The Breakfast Club - Best Of 2024 Full Interview: Donnell Rawlings Explains His Issue With Being Called A 'Mild' Comedian

Episode Date: December 20, 2024

Best of 2024 - Recorded March 2024 - Donnell Rawlings Explains His Issue With Being Called A 'Mild' Comedian. Listen For More!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People, my people, what's up? This is Quetzalove. Man, I cannot believe we're already wrapping up another season of Quetzalove Supreme. Man, we've got some amazing guests lined up to close out the season, but I don't want any of you guys to miss all the incredible conversations we've had so far. I mean, we talked to A. Marie, Johnny Marr, E, Jonathan Scheer, Billy Porter, and so many more. Look, if you haven't heard these episodes yet, hey, now's your chance. You gotta check them out. Listen to Questlove Supreme on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. WAKE THAT ASS UP EARLY IN THE MORNING THE BREAKFAST CLUB Morning everybody, it's DJ Envy Jessy Larry Charlamagne Nogai, we are the Breakfast Club, we have a special guest in the building, He has a Netflix special that's out right now.

It's called. You're familiar with the old written law. Love your friend and his unwritten companion. Hate your enemy. I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemy. This is from Matthew 55, 43, 48. That's for all y'all religious names.

I didn't introduce him yet. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best of you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer look at God read Matthew 5 5 for then you are working out of your true selves your God create creative cells this is what God does he gives his best the Sun to warm and the rain to nourish to everyone regardless the good and the bad the nice and the nasty if all you do is love the lovable. Can I introduce you? Do you expect a bonus? Read Matthew 5.5.

Anybody can shut the fuck up while I'm talking about God. What the fuck is wrong with you, nigga? I'm praying, nigga. And anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any one of the meal center does that. That's Donald Rollins, ladies and gentlemen.

In a word, what I'm saying is grow up. Your kingdom subjects now center does that. That's Donald Rollins, ladies and gentlemen. What I'm saying is, grow up. Your kingdom subjects now live like that. Live out your God created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others the way God lives towards you. Ladies and gentlemen, Donald Rollins. Hi, Donald. I love you.

I love you, too. I love you even more. Why didn't you read the scripture you texted me the other day? You texted me Matthew 5, 5. Read it out, I'm rolling. Hi, Don-El. I love you. I love you, too. I love you even more. Why didn't you read the scripture you texted me the other day? Because. You texted me Matthew 5-5. Read it out, Shalemane. It's a lie.

Happy are the mild tempered since they will inherit the earth. That's Matthew 5-5. Welcome. Welcome. How you feeling, brother? I feel very mild. In fact, I'm gonna tell you, this is how mild I feel.

I've looked at the careers of a lot of people, right? And some of those people that are super hot, that aren't that mild, let's just say, they're not doing the same thing that the mild performers. Are you talking about Corey Holcomb? I don't use names. I'm not talking about anybody. I mean, we could get to it.

I mean, it's not, listen, I had a conversation with a very close friend of mine and they said, they knew what I was doing at the breakfast club, right? And they said, Don-el, don't do it. This is what that person said. Don't do what? Don't do what? They don't do what you.

I'm not used to seeing you like this, Don-el. They said don't do what they're gonna try to do. Don-el, you always do this. He said don't do it. And the reason why they said, here's the thing. You could say, this thing is, I'm giving light to somebody that doesn't deserve light, all right? I'm giving energy and pumping up something

that doesn't have to be pumped up. Now we could talk about the situation, I see that sinister, nasty, light skin look that you're having. You look very light, you look very light, lighter skinned, look that you're having. Sinister, nasty, light skinned. You look very light. You look very light, lighter than normal, son. Damn. You look like LaTisha.

Like light, light, light. Like a white man. And the thing is, I know it's your business as a fake journalist, as a media personality, you have to get to the bottom of this. You have to get to what people talk about in the streets. I don't wanna do that, but we can. No, I wanna talk about your special, Don. Let's talk about my special. And you wanna? Wait, wait, wait, what's talk about in the streets. I don't want to do that but we can. No I want to talk about your special, Don.

Let's talk about my special. Wait, wait, what's special? A new day. No, what platform? Netflix. Not on the YouTube, not a podcast. Continue. Netflix. I'm just saying there's levels to this shit. There's apples and oranges, alright? And that's what being a mile coming at you. That's what we do. Are you still in fashion?

I'm still in the top 10. That's what we call, for people to understand that and look for clits, this is called, this business of, it's called charting. Now there are a lot of shows on Netflix. And here's when the world, not just a podcast, sees you when you chart. When my special dropped on the 27th, the next day it was charted at number two.

Congrats. Now, no, no, no, no, no, let's talk about it. Don't try to congrats and go through the ugly shit. You gave Andre Ward, you was looking scared as shit and if you're Andre Ward, give me the same energy. Fucking sucker ass nigga answered all the punk ass questions. So who do you think was gonna fight next? All right, who's the greatest?

Who's the greatest fighter you ever seen? So who do you think is the greatest? Nigga, answer real question, nigga. Who do you think is the greatest? Would you ever fight scorpion balls? How big are scorpion balls? There's a story in Las Vegas where some guy balls got bit by a scorpion. Hey Andre, would you ever fight a scorpion? N***a, give me the same respect. I don't need that. I just said congratulations. I don't want your motherf***ing congratulations. I want to talk about the facts. I have a respectful question. Before that, I have to answer his question first.

The special dropped. I didn't ask a question. You were getting there. It charted number two. And it held on to number two for three days. It went to number four for a couple days. It went to number seven. I'm not really sure even if it's charting right now. But to have a Netflix special to come out as many programs that are on Netflix, just to get recognized in the top 10, it's a big joint.

Amazing. It's a big deal. And it's the reason why I support any comic that wanna follow my lead and be mild, you should do it. Absolutely. That's what I'm saying. And to address that, here's my thing. All right, we'll see, I don't wanna get into it. I don't wanna get into it cause I don't wanna be messy. Well, don't. No, but I'm, no, no, we'll see, I don't wanna get into it. I don't wanna get into it

because I don't wanna be messy. No, but I'm, no, no, I gotta say this. He ain't getting into it. It's in your face, nigga. You sinister, nigga. I don't understand this, Don-el. Your face should be like, mu-ha-ha-ha. That's the type of nigga you are.

I don't get this, Don-el. You've always been such a mild-mannered comic. What is setting you off about this situation? The thing that's setting me up about the situation is being called mildle, alright? I'm gonna tell you why, it's the same issue I have with you. For a person that- What do I gotta do with this?

I'm bringing you back in when I want to. Bring you back into this. I'm gonna pray for you. Dear Father, help this nigga. Alright, the point I'm making, what was the point? Can you keep me on track, Jess? What was the point I was making? The point that you were making

why you don't like to be called a minor. The reason why, and I said the issue I had with you, and I said, okay, this motherfucker keep on trying to create a narrative that he's not funny. You don't understand. That is not true. As I said at the beginning, let me say this, let me talk to a comedian.

You know the N word for us, not funny and corny, as much success as you've had, and I know that if you've dealt with naysayers and everything, and you can brush it off, your numbers don't lie, it's still something personal about somebody saying that. And you wanna say, fuck you, I know I'm not. And the reason why I'm gonna say that,

and I'll address this, first off, you to ask who's Judging me who is saying you mouth right if that person is now on a level of what I've done We talk about what your mouth saying resume If you know that level it's not even fair for you to make an assessment of what you think my motherfucking career is Cuz I could do I can do the resumes And this is what I could do you can say I know you saw scorpion balls.

I know, I'm gonna deliver you some. You know what I'm saying? It's like, okay, who's judging me? And then when somebody's judging me, you're making a critique of me, what are you doing? What are you doing in your career? But sit back trying to shit on a motherfucker. And I take offense to anybody saying that funny,

because I know, after 30 years, that's not what the streets is saying. I've never said you're not funny. I'm not talking about you. He was! It's always about you. He made a reference to something she was saying. Isn't that the sign of a narcissist? Yes. Always bringing it back to you. It's not about you. But did you open up? Me! This interview is me! That's right. A new know a new day a new dawn and I'm feeling good But you opened up for him that night, right? What what? Oh, what's that first off first off? You know what? That was crazy no, I didn't, okay, no.

I think it's very petty for comedians, and I'm not gonna say names, because all this just get, I think it's fucked up for comedians to try to be critics of comedians when you're in the same field. Nobody does that. Athletes, nobody do that.

You'll never hear LeBron James going out saying that Jay Morant is whack. I'm better than him. But his name is Ja. Okay, Ja, whatever it is, I'm making my point. You guys can clown about, I'm serious. No, we are, I understand what you're saying. Stop laughing.

I'm gonna look at you when I say this. You'll never have any other field where when you actively doing the same thing you're gonna be a critic of that person. And what they do is leave it on the court. You're not gonna, LeBron may have a certain issue with certain players but he was like I'm not gonna be like oh I'm better than him. You're like this I'm gonna dunk on you. Michael Jordan never went out and said what I'm gonna do to somebody. He went out and did it. So if you want to fight me, fight in a fair arena. You can't fight me on Netflix because you ain't in that

league. So if your criticism of me is of what your opinion is, and even with this situation, somebody said don't talk about it. You know what? I'm a very petty person. I've been riding y'all motherfuckers paws for eight years. I can be petty, right? I can be petty. Didn't wanna be petty. I said, and the reason why I didn't wanna be petty, because I started listening. I go through the comments, I started listening,

and I was saying, wait a minute, I don't gotta fight this motherfucker. I'll let them fight it. I don't need this fight. You gotta stop cursing down there. You have to use mild profanity. Don't you edit this shit? Yes.

All right, you edit this shit, but I got you. But mild profanity because we don't wanna have to edit too much. Beep, beep, beep. Okay, all right. What I'm saying is, if you wanna fight me, fight me in a right arena. And the thing is, where you wanna fight me or criticize me, I've already done that.

Yeah. I've already done that. If you check my resume, and I know you guys have because you always wanna have some insight on me. If you check my resume, and my career goes over 30 years I started in the same place that everybody started probably even worse so when you try to put out there what you think comedy is and get in front of much I guess what I've been through the mud but who still want to keep playing in the dirt eventually you

got to elevate yourself I don't want to do that why being so spicy down and we know like you are funny like we like we know you funny like so what you're trying to do down is like I'm being honest like how many times if I came to your show. This is gaslighting your gaslighting. He's getting some things off your chest in your gaslighting. You started it. I don't trust you. I'm just I'm keeping it real I like you but I don't trust you and I have the same situation with certain names, whatever. But it's like, it's like this. And I look at this and I know the question is,

well, what's up with all this comedy beef or whatever? And it's unfortunate. Who got that question? I had that question. It is, it is. There's an elephant in the room. Absolutely, and we ask every other comedian that fucking comes up here that question.

And I was gonna get to that. How do you feel about the comedy beef and the climate that it's in? Let's take away a nigga with a podcast who talks about everybody to get attention. Let's take away that. What's the question again? Let's talk about the climate and what comedy is.

It's a fancy, good question. You know what comedy is in right now. I'll answer this way, it's two, you got to do like, white comics, black comics, whatever, right? The thing is, in our community, we feel like it only can be one black person on top at one time. Nobody wants to share the stage, they feel like Hollywood picks this person, but everybody can win.

Everybody wants to be Batman, but it's gonna be more Robbins than anything. We're not supportive of each other, Very, very selfish, very competitive, but not to point, competitive. That's not everybody though. We see what game we're in. I'm not talking to you, Ghenvy. Okay, sorry. I'm talking to a comedian.

Do you want to do comedy? No, sir. You can start like we did. We can do open mics. No, sir. I know you have a platform. No, sir. You think you can do anything. I said no, sir, gang! Do we interrupt car show promotions like this? Sorry, Jeff. Sorry. Imagine me interfering when you talking about what are your fuck ass car shows. I said sorry, okay. Do we interrupt car show promotions like this? Sorry. Imagine me interfering when you talking about

one of your punk ass car shows. You're right, I said sorry, continue right. We don't do seminars for houses anymore. I'm so glad that time is over. Wait a minute, wait a minute. He doesn't do open mic, he does open houses. Yeah, open houses, them houses close like shit right there. Anyway. Oh my goodness.

The question is, and it's an out, we very, very, very, very hateful. And as bad as the climate has been in comedy, this is the common denominator with everybody that's been a subject, a discussion from the, let's keep it real, from the Shay-Shay Interview, all these names that came up. The one thing that's common with everybody

is that we all started from nothing. There's not a story of anybody's name is going up that didn't come from one family house. You know what I'm saying? Nothing. Everybody they talk about had a dream and it turned their dream into reality. So my thing, if you want to be critical of that, then be same, use that same criticism and talk about the come up, talk about the people that have done it and let people know that this is something

that you can focus on and you can do it, you can be good at it and you make it successful. The only thing right now in our comedy community is that people are trying to sell controversy now. They don't wanna sell jokes anymore because they know what moves the needle every podcast platform I did a whole media run and everybody soon as I walked in they wanted to controversy. I heard so about that Yeah, they want oh I heard this because they know that our society we

Gravitate toward negativity drive on more than anything. That's why you look at news the news whatever New York news You look at it person was murdered Brooklyn, person was murdered in Bronx, because we gravitate toward negative stuff. It's unfortunate where we ever get where we have these positive stories, never, because that don't move the dial. So you got people out here trying to move a dial with podcasts, whatever,

and the way I'm trying to move a dial is by what I'm doing. I don't have to talk about it. I'm not cocky about my Netflix special. I've been doing this for 32 years, and anybody you know, you know my history, anybody they know my history, I put the work in. So when you try to discredit that, I'm gonna defend that. Again, I don't wanna talk about it because,

there's a thing, I make a conversation. It's been 17 minutes since you talking about it, Darnell. All right, because somebody told me not to do it. But y'all had a mild disagreement, that's what it was. No, we didn't have, now, we're just a mis-sign, fuck him. Was I supposed to say that? I don't know how to say it, I was trying not to do it. But y'all had a mild disagreement. That's what it was. No, we didn't have. Now, we said, Mr. I don't know, fuck him. Was I supposed to say that? I don't know how to say it. I was trying not to say it.

I was trying not to say it, I swear. God, don't do this. I was trying not to say it. I was trying three different things. Just give me, fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him. That's what I wanted to say.

That's what I wanted to say. Can I ask you a serious question? Yeah. If sucking three dicks gets you a movie, what do the sucking six dicks get? Well, that's a question for you, because I know you're very serious about it, you're into the acting world, right?

And when I came up here, I was like this. You know what? Out of all this discussion on Felatio, I was like, who better to audition for three movies than Charlamagne? So maybe that's a question. You're the one curious about how you get into movies, and that's a trigger.

I've been in over three movies and I've never, and with that I've kept my career dick-free. So I've done it. It's been a struggle for some people, right? But I've stuck to my guns, get the dick out of here even so much that I moved to my guns, get the dick out of here, even so much that I moved to Ohio just to get away from the traps of the dick in Hollywood.

There's no dicks in Ohio? They, ain't nobody suck a dick to Rose. Got you, got you, got you. You know what I'm saying, I'm pretty sure that's, I mean, you know, it's happening out there, but that's not, you know, that's not a thing of mine. Do you practice like gentle or mild parenting? I'm very, very mild, very mild and gentle parent. Do you practice gentle or mild parenting?

I'm very, very mild, very mild and gentle parent. And I think that's because I'm an older parent. I think I'm old enough to be my son's grandfather and father at the same time. So he's being raised with grandfather energy. All that discipline stuff, I don't really do that. When he was younger, he cried, I'd just give him lollipops. I didn't try to give no life lessons I'm like an old head dad. So yeah, I got a gentle kinder parent in style

He's eight. Okay. Yeah, how's Ohio? Ohio is good. I'm on a road my little more on the road than anything Ohio is great. It's mild weather day all the time. It's mild weather. That's why I leave because I need to go to more spicy weather I need to go to a climate where they get it from the mud. Here's the thing about it, I gotta keep it real, right? That's what society says. But irony of that, when I did Chapelle Show, one of the sketches that connect with people resonates so much was when keeping it real goes wrong. So it was a situation I had when keeping it real goes wrong.

Guess who wrote that? Who? Me. So I knew how keeping It Real could go wrong. Next question. I didn't know you wrote that sketch. Next question. There's a lot of things you don't know about

Chapelle Show I did. Do you know the character Beautiful that I played? Beautiful. Not the pimp, the Jerry Caroll guy? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. What you didn't know about this was that character was not on the paper. They didn't write that.

And just how hateful of a sketch that was, I asked Neil Britton, I said, what's the next sketch I'm gonna be on? He said, player hates his balls. So the next day I look at the call sheet, which would tell you what you planned and everything. And I saw that I was not in. I asked Neil, I said,

I'm supposed to be in a player hates ball. Why am I not? Player hates ball. He said, oh, I'm sorry, B, I forgot. I was like, all right. He said, well, just come up with something. So that character, if you look at the original script, he did not exist in there.

I went home. My hair's been bald for years. And I was like, I want to do a different look. Everybody know this. I was like, now's the opportunity for me to grow hair. So I went to the makeup. I said, I want a Jury Carole wig. I went to props.

And I said, I want a bottle. I want some Carole Activator, right? But I want it to be in a champagne bottle. But they said, that'd be too sloppy. So I said, give me an aerosol can, wrap it around with some platinum gold, look, whatever. I'm going to do that. Right, this was the night before. I told him that. And then Five Heartbeats was one of my favorite movies. So I said, I wanted to be dressed like Eddie Kane Jr. If you look at what Beautiful was wearing in that, it almost looked like the day, you know, it looked like that. So I went with

that. I know this bores you because I'm making sense. So you can leave the interview if you want. No, we just have- I see you're not making eye contact. We're just having a mild conversation. No, no, no, no, no. I'm just asking a question. You're distracted.

I'm not. Focus on me. I am. Can it be about me right now? It is about you. Anyway, back to what I was saying. Five hobbies. Yeah.

So- Hey, I'm here for you Darnell. So I said I wanted the Eddie Kane Jr. look. So this guy West did didn't exist. So I got the jerry curl, I got the outfit and everything and I'm walking around and I didn't have a name and I'm looking in the mirror. I didn't have a name. I said, Neil, what's this character's name?

He said, I don't know, just make up something. So I walked past the mirror and I was like, damn, I feel beautiful. Beautiful, dee-nee-dee, beautiful. I said, Neil, my name is Beautiful. He said, well, that's a lie, but it's a funny name. Genius. And if you look at it, everything I said out of my mouth was an improv.

That character did not exist. That was my contribution to that. That's dope. Wow. Can I ask you a real question? No. When you got into the mild disagreement. I said no. When you got into the mild disagreement why didn't you leave the first time why you kept leaving and coming back and leaving and coming back leaving and coming back. First off what you don't understand is that I didn't leave and come back I stayed here's another thing about that situation that night there was three shows at the Laugh Factory on when it's three when it's a three-day weekend

Since y'all want the fucking truth. I'm not gonna bash anybody In fact, I've never one time said anything bad about this guy If you want to say his name and promoted you can I'll call him this guy. I've been called ugly Larry I've been called all this stupid shit and you know, this is not funny The reason why it's not funny because I know I ain't the best-looking nigga When I was fucking 15, I looked in the mirror and said this face has to be rich and famous. Yeah You have to agree so quick Certain faces look like you got to add something to it. Okay, you know, what's your question?

Why did I keep leaving whatever that day? I, I closed three shows. First show, second show, late show, midnight show. I didn't want to go there. I was tired, you know, but I didn't want to let Lonnie down, shout out to Lonnie Chocolate Factory. I wanted to commit to it. So I came to the show, right, and I don't, I don't mingle with comics. I don't go over there and do all the powwow shit. I don't look at the lineup. I just know that I'm gonna go in the car and I'm gonna go up. My do all the pow wow shit. I don't look at the lineup. I just know that I'm gonna go in and call them and I'm gonna go up. My name called, went up there, destroyed the show.

Ripped the show, but also know that I had to make an announcement about my special. And I wanted to say something that was real. So I had the crowd up here, I could have said good night. I took it down and I explained what this special meant to me, how it got here. And it was a very hard film. If you listen to that video,

you could tell people was riding with me. I didn't have to, I ain't gotta get on standing all right there. I made my points and I knew I was gonna use this. So I thought that it was giving me the light. I'm like, I'm the last one. Everybody else been kind of weak. I was wondering why they were stretching it.

Right, I was like, for me, just to do 10 minutes after people been waiting for the room, I don't make no sense. So I did go a little bit over my time. I went over my time not knowing that anybody else was on the show. Thought you was closing. I thought I was closing.

But they was trying to get you off the stage with a headline. No, they wasn't. You're not paying, I'm so focused. Yeah. Okay, I got it, sorry. Well, you know, Cory was headlining, right? Um, so I'm you So y'all this is quest love and I'm here to tell you about a new podcast

I've been working on with the story pirates and John Glickman called historical records. It's a family-friendly podcast Yeah, you heard that right a podcast for all ages one you can listen to and enjoy with your kids starting on September 27th. I'm going to toss it over to the host of Historical Records, Nimini, to tell you all about it. Make sure you check it out. Hey, y'all, Nimini here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records.

Historical Records brings history to life through hip hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The cracker, the bat, and another one gone. A tip, but a cap, cause another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history, like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up

her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. And it began with me Did you know, did you know I wouldn't give up my seat Nine months before Rosa, it was Claudette Colvin Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records.

Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Good people, what's up? It's Quest-O, Questlove. And Team Supreme and I have been working hard to bring you some incredible episodes of Questlove Supreme with guests you definitely don't wanna miss. Now, one of the things I love about this Questlove Supreme podcast is we got something for everybody,

every type of musical ever. We enjoy speaking to the people who are the face of some movements, and some people you've seen on stage or TV or magazine covers, but we also love speaking to the folks who were making it happen behind the scenes and they paved the way for those that followed you know keystones to the culture this season we've had some amazing one-on-one conversation like on

PayPal chatting up with hit maker Sam Holland, I'm with Steve chatting with the legend Nick Lowe and I've had of doing one-on-one conversations with Willow, Sonata Matreah, Kathleen Hanna, and the RZA. These are conversations you won't hear anywhere else, so make sure you go back and you check those episodes out, all right? Listen to Quest Love Supreme on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I know I'm to my time. But they will let me do that. I've been doing this long enough. If I want to run a lot a little bit, I can do it. Okay, I'm Don A. Rawlins. So I'm leaving. Good night. Good night. And then they said, we got one more guest coming up from the 30 30 podcast or whatever number it is. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And

they said blah blah blah. And I was like, Oh, I want to listen to this. Yeah. And the reason why I want to listen to it. I had already wanted to talk to this guy. Why? I'm gonna tell you why. Because I was fed up and like a lot of comedians fed up with the antics of why everything that comes out your mouth Has to be negative and shit on people. I want to have a conversation not just for me before the comedy community Why is it that you always have to talk shit about people and nobody asked you? Mm-hmm. I can see if you go on some my platform They said what you think about so-, but you volunteering this negative information. And you know how close I am with this guy.

Talking about Dave. Yeah, know how close I am with Dave. And he made some comments about Dave. And you can go on your platform and you can say, I'm just telling the truth. I'm afraid, what is the purpose of saying that? Making a comment, and I understand this, and I heard you on your podcast,

or Dave, he be bombing. All right, first off, not you. I'm saying I'm listening to the Brilliant Dummies or whatever the name of that show is, right? And you're like, he be bombing. First off, if you see Dave Chappelle in a comedy night like D-Ray Mondays, right? He's not in there practicing for a special.

This is what I was trying to make. He's not in there. You know why he's in there? Because he's black. He loves his black people and he wants his black people to feel that I'm still accessible, to feel that I could pop in, to feel like yo, the guy who is, you call it, go still wants to hang out with y'all. Which I experienced myself before.

Yeah, you know what that is. And you going in there, this is what people understand, this is why when I asked him about that, he was like, hey, be by me. I was like, it's a workout. Yeah. It's a workout. Guess how you get new jokes?

By jokes not working. You think that De Chappelle or anybody is gonna go into these nights, especially with the phones running and everything, and go up there and give you a show that he charges five and $600 for? He's going up there to do what? To be Dave, to sit up there.

They're gonna wanna smoke a cigarette. If you wanna, he going up there to chill. And who are you to sit in the dark? With the mic. In the dark, the crew is like, oh, he ain't so and so. If you wanna, if you really wanna test a motherfucker, they go to an arena show when we perform for 20 and 20,000 people

and we setting stuff for flame. Those rooms are designed for people not to be critical. That's what those rooms for. But why you letting bother you? Because we've been in those rooms, I've seen you in a small venue and I've seen you in huge venues, I've seen David's- Why did I let what bother me?

But why you letting what he said bother you? Because you know what it is, you know you- You don't know I'm sensitive? I'm sensitive. Oh, okay. And then I- I'm sensitive. And then even with you, you know, outside of being sensitive, this is a person that always does this shit, like all the time.

You know what I'm saying? It's the same thing. And the only way that you can actually ever get to him, to talk to him, is if you pop up on him. Because even in my experience, I mean, I'm talking about this person has talked about me years and years and years, tried to apologize to another comedian. No, don't send me D-Ray to apologize to me. I want you to apologize to me as a mother because of the shit you said about my son.

You know what I'm saying? And then I had to call you, I'm talking about block my number out to call you and you answer the phone like, who this? You know what I'm saying? And then you apologize. And then I would have never made those comments about you had I knew you were a comedian. What the hell, what that gotta do with me being a comedian?

So he has apologized to you before? He has on the phone and then later, and later. It's a different story. You get on that mic again on the show, on your podcast show, which is like the only thing you have. You know what I'm saying? And you talk about me again, you talk about me again, you talk about, so he cannot leave our names

and the names of the greats and the name of the people that he cannot beat on a Netflix, on anything else in any other realm out of his mouth. He can't do that. So that's all he has is that mic in that door and in that cold corner. Right. Without anybody being able to respond.

Right. Without having the opinion of anybody. And here's the thing. Whether you know it or not, it was so many comedians that called me and said, thank you. And going back to your question is that I look at Dave. You asked the question? I listen.

Yes, he asked the question earlier. Back to your point is that him, like I'm a good friend. People want to say all this shit. Well, even with that, he was like, when I I had a special or Dave Chappelle put them on what you don't know is Netflix had already agreed to do a special with me Produced by Dave or not. What if they did put you on so what you know what I'm saying This I'm working like answering like dumb questions You know saying like okay, and this is what people don't understand.

And this is where the loyalty comes in. They ain't just handing out specials. That's the point. To give them a few that are very deserving of it. That's the point I'm making, but people don't understand that. Any success somebody get with hard work, whatever, they wouldn't say you had to do so and so.

So you dismissing work ethics, you dismissing going hard, you dismissing God saying it's your turn. I don't think nobody is. I just think you take, people seem to find. I'm not saying you, no, I'm not saying you, I'm just saying. But it just makes sense. It's like if I wanted to do a podcast, right,

why wouldn't I go to Charlemagne, who has his own podcast, right? That's my guy, and he's gonna hopefully look out the best interest, even when I was doing my book, I called Charlemagne and said, yo, these are the terms for the book, what do you think? He's done it before. Is that what he's supposed to do?

So my next question is, if you've written more than three books, did you have to give fellatio for three books, or is that just for movies? In the book world, it's just it before. Is that what he's supposed to do? So my next question is, if you've written more than three books, did you have to give Fallaccio for three books or is that just for movies? In the book world, it's just hand jobs. I knew it was something sexual. Yeah, it's just hand jobs in the book world. Yo, but again, going back to it, when I spoke out, and I will do this, there's an unwritten rule that comedians are not supposed to heckle, and it wasn't a heckle, right?

When I say what I said, I felt like I did that, not just for myself, but for so many comedians, that's like enough is enough. It's not gonna change anything. You're gonna listen to this, and you're gonna figure out how to make some content out of this, and you're gonna be yourself. Well, he got the right to respond.

Yeah, but what is he gonna respond to? Just like even when responding, what he said, he ugly. And here's the thing, you wanna be, okay, I'm ugly be okay I'm ugly so what okay I gotta agree with him on that yeah all right what say ugly guess guess who I'm not trying to impress with my looks you nigga hi or you here's the thing everything with that situation I like your outfit thank you everything with that situation like you're this you that all right so you're judging a man like you looked at me I said I'm ugly. So who's fine to you me. I'm not talking to you. Oh

If you want to criticize my look like oh he's ugly so just tell me who you think is fine So that means you you looking at dudes, but that's me. That's me. Oh, no, no, Daniel ugly, but guess who fine Y'all are you gonna say that next and? And then, at the end of the day, this interview was not supposed to be about this, but at the end of the day, but at the end of the day. Who's making it about this? Please, I'm not trying to hear none of that.

Well, can I ask a question? Could you and Corey ever get on the same page? I think him and Jess's situation is different because, talking about somebody's child is nothing, but could you? I will say this, he was with me, for me, I respected him. Everybody don't agree with his style of comedy and I've said this to people before, like to be able to have the skillset,

and I say Patrice O'Neal was like this, to have a skill set where you can have people angry, wanting to leave, like this is disgusting, and then one joke, you got him laughing. There's something to be said about that dark comedy. You know what I'm saying? And that's why I've always shown that. I don't talk to comedians.

I don't hang out with comedians. He was one of the guys that when I see him out there, I'd be like, what's up? We would talk, we would talk, we would talk. So it was kind of interesting to me that when this hits like this, let's keep it what it is. You know, like the situation you had with him,, hours like this, I fight you all day. You know what I'm saying?

You talking to me. You gonna fight him? Figuratively speaking. Yeah, please. We've grown. Come on, Don-El. You're what I called him, a provocateur. This is not gonna work.

Let's just let the interview stand on its own. What? I'm saying I don't want you all to fight. We're not gonna fight. We will fight. You know how we'll fight? We'll fight on success. We'll fight on what we're doing.

You know what I'm saying? I know how on success, we'll fight on what we doing. You know what I'm saying? I know how to beat certain people. That's an easy battle. Just keep going. I don't have to do that. Success is subjective too though. Yeah, it is.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I know what he want. What does he want? He wants what everybody else has. But what you gonna do, and then you paint a narrative that the only way you can get that is to do a certain thing. You don't have to do that. Work ethics still win.

As much crazy as it is, work ethics still win. I remember years ago, it was me, we was at the Uptown Comedy Club. You laugh because I said. That transition was crazy. That transition was crazy. Let him go, man, man. Uptown Comedy Club.

I now make everything sound so sad, man. OK. So what'd you say? I'm a walking United Negro College Fund commercial. Yo, dude, it's the saddest commercial ever, man. You should just be in black and white with sad music playing. No, I'll say, I'll say, I'll say, oh, man. All right.

Damn it. Years ago, this is, all right. Damn it. Uptown Comic Club. Years ago, this is an example of how you fight. Years ago, we was at the Uptown Comic Club. It was me, Dave, we were in the backstage in the low to dark area. It was me, Dave, me, Dave, Tracy Morgan, Mike Epps. At that time, Tracy Morgan, for whatever reason,

they was beefing with each other. Beef go way back, just like 25. Tracy and who? Tracy Morgan and Mike Epps. At that time Tracy Morgan, for whatever reason, they was beefing with each other. Beef go way back, just like 25. Tracy who? Tracy Morgan and Mike Epps. All right, they were beefing with each other, right? To the point where they was getting ready. We were back here on the Sloan Dock and they was getting ready to fight.

Interesting enough, Dave was there and Dave, they was getting ready to go at it. And Dave got between both of them. And he said, yo, don't fight right here. And it was, it happened to be a TV back on the stage, right? And he pointed to the TV. He said, this is where y'all need to fight. Get a TV show, fight with your success.

That's why I could go back and forth with this with him, but I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna continue to walk my walk. I'm gonna continue to do what I do. And I realized sometimes you gotta let other people fight your battles. I don't. the fans have spoken The fans have said what it is. My special is a good special

No, it's a great special. I'm saying alright. It's a it's a great special It's a great special when I say that on a sense of what I wanted to do Comedy is subjective to whatever style you like, But I tell everyone, I even told all my people, did I work what I said, people gonna be outrageous however they want, I said, but what you can't deny is that the special feels good. You know what I'm saying? And people are watching it.

Have you seen any change in like, I know it's only been a week, but have you seen any change in like, you know, you, your career since this came out? I feel like- Have people view you maybe? The thing that was really in my favorite that I had momentum before this this came out? I feel like- I've reviewed you maybe? The thing that was really in my favorite that I had momentum before this special came out.

I started seeing my ticket sales. This is just from the grinding. I started seeing that. Even my manager, this is like a two year process. And everybody was like, when a special, when a special come out, I said, can we just say my special is never coming out? Right?

I said, let's just work, like say it's never gonna come out. Because it's easy to work it now, we got a tool to work with. Let's just keep on our path of it's never gonna come out. Right, but what I do know is it's only been like two weeks or a week since out when I did a couple of shows. Here's another thing about the grind and the mud. The day that my special came out,

next day I was charted too, right? Following day for people talking about he couldn't handle certain rooms. The next day I did TI room in Atlanta. Oh yeah. And that room is a room that would destroy you. They weren't even thinking about comedy. They was ready to rap and everything.

Went in that joint, you know them clubs where you can get a margarita machine. And fuck you, baby, be funny and all that. And for me, maybe I'm weird, I could have been like, oh, I'm too good for this. It took me back to when I was doing comedy the first two years, when every comic was going up there that was bombing and whatever and then.

We're proud of you, Donnell. We're proud of you, I don't know what the fuck you in here talking about right now, but we're proud of you and we got you a gift basket. We got Donnell a nice gift basket. We're so proud of him and his new you a gift basket. We got Don-El a nice gift basket. And we're so proud of him and his new special. What's in the gift basket? His new Netflix special, A New Day.

We got you, because I know you like to cook. Right. And I know you like to smoke. That's true. So we got you some things that you like. So when I went back to this ghetto room, right? Yeah, because it took you back two years. Oh, come on.

It's your first two years. But you know what? I will say, this is my favorite. Which one? Which one? Which one? This green one right here. See? We got him. Boom. Right. Hey what, I will say, this is my favorite. Which one, which one, which one? This green one right here. See, we got him. Boom.

You gotta tell people what it is. I'm gonna tell him. We have him some mild green pepper Tabasco sauce. Thank you for that tour. Mild and zesty. OK, all right. What have you got there? You take the zesty part, I take the mild part.

We have the sweet baby Ray's gourmet sauce. Mild buffalo wing sauce. That's great. OK, we have the Taco Bell Mild Sauce for you. These are my favorites. That's right. We have Kinder's Barbecue Sauce, Honey Hot, mild. Okay, we have the Ortega Mild Original Taco Sauce.

Oh, we even got, this is good too. We have the Peggy's Marinade Wing Dip, straight from Pennsylvania. That's where you got into the fight at, right? This is mild as well. And we have a lot of black and mild, black and mild cigars, because I know you like to smoke.

Okay, Donnell? Okay, anything else? That's it. Damn, anybody, I wanna give some gifts, but only place, can somebody go to the bathroom and give me a wash rag for somebody's career that's washed up?

Do you got to show the body wash? Do you have some? Do we have anything that reference that's washed? Are you gonna use these products? Wash! There's some good stuff in there. We put some thought into that Darnell. You thought this was gonna be a hate gift, but I love it.

It's not, I was not, that's not a hate gift. I know what you like. I like that. That was very good. It's thoughtful. Very good. You like to cook, you always cooking in Ohio. Right, that's a great thoughtful.

What was the last thing I was saying before I was interrupted with that? You were saying it took you back to your first two years. When I went back, after doing the Netflix thing, and I went back to where I started in the gutter, I did that show and I felt accomplished with it. I was like, you can say whatever you want but I can still go in there.

And what I'll do is I don't have a beef but I will say the thing, what I was saying earlier, you can talk to me, you can beef with me as a man but this is the dirty grimy part is when you start throwing a person's family in it and you've had an experience like this where you came out of your normal self to defend your family and what you do. Who talked about your family? Stop it, you've had an experience like this where you came out of your normal self to defend your family. Who talked about your family? Stop it you know what it is. If we're gonna talk

about it talk about it. Now I really don't know I'm not joking now. Yeah well you know um the greatest comedian in the history of comedy said something about my family. The greatest comedian in the history of comedy. Oh he's not oh he's not that great. Hell no I was gonna say what the hell are you talking great. I was thinking about somebody else. You know I had to like when I did what I did and I have a I don't have no problem saying I shouldn't have yelled out. I don't have no problem saying that but it was just pent up. But you go on your platform and then you want to talk about me that's cool. Your looks and everything. You want to bring my family involved. You want to involve my family. You wanna post, and I know this stuff is Googleable, but on your platform that's filled with hate, you wanna put a picture of my family, my baby mother and my son. First off.

Oh, okay, I remember that. That's different, you're right. That's very dirty. Because now, in a negative climate that your show is, people seeing that, they gotta be out in public. You don't know how people are gonna react. That's the problem. And I was like, I don't wanna entertain this

because it's too much good stuff going on, but I have a problem. Keep it fair. You wanna fuck with me? Fuck with me. Believe that out of it. Have y'all spoke? No, I don't really have.

I don't really. But then you have to understand something too. This man doesn't respect his own family. He says things like, fuck his daughter, fuck his mom and shit like that. You know, he says things like, you know, fuck his daughter, fuck his mom, and shit like that. So, at some point it's like, there's no making up with a person like this. There is no trying to understand, to sit down.

Like, that type of person needs healing and therapy of his own. So, and- And I think that's why I said a prayer earlier. The thing is, there is no reason to for me to do it. I've already started with limited contact. Always started with a mutual respect, but if you lose to for me to do it. I've already started with limited contact. Always started with a mutual respect, but if you lose respect for me, I lose respect for you. And even when I say what I said on stage,

now one time did I berate him. Now one time did I say anything bad about his comedy. Now one time I say anything about his family. Now one time I say anything bad about him. I explained to what I am and I know that there's nobody gonna believe that I'm a male comic. There's nobody gonna believe that I'm not. So you think... You know there's a lot of people that don't know what you're even talking about right now. That's what I'm saying. Why you got this? I might want that shit, man. Fuck that gift.

Fuck that. Thank you. Go put that on your Scorpion balls. I didn't know it was gonna be a whole hour. Yes you did. You know what I'm saying? It wasn't, we didn't. You have a great special called A New Day. It's on Netflix right now. Make it a new day, Darnell. Here's the thing.

Darnell, make it a new day. This conversation wasn't specific to one's person. That is the notion. It was a conversation about this industry and how people move. And like you said, it's a new day, it's a new dawn, it's a new life for me and I'm feeling good. Don Ayer Rollins, Netflix special,

is still charting on Netflix. And I wanna say I appreciate this time. We appreciate you Don Ayer. It was good to see you. It was very good to see you. And congratulations. Thank you, it's always good to see you Don Ayer. It's always good to see you Don Ayer.

I wanna say congratulations. Thank you. That's crazy. I really appreciate you. Not me. It's always good to see you, Donnell. It's always good to see you, Donnell. I wanna say congratulations. Thank you. That's crazy. I really appreciate you. Thank you. I really appreciate you and your husband. I support you. I want everybody to get along.

You know what I'm saying? I want you and Cory to make up. I want Cory and John to, you know what I'm saying? Look, you can keep talking that question to him. Fuck Cory, don't have a say in nothing about no Cory over here to me. You already know Wayne don't have a name. Breathe, keep it known by.

You know how I feel. Donnell, we appreciate you for joining us. Love you. Thank you. Donnell, make sure you check out his special. It's a new day. It's a new life for me. All right, it's the Breakfast Club.

And I'm feeling good. Wake that ass up. Early in the morning. The Breakfast Club. People, my people, what's up? This is Quash Love. Man, I cannot believe it. I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Breakfast Club. People my people, what's up? This is Questlove. Man, I cannot believe we're already wrapping up another season of Questlove Supreme. Man, we've got some amazing guests lined up to close out the season, but you know I don't want any of you guys to miss all the incredible conversations we've had so far. I mean, we talked to A. Marie, Johnny Marr, E, Jonathan Schechter, Billy Porter, and so many more.

Look, if you haven't heard these episodes yet, hey, now's your chance. You've got to check them out. Listen to Questlove Supreme on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.