The Breakfast Club - Best Of Full Interview: Rickey Smiley On Grieving The Loss Of His Son, Comedy's Healing, New Book + More

Episode Date: January 6, 2025

Best of 2024 - Recorded October 2024 - Rickey Smiley On Grieving The Loss Of His Son, Comedy's Healing, New Book. Listen For More!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the Guy, we are the Breakfast Club. Jess is on maternity leave, so Lauren LaRosa is filling in. And we got a special guest in the building. We about to mess up so many people's heads because they're gonna be in their car like, am I listening to the right station right now? We got the brother Ricky Smiley here.

Welcome brother. Man, thank you for having me, man. How you feeling? Man, I'm feeling good, man. It's a dream to be here. Stop it. Bro, I lay in the bed and I sit here and I just scroll and watch all y'all videos.

I've been a fan for years. I got it. Hold on, I want to say something before we get started with the conversation. Man, I saw Ricky a couple of weeks ago. I saw him in New Orleans at the Inspire No Love event. And I went up to him and I said something that I'm going to say now. I want to publicly apologize.

I was just about to ask that. To Ricky Smiley, because several years ago, I gave Ricky Smiley Donkiya today because a radio executive asked me to. And you didn't deserve that, brother. So I told you when I saw you, I told you that, and I wanted to say that again publicly, because I feel like if you do something to somebody publicly that you don't agree with,

you should publicly apologize for it. So I wanna say that to everybody, all our listeners, I want them to hear me say that you didn't deserve that, and I wanna apologize to you. Again. I appreciate that, man. The first time when you walked up on me, man, your energy, man, the love and the respect,

it takes a big person. I know that it was all part of the game because we have a mutual, one of your employees is one of my mentees. Who? Big Mac. Mac, Mac, Mac. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mac told us as an intern. Oh yeah. He told us as an intern and that's who he is. Well, I put him on stage. I'm the as an intern. Oh, yeah. He told us as an intern, and that's who he is. Well, I put him on stage. I'm the first one to put him on stage. That's dope. We'll talk about that, because I put a lot of them on stage. We have a lot of comics there, Star, or whatever.

I've been in the game 35 years. But I really appreciate that man, and don't feel no kind of way about it. I didn't take it personally, but it takes a special kind of person to apologize and stuff like that. I thought nothing of it personally, but you know, it takes a special kind of person to apologize and stuff like that. I thought nothing of it, because if I thought anything bad, I wouldn't even be here.

You know what I'm saying? But I love you, I appreciate you, man. I think you're doing a fabulous job. I met you at the White House. I was excited about that, and I hear you in Florida all the time. We see each other on the road every once in a while. I see you on the road as well.

Always good to run into you, and it Always good running into you. Yeah, absolutely. And it's a pleasure meeting you. Yeah, it's nice to meet you too. Absolutely. I was gonna start that, but now we ain't even gotta go there because I was gonna ask that one time, you know, everybody was throwing shots and I was like, I'm just glad that.

He wasn't no everybody. It was me. He threw a shot back too. He did, I don't remember. But it was through me. See, we from the South, we can go outside and just wrestle. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Wrestle. Not at this big age. Not at this big age. He might have called you short. Y'all wrestle now so I might not get up. Okay? Y'all might pull something at my age. Yeah.

I done got up there. Ricky might have called you short, bald headed, fake Boris Chesma. We all got so many mutual people, you know what I'm saying? Whether it's Mr. Harvey, whether it's Lil' Duval, whether it's Mack. So it's just like, what are we doing? Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We getting older.

We don't have time. That's right. Well, you got a new book yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We getting older, we don't have time. That's right, well you got a new book out right now. Yes sir. Side Show. Side Show. Now talk about what's Side Show about? Okay, you know the song that your parents, everybody's parents, let the side show begin.

That's right. Hurry, hurry, it's about a sad clown. Right, my job as a professional comedian is to go on stage and make people laugh. And I lost my son about a year and a half ago. And it's been hard because the bills don't stop coming. I'm still a performer. Right.

I still have to go on stage. And I had to dig deep and get in some real deep therapy to get myself together so I can continue as a performer, because if I worked at Amazon lifting boxes or delivering packages, that's one thing, but when your job is to make people laugh, when you're crying on the inside with the trauma that I experienced, that's what the song Sideshow talk about.

See the man with a broken heart. You can see that he is sad. It hurts so bad. See the girl who collect broken hearts as souvenirs. It's all about a clown in a circus performing, but dealing with stuff on the inside. I've watched you grieve out loud online. And the only reason I don't like that,

it has nothing to do with how you feel, I know how people react. And when you're already dealing with something, when you're already dealing with trauma and then you give it to people online, then they come at you. How do you deal with that? Oh no, it didn't bother me, Charlemagne.

My job was, I had to help other people because the reason I was open with it is a lot of mothers out there that lost their 18 year old, 17 year old, 16 year old, 15 year old. My son was 32. When we were in New Orleans, your book signing was right after mine. And I have a couple that had lost their two year old, right? And that's some of the things that I talk about in the book. It gave me, it gives you glimmers of hope

and the glimmers of inspiration even during our traumatic times, right? So my son was 32, but this couple sitting out here crying at my book saying their son was only two. And I could have lost my son at two, but God allowed me to have, you know, 30 years, 32 years. So you get a little gratitude from that.

And it's crazy that you can get gratitude from something like that. And you start looking at, it's a helpful, the book is a helpful tool for people that's going through the grief process. Because there's a lot of people out there and my book signing has been packed with people that have lost their kids.

How do you still believe, right? Sleuthe Baldwin books too in New Orleans. How do you still believe? Southey Baldwin books too in New Orleans. How do you still believe? You talk about losing your father at the age of six, and then you lose your son. How do you just not say, you know what, there is no higher power? How do you still remain focused and still have belief

and still have hope and still have all of that with going through the pain that you've gone through? I grew up in Birmingham, man, so I got that old southern Christian background. I went to Sunday school every Sunday, so I just have some strong belief in a close relationship with God because it was nothing and nobody to lean on. I was in an apartment in Dallas, Texas by myself

when I found out that my son passed. And I had an hour to make it to the airport. And I'm packing a bag and on the phone with my other kids, letting them know what happened. And trying to get myself together and preparing myself to lead because my family needed me. It didn't really hit me until a year later, right? But at that time, my son has a mother

and a wonderful stepfather, so I had to protect them. I had to protect my mother, who was really close to my son because my mother, you know, recovering addict, my mother had 35 years clean, had to protect her because they had a real special relationship because she could identify with the struggle. Then I had to protect my

other kids. I had two kids in college getting ready to graduate college. You know my daughter that got shot, she was a senior in college getting ready to graduate and bail her. And then I had my son graduate in Alabama State and then my oldest daughter. So just trying to get them and then come say, hey here's what happened. Brandon didn't make it. I need you to meet me at the house immediately. Just real calm. I need you to text me.

Let me know that you're on your way. Text me when you, let me know. Just all of that. I had to be calm. I had to be cool. I had to get in the car with my uncles who was crying. I had to turn the radio on, the R&B station. I had to turn on Frankie Beverly and Mays

to go from the airport to the house. I'm comforting them because it reminded them of my dad's death, right? And so I'm just a child man that sat on the front row and watched my grandparents go through what they went through. And through my grandfather, I learned how to handle the situation

because that's how my grandfather handled it as well. Did you ever, because losing somebody, especially someone so close to your son, it changes you. Did you ever, at first when you were trying to get to that, I mean I guess I get through it, I don't know if you ever get through it, were you afraid that when you got back on stage

that first time that it wouldn't be the same, like your ability to kind of push through and make people laugh wouldn't be the same? No, you know Charlamagne, one thing about funny, it don't change. That's right, yeah. When you're at, when you get that. You find something to laugh at, especially in the trauma.

Yeah, when your ass hit that stage, man, them jokes come, them jokes, like, when you get somebody on the front row laughing, I cry all the way up, my first show was in Cleveland at the Horace Casino, and I cried from the hotel all the way to the venue, all the way backstage, blew my nose, did like that, made sure my nose was clean, and walked on stage and got them jokes.

And cried after I got off stage, and you know, I was coming, but I've been in therapy, I was getting therapy twice a week, so I was prepared to go on stage again. My son died on a Sunday. That Wednesday, I was back on the radio. They said I was prepared to go on stage again. My son died on a Sunday. That Wednesday I was back on the radio. They said take as much time as you need. Well, either you lay in the bed and think about all of that,

or you get your ass up and go do your morning show, go do your radio show because all the mothers in Chicago and in Columbia and in Charleston and in Atlanta all over the country, their kids died too. Much is given, much is required. You can't cancel the show. God put you in this position and put you in a leadership position and you have to lead.

And I still went to the Salvation Army like I do on a regular basis. I fed the homeless with my son's clothes in the car to go to the funeral home. I do on a regular basis. I fed the homeless with my son's clothes in the car to go to the funeral home. That was a dark Wednesday. I'll never forget it. You have to do it. Everything, all of this stuff,

and I don't want you to ever forget this, all of this stuff, Envy, is a test. It's a test. Our pastor's been teaching us that for years. It's a test. God is watching you through your struggles, through your trials and tribulation, and looking at you, seeing how you're gonna handle this.

Are you gonna make it about you? Are you gonna use this situation to help other people? But I was still smart enough to go ahead and get the help that I needed in the process because I had to get therapy because this trauma is a bad car accident. How do you think you would have been reacting without the therapy?

Oh man, I probably would have been dead. I had, my son was, you know my son was a comic? No, I didn't know that. Shout out to me, my son was a comedian. I'll send you some clips. My son, man I remember my son headlined his first gig at the Stardome in Birmingham and I walked backstage, And I remember my son headlined his first gig at the Stardome in Birmingham.

And I walked backstage, he was by himself. He had on some, shit, he had on some black pants and I was roasting him because he had on a white shirt and some suspenders and a black bow tie. I was like. I was like, what you got on? He said, oh man, oh you told me to dress nice. I said, okay, you look nice.

I said, but I said, yeah, whatever. And he went on stage and performed. I stood backstage and I watched him perform and he had a really good set. And he was doing headlining shows he had just started, you know, closing shows, man, he was funny. He had a kind of like a sense of humor and he was being mentored by Roy Wood Jr.

You know, their clothes. You know, Roy, we all came from Birmingham, same radio station, all that stuff, so Roy was giving him some opportunities. And one time, now this is the funniest shit, he was on stage performing, so he had stayed at my house. Fucking left some clothes on the dryer. You know, he took the clothes out of the washing machine,

put it in the dryer and then he took all the clothes and put the shit on top of the dryer. I was mad as hell, you know, cause I like you to fold your stuff up and put your, man I went to the comedy club, he was performing, he was on stage, I didn't care, cause I was mad. I went into the DJ booth and got on the microphone and said, if you get your ass on stage,

you need to come fold these damn clothes. And we got into a whole argument. And the audience was cracking up and I was for real. And he was laughing it off and said, yeah, when you get on stage, you come out and get these damn clothes off my truck. Slammed the microphone and walk out the door. That's some funny stuff that I always enjoy talking about.

How has it been, because when you write these books, you put a lot of, you put your most vulnerable, deepest thoughts into these books, then you gotta go out here and do this. You gotta have these conversations. How's that been for you? I've gotten used to it. You know how it is, once you do one interview,

you do another interview, you keep doing interviews, you just get accustomed to talking about it. And then you develop some really good talking points that's gonna help other people. Cause what people been telling me is the feedback that I've been getting is, hey, bruh, it's been helping me out. You know how many people walk up to me and said

that they lost a loved one and they can't talk about it? And just because they hear you on the radio every morning, now they're coming out to your book signing. I have people walking up crying. Almost 90% of the people that come out about a book have suffered a loss and can't talk about it and do not go to therapy. So I've been promoting therapy because when you roll your ankle, you don't pull out a Bible.

You go to the doctor. That's right. Absolutely. The most important thing is that you're not gonna be to therapy, so I've been promoting therapy because when you roll your ankle, you don't pull out a Bible, you go to the doctor. The doctor, that's right. Absolutely. The muscle, the brain is a muscle, just like your ankle. Why is it that we black folks has this stigma

that we won't go get help? That don't mean that you're crazy. You have to get somebody and talk to somebody that's gonna help you process those feelings and emotions Because you can go into depression start affecting other organs in the body some people don't Make it from From their loss they die You know a lot of times people you know we've been taught as kids you keep how the home business in the house right you never Really talk about what happens inside your house. Like you said, that winds up killing you.

That depression, that anxiety, all those facts, all those feelings. Every time you cry in me, do you know that's like popping the cap off of a pressure cooker? You're releasing it, yeah. I cried this morning. Yeah. I sat on the side of my hotel bed,

I was having some anxiety, I called a good friend of mine, she answered the phone when I heard her voice. I just started crying, bro. I just let it out. I just cried, I just needed to just cry. I felt it building up yesterday, and I just started crying in the changing of the seasons. That affects you.

I think they call it seasonal. Seasonal depression. Seasonal depression. I've been dealing with anxiety and depression for my whole life, and I started going to therapy in 2016. And when I wrote a book about it in 2018, my dad read the book and I had a cousin who completed suicide that week. And my dad told me, it was the week of Thanksgiving 2018, I'm home in South Carolina, and he told me that between reading my book

and my cousin completing suicide, he told me for the first time ever that he was going to therapy two and three times a week. That he tried to kill himself 30 plus years ago. And then in South Carolina, they put him on 10 to 12 different medications for his mental health. And I remember I asked my mom, I said, mom, you know dad was going through all this?

And she said, I thought he was playing crazy to get a check. But that's what they do in the South. They give you the crazy check. But imagine if he would have had that conversation with me when I was young. Just told me that. The way we're discussing it right now,

imagine if we heard older men in our life having that conversation early. We'd have known that the stuff we was going through was normal. Yeah, my granddad never talked about it. My dad died, my dad was 26. My granddaddy didn't talk about it until he was like 85. Because he would be at my house all the time.

And I said, what happened, when did it happen? My dad died here in New York. My dad died of a drug overdose here in New York. And my granddaddy was like, he just started telling me, it's like I was there when they brought your dad's body in, I stood there like a man. I was standing in the morgue when they rolled my son body in there, like I took that shit like a G. I didn't shed a tear, I just made sure everything

was done properly, you know, bought the barber in, told the barber how I want my son mustache and beard done, and I stood right there and I took it, but all that stuff. You cried in the car though. It hadn't really hit me, it's coming out in small pieces like this morning. Maybe this morning was some of it.

And I didn't cry at the funeral because my granddaughter was looking at me. The whole time was like, pick a boo. Cause she didn't know what was going on. You know, the whole while, you know, she looking at me, we playing because, you know, and I just had that memory of my grandparents crying. Ricky, have you dealt with it then?

Because it doesn't seem like you fully dealt with it. Yeah, it's a process. It's a process, bruh. Do you ever think about just giving away, just stopping? You know, like, I don't want to do this anymore. Was that ever a mind? No, man, we got to save people man my my listen Some have to die so others can live mm-hmm you understand and

You know no cross no crown, bro We have to go through what we have to go through and we have to talk about it And I'm just trying to break the generational curse of number one, not talking about it, not going and getting therapy and getting help, and to talk about, you know, drug addiction. You know, I had a son and a nephew, age 32, and a niece. I had a niece, a son, a nephew, all died at age 32 within two years of each other.

Can you talk a little bit about that, like, just in real time when they were here dealing with the addiction and trying to help them through it and like also wanting them to get better but addiction, understanding it like it kind of takes over where it's not even just them anymore. Like it's kind of, it's a big beast. Yeah, the only thing I regret,

I didn't have a good understanding of the illness because I had a niece and a nephew that was cool and calm and respectful but it didn't affect my son that way you know my son would go off about stuff you know and it damaged our relationship or whatever because I didn't understand like hey I'm your dad you can't say that to me you know I'm driving around looking for you to fight you in the middle of the street you know I raised you I cook food for you you know I'm saying I wash your clothes you slept in the the middle of the street. You know, I raised you, I cooked food for you, you know what I'm saying?

I washed your clothes, you slept in the bed with me when it was thunder and lightning. Don't say that to me, you know. So I just didn't have a clear understanding of that, but I did everything I could to save his life. Did you ever blame yourself at all? Oh no. That's one thing I never felt, I never felt guilt now.

You know, I felt a lot of stuff, but guilt was not one of them. I did everything I could as a father to save his life. You know, rehab is 70 grand off the bat, boom. Like, you know, we did that twice, and you know, my mom was trying to help him. I just couldn't, I just couldn't get him, I just couldn't get him to get him well.

Would you do anything different as a dad during any of those times? And the reason I'm asking, you know, Sean Lame has four, I have six, so I like to... That's a good question. I wasn't tough on him. He was the one that I coddled.

I was tough on my other kids. The other kids, I was just really, really, really, really tough on them. And he was the one that I just kinda coddled and did everything for and took care of, because that was my first born or whatever. I just wish that I was tougher. I know that sounds strange, because it sounds like I should say,

I should have been easier on him. I was easy on him. I should have been tougher on him, like I was the other kids. What do we call tougher though? Cause I, you know, we come from the era, I was getting beat with extension cords and my daddy made me go take a bath.

I gotta go fix a switch. That's abuse. I don't beat my kids. I don't even touch my kids at all. So what do you call tougher? I just wouldn't give him, you know, I don't think I popped Brandon, I hit him, I popped him a couple of times when he was about 14,

made him go stand in the corner and go do that little, little thing right there. I'm gonna make sure those legs and those calves are straight. You know what I'm saying? I didn't, by the time I started getting tough on him, it was time for him to go off to college, you know? But the other kids, like Malik went to military school, then he went to IMG Academy,

I would have said he had a military mindset, and I think this, but I tried to do that for Brandon, because I sent him to the National Guard, you know what I'm saying? So my son served, he had a flag draped over his glasses because he served our country. But I just think I coddled him a little too much. And he just loved on him.

And he was the one I loved on, hugged on, you know, and just up under me all the time. Yeah, I don't, it's hard when you a parent nowadays, like I said, the era we grew up in. I be talking to my nine year old, like she a basketball player, like, you wouldn't have survived in the nineties. You couldn't have played in the nineties.

You couldn't have, but my grandma and my mama and daddy was going to be? Please. But the key is, it's good that you talk to her with that coach voice. Because we have to give kids more of what we had as opposed to what we didn't have. You know what I'm saying? You like who you are. You like how you turned out, right? Give that same thing to your kids. The evolved version of you. And through therapy, I've learned to love every version of me. I think that's what you got to do in life. Like every version of you served a purpose.

Absolutely. In chapter 12 of your book, it's Let the Tears Fall, you said that it took you a year for all of this to really hit you. Yeah. What was that day like when you were like, mm, I'm feeling it, like that first time where it was like... That one-year anniversary a few days before, that one- when you were like, mm, I'm feeling it? Like that first time where it was like. That one year anniversary, a few days before that one year anniversary, man,

it hit me like he had just died. And I was sitting, I had just got off the air. I was down in South Florida because I didn't wanna be in the house for that one year anniversary. I just wanted to go get away. And man, it hit me, man. And I was, I did some crying.

I think it was a bad mistake for me to be there by myself, but I just kind of sat on the couch and just cried pretty much for a couple of days, like really crying, because the only difference was, I didn't have a casket and some flowers and some condolences, right? I had all of that to keep me distracted doing when it actually happened.

I had to protect everybody. But that one year came and it was terrible. What about the chapter when addiction chases the bloodline? Was that difficult to write? Because you gotta go through your whole generational lineage with that, was that a difficult chapter to write? No, it was just being open and honest. My dad struggled, my mom struggled.

I had wonderful grandparents. My granddad talked to me every day, church, Sunday school. You know, hey, here's a trumpet, play that. Here's some piano lessons, let's go do that. Little, from little, I did trumpet, little league football. Did it all. My grandparents kept me busy with the discipline and instruction, talked to me every day. I did a little bit of little league football, did it all. My grandparents kept me busy with the discipline

and instruction, talked to me every day, so I didn't have those issues. And then he always talked about how my dad died, so don't do this. So I just stuck with it, and to this day I don't drink or smoke. I always wonder how grief impacts people who lost their parents at a very, very, very young age.

Does it hit you later in life? Do you see somebody out with their parents and it hits you, like what is it? It did when I was a kid, but what hurt me about my dad's death was watching my grandparents cry like that on the front row. I'm in therapy for that. That comes up in therapy, that wipes me out.

That wipes me out more than my son's death. Why? I'm a grandmama's baby, like, you understand, you're from the South. Like, watching my grandparents cry like that on their front row, man, I can't get over it. Even when my grandparents died, the only thing I could think about, their casket was in the same spot my dad's casket was.

The only thing I could think about was them crying on their front row, April the 11th, 1974. Wow. I will never forget it, man. It just, it tears my soul out of my body. I can deal with my son and death, but that's what I struggle with more than anything. Wow.

And that's why I didn't cry at my son's funeral because my granddaughter was watching me and I don't want her. Oh, you don't wanna traumatize her like that. Traumatize her like that, wow. Dang, God dang, boy. Yeah. Life is a mother fucker.

I'm about to cry now, listen up here talking about this. We about to all start crying. Yeah, I just wanna hug you. But that's what I don't understand about, that's why I notice, like just putting this out there to the world and having to relive all these stories

and retell these stories, is it therapeutic or does it feel like you opening up all the rules? Man, this is therapy, because if I go and get in that car and start crying, that is helpful. It is helpful to cry. It was helpful for me to cry this morning. You understand?

I'm good. But I also think what you're doing is helping people that don't know how to deal with it and can't talk about it because now they have a friend in you in this book and they're saying, well, let me see how Ricky dealt with it. Let me see what the troubles he's going through. It is normal. I can feel this way because a lot of times people feel like they're on their own and they're saying, well, let me see how Ricky dealt with it. Let me see what the troubles he's going through. It is normal. I can feel this way. Because a lot of times people feel like they're on their own. Yeah.

And they don't have those feelings. So that's one amazing thing about this book. Well, let's talk about something else for a second. You put on a lot of comedians, Ricky. And I think that coming from the South, right, people don't rea... I don't think people realize how big you are sometimes. Like, you know what I'm saying?

Like, I don't think they realize how much money you got, number one. But also just how rich you are and just how big you are sometimes. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, I don't think they realize how much money you got, number one. But also, how rich you are, and just how big you are. And I think it's almost a stigma with comedians from the South. Like, they don't get to respect that they deserve, I think. Yeah, I just do it for the love of the art. Charlamagne, Envy, I remember cussing DeRay Davis out, snatching a drink out of his hand

because he was too young to be drinking. Hey, give me that. You know, I had a little comedy club back in Birmingham called the Compastone. So I would have like D. Ray, Corey Hocum. Corey Hocum was like, hey man, I ain't never been outside of Chicago. I was like, okay, cool, let's go on the road.

You know, I would take those guys on the road, Corey Hocum, D. Ray Davis, a lot of them, man, that are tired, some of them have passed away. I would just take them on the road and help them because that's what Steve did for me. Don't nobody have to fool with you. You know what I'm saying?

Some people can just ignore you. Steve was one of those guys, man, that was helping and training coming down. I started November the 13th, 1989. That's the first time I went on stage. I met Steve before he did Showtime with the Apollo. And then, tell you a story, I wrote about it in my first book, and just talk about the discipline

and the structure of comedy. I was just like a flavor flav, cause I thought that was the thing. I'm doing a show with Steve. And Steve was like, listen, he said, people pay money to see us perform, your outfit is nice. He said, but tomorrow, I want you to come dress better. I want you to dress.

He said, I want you to dress nice. You know, Bruce Ayers, the owner, was standing in the door watching. I was embarrassed. I felt bad. I felt like my career was over. My feelings were hurt. I was like, oh shit.

I don't want to blow an opportunity with Steve Harvey. Man, he said, you can go ahead and introduce me. He said, but tomorrow, let's get it together. I said, yes, sir. Because you can't say nothing nowadays. You can't correct nowadays because everybody senses it. I said say y'all give it up and show your love right now But Steve Harvey Queen I never get it Queen Latifah come on for the love of money off that New Jack City soundtrack He came up on time. I knew was electric. I wanted to stay there and watch and I ran out that damn comedy club door

I jumped in my 1979 Toyota Corolla four-speed I peeled out of that comedy club driver. I jumped in my 1979 Toyota Corolla four speed. I peeled out of that comedy club driver. I drove all the way across town. Ran in my apartment. Put on a suit I had bought from Gene's West because I used to work at Gene's West. Put my suit on, boom, tie, runnin' drivin'.

I made it back to the comedy club just in time. When I walked back in the door, he was like, all right y'all, been wonderful. God bless y'all, my name's Steve Harvey, peace. When I walked back up there and had that suit on, no nigga, not tomorrow, tonight. That's what's up. Right now. What Steve said to you when he saw you.

So he dabbed me up and he, you know how he do. Yeah, he push you, that's what I'm talking about. You know how he do it, he push you. He look me up and down and he said, he said, I'm gonna talk to you after the show. I said, yes, sir. And um. Steve's anointed, man. Oh my God.

Okay, well nobody's. You know after the show, he said, follow this car right here. I followed him back to his hotel room. I sat on the edge of the bed and took a little notepad and a pencil and he lectured me for about two hours. And me and another comedian sat on the edge of the bed

and wrote notes. How to do this, why not do this? You did this joke wrong. Why are you cursing on stage? Why are you dressed like this? AT&T is in the audience. You need to do this, da da da. I took all that stuff, I took it serious.

Because I wanted it to be great. I wanted it to be better at what I did. And I ended up opening up for the Kings of Comedy. I did some shows where I did a few dates with the Kings of Comedy. You had to ride with Steve. You don't get your own limousine. You have to ride with him, so you have to be disciplined.

Get in the limousine, keep your mouth closed, slide all the way up, put your back to the driver, speak when spoken to. Had to share dressing rooms with Steve. We frat brothers, but I'm not ever comfortable enough just because you're a cue and I'm a cue. I'm finna come in here like I'm entitled. Be quiet and speak when spoken to.

That's the discipline I got from my grandparents. Who was the other comedian on the bed with you? I was, can I? Probably Sir Walt. Yeah, comedian that lives in Birmingham, Sir Walt. And he was mentoring a lot of us. But he was really into teaching. Come over here, sit down.

I mean, we sitting there, he's standing up, walking back and forth, and he's talking to us. And I remember a couple of times I was about to nod off because I was so sleepy, because I go to bed early. But that was something, that was life changing. See, he still like that. I changed the title of my first book, cause it's the. What you mean?

I was gonna name my book, I Don't Give a Fuck, and Neither Should You, a Self-Help Guide on How Not to Give a Fuck. And we was driving around in a ranch in Georgia, and I told him that title, and he looked at me, and he said. I gave you that look. No, no, player, that ain't it.

He said, that's the problem with y'all, y'all don't give a fuck. We need to, y'all need to give a fuck. He said, all people need to give a fuck. And he do the same thing, lecture me for about an hour, and I'm like, all right, I't it. He said, that's the problem with y'all. Y'all don't give a fuck. We need to, y'all need to give a fuck. He said, all people need to give a fuck. And he'd do the same thing, lecture me for about an hour and I'm like, all right, I got it. You ain't. Yeah, big brother mentor,

I was supposed to be on his morning show and we had a big argument sitting in this truck and then Rashaun got on the phone and said, no, you need to do your own thing. We're gonna use nephew Tommy. He said, you go over here. If it don't work out, you can come be on the show with us.

Wow, so hold on, you were supposed to be a co-host on Steve Harvey's show? So Steve was gonna give me, when Steve left Radio One, they said, who do you think, he said Ricky Smiley. So I went down there to do the morning show with Steve for two weeks, so he could gradually hey, turn the show over to me. Hey, I'm gonna be gone in two weeks,

but Ricky Smiley gonna be taking over. The chemistry was so good and we were so funny. I was just throwing him all kind of alley oops, making him recycle jokes, and we were just so funny on the air together. We look at each other like, hey man, we need to, we need to, you know. And me and Steve had, we was like, okay,

we gonna stick together, I'm gonna go to New York with you. And we got in the car with Rashaun, our other frat brother, who was Steve's manager at the time. You know Rashaun. Rashaun said, hell no. He said, no, you know, I just have this idea that you should go over here. We gonna bring in that U-Tommy.

And if it don't work out, you can always come back. But let's give this a try, let's see how you do. Was that tough to hear? Because think about it, like, you can always come back. But let's give this a try. Let's see how you do. Was that tough to hear? Because you can think about it. Like you go to New York with Steve Harvey. It's like you said what you think. Was it hard to accept that? No, you shouldn't. No, it wasn't because once Steve gave me that look

when he did the phone, he just kind of. You know that look. That's right. You know that look when he gave you that big brother look like, OK, we're going to go ahead. You're not going to argue with him. Right. Who give you that that big brother look like okay We're gonna go ahead and you're not gonna argue with him, right? Who do you do that for that? I mean cuz you talk a lot about people that you mentor and that you help but like who's somebody that you do that for that Like we might not know about that might have started in your clubs or just unknown and now it's like taking over comedy wise

Oh, man Little Duvall With somebody that I that I have a real good relationship with that I was doing some, you know, mentorship. Hey y'all, I'm Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, host of Therapy for Black Girls, and I'm thrilled to invite you to our January Jumpstart series for the third year running. All January, I'll be joined by inspiring guests who will help you kickstart your personal growth with actionable ideas and real conversations.

We're talking about topics like building community and creating an inner and outer glow. I always tell people that when you buy a handbag it doesn't cover a childhood scar. You know when you buy a jacket it doesn't reaffirm what you love about the hair you were told not to love. So when I think about beauty it's so emotional because it starts to go back into the archives of who we were, how we want to see ourselves, and who we know ourselves to be and who we can be. So a little bit of past, present, and future, all in one idea, soothing something from the past. And it doesn't have to be always an insecurity. It can be something that you love. All to help you start 2025 feeling empowered and ready. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls starting on January 1st

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jason Alexander. And I'm Peter Tilden. And together on the Really No Lily podcast, our mission is to get the true answers to life's baffling questions like, why they refuse to make the bathroom door go all the way to the floor.

We got the answer. Will space junk block your cell signal? The astronaut who almost drowned during a spacewalk gives us the answer. We talk with the scientist who figured out if your dog truly loves you and the one bringing back the wooly mammoth. Plus, does Tom Cruise really do his own stunts? His stuntman reveals the answer. And you never know who's going to drop by.

Mr. Brian Cranston is with us today. How are you two? Hello, my friend. Wayne Knight about Jurassic Park. Wayne Knight, welcome to Really No Really, sir. Bless you all. Hello, Newman. And you never know when Howie Mandel might just stop by to talk about judging.

Really? That's the opening? Really No Really. Yeah, really. No, really. Go to ReallyNoReally.com. And register to win $500, a guest spot on our podcast or a limited edition signed Jason Bobblehead. It's called Really No Really and you can find it on the iHeartRadio app, on Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. The forces shaping markets and the economy are often hiding behind a blur of numbers. So that's why we created the Big Take from Bloomberg podcasts to give you the context you need to make sense of it all. Every day in just 15 minutes we dive into one global business story that matters. You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine. A lot of this BIM stock stuff is I think embarrassing to the SEC. Amanda Moll, who writes our Business Week buying power column. Very

few companies who go viral are like totally prepared for what that means. And Zoe Tillman, senior legal reporter. Courts are not supposed to decide elections. Courts are not really supposed to play a big role in choosing our elected leaders. That's for the voters to decide. Follow the Big Take podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. 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 gifts you definitely don't want to 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, some people you've seen on stage or TV or magazine covers, but we also love speaking to the folks

who are 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 conversations, like on PayPal, chatting up with hit maker Sam Holland, shook a Steve Chad with the legend Nick Lowe, and I've had pleasures of doing one-on-one conversations with Willow, Sonata Matreya, 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, alright? Listen to Questlove Supreme on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Did you know that companies hire the most in the first two months of the year? Or that nearly half of workers are worried about being left behind? I am Andrew Siemen, LinkedIn's editor-at-large for jobs and career development. And my show Get Hired brings you all the information you need to, well, get hired.

People are forming opinions of you even before you log into the Zoom or walk into the room. And so you really have to think about what is it I want to display. You don't plant a garden and then just walk away and expect it to thrive. You are in there pulling out the weeds, you're pruning it, you're watering it. It's the same thing with your network. You should always be in there

actively managing your network. If you don't feel confident to say a number, even admitting that to a recruiter is gonna be far better than saying, well, what is your budget for the role? A lot is in the follow up, right? Don't wait to follow up. Whether you're a new grad, an established professional,

or contemplating a career change, Get Hired is for you. Listen to Get Hired with Andrew Seaman on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you like to listen. Because remember, I was the host of Cunningview in 2000. You was a lot of people mentor just by being on that show. Right. Right. That's what 85 that's what. 85 South Show said.

85 South Show said, they told me. I'm trippin', like Carlos Miller was like, bruh, I met you when I was 14 years old. You was in a hotel, I got excited. I'm hearing these stories and stuff, man, not realizing the impact on Comic View. Cause I'm on BET Monday through Saturday. Like when Comic View really blew up, it was in Atlanta,

and then I hosted again, Charlamagne, in 2004. And then the year after 2000, 2001, I had my own little TV show, The Way We Do It. That was the first time, you know, and I was doing all these characters and all these voices and all this kind of stuff. And so when comics needed help and needed mentorship, I would always, you know, hey, dress nice, hey, stop cursing.

Does that curse word make that joke funny or are you cursing just to be cursing? That's a real thing. I just had that conversation with a comic. I said, hey man, you curse too much. The cursing is not making the joke funnier, but if the curse word is a part of the punch line, then use it. I said because it's like, I give the onion example.

Like you eat an onion, it's nasty, but if you take it and chop it up and saute it and put some flour on it, you're still eating the onion, but you can't taste it. It's just an analogy that I use with comics and I make them redo the joke. And that's like, damn, you did the same joke and got the same laugh, got a bigger laugh

because people are not offended. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, it's no training in standup anymore. You know, back then in the eighties, late eighties, nineties, comics would pull you to the side, Mark Curry, now they would pull you, George Wallace got on my ass so bad one night. Why, you was bombing or what?

No, man, I did some jokes behind him after he, you was bombing or what? No, man. I did some jokes behind him after he closed, after he headlined the show, I didn't know any better. He said, you don't do them damn jokes after me? I said, God damn it, I'll make one phone call your career over. You motherfucker. I said, I'm sorry.

He said, yeah, you say good night, read the announcement and bring your ass back tomorrow. I said, yes, sir. Damn. And I came on back. He was nice to me the next night and he won't admit it to this day. I said, Joey, you remember he said, I didn't do it, just shut up.

But it was good, I needed that. Shit, if I got a boogie in my nose, tell me. Don't let me be out here bad, pull me to the side and help me. But you can't even do it, you feel like you do that nowadays and somebody will be like, oh man, he threatened me. He hurt my feelings.

He hurt my feelings. He hate me. He insult to be offended me. It's like what? Man, I tell comics, man, because that's the only way. Ask Corey Hogan, ask D. Ray Davis. I used to get at them all the time about little stuff, man. I'm like, hey man, you can,

I think D.Ray was 19 or 20 when I bought him to Birmingham. I said, you can't drink nothing, you can't have that. Give me that. Fussing at him about Lil Stuff, man. And now he's great and we laugh about it all the time. He's just gonna always be my lil brother. Or whatever.

They all come to the house, if you ever come to Birmingham, you know you're welcome. I cook my ass off or whatever. So, you know. That 100,000 square foot house? Oh, I love that. No, 100 acres of land? 100 acres of land.

I wish you're right. Y'all always welcome. Now there was a rumor that in your contract it said that you had to wear a dress. Oh man, I don't pay that stuff. I didn't know that. God damn, man. You should have put, you just bitten to the onion.

You ain't put no flour on your hand. You ain't sauteed and nothing. God damn. So I, man I started doing comedy 89, man. You think there's a contract somewhere. I'm just messing with you. I know, I know. That didn't bother me.

What bothered me was people believed it. Oh yeah, they did. Because it's always been that thing about the wear the dress, the not wear the dress, the. It's comedy. Yeah. Listen, it's comedy. I grew up watching Flip Wilson.

Flip Wilson is the greatest of all time. And right when you laughing at Flip Wilson, he turned around to do Geraldine. Me and my, I would sit there and watch that with my grandmother. My characters came, man, I was doing prank phone calls on the radio. I was doing Bernie Jenkins.

And whoever would have thought a character that you do on the radio calling funeral homes and all this stuff turn into a character and somebody asks you to play the character in a movie or whatever, you know, it's funny that all that stuff is taboo now. You know what I'm saying? They do that in Philly, Mother Knows.

They do it on Power Nine Nine, you ever heard it? No. And they do the calls. I just thought about that when you said it. I don't know if they got it from you, but Mother Knows, they prank call people all the time, but. Yeah, man. That's the thing in radio, they do the calls. I just thought about that when you said it. I don't know if they got it from you, but mother knows they prank call people all the time. But. That's the thing in radio.

Everybody do prank calls. Okay. Mother knows. I started out listening to the Jerky Boys. Yeah, absolutely. And then Roy. Crank Yankers, remember Crank Yankers? Yeah, Crank Yankers, Roy Mercer.

But the characters develop. I do a Redneck character. I do Buford. I do Bernie Jenkins. I do Joe Willie. I have a gospel quartet. Joe Willie and the Deuteromanaires. You know, little gospel group.

I do Lil Darrell, Precious, I do a lot of characters. I'm talented, I play the trumpet, I play the French horn, I play the bass guitar, I play the tuba. I'm an organist, I play the B3 Hammond at church on Sundays. You know what I'm saying? I studied music. I'm just multi-talented and you can't make everybody like you. I have never did anything, had any beat with any kind.

I had one beat with a coming. And it was a choir beat for 20 years. And that was Arnaz J. Me and Arnaz J could not freaking stand each other. We had, I think we had. Why? Because a show happened, and you know, comics get there early and go on first.

You know, Arnaz had got there and didn't do the order, or either, something happened, but we had beef. Nobody knew about it. Right. Right, let me show you how God worked. Nobody knew about it. COVID came. I'm sitting on Delta.

I'm in for a lot of the airport, getting ready to fly to Atlanta, where I can drive home, you know. And I see a dude getting on a plane with a mask on, he got fishing rods. Well, who fish? RNSJ, LaVell Crawford, and what's my man? Shadik Houston.

Those are the three comics that really fish, they fish fish, they go fish. I said, that's R&S J. I hadn't spoke to R&S J in 20 years. And so I got up and he was sitting right next to me. He sat right next to me, I didn't say nothing. Oh, that's God, God was testing you. I saw his eyes, I said, I know that's R&S J. I hadn't talked to him in 20 years.

Like we had, it wasn't no ugly beef, like I'm gonna kill you, just like forget you, forget you. Or whatever. And you know I'm a Christian person, I'm all about resolving and loving on people because that's my heart. And I grabbed his arm, and he did like that. And I grabbed him, he's like, what, what?

And I pulled my mask down, man, he started laughing. He started laughing. So Charlamagne, give me your hand. The other hand. The whole flight, me and Arnest J, like this. When he started telling me that the 20 years, all the people that passed away, everything that happened to him,

we cried the whole flight from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta. I said, man, I apologize. He said, no. He said, my wife been trying to get me to call you for years and been on me about that. I said, no, you don't have to. It was just love. Because I had always said, if I see her in there again, I'm just gonna tackle him.

I saw Cat one time, and he had said some stuff, that's before the internet came out, he had said some stuff years ago. He was roasting all the comedians that wore a dress, that played a character, you know, he was Rosanard. I was talking about it on the Fox hole one day. And I was driving down 14th Street in Atlanta, I saw Cat walking across the street,

and I had my granddad in the car, in my Ford F-150. And you know, I'm one of those type of dudes, I don't be caring, I'm like, hey Cat, what's up? He was walking to Starbucks, I'll never forget it. He said, come on, have a cup of coffee with me. Cup of coffee with me. So I went over there, and before he went to Starbucks. I'll never forget it. He said, come on, have a cup of coffee with me. Cup of coffee with me. So I went over there, and before he went to Starbucks,

he came around, I said, hey man, Cat William, this is my granddad. Or whatever, my granddad saw you on TV, before my granddad said, yeah. And Cat stood in the door, had a conversation with my grandfather, or whatever. And that was like one of the last times I saw him, and there was no issue because it's all love, or whatever, and that was like one of the last times I saw him and there was no issue because it's all love

or whatever, because you know, I don't know why I never did anything to him, if I did, you know, I'm always open, man enough to apologize. He felt like he was clearing the record on Shaysha, because I think he, what was it, he was supposed to play a role? You said you were supposed to be Money Mike or something? Well, I did, when I went out there, I auditioned for that part.

And that's what I really auditioned for. I didn't audition for the Santa Claus. If I'm not mistaken, the Santa Claus role was supposed to be for, what's his name? He played in the first Friday, the comedian that passed away. Oh, man. That was on drugs and stealing and breaking in people house. Oh, AJ Johnson.

AJ Johnson. I think AJ Johnson was supposed to play the sound. And this is what I heard. And they put me in that role because at that time, I was on BET and stuff like that. But I did audition for it. That's what I went out there and read for. My manager at the time came on the air, cleared that up.

David E. Talbert came on Instagram and cleared up the fact that there's no country. He had hired me to play my role in the movie First Sunday before he hired Kay. He cleared that part up. But Cube clarified it too. Ice Cube said that you did audition for Money Mike, but when they saw how you moved,

they thought you'd be better for Santa Claus. Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I don't have no beef. I love everybody. If there is an opportunity to resolve, that's why I'm, the rap beef and stuff with rappers getting killed,

I don't want comedy to ever come to that. You know, that's not what I do. That's not how I was raised. You know, we from the South. And we just don't, we don't do that. I wanna talk about some of the revolutionary stuff I feel like you've done in radio. I feel like This Nation.

Oh, yeah. You know what I'm saying? We had never seen that before. And I mean, you know, as a radio head, to see radio personalities on TV in that era, that felt like watching Howard when Howard did it on E. So that was a revolutionary thing. And also making the move to Urban AC.

Yeah. Like knowing when it was, I don't know if you knew it was time or like how that happened? It just happened perfectly. We was on hip hop stations and it was great but we was getting older. I'm almost 50, Brett, we all in our 40s or whatever. We ain't got no business playing certain stuff

because we just going, you going naturally age. You just can't be on the radio. We don't even know who some of the, we didn't know who some of the rappers are that we playing like, who is this? Now, Brat, the first female rapper to sell over a million. She like, who? You know, you got the back seller song on this.

Who? We looking over the top of our glasses. They like, what the fuck? But y'all used to make it funny though. I used to watch y'all. It would be funny. Yeah, but we just naturally got older and then when Tom Joyner retired,

they just slid us over. And now we playing R&B songs and now just relaxing the the morning. We chill. Whose idea was it to throw Portia or to get Portia on the show? On Dish Nation? Yeah. I think that was a- That was so good.

Well, Portia, she would fill in for Brat. OK. Portia came, did a great job, and she would fill in for Brat. And then they'd say, hey, you want to do Dish Nation? So anybody came in and filled in, the producer, and they'd say, hey, we can get you some makeup right quick. Can you do Dish Nation? So anybody came in and filled in, the producer and said, hey, we can get you some makeup right quick, can you do Dish Nation? Here's the script, and it's nothing.

It's just reading the teleprompter and talk about what we have already talked about on the radio. Then we was doing Dish Nation while we was on the air. So during commercial breaks, we would shoot a scene from Dish Nation. Wow. Oh, I don't know why I thought that was the show.

Yeah, I thought it was a show. Yeah, I thought it was a clip to y'all show. Nah, man, we was doing, we was shooting. When we first started, we was in that damn same room for six hours. We was working our ass off. And when did you know you wanted to do radio? Because radio is not a job for everybody, right?

People say they love radio. Right. And then when they gotta get there an hour before and two hours after and they can't move, and especially with comedians, because you guys are on the road. Right. You might not be able to go on the road some days.

So when did you know that I'm going to stay with this? Man, I used to listen to these two white dudes named Mark and Brian. You remember Mark and Brian and Charlamagne? They're big in LA. Mark and Brian. I remember them. Mark and Brian, they had this big ass morning show, but they came from Birmingham. These are the first dudes I used to hear doing characters and they did

some prank phone calls too. So I used to listen to Mark and Brian in high school. They went to LA and became famous, but they came from Birmingham. And I was like, y'all them listening white dudes on Kix 106? You know, cause that's how I got into soft rock. That's why I'm sitting up here listening to Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles and Steely Dan. You know, I'd be on some chill stuff. You have to listen to that stuff, you know. But I was crazy about radio and I wanted to do it. And I'm gonna tell y'all something. I drove, when they put up the new hip hop station

in Birmingham, 957 Jam, you know Deja? Yeah. Deja came from our radio station. Wow. Deja came from our radio station. Deja used to be up here. Yeah, she used to be up here. She's on WBLS now, right?

No, you're talking about another Deja. You're talking about another Deja, not that Deja. Yeah, Deja, she's on with, you think about Deja came from our radio station. Deja used to be up here. She's on WBLS now, right? No, you're talking about another Deja. You're talking about another Deja, not that Deja. Yeah, Deja, but she's on with, you think about Deja Vu. Deja Vu, that's also my Deja Vu. Yeah, she's on with Kelly, that TV show, whatever. Kelly and, it used to be Ryan and Kelly. Right.

She's on that. And then Roy Wood Jr. came from, we all come from WBHJ, 957 Jam. I drove 60 miles every morning just for the opportunity to be on the radio and I got paid nothing. I was hungry and I wanted it. Steve used to tell me, hey, get on the radio. They keep your name out there, they keep your brand out there.

So now, Charlamagne, I do my comedy shows during the week. I don't do comedy clubs on weekends. So I do a show. I just go do a seven o'clock show at an Improv and I do the Improv Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. That's my four shows and get it in like that. I'm in bed at nine o'clock. Show start at seven.

I'm back at the hotel asleep and I have my weekends off. You want the show to start at seven? No, no, no, no. You said the show starts at seven. No, the comedy show. I've done it now. I want the show to start at five. I'm gonna say, Jesus. When you said, I, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no left to do Wheel of Fortune. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, man, that was a great station.

We won, took down the number one station. And just doing good radio. Morning show boot camp, learning about breaks and timing, and all that stuff. I take radio serious, man. Show prep, air checks, listening to yourself, playing it back. I take it serious. And if you're not serious about-

That's a lost art. Yeah. That is a lost art. Doing radio the proper way. Absolutely. Air checks, knowing when to go on the breaks, teasing, looking at clocks. That is a lost art.

Yeah, you better hit that 53. You better be out there. You know about that 53. What do you love more, stand up or radio? Oh, God. Damn, that's a good question. Radio don't give you butterflies. Radio is just sitting here right now.

I'm comfortable, it's cool, or whatever. Stand-up gives you a little bit of anxiety because you got to perform, you got to go out there. People pay money to see you perform. But my stand-up has been great. I'm probably funnier than I've ever been. I got a special coming out. We in negotiation with Kevin Hart right now

to release a comedy special. I love that for you. Oh yeah, I haven't done a comedy special in like 12 years. It's funny as hell. It's probably my, David Talbert, he directed it. Him and his wife, Lynn, they directed it. It looked good, it's gonna be funny, it's gonna be all over the place.

Recently shot stuff? Yeah, just recently shot it. Okay. Yeah, I paid for it myself and I just went on stage and killed they ass. So I'm really excited about that. And what made you, I mean, Kevin Hart is Kevin Hart, but a lot of people go to Netflix too.

Like how did you decide where you were gonna, who was gonna house it? Well, we gonna see, we in negotiation now because I just did an interview with Kevin Hart and he asked me about it. I was like, I just shot one. I said, you wanna present it? Okay, we gonna see, we in negotiation now because I just did an interview with Kevin Hart and he asked me about it. I was like, I just shot one. I said, you wanna present it? Okay, so you still shopping?

Started that conversation. Got you. Yeah, he's a good friend of mine. I absolutely love him. Great dude. Great dude, Kevin Mann, Jamie Foxx. All of them have been good to me my whole career. I didn't know Eddie Murphy was a fan.

I met Eddie Murphy at his house or whatever. Went over there one day. I had a meeting with Tracy Edmonds. I think they were dating at the time. And she said, Ed, play your prank phone calls. I'm like, you're lying. Are you serious? And I ended up going over there and there's some comics over there.

And we had barbecue chicken, collard greens, cornbread, macaroni, and cheese. God, man. It was like we had some real soul food, and that was my first time being Eddie Murphy, man. That was a pleasure. So when you get to do stuff like that, and I'm on tour with Martin Lawrence right now. So that's my big brother.

The funny thing is you talk like you not wanted him. Yeah. You in that conversation? I'm just humble, man. I'm still like, I kind of still feel like I'm kind of like just still young and in the game because I feel young and in the game and I know I'm a little older and stuff and trying to coach younger comics and I just kind of sit back and not try to do too much but I just try to make sure when I do do something that is special and that is awesome and that is funny. And my karaoke nights be sold out.

My karaoke nights sell out faster than my comedy shows. My co-host has Down syndrome. What? My co-host, Big Chris, has Down syndrome and he is the funniest damn person. If you look at my camera. You can see him? Huh? You can see him? Huh?

You can see him? No, I was sitting here trying not to laugh. I was going to ask you, like, can we laugh at him? This guy's stupid. This guy's stupid. You can see it on the right hand side. Yeah. And look, all you have to do is look up Ricky Smiley

and Big Chris, karaoke night. And that was, it was the... He know all the songs. He get up there, he sing, you can't get him off stage. I said, hey Chris, you're not getting paid, you need to chill. He said, okay. Had to calm him down.

I know how to... Where did that idea come about? Like how did that idea happen? Ricky Smiley. And Big Chris, you so messy. Let me see, let me see. Big Chris not even... What songs he be doing, man?

Would you make him sing? You ever did Nelly Country Grandma? Nah, he... I'm going there. You really going there? I can't. You seen Big Chris? You seen Big Chris? Have you seen Big Chris?

Go, go Big Chris. Go. Go on camera guy. I have a sign. This is Big Chris. Yeah, I ain't never seen Big Chris. Big Chris doing his thing man. Yeah, that's my calls. You paid Big Chris though Yeah, I ain't never seen Big Chris. Big Chris doing his thing, man. Yeah, that's my cause.

You pay Big Chris though. Huh? Yeah, you better pay Big Chris. Yeah. He thought he only make down payments. You really go in there? Yeah. You really?

Yeah. Oh, man. He is funny as hell. So he like to bring ladies on stage and sit them in a chair and play an R. Kelly song. And he serenade them like the Capas or something. Oh, I gotta see that. You got R. Kelly, Down syndrome.

I gotta see that. R. Kelly and Down syndrome all on one stage. You just got to watch the video. It wipes the audience out. I take him on the road with me. We do the improv and full out of it in Daniel Beach. Sell it out everywhere. He has a set?

No. He just, I bring him on stage in the middle of karaoke and I have to keep, have to set boundaries for him. And he love y'all. Oh, oh, he love y'all. He watch y'all all the time. He always, he got his phone. I bought his phone.

Salute to Chris, man. Yeah, he always showing me something that y'all, hey, oh, he wants to come on the road. You should have brought him with you, man. Next time you come back, man. When I come back, I'm gonna bring him. Don't bring him up here with him in here. Oh, come on now. No, no, with you. Bring him in next time you come back. I'll tell you what, when I come back, I'm gonna bring him. Don't bring him up here with him in here. No, I would, come on now.

No, no, when you come for the special, bring him up here. Yeah, yeah. I'm so sweet. Yeah, so when my special come out, I will come up here and promote our brain. Please. That'll be my gift to your ass. Because you didn't. See, we have the same kind of humor, because we laugh at the same kind of shit.

My goodness. Chris took me to the cemetery. I think he had a cousin that died. In this particular cemetery, you go there, you have to follow this red line. It's in Birmingham. We followed the red line. He was at the grave crying.

And I looked up at the tombstone, it was Paul Bear Bryant, was a former head coach at Alabama back in the 70s. I said, and I didn't tell him, see, you ain't shit. You fucked me up when you said said he took you to the cemetery. Yeah, somebody had died and we was at the wrong grave, but I just let him, let him.

I didn't want to tell him that we was at Paul Belbran grave. So I had to get him back to the car, took him and got him something to eat and take him home. Ricky smiling, ladies and gentlemen. Grief is grief man. He got it out. Either way Chris got it out man. Pick up his book side show is out right now.

Oh my God. We appreciate you for joining us bro. Thank you man. And don't be a stranger man. You can come up anytime you would tell. We don't play those radio politics so we want you to come. Look if y'all ever in Miami and I have a boat, I'm a boat captain. I go to the Bahamas every fucking weekend in the summer.

I dare you to take a weekend off and fuck with me. What you looking at? Say no more. I'm down for that. I dare you. We broadcast on the boat. You ask anybody, ask Jeff Johnson, ask David Tavert. We go, I drive all the way across the ocean to Bimini Bahamas.

It's only 55 miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale and I drive my boat we go all the way to the Bahamas I have a house that I rent you are more than well if you just get the full out of there you don't have to worry about shit I got you be there too I would you set the boundaries on the boat don't you see what I had him to do on the front of the boat Yo, don't be. If it's Chris's single, she might try to holler. Wait, you see what I had him to do on the front of the boat when he was on my TikTok.

No, on the front of the boat. That can't be. Not the Titanic, man. Not the Titanic. Hold on. I hope you ain't had him like a Phantom emblem or something. Hold on.

You finna scream, bro. Let me, let me, let me. Don't show us no pictures you're not supposed to see. This is Instagram or TikTok. Uh-uh, TikTok. Let me see. Okay, here it comes. It's just slow, cause I don't,

I couldn't get, figure out that Wi-Fi. I here we go Here we go Even a screen when you see crystal have these Okay, here we go. Here we go When I tell you you're gonna you're gonna fall down you see this video if I can get to it, where is it? I can get to it. Where is it? Yeah, cuz he's saying here we go Here we go I can't laugh at that. Cut it out, Ricky. I cannot laugh at that. Is somebody holding him?

That is not funny. No. Cut it out, man. He got like the phantom. You know what I'm thinking about the phantom? What's that called? The phantom what? The Rolls Royce? The emblem?

He got like a phantom emblem. The spirit of ecstasy. The spirit of ecstasy. Spirit of ecstasy. Man, you stupid, man. Spirit of ecstasy. That's what I'm telling you. Oh, man. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Ricky Smiley. That is me.

Bring Big Chris up here because she is single and she's looking. You surprised, right? Yeah. How old are you? 32. Damn. Oh! You surprised, right? Uh, yeah. Mm-hmm. How old are you? 32. Damn.

Oh! That went over my head. You're only 56 now. You're still standing. You all right? Big Chris, back to Big Chris. Oh, you're trying to take Big Chris up? I saw some video.

Somebody was trying to get at you. Who was that trying to get at you? I watched that. The baby? Was it the baby? No, it wasn't. Marlon Wayans? No, the baby.

That's the baby. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That didn't work out. Work out? It didn't go past the interview. Where was it going? What? Not you sit back down.

Put your love on my phone. Yeah. I'm gonna keep smiling. All right. Time show is out right now. And it's The Breakfast Club. Good morning. Wake that ass the Breakfast Club, good morning. Wake that ass up.

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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 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 Shecter, Billy Porter, and so many more. Look, if you haven't heard of these episodes yet, hey, now's your chance.

You gotta check them out. Listen to Questlove Supreme on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. ["I Am Rapaport"] Happy holidays from me, Michael Rapaport, and my gift to you is a free subscription to the I Am Rapaport Stereo Podcast where I discuss entertainment, sports, politics, and anything and everything that catches my

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