Club Shay Shay - Club Shay Shay - Ryan Davis Part 1

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

Download the PrizePicks app today and use code SHANNON to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup! https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SHANNON  Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/SHAYSHAY. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Ryan Davis steps onto Club Shay Shay calling himself the GOAT of his generation — and explains why. From starring on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Insecure to becoming a true pioneer in digital comedy, Ryan breaks down how reacting to trending videos turned him into “your favorite comic’s favorite comic” and led to sold-out comedy tours across the world. He explains how mastering timing, storytelling, and internet culture helped him turn everyday moments into viral comedy that connects with fans across continents. He reflects on the first reaction video that changed his life, his most-viewed clip, and how celebrities like Odell Beckham Jr. and Kevin Durant responded — including his jokes about KD’s hair and championships, and how athletes secretly love being the subject of great comedy even when they act annoyed online. Ryan opens up about comedy beefs, including public disagreements with Corey Holcomb and Faizon Love, and how Ali Siddiq helped him release his special independently on YouTube after losing monetization — plus whether comedians should still chase Netflix or go fully independent in today’s creator economy. He credits Kountry Wayne for helping him grow his business mindset, reacts to the Tyler Perry lawsuit, names his Mount Rushmore of social media comedians, and explains why DC Young Fly inspired him to start posting online. Ryan also shares his thoughts on the backlash over Druski wearing White face and how Kevin Hart motivated him to take stand-up seriously. The episode takes a deeper turn as Ryan talks about his son being nonverbal, his daughter wanting him just for his money, the terrifying moment the mother of his children went into a coma after childbirth, co-parenting after their breakup, dating, and the toxic relationships he’s experienced while navigating fame.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Went to go see Tracy Borger. A couple of people of his team recognized who I was. And then they're like, hey, Ryan, you want a picture with Tracy? I'm introverted. I don't take pictures with nobody. Let me guess you said no. They said, Ryan, you want a picture with Tracy? Of course he wants a picture with me.

He's been puppy dogging me all night. I'm the reason he do stand up. I used to do the same thing with Eddie and Martin. I get it. Of course he wants a picture with me. I was like, who? Nobody has ever watched my comedy and went, Tracy Borgie. You're not one of my influences, big dogs.

God Lord. All my life. Been grinding all my life. Sacrifice. Hustle paid the price. Want a slice. Got the roll of dice. That's why all my life.

I'll be grinding on my life. Yeah. Also paid the price. Want a slice. Got the roll of dice. That's why. Hello. another episode of Club Shaysay. I am your host, Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proud of

Club Shaysay, stopping by for conversation and a drink today. He calls himself the goat of his generation, one of the industry's most talented and up-and-coming comedians. He's been on acclaimed shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Insecure. He's a pioneer in the digital space. He's redefining what it means to be a stand-up powerhouse in the digital era. He's the first person to look for commentary on trending topics. He has a knack for making people laugh online quickly transitioned to sold-out shows around the He's lauded for his razor-sharp wit, unmatched storytelling, intellectual humor, uncanny observation and turning everybody's experience into a viral goal. He's a versatile comedic style that's attracted a diverse audience and spans across continents.

Your favorite comic, favorite comic, there he is. My guy. What's up, bro? Yeah, what's up, man? I was listening to the intro like, man, this dude's sound all right. He's like, that ain't me, though? Yeah, no, man. So when you hear that, you like, well, damn, I'm dead.

I did all that. Yeah. And it's so soon. Well, I think I'm still dealing with imposter syndrome. That's what it is. It's like, that's why I'm glad we're going to have this conversation because it's like, this is the first time I'm going to actually get to be like really candid. Okay.

About who I am. Yeah, I like that. Yeah. I'm really like introverted. So a lot of people don't really know. and part of the reason people don't know is because I don't say anything. Right.

Until you get on stage but then when you offer that and people see you like opt to you. Man, you keep looking at that. You want to go? Let's go ahead and hit you. You know what? Congratulations on all your success

and continue success. Let me know what you think. I know you like Brown but this is the best that you're going to taste now. Oh great. I ain't got a lot. It's great.

Yeah. That's good. Okay. I appreciate that, bro. So I'm just trying to figure out. How did you jump into the like you know what, I'm going to take a different approach. Trending topics, viral videos, that's what I'm going to do.

How did you stumble on that? Did you stumble on that? Was that by happenstance or was it preconceived? Well, it's so funny. I saw the shift happening. Okay. And that was because of DC Young Fly, really. I just like to create. So I started creating content, but I didn't really see the power of it until DC.

It was probably like 2014. Me and D.C. was doing a show together in West Virginia, Charleston, West Virginia. Wow. And he sold out a convention center. He had just got Wiling Out or something like that then. But they weren't there because of Wiling Out. They were there because of the Instagram videos, the Vine videos. And he had pretty much sold out a convention center.

And I was like, wait a minute. I know people who are on television who don't sell these kind of tickets. Right. And I saw the shift happening and I'd already started creating content, but that's when I made up in my mind. Oh, okay. I'm going in that direction. I'm going in this direction because this is different. This is different. And the reason I do commentary is because that's really my willhouse. So I wanted to be a journalist. So I wanted to go to school. I was in college. I ended up dropping out, but I was in college for communications, getting a communications. degree and a minor in journalism. Okay. Yeah. So, like, hearing that, some people will hear that and be like, oh, that makes sense because of my style. But I always had, like, a reporter-like style to, you know, how I deliver things. Yes. So it was just, that was really in my willhouse. I didn't know that people

would gravitate toward it. I actually thought that people were going to see me as too boring or too, like, mellow because in our community like we need elevated voices yeah loud and high energy yeah that's what they told us we like yes so i didn't see where i existed in these spaces but i love to create so i was like let's try it and i mean within a year gained a million followers and then it started to take off yeah you remember your first viral video absolutely so who did you do Odell Beckham. Oh. Oh, Del Beckham.

Shout out to Odell because he... Did he see it? Oh, yeah. Yeah. What did he say? Me and him had a conversation. Oh, come on, man. Odell, O'Dell's a good dude.

Out of all the people, like, he didn't take it well in the beginning, but after we had a conversation, he was really cool about it because I told him it wasn't personal. Right. You know, he may not even remember because it was a back and forth on Instagram. Oh, okay, okay. So you didn't have an actual conversation. No, I haven't met him. We had a back and forth on Instagram.

Damn, that's a public. Y'all couldn't even be in the... Yeah, he didn't want to do it private. He came straight to the page. Like, yeah, yeah. But after I explained my point of view, he was like, I get my point of view. And then he put me on to his point of view. Because at the time, I was like, I didn't understand his level of fame.

It wasn't that what I was doing was so bothersome. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. He has to continuously see him. himself people saying and then now. Saying and making fun. Yeah. And then everybody's gravitating to this way. He's like, man, I had enough.

And then he just- He snapped on me. Yeah. But after, you know, the back and forth, he was like, you know, I get it. And then after that, I never said anything else about them. Because, one, I understand everybody just doesn't take it well. Yes.

So if somebody doesn't take it well, you're done with them. You don't. Yeah, yeah, I'm done. I'm done. Because it's not, because one, I would like it for, For whenever I joke about things, I do want the people that it's about to be able to laugh at it unless you're a person that I believe is not a good person. Because then I'm talking about you. Right.

I don't care how you feel. You will keep it going. Yeah, but I didn't have a problem with Odell. So, yeah, if I don't have a problem with you, but you have a problem with you not able to laugh at what I'm doing. Right. then for me it's not enjoyable for me. But you got into it with Kevin Durant. Yeah, he deserved that, though.

Oh, man. How do you think of the man deserved? He deserved it. Because we had a difference in opinion about basketball. That was it. Okay, what were your opinion? Defense wins championships. Are you some kid in the Draymond?

Yeah. Defense wins championships. And it wasn't just that. The stats proved that. You know what I? I mean, defensive teams win championships more than offensive teams. You need both. You do.

You need both. But I think he's looking at it from the point of view. He's like, okay, y'all had this great defensive team. You were up three one. Yeah. You got walked down and you guys didn't make it to the shower. You were blowing up my phone. Yeah.

Me and my mom and my family, we're in the Hampton. We're enjoying some wine and some cheese, chitutory. And here y'all go knocking on my dad. door coming to get me. I ain't no defensive. I've never been on a defensive team. That's true. But you know when he got his best defensive stats on that team? His most blocks, most

everything. Best defensive efficiency while with the Warriors. So it wasn't that he was a defensive player but he sure helped on defense. How was the offense? With KD. Stave, Clay. It's KD. That's what I'm saying. KD. Stave Clay.

It's like he told them. Like Patrick Beverly and they'll say I'm Kevin Durant. You know who I am, right? That's the thing. When I joke about people, I ain't forget he was Kevin Durant. That's Kevin, that's Mr. Durant.

Right. That's the Durantula. Look, whenever I joke about people or say these things, I would, Kevin, listen, Kevin, I would have never said all that. You called me a trash comedian. That, damn. Yeah. I went out the rim.

That was out, that was the first response. I was like, well, I ain't going to say. What I said wasn't the nicest, but I did. What that is? Yeah, so what I said was because he was like offense wins championships. Okay. And I said, well, it's this type of thinking that may explain why he hasn't won since he left the Warriors. Not the nicest thing.

No, it was. Not the nice thing. You know that. First of all, you know that's a touchy subject. Yes. So you went there. You poke into bear a hole in your. In my defense, I ain't know he was going to see that.

What you mean? You don't carry the rest on social media. It's a lot of comments. It's a lot of comments, Shannon. So, but... You got a blue check mark by your name? Yeah. So he'll go see that.

Yeah. So in my defense, right, that's why I said before it wasn't the nicest thing to say. But it wasn't, I didn't attack him. You did. You said that explains why you haven't won a championship outside of going to think. I think the mindset needs to shift. I think the mindset needs to shift. That's my that's my basketball opinion.

I never said he was trash. I think Kevin Durant's one of the top 15 people to ever touch a basketball. Okay. You know what I mean? Yes. I think very highly of his ability on the floor. I think the mindset is wrong. I think he got two rings on a team that was real, that did really well on defense.

In addition to how good the offense was. Yes. And the only team in the history of basketball who was. who won without a good defensive efficiency is the Lakers. And we ain't, that's two of the top five greatest players of all time on one roster. But when you look at Kevin and you look at what he was able to do, I think it was, and you're never going to get a consensus on this. Golden State needed Kevin Durant as much as Kevin Durant needed them.

So what it did is enable Golden State to complete the dynasty. and it gave Kevin Durant validation because he had rings. Because he was going to be the greatest player to never win a championship had he not got those. That's bestowed upon Barclay or Carl Malone or someone like that. But he got those rings. I hear you, but think about this. I believe, because you remember he was up 3-1 against the Warriors that same year with Oklahoma City. Yes.

I believe Oklahoma City gets it done. I think he brings one home to Oklahoma City. I really believe that. Yeah, I think he had gotten to the point that he didn't believe that he could get it done. See, and that's the thing. He's like, if I'm up three one, he's like, if I'm up three one, and I got games on my home court and I can't get it done, the likelihood, and it's not going to get any better.

See, I don't believe, I believe he could have got it done. I believe that Oklahoma City team wins one if they stay together. The reason I come off so harsh in the video is because he said I was trash, Shannon. You can't say that I'm a trash committee. Because then I got to show you how good I am at this. I got to. So I had, and it was so funny because when I saw it. So you went deep.

Oh, when I saw it, I had my children with me. So I couldn't even respond immediately. But I was taking them to their moms the next day. I was just hugging them. I was like, hey, your daddy about to go viral. You know what they have your daddy about to go viral. And a bunch of people hit me. They were like, did you see this?

And so you know I saw it. And the thing, I'm a nerd. So research is fun for me. Yes. So I couldn't wait. I was like, oh, I can't wait to tell you about yourself. Let me tell you all the things I know about you, Mr. Dorett. And when I released it, it went crazier than I thought.

For me, it was, and it's so funny, I think people think I think about these things more than I do. Right. After I make the video, I'm done with it. I'm done with it. I don't care. Yeah. Yeah. What is it with you in Apple?

Why you got me going digging at them? Because I love sports. I love sports more than anything. It's like yesterday I took a meeting and they were like, what TV shows are you watching right now? None. I watch sports. I love sports. Athletes are like, they're the greatest people in the world to me.

Yeah, I love athletes. So, you know, and for me, it's just like, I think it's a different kind of genius. You know what I mean? Like when I'm watching Just Kevin Durant When I watch him do what he do It like it gets on my nerves And somebody goes, ah, he does that because he's seven feet

You know what I mean? Seven feet? Seven foot players played in NBA How many of him played like Kevin Durant Before Kevin Durant? Zero. Exactly. It's him.

He's brilliant at what he does. Yes. So that's the thing. And I appreciate watching people's gifts. I like experiencing people's gifts. Have you seen him play in person? Yeah. Yeah.

That was before or after you made your video. He might fire on you. He see you in the stand now. I don't be hard for him to hit. Yeah, he got me by like a foot. Yeah, he got to swing down to really get me. But I think I saw him before. First time I saw him, he was with the Nets.

Okay. I made the video when he was in Phoenix. Oh, okay. So I did see him before that and I've seen him after that. Oh. Yeah. Now when I go to the game, I just like zoom in on the ball spot on his head and then I go. Man, you got to let that go, man. You go, you still jugg it.

And then I posted it. I posted in my stories like, guess where I'm at guys? And then they're like, oh, you're at the Phoenix game. And, uh, no, it's like a where is Waldo for my family. No, they, they know where you are. This episode is brought to you by prize picks, whether you're starting a new routine, making player picks for the first time, Trying something new can be hard. But in life and on prize pick, it always feels good to be right.

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Out of video of you? Yeah, I'll talk about, wait, let me see. What you're talking about in the video? I talk about, so usually if I talk about anything that's going on, My thing to talk about is I'll use whatever's going on in society at the time. Yes. And then I'll tie it to something historical. So a lot of times...

So one of the things that I point to, like, if I was to create something about you, I would create something about the irony of somebody being on the cusp of getting... All the things they deserve and then magically it disappears. It disappears because all of a sudden, all of a sudden, these things about this person comes about, you ain't never heard none of this stuff about it. That reputation is pristine and then all of a sudden. So that's in your stand-up, huh?

Huh? That's in your stand-up. No, no, no. You're going to make the next special. But you, but I use it to move to something else. It ain't about you per se. to move on. Because you didn't, because you didn't have the roughest year. Who had the roughest year? Bad boy for life. Oh. He had the roughest year. So, yeah, yeah. I'll be the top five.

No, yeah, that's why you made it. That's why you made it. But, no, no, no, you ain't had a roughish year. Now I see why, you, you, how long you've been a comedian, the decade? Yep. Yep, 12 years. And you got comedy beefs all over the place. You and Karen Holcomb going back and boy, dick out of disagreement. The funny part is, I really don't have comedy beefs. It's always misunderstandings. That's what you call it the misunderstanding. No, no, that's what you call it.

No, the funny part is in the country. We're so, like, connected in the comedy world, man. We all are like brothers and sisters, man, for the most part. And then so the Corey thing, me and Corey, shared a mutual friend. Okay. And our mutual friend, he was dissatisfied how he was being treated.

He felt like he was being treated on the road because one thing about young comics, they're hungry. Yes. They want opportunity. Yes. So he's on the road. Corey's on the road.

He's going out there, but Corey says he's not ready. Oh, okay. So in, and I understand this, this is just some big brother type shit. So for Corey, it's like you're not ready. I'm protecting you from- Yourself. Because failure can ruin your self-esteem and ruin everything. And people remember your bad performances.

They don't necessarily remember your good ones. They always remember. So I understood the concept, but he came to me and when he was disappointed and I was like, yo, I'll take you on the road. So I took him on the road. and it was clear he didn't have like road etiquette. So we would be out like, like you got a team. Everybody on the team represents you.

Correct. That is correct. If they do anything. It's me. It's Shannon. They don't even think. They don't even mention their name. Yeah.

And he was still moving as an individual on my tour. Oh, okay. Yeah, to the point where, you know, we constantly kept bumping heads. And then he had one night where things really went left. And I, like, had enough. And, like, I suspended him indefinitely. See, you could have just listened to Corey and did everything have been okay. But the thing was, Corey is still like a big brother to him.

So I believe, and I'll never, like, I never got. to know if this is real or not because me and Corey didn't talk. We squashed it or whatever, but we ain't really talked, but I could tell by the podcast that he was telling Corey. So I'll give you an example. So after I suspended them, I was going to take women comics out on the road because they, I felt like they were lacking opportunity. And I was in Ontario, California. Okay. And one of the ladies that I had on the show, one didn't show up, one showed up late.

Damn! Yeah. So there's a transgender comic by the name of Pink Fox. Okay. It's my dog. Fox was there. So you're like, come on. Come on, Fox.

Thank you. Save me. I got a host. Okay. And he was there. He was like, Dad, you ain't asked me to go up or whatever? He was like, yo, my mom here, my sister here. Like, whatever.

And I'm like, them being here doesn't leverage anything. Correct. Because you've got to learn from your mistakes. You still suspended. Right. And then I was preparing for my special, so I was doing all these shows in the House of Blues is around the country. And I did House of Blues in Houston.

And then he showed up in Houston. And he was wanting to go up, and I didn't let him go up. No. You suspended. You suspended. If you suspended, you don't get to. come to work. So he kept telling Corey about the times he's coming out and I'm not letting him up and who I'm letting up instead of him. But did he ever tell Corey that he, you had suspended him?

I have no idea. Oh. So I'm watching and it looks like Corey is like trying to defend him, but also is like talking crazy about me. And I'm like, that's cool. He's sitting right there. He'll clear it up. And he sat there week after week after week. And did not deny anything Corey said, even though he knew it was all lies. Heartbroken, dog. That hurt me. That hurt me for real. It was so when everybody was watching it like, oh, they beefing.

I ain't care nothing about what Corey was talking about. And I'm like, bro, you my brother. You know he's lying. You know this thing. The things he's saying is not true. You know what happened between us. So another word, it's making it seem like you gatekeeping. Like you try to prevent him from getting on stage from shining.

Like I'm doing him wrong. And I'm like, bro. And then Corey, you know, go to his Ryan's gay. And he was like, he rolled with the transgender comedian or whatever. That's the go-to. That's the go-to. And I was like, you know, the funny part is out of that whole scenario, the only person who didn't switch up on me was the trans. How ironic is that?

The only person who didn't switch sides on me. So it was so... So have you had a conversation with Corey? We squashed it long ago. He called. They actually, it was called, it was a three-way call between us. And it ended up getting squashed. And then they ended up falling out.

But did he ever tell Corey, Corrie, I was moving in a way that wasn't beneficial for this man. Because when we're on the road, if I'm headlining the tour, if he's headlining the tour and he brought me along, anything that's, goes sideways as on him. And I was moving, and I was moving not in the best interest of Ryan. Okay. So you're a little brother. Yeah. Does the little brother always see what the big brother sees from? You see what I'm saying? So I think he just, it was just, I looked like a hurdle to him instead of somebody who was trying to teach him. And it's so funny because he got like his career picked up enough to where he was going out on the road.

And then he would come to me and tell me about his road experiences and things and I wouldn't say anything but I would laugh because I would listen to him dealing with him. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And he would be talking to me and not even understanding. Not understand that, bro, this was you. You're describing you.

But, you know, he's still and some people hear this story and be like, yo, dag, bro, I'd never deal with dude again. but you got to understand the type of person I am. This person moved from where they came from across country to make it. And then right now, their career, they found a pathway to their career and it's ascending more than they ever did. They're responsible for themselves, their mom, their sister, all of these things.

And if in this one moment of defending me, it could set back all the years of work that you've done, that's a hard position for some people. Yes. And some people go, well, that's not really loyal. You don't know how you will respond in these situations. I don't know the type of pressure he was dealing with sitting there. It could have been killing him not saying nothing. Right.

You know, he had to go live with that and sit with that or whatever. Yes. It affected our relationship. It affects it to this day. But that's always going to be my brother. Right. You know, and, you know, I try not to, you know, As people grow, I try to be like, hey, okay, he'll, you know, one day, we'll have a conversation later whenever he's in a certain, because I think you just have to get in certain shoes.

You know, you've been everything. You were a rookie. You were the veteran. You did the big contract. And you did the, you know, now you're the guy with the expectations. When you're in the Ravens, this is our primary target on the offense. You know. And if Ravens you was talking to rookie you, y'all ain't even...

No, we're two different people. You're two different people. So, you know, part of me being older is understanding that he had some growing to do. And whenever he grows to a certain point, we'll revisit that conversation. And he'll be able to accept it better. Right. After watching a close friend grow through a loss a few years back, I saw how quickly grief can turn to financial stress. No one deserves that feeling I saw him feel, and I mean no one.

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you can get a free quote and up to $3 million in coverage at ethos.com slash shay. That's et hos.com. slash shayshay. Again, that's ethos.com slash shay. Application times and rates may vary. You and Faison had a situation. How so many people beef with Faison? Oh, man, this is the thing about Faison, man.

Me and Faison didn't really have beef. It's a misunderstanding by me. Yeah, no, I know. Faison likes me. He likes you now. He always liked me. The thing about Faison, it's his delivery. It's so, soon as Faison talk about anybody,

they go, oh, he don't like them. That's not what it is. He's just, his tone is real negative. His delivery is real negative. But it's like, he was trying to look out for me. Okay. It just, the delivery was so bad. People were like, Dag, Faison, talking junk about you, but he really wasn't.

So Faison cool? Faison is cool. The thing with Faison is, I think, people don't understand his perspective. Okay. Phazon, he was there for Deaf Comedy Jam. He was there for Friday.

He's been and hit movies. He did sitcoms. Parenthood was a successful show. He's seen all part of what this industry is. Yes. And so he's very knowledgeable about what it is. But it's shifted. Yeah.

So when... It's a whole different. From when he started to where it is now, It's a whole different thing. So the things, he'll say stuff that's true, but it's not true. It's not true in today's time. It's not true in today's time. And it would actually benefit my generation to learn some of what he's talking about to be able to utilize it the day.

But he would have to understand that things have changed the whole lot since then. Right. You know, but I think it's just. It's just a generational thing, and that will always be a thing. It will always be a thing. There's a gap. It's kind of like now. Yeah.

But I get it. Ali Sadiq, I had Alice, and he's great. He actually put your special on his page. Listen, can't nobody tell me nothing about Ali Sadiq. I flip every table, I'll cut everybody up. You're going to have to fight me about Ali. That's my brother. Hey, the thing is with him,

you know exactly where you stand with him. Listen. It ain't no misunderstanding. None. That's what I'm saying. You see, we talk about me having misunderstanding. Yeah. I ain't got no misunderstanding with Ali Sadie.

Me and Ali Sadiek. Yeah. You see what I'm saying? I'm not that hard to understand if you were straightforward. Yeah. So the thing is Ali, so me and Ali, people don't know how far back my special goes. My special just dropped. We shot it in 2020.

three back when he shot domino effect right yeah that's how long ago it was me and him like so he he called me he was like got me one he was like ryan i'm telling you and ali ali isn't shy about how good he is he knows he's good and he was like this might be my best work today to date and i was like i was like ali metzkin got on boots is crazy he was like it's the best work yeah and then when domino effect dropped, I watched it. I was like, he's out of here. He's out of here. It's one of the best specials I've seen in 20 years.

Yeah, it's phenomenal. And then he was like, I'm waiting on you when yours's coming. And I was like, we shot it. And then, like, he was with me. I kept talking to him about all the, like, stuff I was running into, man, all of the ups and downs and how difficult it was for me. And then even if I was wanting to follow him. his blueprint and take it to my YouTube my I lost my YouTube page how you lose the

YouTube not lost it like that lost the the email address right so we tried everything I went through agents I went through people who worked at YouTube everything just kept getting this run around and everything and then I dropped it on Patreon and it did really well and and and Ali and him talked about it and I was wanting it there on Ali. I wanted to work with my brother. But I didn't know if he would be up to it. Right.

So, and then we talked about it and he was like, nah, I think this is. This is the move. This is the move. And it was so easy. It was so easy. He came to me. He was like, this is the deal.

It was like, what are you thinking about that? I was like, I accept the deal. The thing about me is collaborative. is collaboration. Mm-hmm. Too many times people have like to have offers about, like too much conversation about the split. I don't care nothing about that.

I got this body of work that I think- That I want to put out. That I want to put out that I think is phenomenal. You have an audience that you have curated that likes stand-up comedy. I have an audience to also add to this audience. Let's make this. And we both have had our run-ins with the industry. not respecting great art where it's just about like how many people you can move and it's not about

how great the body of work is and so there was I had had offers there's this idea that I didn't have nowhere to take it or nobody wanted it or nothing no no no no no no no like there were plenty of people who saw the value in it but I understood but you also understood the value in it. I did understand the value in it. When I made the announcement that I was just going to keep it to myself, Dave Chappelle text me

and was like, this is how you do that. And that's when I knew I was making the right decision because I was like it's, so I know it's getting around and it's being seen because how did it hit your desk? So I was like, all right.

And that was when I put it on Patreon initially. When I moved, Ali Sadie, that's when I was like, and me and Ali have always respected each other and respected our crafts or whatever. It's just, it's a perfect marriage of people who love this. Love this, respect this, and respect each other, and want to see not only the art, but our people grow. Yeah, thrive in this, yeah. So it's like, this is just the beginning. This is just the beginning. I want to be able to be able to to do for others what Ali has done for me.

Yeah, I think the biggest thing is that we want you to do well, we just don't want you to do better than us. Yeah. Because then if you do better than us, man, man, I put him on. Yeah. Ali don't ever do that. Wow. He'll never do it.

So you recoup your investment? Yeah. Yeah, I did. Yeah. But, and that's the thing about the whole comedy beef thing, right? Like when you say I bump heads with people, I got so much help on this journey. This is literally what the journey looked like.

At first, we went to shop me. It was people, they were like, I don't know, whatever, whatever. All right, so we're like, we'll shoot the special ourselves. The day I decided to shoot the special myself, started to have the conversations, I was walking in L.A., ran into Matt Rife. Damn.

Yeah, Matt Rife was like, I got two specials on YouTube that I shot or whatever. I can walk you through it, tell you all he thing. Here's my information. Boom, boom, boom. You know, because we beefing out here. So he did that. Ali walked me through, told me how he did his. And then I was like, okay, so I'm a shoot. I need somebody to do. So I went and performed. My manager had been introduced me to Royale Watkins. Royale Watkins directs a lot of Mike Epps specials for Netflix. So he knows, you know. He knows all the people to get that you need that's, you know, everything.

everything. Everything, right? He was like, he started flying out to different cities to watch my set. He was like, yeah, this is something special. Let's do it. And we work together. And then my manager, Drew Tillman, he introduced me to Chris Burns over at Live Nation. Chris Burns at Live Nation was like, I've seen you work. I'm like, we became cool, we became friends. And he, he appreciates my, my comedy. So he was like, yeah. So he set me up. with Live Nation in Live Nation to start doing the House of Blues. Yeah. So I was like, okay, so now I'm getting theater work.

I can prepare for this special. I was like, I don't sell enough tickets to do theaters everywhere, though, so I ain't go get as much run as I can. Phone rang. Hey, Ryan, it's Jill Scott. I was wondering, I was wanting to do comedy for my opening act for the 20th anniversary of my first album. And this is where the funny part about me and the whole like imposter syndrome, I was like, that's dope, Jill.

You should get a comedian. You should, whoever. I know some people who, she, I know she was sitting on the other side of the phone. Like, this boy's so dumb. I called you. I called you. It took, man, it took me 10 minutes to realize she was asking me to do it. But she put me on the road with her and I did like 10, 12 cities with her.

So now I'm getting all the reps, right? And then I'm like, but I got to rock in front of a music audience. I don't know how to rock in front of a music audience. Carl Roy Wood Jr. He was like, this is how you do that. So this idea that people don't help each other. I had help every step of the way. When it came time, a comedian walked it in Netflix.

A comedian that Netflix rocks with was putting themselves on as an executive producer walked it through the door. So my agent sent it and this comedian walked it through. Wow. Yeah. So this whole idea that we're beefing or whatever, and then whenever they were watching it, and I was like, okay, if they accept it, I don't even know how to handle the deal or whatever. Chico Bean gave me advice on how to handle the deal. Matt Rife gave me advice on how to handle the deal.

Andrew Sholes offered to take me on his infamous tour that he had. That was his first deal with Netflix, that he ended up buying back from them. Wow. When I told my story, Charlemagne helped me. He always looked out, put me on the breakfast club. I had a podcast in tandem with my special. It was supposed to drop with the special. Charlemagne was like, no, there's more money to be made.

There's more opportunity for you. Let me hook you up with some people to even grow this. And then when I was like, okay, I'm going to do my underrated podcast. I was like, man, I don't even know who to have on it. I was like, I'm going to just throw Hail Mary's. called Kevin Hart. Of course I'll do it. Method Man.

Of course I'll do it. Gilbert Arenas. Of course I do it. Gilbert was like, hey, come on, Gil's Arena. We did Gil's Arena. I think this idea that we're not all on the same team

and we're not helping each other because people like Kevin Hart and Issa Ray had, they had talked about it. People sit on their ask all the time. Yeah. Just ask. They might say, yeah.

See, the thing is people want support to look a certain way. None of these people offered to post me on their page. They never offered to give me shout out, but they gave me time and they gave me advice. The O'Hugley gives me advice all the time. Anytime I see him, he takes me to dinner. He told me, one, the importance of owning it and when to sell it and how to sell it depending on what it is you're seeing through your analytics and timing. I've gotten advice every step of the way. Wow, that's great. So, yeah, it's a blessing.

And the funny part is, I can say all of this, right? And when people watch this podcast, they're going to go, who is this dude? I've never heard of this dude. Because I don't share that this is my, this is, this is my life. This is what a lot of people think I'm just some dude sitting in my house not doing nothing hoping to make it. People see me in the street. Be like, man, I hope you make it someday. I'll be like, me too.

Me too. Me too, man. So, yeah, no, I had a lot of help along the way, man. I did. Even this, man, I'm so grateful that you provided a platform. Because when you think about it, there's not a lot of platforms that has given comedians an opportunity to be seen in front of hundreds of thousands and millions of people. Because you do it consistently.

You guys have very interesting stories and you can tell it. Yeah. Not everybody can. Everybody has a story. But everybody can't tell this story. Everybody can't be entertaining. I found that early on because I like comedians because I have a sense of humor myself, but they can tell a story. Yeah, man.

The thing is... And you're entertaining. Because your job is to entertain. Bore people to death if you don't. And that's one of the hard things with my style, too, because it's not energetic. It's for people who can be entertained by words. Right. Yeah.

So that's the one thing I love about comedy. I just wish we lived in a time where people didn't hate so much. Because, like, let's say you watch one of my clips or you watch my special. Let's say you don't like it. Right. Instead of going, hey, this dude isn't funny. Go, hmm. When you think he's not funny, you know who I think is funny?

Go watch their stuff. Go comment on their stuff. Go give them the engagement. Instead of hating on this person. Instead of being negative towards me, somebody that you do like, go be positive for them. Go support them. The negative, because the people you don't like that you're being negative, you're giving them engagement. Go give that engagement to somebody you actually want to see when.

I never want my fans to be on somebody else's page going, they're not as good as Ryan. As soon as you think that, come on to Ryan's point. age ago, Ryan is the best. Ryan is my favorite. Go do that. Go tell somebody. Go share my special with somebody. Go do that. I much rather you use that energy

to elevate somebody else. You can elevate me without trying to suppress somebody else. I hate that. I'll do a show. Somebody will like, this is the best show I've ever been to. This is way better than I stop them. I'm like, hey, not necessary. Just say you enjoyed me.

That's it. Just say you enjoyed me. So now that you kind of done this and you kind of have the way to navigate the way around, what do you think, independent or streaming service? Because everybody seems to want those specials. Everybody wants to get on that big, you know, get that big, that Netflix to cut on that big check. It's over. Independent. Always do it independent.

They'll come with the big check if you do it independent anyway. You do it independent. They see the numbers because it's turned into capitalism. You know, Netflix, a lot of, man, this is, art and capitalism do not belong together. It ruins great things. Like, we're not even going to go to Netflix. Let's give an example of Fox, right? Yeah.

Fox was New Simpsons, Martin, living single, New York undercover. You see what I'm saying? Boom, it was because it was just good. And then you make so much money They left the audience that made them what it was Netflix Orange is a New Black Tom Segura doing specials

Giving specials of Tom Segura Sebastian Manuscalco You know what I mean Ali Wong before they were big They were just good And then you gave them a good product And then it blew up And then Netflix's making money

Hand over Fist and they were like let's give specials to people who ain't done comedy in 15 years and just give them millions upon millions of dollars in hopes to get people to subscribe to it when in fact the way that you keep an audience engaged is just to give them more would they just give them good content people respect good content people know when you lie into them people know when you're cheating them right so just don't cheat them you know what I mean yeah and too many times it's like how can we make more money?

Well, you lose when you do it that way. Now people aren't checking Netflix for specials like that. Now they got to bring somebody on just to keep the eyeballs because they don't even know how to invest in up-and-coming talent anymore. I had Country Wayne on

and Country Wayne said you taught him how to monetize and now Country Wayne's a multi. Man, I appreciate my brother so much for saying that. I did not expect him to do that. Because the level of honesty is what I didn't expect. Wayne was facing hard times whenever he came to me for that.

Had he had not gotten to comedy, he was really going to be facing hard times. Yeah. Yeah. Wayne, because the well was drying up. And he was like, but the one thing about Wayne, boy, if he don't know how to do nothing, he know how to make money. He know how to make money. Boy, he, listen. Like, I can't, like, he came to me for advice.

I can come to Wayne for advice. But Wayne, if I ever get to a point where I got $5 in my pocket, Wayne, what you do with $5? This is exactly what you do with $5. Flip it, Bubby, Wayne. He'll tell you how to flip. By the end of the day, you'd be like, thank you, Wayne. That man, and he's so funny and he's so skilled.

Like, I'm, but, like, this platform is so huge. huge. And like I said, I'm introverted and a lot of people don't really understand. So when Wayne says, like, when you say, ask who helped you understand in this empire you built? And he said, my name, that was so crazy to me. Because I really didn't expect it, but I, me and Wayne have been tied at the hip the whole time. Wow. A lot of people don't know. Me and Wayne talk all the time. Me and Wayne talk a lot. Me and Desi Banks talk a lot. Okay. I had Davey on Yeah

Funny Marco Just did a breakfast club interview They was like Who helped you You know Navigate You know You're going on stage

And stuff like that He said I call Ryan Davis For advice That's my legacy More than anything Is that my peers Respect me enough To feel like they can learn

For me No matter what the level Of my students They feel like they can call you Like they don't know They're like You know what I might not know

But Ryan knows And if he doesn't know, he'll find out and get back to me. Yeah, and everybody needs that person. Yes. And the person is never who people think it is. When you see Funny Marco and his huge success and Country Wayne and he is huge success, and they're like, who do they go to for advice? I know people would have wrote down a lot of names before they wrote down mine.

Correct. And then if, like, I stubbed my toe or hit my head or I put out these pieces of content where it was like, man, you shouldn't have done that. It's a guy named Naim Lynn, who tours with Kevin Hart and he has a show with Tyler Perry that's doing well. That's who checks me every single time. Naim Lynn has the best advice in the world. That's who helped me navigate this space without me asking. I'll put out something and he was and he'll come straight on. He hit me and be like, I'm not telling you what to do, but look at it from this perspective. And I, ah, thank you.

Appreciate that. Appreciate that. Because I would have bumped my head a lot harder on the way up. I know I've lost opportunities running my mouth for sure. For sure. You had to learn the hard way. I learned the hard way. Everything ain't for you to talk about.

Go talk to your friends about it. You said, you said to the mother of your children. Wayne lied. I said I made $20, not $20,000. Yeah, why? Yeah. Boy, what? Hey, Wade, he'd be messing up your pockets, man.

Man, that man said he got on the podcast, and when he said, yeah, I was like, Dad, Wayne, thank you for sharing, man, that, you know. But I didn't realize I forgot about his reach. Soon as he said that, my damn blue. Hey, man, teach me how to make money online. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's not what I do. That's my friend.

Right. But Wayne, why did you say I made $20,000? off the internet. My baby mama watch this and I don't use the term baby with the mother of my children. I was like your co-parent. My co-parent. She watches this. Yes. She know I ain't broke but I don't think she know that

I'm... I got it like this. I got it like that because she know I make tour money because I'm always on the road. She ain't know like supplemental income look like, what are you doing? So, nah but me and her like I have a great co-parenting relationship

now it's so tough. Early on it is tough. And you're both young. Yeah. It's so tough. And you both want to be right.

Yeah. That's the hardest part. And it's a lot harder to be more right than them. Because you don't realize you're tugging, but you're not pulling at each other. You're pulling at the child. Yeah. And that was the harder thing, but I want to be right. Her need to be right was greater than mine.

She probably would say. your need to be right with greater than hers. Nah, she can be honest. Like, if she, when she, it depends on how mad she is. If she's not mad, she can be honest about it. Right. The things, like, she's just like I'm mellow.

She's on the opposite side. It's a volcano. Well, that's why you guys worked at the beginning. That's why we work. Yeah. So, but, like, we're just working through, like, getting our custody agreement together now. You know?

And I told you, I'm going to be more candid on here than I've ever been. I never talk about my co-parent's situation. But whenever me, I have two children. I have an eight-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter. She's about to turn 11. And it's been rough. I've been there every step of the way financially. I haven't always been there the way that I should have physically.

I wasn't always allowed to be there like I could have been physically. too. But those are the sacrifices that you got to make. It all depends on how successful are you trying to be. It is hard because the grade of the goal, the greater the sacrifice needed to reach said goal. And nobody talks about what it is to be in this space. I appreciate people like Kevin Hart and others who give candid interviews because you don't, Nobody prepares you for what it is to fly to a city, a bunch of people who, to a city you've never been to, a bunch of people paid, got dressed to go enjoy what it is that you do.

You enjoy what you do. You love what you do. You take that money home and you give it back to your children and their mother for them to have a better life. But the children don't feel as close because you're gone to go through this thing. she feels abandoned or feel like she's doing it on her own because even if you're doing it financially, you can't supplement time. No.

And when you're carrying a load financially, you don't want to hear nobody talk about how you're not doing your pop. What? You're taking care of three households. Exactly. I'm not doing my part. It's hard for you to...

Yeah, it's hard for you to see. Because time is the most valuable commodity. It's the most valuable commodity. So then I ran into this thing where my daughter went from, I love my dad, to let me see what I can get out of him. And when she started looking at me as access to, like, material things. You were ATM. Now all of a sudden, you weren't dad. You were an ATM.

Broke me. Broke me. Because it was like, I only want to be around him if I can get something. amount of them. So let me ask you this. Did you have the, did you sit down and have a conversation? How did you, how did you come to this realization that it was, yes, this is my child, but my child only wants to be around me because of what, the access that she has to things, perfume, jewelry, clothes, makeup, whatever the case may be? It's heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking because it's like, it's heartbreaking because it's like,

My daughter saved my life. I'm not a very motivated person. And when that, we went and got that ultrasound and they said, it's a girl. I knew I couldn't be a mediocre man anymore because it would affect how she viewed men in general. And then she'd have been okay with that. And she would be okay with a mediocre man. And I worked harder than I ever worked in my life because of her, she's my reason. And then for my reason, and she was a daddy's girl, big time.

Oh, big time. That's my oldest. Yeah, she's my oldest, yeah. Yeah. See, and to watch that daddy's girl go from, I just want to be around him, I just want to touch him, I just want to sleep on him, be colored up to him, to him. If you ain't buying me nothing, I really ain't trying to go. Like, I lost her. It takes a long time to get them back.

And so for me, that was the one thing about this whole custody agreement that was like so important for me. It was like while we're going through what it is. And then she, me and their mother was talking. And she was like, dang, it's like you're trying to get so much time. I'm like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because that's all I, that's all that matters.

Because once it's gone. Because once it's gone, it's gone. It's like you had so much of the first half. Just let me, please let me just get, let me get more on the back end. You do realize that what comes with that. There are going to be some times that where you probably want to be on the road and should be on the road. You're not going to be on the road. Now, the Summers is theirs.

They got it. I'll never, like, you'd have to. Oh, you have to take them on, when they get older, take them on the road with you. You got to. And it ain't take them on the road with me. You got to pay me to supplement the fact that I'm bringing them with me. Wow. If it ain't that, it ain't worth it.

It ain't worth it. Because, like, my son, thank God I got it right before. it happened with him. Like, I'm Superman in his eyes. Right. Like, he was like, as dad. Like, when he look at me, I just be like,

I'm not the person you see. What is, what is. You're like, I got to fool. Yeah, but he just, and she used to see me like that. And then my daughter, like, I get glimpses. So I still get glimpses. There'll be times, like, she'll get her hair done

or get new earrings or whatever. She cares. I was like, these are cute. She's like, I'm not. Yeah, she's like, she wants me, but there's the fear of giving her all to me and it being taken away. And you're gone again.

And I'm gone again. And how do you explain to a 10-year-old? You know what I mean? But they don't understand. They don't understand Ryan because they don't understand the private schools. They don't understand the access that they have. It's because of you. Man, no.

They homeschooled. They don't know. Ain't none of your peers homeschool. Ain't none of your peers like... I have the access to things that you have. It's because... Do you know you live in a house with a parent that ain't never got to worry about?

Nothing. Nothing. You know how many people get raised like that? Not many. Not many. Nope. They don't. But it's not for them to get.

You got to meet them where they are. It's just like... So you got to get on the child's level. You got to get on a child's level. It ain't the time to pat yourself on the back. Right. Yeah. So, you know, I got to do the work.

Give me your Mount Rushmore of social media comedians that. There's a lot of them out there. Mount Rushmore. So we got to go. Yeah. Okay. Mount Rushmore. Jeez.

Okay. I'm going to go. DC Young Fly Okay Got to Man I'm talking about Went from social media

To Whaling out To be in Almost the face of Wallin' Out Hit movies You know what I mean And then 85 South

moves on from that Doing arenas You know If there was ever a dream of what what's possible what's possible a man

so definitely him I'll go D.C. Social media community I'm gonna go me okay and the reason I'm gonna say me is because the side

by side commentary especially you see it so much now people doing commentary and funny commentary on what that was not a thing like DC was doing roasting yeah yeah nobody was really talking about like popular topics political climate or anything that was me and then i've turned and and like i've turned that into being one of the most respected stand-up comedians in the game you know i wouldn't want to necessarily name myself i'm really

Like, I really do a good job of not naming myself in spaces like this, but I'm tired. I'm tired. I'm going to pat my damn self with a back. Yeah, nah, I'm going to come get what I'm owed. Kev on stage. Okay. Kev on stage, man, mogul. He won't let me call him that, but, man, we're talking about a guy who worked at Boeing

and then talked to his wife and was like, we're going to throw it all away. to make YouTube videos, what you think? And not only that, we're talking about viral videos on all platforms, millions of followers on all platforms, made his own network, sold TV shows. He's won NAACP Image Awards. He's put other people on. Some comics best tape that they have. First television experience.

The first television reel is from whenever COVID hit, and he did his comedy show through COVID. Right. And then it got picked up by Amazon. It's their most comics, a lot of comics that did it, their best tape, and they get bookings from Kevon on stage putting other people on. Wow. He's the second season of Cherchey on BET. This dude is just, he's just dominating. Right.

So he's on the Mount Rushmore. I'm gonna go Jess hilarious. You're okay. Jess hilarious. She was amazing. I had Jess on. She was amazing. We're talking about going from that to doing national sold-out tours, doing the sitcom with rail,

now on one of the highest syndicated radio shows. Righteous Club. In the world. Who did it like that? Wow. Who did it like that? So, yeah, that's a... That's the Mount Rushmore right now.

And that's on some OG stuff. You know what I mean? Really, country Wayne deserves to be there. Country Wayne deserves to be there more than me. It was just I got tired of not saying. But Desi Banks, you could say Desi Banks. You could say Drusky, you can't have, you know, anybody. But, you know, I'd say those five, including me.

is, yeah. I read that you said D.C. was the reason that you started posting on social media. Man, D.C. is, can't nobody tell me nothing about that dude. Him or Wayne. Can't nobody tell me nothing about them. Anything can happen with them in their career. See, the Georgia boys.

Hey, we're, hey. Yeah. And I'm going to tell you. Run from A.T.O. And I'm going to tell you another thing. Them boys don't ever get away from God. No. No matter what goes on in their life.

Yeah, you're right. They don't ever get away from God. Whenever I go, whenever I'm like, I don't, because I don't necessarily tell people when I'm going through it. And I'll just end up running into them or talking to one of them when they go. First thing to come out of their mouth, man, you know, God is, you know what I mean? I'm like, you know what? And the more I lean in the God, the better life always get. They definitely help me with that.

You know what I mean? But, you know, all Southern boys, my guy, Schuller King is phenomenal. phenomenal you know and in Georgia you got guys like you know Ronnie Jordan

amazing I wish people would that's another reason why I like your platform and and you highlighting comics

because the general public really don't know who's really like that out here Ronnie Jordan is really like that he's been voted like the best comic

as far as far as college touring. And Ronnie older than me, which means he can rock a audience that's older than me, better than me, and he can rock the college kids. I don't even like doing college shows. He's one of the best all-around comics in the world.

It's just the world. We don't live in a space that shows these type of people in that light. And your platform gives me the opportunity to say their names. And for me, that's really important. You know what I mean? I don't know if you saw this, but Dionne Cole was very critical of Kassanat.

He said he should have done more research because when they had him on the show, then they were bringing people up and you're like, I don't know who that is. I don't know who that is. Man, don't be mad at me because I'm young. And I remember going through a very similar situation. I was, the image were on Fox. And I was a co-host. Me, what's, Osborne, Kelly Osborne, a couple other people.

And I remember they sent me a packet Because at that point in time, I was at undisputed And all my focuses are undisputed I need to do this research, I need to be good, get good at this But they ask me what I do And I say, yeah, and so they sent me a packet Of people, potential people that I would interview on the red carpet

I had to watch a bunch of shows So now I ain't watch none of these shows Now I got to go and I got to watch all these shows Because when I meet these people I got to say, oh, I love your character I love this, I love that, I love that. So you do your research and you don't use, well, I play sports.

I don't know who you are. What's your name? I don't. And I understand what D. I understand what Dio is saying. Now, I don't know if Kai took it like that or he's taking it. Like when you go to a space, when you go to do something, if I go do like UFC, I can't like, man, I don't, I got to do research and I got to know who these people are.

If I go do the Emmys, if I go do the Oscars, if I go do something like that, you You probably should do research on it, right? Ain't no probably. It's your job. Yes. So my thing is that speaks to the era that we're in, where it's just good enough to be there. It's my name, my name is. It's the cloud era.

Yeah. I just want to say I was there. I just want to say I was part of it. And this is not a knock the Kai. I'm talking about the environment that we're in now. Where it's just like, but don't you want to be the best? Yes. at what it is that you do.

And that's a thing with me. Like, I'd lose my mind if I was on the carpet and somebody walked by and I didn't know. I'd be like, I failed. But that's not what it is now. It is not. It was such a big, Ryan, it was such a big deal that people would come up like,

I know who you are. I had no idea that you know who I was or you watch my work. Yeah. And yeah, I had to cram. all that in six, seven weeks, but still, I'd have been so embarrassed if I didn't know who I'm actually talking to. And then I'm like, who is that person?

Yeah. No. It's like when you're there and they give you a mic, they give you a mic, if you're just in the audience, that's one thing, you're a filler. But you got a microphone and they bringing people up. You're going to probably have to know who these people are. Yeah, Kai needs a right hand. I ain't never seen him with a right hand man.

Right. Yeah, all of them streams or all of them are somebody. He needs a, like, I got a T Springs. Yeah. T springs. If the red carpet's coming up, he'd be like, you look at that packet. You look at that packet. Exactly.

Don't go out there and play yourself. And I understand, like, streamers, you know, you got to scream 10, 15, 20 hours a day. I get all of that. But if you're not going to, you know, dive all into it. Go. go over the packet with your streamers. Say the name. Be like, where y'all know them from? Anybody watch this or whatever? Should I get?

Content is content. They've already, this is the thing, Kai, people pay money to see you hang out with your friends. Think about that, Shannon. Did you ever think that that was going to be a you could become, how'd you become a millionaire? Well, I let people watch me hang out with my friends. Play video games. You know, play pranks on each. other. Yeah. Hey, just do some work. It's cool. Just do. Hey, bring them on. This is the funny part. Your audience would love to see because they don't get this opportunity. They don't, they don't know that we

get handed a packet and you have to go through all of this. You have to study it. Yeah, you have to study it. Yes. Yes. They would love to go through that experience with you because they don't have access to that. You would be giving them access to that. And also it's my thing, like I don't know if Kai was working that night because I kept seeing like he was in the stream and he was walking around. Was he working? Did they hire him to stream or did they hire him to interview now? If he's on a spot and he's interviewing, that's it because there's two different streams he did. There's one like where he ran in the Waleigh and all of that stuff. I don't think he was working. I think he was streaming. But so but if ever you have to hold a microphone and you need to

talk to people, you got to do. And if you don't know, it's fine if you don't know. But But don't come in unprepared. There's no excuse to not. Yeah, he probably, they probably just had him there because of his name. Yeah. And the eyeballs that was going to, that follows him. Yeah. Because that's what it is.

But when I go to an event, especially, you know, if I don't, my job is like, who's going to be here? Yeah. Because when I see that person, hey, I'm such a, I always identify myself. Hey, I'm Shannon. I know who you are, but I'm not arrogant enough to believe that everybody does. But I'm the type of person that, hey, how you doing such a blah, blah, so forth and so on. Because that's just why you laughing.

Because in some spaces, people laugh at me for introducing myself. But I always introduce myself. Always. Always. Every time. Once they told me Beyonce introduced herself, I will always introduce myself. I'm not going to give nobody the opportunity to play. Like, I'll be on some, you know who I am.

And they go, no. No. No to the back of the line. I refuse to be that guy. I'll go to the back of the line and get to the front and y'all go, why'd you wait in line? I'd rather do that. That be at the front.

They go, what? Who are you? Who are you? Yeah. Yeah. I don't, nah. I don't even want to deal with the embarrassment. You mentioned Drusky early.

Drusky caused him backlash. He dressed up in white face. And is there a line that comics shouldn't cross? Or how far is there a line that Ryan wouldn't cross? For me, research is the most important thing. When you're doing something, you've got to research who it's going to hurt and why it's going to hurt them. And then you make a decision on how you go about it, because you can still go about it and do it in a way that that group of people appreciate it. And if you can do it in a way that the people who it would normally offend appreciates it, then you've done it correctly.

Okay. So I defend comedy over everything. I'm more of a comedian than I am a person. I'm working on that. Yeah. Because somebody will be like, you hear what that comedian said? I'll be like, I heard it. Funny too.

It was fun. That's pretty good. They're like, it hurt a bunch of people. Yeah, I can see that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, but did you see what he did the way he flipped it? Yeah, that was skill.

That was skill. Is it, is it a line? Have you gotten to the point there's a line, there's a joke that you won't tell, there's a line that you won't cross? Mm-hmm. You don't talk about people's kids. Okay. You don't talk about people's kids. You don't talk about people's kids.

You're trying to, don't talk about their parents either unless the parents involve themselves and then we're all adults. Okay. But leave people, families. out of stuff you don't bring up like, I'm sure if one day I'll get to the pinnacle of my career and people be like, Ryan, you remember when you said that? And I'll go, yep, I was a very stupid

person back then. I was a very immature and stupid person. You know, also give people the opportunity like when we were talking about Kai, also give people an opportunity to grow. Yes. Yeah. I mean, Kyle's Kai, 24? If that, you know what I mean? Yeah. Give people an opportunity

to grow. Like, that's the thing. I hope like when, because it's easy to get defensive. It is. It's very easy to get defensive when somebody talk about you. Because I'll talk about my life and people that take a very small window without context and then make up this whole story around it. Okay. And I'm not like, like, I'll talk about my relationship with my mother and how it's estranged or whatever.

And then I'll talk about the thing she'd, dealt with being married to my father and their relationship and they'll be like oh your mother was a victim have some grace i was like i do i even did a vlad interview where i said because my parents had a age gap that was that was inappropriate and i said i would give my life and not be here if that meant my mother could be protected and could have her childhood back so she wouldn't have the demons that she has to live with. No one sees that interview. They see the interview where I say, we don't talk much because of that and then I talk about what she's been through. No one ever goes, the reason he's discussing what she's been through because he understands it's because of what

she's been through that he doesn't hold it against them. Because people will view your life through their trauma lands. And I'm learning that being a public figure that once you say something and you allow yourself to be seen that way, they're going to have opinion. They're going to have opinion of it. And that's why I never did it before. Right. You know, I never did it before.

Charlie Murphy actually told me that. I was sitting with him, man, amazing guy. But he said Eddie told him that. He said, once you talk about your life, you give people the license the comment on it. So he said, Eddie didn't talk about his life, and that's why he don't talk about his life. And he was like, so if you're going to talk about your life, be ready for what comes with that. He taught me that over a decade ago. And he didn't even know who I was.

He didn't even know. He was just having casual conversation. Casual conversation. It's interesting. It's like people post stuff, and then when people comment. Yeah. Well, you posted it. Yeah. Yeah. And people have to understand.

Most people are dumb. So whenever you post something, there are people who are dedicated to misunderstanding what it is that you're people looking to be upset about something. They are dedicated to misunderstand. They have no desire to get what you mean. When did this happen? When did, when did, when did me going to the story? offend you, upset you.

Oh, look at him. He's going there. He's going into the whole foods, pay it all that money. He could get the same stuff. What do you mean? How dare you carry your dog and wear a sweatsuit, Shand? What's wrong with you? Not me. Okay. When I was a kid, my grandparents, we didn't allow dogs in the house.

I'm not a kid anymore. It's my house. I allow dogs in the house. I allow my dogs to sleep on the bed. We didn't allow, well, obviously the dog wasn't in the house. He wasn't in the kitchen. Okay, I have dogs. First of all, it's my house, it's my kitchen.

And what do you think the likelihood was that you were ever going to be in my house at my kitchen to say, oh, this is terrible. This is nasty. But this is what they'll say. I wouldn't dare eat off the plates. You would never go to be here. You would never go be here. And I forget what it's called. It's a parisocial relationship.

Okay. That's what it is. Everybody feels like they're attached to people. I ain't going to lie. I dealt with it too. I'm a huge fan of yours. So the live incident, I was so mad at you.

I was mad at me. I was so mad at you. And then my best friend, Austin, had to pull me to the side and be like, this ain't got nothing to do with you. This ain't got nothing to do. I was like, yeah, man, but, yeah, man.

He was like, no, you do not know that man. You do not know that man because you had turned, you started doing the t-shirt thing. I was like he monetizing it. Come on, Shannon. I think the thing is that you try so hard to be perfect. And I remember having a conversation with my sister.

She's like, Shanna, you tried your whole life to be perfect. And once you realize that you're not perfect and you're never going to be perfect, you're going to be okay. Yeah. It's hard. Yeah. Because you study, you want to be the best football player. You wanted to be perfect. You didn't want to drop any passes.

You didn't want to make any mistakes. You didn't want to miss any blocks. You wanted to be on time. And I did everything I possibly could. I've done everything in my life to try to be perfect, only to realize that I'm never going to be perfect and I'm a flawed individual. That's crazy.

You ain't even know how much I needed that when you just said that. That's the hardest part about this life because over the last three to four years, more people know who I am in the last three to four years that know me in my whole 14-year NFL career. And you're arguably the best to ever play your position. And people, Ryan, people don't even know. A lot of people don't, when they meet me, they don't even know, have no idea that I played football.

They would ask, like, how do you know so much about sports? I'm like, I study. You just, I mean, geez. So crazy. I was like, I'd point to a, he'd be like, you see this position? You're going to play it? There ain't three people in the world done it better than this guy. Yeah, man.

And they don't know it. They don't. They don't know it. But they know Lakers and Five. They know Lakers and Five. That's the, so it's, yeah, it's, man, this is just navigating this space. It's a, then the parisocial relationships is a thing. And I pray my fans don't do that.

I want y'all to take this journey with me. I want people to become fans of mine. I want people to be elated when they see me win. I want people to not be okay with seeing me fall. Right. But I don't want them to believe that you get to have a say in how I live my life. Don't do that. You know what I mean?

What people do? They do. They do. Because they're so invested. They're so invested. That's why the streamers do so well. Yeah. Because people get an opportunity to see, man, he just, he go, oh, he going to the refrigerator.

Oh, he's playing a game. Oh, he on the phone. It killed fame, though. It killed fame. I missed the days where I knew nothing about the people I, you know what I mean? The real, real famous, you still don't know a whole lot about Beyonce. And I love it. You know what I'm saying.

You don't know a whole lot about. You don't know a whole lot of them. But you see how much bigger they are than everyone? Because that is, it's so important. But the reason I share stuff, and like I said, it's the most candid I've ever been. I don't, there's a lot of people who's going to watch this. Like, God, I didn't know. You really opened up.

Yeah, it really opened. Because also within my comedy, somebody else goes through this. And they may just need to hear this. It might be the, I might say the thing that clicks to them. that changes everything around for them. And if I got to take some type of bullet or criticism or whatever, but I help somebody, then I think that's what God put me here to do and to give people some type of levity in their life doing that. You know what I mean?

I had a moment where everything clicked for me. Like I talk about my boy T. Springs. Me and him and for instance, I was four. He's being my right hand. Like, I was doing comedy. I was trying to make it. And he, the comedy zone in Charlotte had their own podcast. And it was a guy named Will Jacobs that used to do it.

But he was out of town working. And they were like, Ryan, we need you to do the podcast. They would do interviews of whoever was coming to perform in that weekend. And I was a pharmacy tech technician. And I had to be at work in the morning. And I said, no, I can't do it. And it was John Witherspoon. I had an opportunity to interview John Witherspoon before he passed.

And you know what John Witherspoon means to our community. Oh, for sure. Pops. It would have been everything. And I put work before it. And I was at work and I was just like, you know, slinging pills and whatever, you know. T was like, what's wrong with you? I told him what happened.

He said, hey, do you want to be employee of the month or a comedian? I never worked again. The day of the day. You left that job. I literally walked out that day. But you need somebody to say the thing that it nights the thing in you. So no matter what anybody thinks about me, I want to be the person. to ignite that thing in somebody that may change their whole,

because Kevin Hart also did it for me. You said that you've given flowers to Kevin. A lot of people do that Kevin was the reason why you started stand-up. Mm-hmm. I didn't even ever think about doing stand-up, ever. So did you see him on stage? Did you watch one of his specials? Did you meet him somewhere?

What was it about him that made you think I can do that? I didn't. I think comedians are the most brilliant people on the planet. I never thought I could do that. I wanted to be Stuart Scott. That's who I wanted to be. That's who I thought I was going to be. And then I went to theaters and see Let Me Explain back in 2013.

And I watched it. He sold out Madison Square Garden multiple nights. He's crying at the end. And I saw in real time what it looked like for some, for somebody to have a dream and then make it beyond their wildest dreams and cry tears of joy but also see everything that he like i i'm telling you i could see it felt like i could see everything i could see his mom not being there his relationship with his father the hard work the what he went through in his marriage what you know raising children you know traveling to do kind of

comedy coming out of Philly going to New York all the time, not necessarily being accepted. All the nose he's been told. And in this one moment, I did it. I did it. And he's crying. And I'm looking at him going, you need to go accomplish something. You need to go set goals and accomplish something. It wasn't even, I didn't even choose comedy because Kevin was in comedy.

Comedy just happens to be my calling. If I could cook, I would have went to the court on blue after watching that. You know what I mean? You'd been won the James Barrett Award a bit of an admission. Listen, I would have had a Michelin Star Restaurant, everything. I was so motivated. But I got on stage three days later. Did you?

Three days later. Had never been on stage before? Never been on stage nothing. Got on stage three days later. You do realize how strange that is. Man, I was that. That's like going to watch a football game. I ain't never play football.

I'm going up a football. I'm going to be a football player. I'm telling you, that's how. Can't nobody tell me nothing about Kevin. Kevin moved me. And that's all I hope to, like, that's all just, you know, words can't. I see you talk about your brother. Yeah.

Can't nobody, like, every time I see it, man, I hate that y'all be making me cry. But I know what that is to see somebody. And when you be like, when I sit here and talk about, like, like how amazing you are and I know you sit there and like my brother best football player I've ever seen

you know what I mean it's a to have that person you know what I mean like I'm like that with Dave Chappelle right Dave Chappelle

is the greatest thing in the world man Chappelle is he might be the gold I mean I watched him and I watched him as Tully in Blue Street

yeah I watched him as a uh Reggie yeah Reggie Ward Should I get him? And to see, because the way he can story tell.

Yeah. The way he can take actual events. I mean, he can take real events where these, and I know some people get upset when he talks about the trans community and he talks about the Jewish community. But the way he can, that monologue that he did on Saturday Night Live might be the greatest monologue that I've ever heard. They don't understand what Dave. nothing is on accident that's the part that makes me that bothers me when he gets criticized

because people act like he's doing thoughtless comedy and y'all got to understand a lot of thought a lot of research and a lot of care went into what he's saying it's not no it ain't happenstance it's calculated

he's going to force you to think yes and my comedy is that way and Bill Burr's comedy is that way yeah I love Bill Burr too And so Patrice O'Neill's comedy is that way, Chris Rock's comedy, and those are the people who influenced me the most. So, me and Dave Chappelle, 50 Cent, did his, he did this show in Louisiana because he's opening it. Yeah, that big festival. The big festival.

And shout out to CH who got me on that show. And I went down there and Dave came. Dave had his own green room. Everybody is like, huddle around Dave walked by. He's so nice It's so ridiculous how famous he is That's how accessible he makes himself in moments He ain't super accessible, but

Yeah In moments Especially with comics He makes himself accessible And he came and said hey to everybody And he said hey to me And he took two steps to walk away And he stopped and turned and was like

A huge fair I was like ooh And he was like Oh man He was like like, you're writing. He was like, you're brilliant. Come to my green room, man.

I was like, what? And I told you, I got imposter syndrome really bad. I was like, there's no way he talking to me. Yeah. And then we went in the green room and we're talking. He was like, yo, I see your stuff. He was like, I think you do comedy the right way. You're a brilliant writer.

He was like, take my number if you need anything. Let me know. And I'm just like, he's just some Hollywood. He don't mean it. Right. And then 50 cent came in the room. And 50, he was like, hey, 50, if you do anything comedy, you need to see if you can hire him.

He's an amazing writer. He gets it or whatever. And I'm like, I think this dude is serious. And then so, like, Dave, he was, I was like, I don't have my phone. He gave me his number. And then when my special was dropping, he reached out whenever I went to see him in Atlanta. And I was just like, oh, in my mind, I'm like, oh, he, you know, whatever, he invites me to go do firehouse his club in Ohio. I was like, ah, he just says that.

And then when he sees me, he's like, hey, man, when are you going to do Firehouse? Hey, man, I told you you could. I was like, oh, he really means it. He really means it. He's a genuine person. Because you've been in that situation where people say things and they don't really mean it. Yeah. They're just saying in that moment.

And they're not at that level. And him and Kevin really be like, reach out. If I can do it. I'll help you. I'll help you. And they really mean it. So to like the guy, I never even thought I would even know these people. And they respect.

Like, I went to go see Kevin one time. And Kevin was like, hey, I need you to see this set. and give me your opinion on it. I was like, me? Kevin Hart, but they know I care about this. That's why I think my legacy will always be how much I loved it. And I asked Dave, I was like, how, because he's been doing it since he was like 13, 14. It's like, how are you still doing it like this?

He was like, it's been good to, I've been, like, I've been, I've given it my all and it's given it's all back to me. You know, it's been really good to me. I love it and it loves me back. And that's something I want for myself. You know, I want to love this thing more than anything in the world. And the thing is, when you love it so much, you don't even care if it loves you back. I just love it so much.

I just want to do this forever. That's why it's so important for me to make timeless bodies of work. So important. I want my bodies of work. When I'm no longer here, people are like, man, I wasn't around for it. But that, that was, that, that dude, that was special. This concludes the first half of my conversation. Part two is also posted, and you can access it to whichever podcast platform you just listen to part one on.

Just simply go back to Club Shet Shay Profile and I'll see you there.