27:14I gotta follow Adele.
27:16I'm backstage,
27:17me and Bernie.
27:18I think my room is here.
27:19Bernie's room is right here,
27:21right, so it's like
27:22a staircase.
27:23Boom, boom.
27:24I'm on this staircase,
27:25and Bernie is right there.
27:27You see Bernie.
27:28Bernie said, man,
27:30what's going on down there,
27:31man?
27:32I said, Bernie,
27:33somebody killin', right?
27:35So Bernie's, oh, okay,
27:36these mother-----.
27:37He started, he started,
27:38because I'll never forget,
27:39Bernie had like some jeans.
27:41He had some jeans on
27:42with his face on it
27:43or whatever.
27:44He had the little
27:45wireframe glasses, right?
27:46Fresh paint.
27:48And Chris Tucker goes on.
27:51I'm like, I'm sorry,
27:52all I got is a hundred
27:53dollar bill.
27:54Girl, you been out here
27:55all day, and all you got
27:56is a hundred dollar bill?
27:57Ah!
28:00Keep it in the car.
28:02Murder!
28:03It's two murders in a row.
28:05Oh, my God.
28:06Bernie, man,
28:07this is crazy, man.
28:08This mother-----
28:09playing, ain't playing tonight.
28:10Are you telling me
28:12that Adele Givens,
28:14Chris Tucker,
28:15and Bernie Mac,
28:16that was the same night?
28:17No, wait, wait, wait.
28:18This the same night.
28:19So get this, right?
28:21Ain't no way.
28:22Bro, it's so prolific,
28:23nobody talks about this.
28:24So the guy who goes on
28:26after Chris Tucker
28:27ate it.
28:28Yeah.
28:29Because Chris had him
28:30way up here.
28:31This goes to show you
28:32how somebody else's failure
28:33could be your success.
28:35So Bernie is like,
28:37man, I ain't come all the way
28:39out this mother-----
28:40to get booed.
28:43Bernie come down
28:44the staircase,
28:45we all running around
28:46and looking to see the guy.
28:47I could still see him.
28:48He had like a suit on.
28:49That made Bernie say,
28:50I ain't scared of you mother-----.
28:51I ain't scared
28:52of you mother-----.
28:54I'm going to tell you
28:55something straight
28:56off the mother----- press.
28:57I ain't coming
28:58for no foolishness.
28:59Crazy.
29:01Had no plans on
29:02saying it or nothing.
29:04How is that possible, bro?
29:07That's how
29:08I ain't scared of you
29:09mother-----
29:10became what it was
29:11because that guy got booed
29:12and Bernie said,
29:13I'm not taking the L.
29:14You don't understand.
29:16I ain't scared
29:17of you mother-----.
29:19The crazy part is
29:20that's black people
29:21for real because
29:22somebody is
29:23killing out there.
29:24They're like,
29:25who is that on stage?
29:26Then somebody
29:27bomb and they're like,
29:28who is that on stage?
29:29Is that on stage?
29:30We want to know.
29:31Failures and success.
29:32I got to know
29:33these black people.
29:34Who is this-----?
29:35I wouldn't have been
29:36good enough.
29:37I ain't good enough.
29:38You got Jordan.
29:39You got, you got,
29:40it would be like having
29:41Jordan, LeBron,
29:44Anthony Davis,
29:45A.I. all on
29:46in the same game.
29:47And they just hoping.
29:48Yeah.
29:49And they trying.
29:50Yeah, they came in
29:51and they were like,
29:52I'm coming with
29:53all my best stuff.
29:54And that's what
29:55it felt like.
29:56So that energy
29:57is to me,
29:58is what made
29:59people stars.
30:00Who had the greatest
30:01Def Jam set ever?
30:02I think Eddie Griffin.
30:03Yeah, those stand out.
30:04No Bellamy booty calls.
30:05No Bellamy booty calls.
30:06Women no booty calls.
30:10They're usually late.
30:12Ladies know when
30:13that shit coming,
30:14they be laying in bed
30:15like,
30:17who calling me?
30:21It was great because
30:22that's the only place
30:23at that time
30:24that you could be rockers
30:25on TV.
30:26You could not do that.
30:27It was, it was cable.
30:28Cable provided
30:29the opportunity
30:30for you could,
30:31you could be as original.
30:32You could be blue
30:33or you could be
30:34middle of the way
30:35or you could be
30:36all the way clean.
30:37You could do whatever.
30:38If you go back right now
30:39in the 90s
30:40and look at
30:41some of them sets,
30:42they are directly
30:43correlated to events.
30:44Yeah.
30:45O.J. Simpson.
30:46Everybody go,
30:47O.J. Simpson.
30:49O.J.
30:50Yep.
30:51O.J. Simpson.
30:56Anytime something
30:57is revolutionary
30:59and it's new
31:00and people don't
31:02necessarily understand it,
31:03there's always some pushback.
31:05New York Times said
31:06that you guys
31:07were a little too raunchy.
31:08There were some people
31:09who probably thought
31:10it was a little too black.
31:11Well, I like being too black.
31:13It's interesting
31:14like we're literally,
31:16I thought about this,
31:17we're literally
31:18cultural reporters.
31:20Yes.
31:21So was it the O.J. case?
31:23Rodney King.
31:24Was it Rodney King?
31:25Was it, you know,
31:27there was a joke I did
31:29back in the day
31:30about the pregnancy test, right?
31:31Everybody here has seen
31:32those early pregnancy test commercials.
31:34You notice they only got
31:35white people in them
31:36and everybody in the commercial
31:37is happy?
31:38I want to see a sister.
31:40I want to see a sister.
31:41Everybody here
31:42wanted to see one sister
31:43go in the bathroom.
31:44She'd be in there,
31:45she'd be like,
31:46damn.
31:53So that was the culture, right?
31:55That's a snapshot
31:56of perspectives, you know.
31:59It was more than
32:00just being vulgar.
32:01I think it was just,
32:03it was us screaming, you know,
32:06what's going on
32:07in our community,
32:08screaming about things that,
32:10you know, affected us.
32:12Hey, you know,
32:13brothers are at a party.
32:14When we get together,
32:15we call each other niggas,
32:16you know, nothing negative.
32:18Just be like, hey,
32:19what's up, nigga?
32:21Yeah.
32:23Oh, my nigga.
32:24Ha-ha.
32:25What's up, boy?
32:26And my wife went
32:27and got all excited.
32:28She said, hey, what's up, nigga?
32:29What?
32:30The music stopped.
32:31Everyone looked at him.
32:33Man, he got his butt
32:34kicked that night.
32:38I mean, he got f***ed up,
32:40you know.
32:41I hated to do it, but damn.
32:43So how do you recreate
32:45Dave Chappelle,
32:47Chris Rock,
32:48Martin Lawrence,
32:49Sid, look, Steve Harvey.
32:52Look at all these stars
32:53that just was coming.
32:54Jamie Foxx.
32:55And it was the intro
32:56to all of them.
32:57All of it.
32:58Everybody is coming up
32:59and they so hungry,
33:00like, damn.
33:02There's a whole era
33:05of black entertainment
33:07that starts at Def Jam.
33:10What does that mean to you?
33:12And who do you think of?
33:16It was so many great things
33:19to come out of that wave.
33:21Black sitcoms,
33:22black people in commercials,
33:26comedy cast was jumping
33:27in movies real quick.
33:29Yeah.
33:30Nah, even the movie Friday
33:31was pretty much solely casted
33:33from Def Comedy.
33:34Absolutely.
33:35Excuse me, brother.
33:37What we call drugs
33:38is 74th Street Baptist Church.
33:40We call us
33:41any sin, sin.
33:43We're around here
33:45between Normandie
33:46and Weston.
33:47We call this here
33:48a little twin, twin, twin.
33:50Wow.
33:51Nigger.
33:52Dave was putting
33:53funny people in movies
33:54for one scene.
33:56Next thing you know,
33:57you see Jamie Foxx
33:58on his show.
33:59You see Martin
34:00on his show.
34:01You see Saturday Night Live.
34:03It's crazy.
34:04You definitely spend off
34:05into your own television,
34:07movies.
34:08You were one of the first
34:09VJs I've ever known.
34:12What?
34:13Oh, that's dope.
34:14What?
34:15Every morning.
34:16Welcome to MTV Jams.
34:17This is a Janet Jackson special.
34:19And her posse of women
34:20right here,
34:21dancers,
34:22they swing together,
34:23they play together,
34:24they go shopping together.
34:25Everything.
34:26All everything.
34:27Watch MTV Jams together.
34:28I went from
34:29Def Comedy Jam,
34:30I got,
34:31it looked like a rocket.
34:33So I get on Def Jam,
34:34you see me splash.
34:37Oh shit!
34:38My booty on the way!
34:41And then two seconds later,
34:42you're like,
34:43he's on MTV.
34:44It looked like boom bam, right?
34:45Yeah.
34:46People want to get down with you.
34:47Next thing you know,
34:48I'm starting to get scripts.
34:49I'm like,
34:50oh shoot,
34:51oh shoot,
34:52I'm getting scripts!
34:53Oh shit!
34:54Russell said,
34:55I got a project for you.
34:57I think it'd be perfect for you.
35:00Getting caught is a bitch.
35:02So I've been told.
35:04The energy of how to be a player
35:06is having the best day of your life.
35:07And to this day,
35:09people love how to be a player.
35:11We got 30 or 40 movies
35:13that just,
35:14it just hits the number for us,
35:16you know?
35:17And that movie is one of them.
35:18Thank God.
35:19Thank God.
35:20So shout out to the culture.
35:22Tell me about,
35:24if you could think of anything
35:25that was just like,
35:26Tell me about,
35:27if you could think of anything
35:28that was just like,
35:29instantaneous,
35:30somebody saw your set
35:31and they wanted you to be on
35:33any particular TV show or movie
35:35or do another set.
35:36Did any of that happen
35:37from doing a set on Def Jam?
35:39Def Comedy Jam got me
35:40my first manager,
35:42which was actually, you know,
35:43Brillstein Grey Entertainment,
35:45Stan Lathan and Russell Simmons.
35:47And then that led to,
35:48you know, everything else.
35:50That led to,
35:51when I first did Def Jam,
35:52I was still a PA,
35:54a production assistant
35:55on a Martin show.
35:56And I remember doing my set
35:58and having a great set
36:00and then going right next door
36:01to the pub and getting
36:03on the pay phone
36:04and calling to the set of Martin
36:06because the PAs I was cool with
36:07and like was emotional.
36:08Like, man, I just,
36:09I just did Def Comedy Jam.
36:11And then the next week
36:12I was back delivering scripts
36:13and getting coffee.
36:17But they let me off.
36:18They let me off to come to New York
36:20and film Def Comedy Jam.
36:22What people don't realize
36:23about the 90s,
36:24there was a lot of firsts.
36:25Because you've got to figure,
36:26right, hip hop was underground
36:28a little bit.
36:29It was coming to the surface
36:30to become pop culture.
36:32Black comedy was done
36:34in like underground clubs
36:35and stuff.
36:36So the idea that we had
36:40one platform that could launch you
36:42was epic.
36:43It was literally like getting
36:44drafted to the league.
36:46You're grinding.
36:47You're Ryan Davis in the 90s.
36:48Nobody knows who you are yet.
36:50You're killing.
36:51But don't nobody know
36:52we don't have social media.
36:53We don't have Instagram.
36:55You can't put up no clips.
36:56You just got tapes of yourself
36:58and people talking about you.
37:00That was me.
37:01So when I got that opportunity,
37:03or all my peers
37:04got that opportunity in the 90s
37:07to get that one shot,
37:10one shot to show the world
37:11that you're funny
37:12and get showcased
37:13and we knew it was going to air
37:14over and over and over again,
37:16that was your,
37:17that was your,
37:18that was your dream come true
37:19basically, you know.
37:20What you got a chance to do
37:22was be deemed
37:23one of the funniest people.
37:25All of the people
37:26that came out of that,
37:27it's hard to, you know,
37:28pinpoint anybody out of that
37:30that is more successful than not
37:32because everybody
37:33that came out of that era
37:35has an extreme value
37:37to where the game
37:39of black comedy is today.
37:47Ah, my boy.
37:49What up, bro?
37:50Hey, good to see you, man.
37:54ATL legend, icon,
37:56revolutionary, visionary,
37:57big homie Desi Banks.
37:59You had me get a number two
38:00extra crispy with some okra.
38:02Sam.
38:03We here, bro.
38:04The legendary laugh factor.
38:06You know, I got my first
38:07viral stand-up video here.
38:08Oh, that's hot.
38:09But ladies,
38:10you don't ever want to hear
38:11your man say,
38:12wow, that's crazy either
38:13because that means
38:14he ain't listening
38:15to shit you saying.
38:17You doing a whole bunch
38:18of talking,
38:19this nigga's like,
38:20wow, that's crazy.
38:23I've done this one time.
38:24I've done it one time.
38:25That's black comedy right there.
38:26For sure, for sure.
38:27I would say.
38:28Oh, yeah.
38:29Most definitely.
38:30Yeah, you know what the
38:31blackest comedy of all time
38:32is, though?
38:33The blackest?
38:34Def Jam.
38:35Most definitely.
38:36It's got to be Def Jam.
38:37Nowadays, comedians
38:38get their breakthrough
38:39social media.
38:40You know, that's how
38:41we got on.
38:42For sure.
38:43Back in the day,
38:44it was Def Comedy Jam, though.
38:45Like, what do you remember
38:46about Def Comedy Jam?
38:48Def Jam.
38:49Did you watch it
38:50growing up,
38:51or did you have to sneak,
38:52or did your mom watch it
38:53or whatever?
38:54My mom was a big fan.
38:55I used to listen to it.
38:56She didn't allow me
38:57to sometimes go in there,
38:58but I can hear it, though.
38:59Head on the door?
39:00Of course.
39:01Or with the cup?
39:02What you doing?
39:03What you doing?
39:04Back then,
39:05I was more into the movies,
39:06but when I started
39:07to become a real student,
39:09that's when I really
39:10started to,
39:11of course I knew about it,
39:12but I wasn't like,
39:13oh, I'm watching it.
39:14They was killing shit.
39:15That shit was sticking
39:16back then.
39:17Marvin Dixon had a bit
39:18where he stripped completely
39:20down to, like,
39:21bikini underwear.
39:28And as a kid, man,
39:29you had to peel me
39:30up off the floor, bro.
39:31And then there was
39:32a lady, too.
39:33I just seen this
39:34not too long ago.
39:35She came on stage,
39:36and she was taking
39:37shit out her bra.
39:40I think she had
39:41a gallon of liquor
39:42in between her breasts,
39:43and no one saw it.
39:44That's a lot of titties.
39:46You know,
39:47me and you got our
39:48break on social media.
39:49For sure, for sure.
39:51I'm a Lamtarian,
39:52you know what's going on.
39:54Desi Banks was one
39:55of the ones in the forefront.
39:57Do you think about that?
39:58I think about it
39:59a little bit now,
40:00only because I transitioned
40:01outside of social media,
40:03and actually started
40:04doing stand-up.
40:05A lot of people
40:06don't transition.
40:07Oh, no.
40:08They scared of that stage.
40:09They scared of that.
40:11And I'm just very thankful
40:12that I was one of the ones
40:13who actually took it serious
40:14to this day.
40:15In order to get into
40:16these big movies,
40:17to be this big person,
40:18you still have to
40:19get respected
40:20as a real comedian
40:22in this world.
40:23I remember there was
40:24a quote told to me
40:25by this comedian.
40:26He's horrible.
40:27His name's Chris Spencer.
40:28You're fired!
40:30Because I was like,
40:31he on there.
40:32No, I know he's there.
40:33Chris, no.
40:34I love him.
40:35No, but Chris was like,
40:37you know,
40:38there's a whole bunch
40:39of forms of comedy,
40:40but in stand-up,
40:41it's written, produced,
40:42and performed by you.
40:43That's the purest way.
40:44For sure.
40:45That's how you find out
40:46who, if you really that.
40:47I think, also,
40:48stand-up,
40:49it allows you
40:50to find yourself,
40:51like your real self.
40:52Yeah, it's really you.
40:53Yeah, like, you know,
40:54a lot of people do skits,
40:55but I think a lot of people
40:56just do skits.
40:57But that's why I think
40:58Def Jam was so huge,
40:59because we saw our culture
41:00authentically presented
41:01to the audience.
41:02Exactly.
41:03You know what I mean?
41:04Exactly.
41:05And all those people
41:06was themselves.
41:07Let's look at that,
41:08like what that show
41:09did for a lot of people.
41:10You got a lot of people,
41:11TV shows,
41:12we need more of people
41:13being in that world, man.
41:14Kings of Comedy
41:15is a top three,
41:16highest grossing,
41:17like, concert comedy.
41:19We are introduced
41:20to all of them
41:21through Def Jam.
41:22For sure, exactly.
41:23That's how big of a...
41:24For sure, for sure.
41:25They'll say we can't do
41:26a Def Jam
41:27because of cancel culture
41:28or whatever,
41:29but I think we need to do it
41:30because it's
41:31anti-cancel culture.
41:32Yeah.
41:33You know what I mean?
41:34And the one thing
41:35about our culture is
41:36we say whatever we want
41:37in our house.
41:38For sure, for sure.
41:39And Def Jam is our house.
41:41What's the legacy
41:42of Def Comedy Jam?
41:44The introduction
41:45to the next frontier
41:46of what you're seeing now.
41:48That's the legacy
41:49of Def Comedy Jam.
41:50It opened the door
41:51of who we are today
41:52as comedians,
41:54I think actors,
41:55entertainers,
41:56just letting it go,
41:57butt naked,
41:59on the stage,
42:00and believing in yourself.
42:02That's the legacy
42:03of Def Comedy Jam.
42:04When we had
42:05the Def Comedy Jam reunion,
42:06man, I mean,
42:07from Cat Williams
42:09to Steve
42:11to Dave
42:12to D.L.
42:13to Sid,
42:14I mean,
42:15you're just going deaf,
42:16and everyone has
42:17a snapshot moment
42:18of each other.
42:19Get up on your
42:20mother****** feet!
42:21Yeah!
42:22All right, everybody,
42:23sit down and get ready
42:24for some
42:25public school reading.
42:27So what do you think
42:28Def Jam's overall legacy is?
42:30Giving the gift
42:31of black comedy
42:32to the world.
42:33Yeah.
42:34Yeah.
42:35Yeah.
42:36You know what's funny?
42:37It's so impactful
42:38and you somehow
42:39was able to sum it up
42:40short and sweet.
42:41That's exactly
42:42what it is.
42:43Exactly what it is.
42:44You would rather
42:45get your hair done
42:46and go swimming
42:47than see a brother
42:48with a white girl.
42:50I got this whole outfit
42:52from the sloths
42:53and swap meet and shit.
42:54I'm feeling good
42:55than a mother******.
42:57When you think about
42:58the history of black comedy,
43:00where in that
43:03does Russell Simmons'
43:05Def Comedy Jam sit?
43:07Number one.
43:08Yeah.
43:09Like, in terms of,
43:10and we've had
43:11some other shows
43:12that we don't have to name
43:13that have been
43:14very successful,
43:15but there's nothing like
43:17what Russell created.
43:19It opened everybody's eyes
43:21to how amazing
43:23black people are
43:24and how awesome we are
43:26and how we,
43:27like everybody talked
43:28about different stuff.
43:29Right.
43:30And it would be like,
43:31some stuff would be so dark
43:32and you'd be like,
43:33how they gonna make that funny?
43:34And it'd be like,
43:35bam, it hit.
43:36The reason why
43:37Def Comedy Jam
43:38is so iconic
43:39is if I could go anywhere
43:41and say,
43:42thanks for coming out.
43:43God bless you.
43:44Good night.
43:45You know exactly.
43:46And you know exactly
43:47what I'm talking about.
43:48And that had nothing
43:49to do with the comedy.
43:50Him just saying that
43:51at the end of every episode
43:52Right.
43:53was iconic.
43:54Thank you for coming out.
43:55God bless you.
43:56Good night.
43:57applause