The Fighter & The Kid - Donnell Rawlings | TFATK Ep. 971

Episode Date: February 29, 2024

Donnell Rawlings joins Bryan Callen and Brendan Schaub to talk his debut stand-up special "A New Day" on Netflix produced by Dave Chappelle, his viral video of him and Corey Holcomb's altercation at The Laugh Factory, Hollywood's cutthroat industry, being an actor, his take on Katt Williams, his beef with Charlamagne tha God and much more! DraftKings - Download the DraftKings app NOW and use promo code: FIGHTER True Classic - Upgrade your wardrobe and get up to 25% OFF @trueclassic at https://trueclassic.com/FIGHTER ! #trueclassicpod #sponsored Fieldcraft Survival - https://fieldcraftsurvival.com/fighter Use code: Fighter20 for 20% OFF Training and Product

Not many men can withstand my punch. Obviously. Obviously. For sure. Got a set of here on them. Black belts and chicknag. I think you'd be surprised. I think you'd be surprised.

Abbot Kenny Fight Club. Fight Club. Fight Club. Kids got a piece on them. A piece on them. Boppa one, two cutie pies. I still got it, baby. Lift your shield. And now from the Honored Studios in Playa, Vista, California,

it is the moment you've been waiting for. The fighter and the kid is coming at you live. No, no, we're not live. That doesn't matter, it sounds better when you say live! We're not live, we don't do live. Shut up, man! And now, it's the fighter and the kid. Live! Shut up!

Okay, we're rolling right now. I just looked at Don Al's a man and I said, I like that cologne. And I smelled it the minute I walked into the studio. But you looked at me as a man, but just shared a story about Kat. So what does that make you? That, yeah, it makes me a little confused. But in the streets, we call it sus. Oh, sus.

Yeah, that's sus. That's everything is sus. I got an eight year old son, and I don't know where he gets it, but he told me daddy that's sus. He used all the cool words. I'm not gonna say you're sus, because I know you're not sus,

I know the history, our history. But for the streets, and I'm representing the streets on this mother, that sounded sus as a mother. Well, another thing is sus, the job, is it a reason why I'm on a black couch doing black? Well, we started out with racist. We also wore all black. Yeah, we all wore all black.

That's true. Everybody's wearing black. You look like a boy band. And I even said when Donnell was here 10 minutes early, I didn't mean it as a racist thing, but I said, oh, shit, he's early. But it was in your eyes that it was slightly racist. You saw my red eyes.

I saw your eyes like, ah. I got a little racist. I didn't like the tone. Ah, I didn't like the tone. Oh, wow, you're early. But you did say your publicist is a white woman, so she keeps you on time. You said that.

You said that. I didn't say that and then you said I know he's early, but we're having fried chicken for lunch Let's do it. You know what I found out and this the stereotype black people we have certain stereotypes But I found out that white people Love fried chicken way more than black people. I believe that. Love it. And white people will cross the color barrier line for the best fried chicken. All day.

You go to Nashville, where's the hot chicken? I was just in Nashville. It's in the hood. You go to New York, everywhere, white people, well they'll cross the line in the daytime. Night time, they're not buying the fried chicken. There's no chicken that I can get. No, no, no, no.

We'll risk our lives during the day though. Yeah, that's right. But not nighttime. Night time is a whole different ball day, man. I'm just, I'm just personally, I love seeing that you did a special. You've always been one of my favorites. And we've been doing clubs together.

We've been, you know, forever. And you always, no matter what, to me, you've always been like, like one of those guys I call a comics comic. And it's just a fact, you know? And I've never seen you not be funny, ever. I've been doing this for 30 years. I'm friends with the funniest people on the planet.

And some would say I do alright too on stage. I'm just saying that I've never seen you not destroy a room. I've never seen it. I don't know how many shows we've done. I just had a confrontation with another African-American doing Black History Month, right? And they had some question of if I'm funny. The most insulted, this guy. Can you set that stage for it? Because obviously I history month, right? And they had some question of if I'm funny. The most assaulted, this guy.

Can you set that stage for it? Cause obviously I see it, right? I just hate this man, but it's just like. I don't understand it cause you're a monster. And we've all seen it at the laugh factor. You're such a monster. Nobody wants to follow you. And then when they're like,

Holcomb's going after Donnell, I was like, for what? Go after Donnell. It wasn't even going, you know how, like, I put it like this, friendship and loyalty is everything. You know what I'm saying? You guys have been with each other forever. And I know y'all been in brother situations where y'all fight or whatever,

but at the end of the day, y'all friends. At the end of the day, I really feel like this, if somebody attacks you, they attack you. You know what I'm saying? I really feel that way. That's the type of friendship y'all have. And that's the type of friendship that I have with Dave Chappelle, right?

So this guy Corey Hogan, I hate this because it's gonna give him props or whatever and his name is gonna come up for some time He's been bashing good friend of mine Dave Chappelle, right? Bastion Dave Chappelle Dave Chappelle is this they should feel is not funny They should pill be bombing and all this type of stuff, okay? and I am a person that try to stay away from like Negative energy, but in some cases is something that's going to trigger you right and and another thing don't get me wrong I think Corey Holka is a very funny guy. He's funny He's one of those shocking guys

He stands in his truth and whatever people feel about him to have a comic or to know a comic that could have an audience where they're grunting and they're on the verge of walking out and booing and then in a split second you flip it and everybody's laughing. He can do that. Yeah, he's do that. Like I'd say. I've not seen him. Yeah, but I'll say like, I'll say that's sort of like Tom Brady energy.

If you want to compare like a quarterback situation I feel like my style is more like Michael Vic. I'm trying to score touchdown every time Yeah, you're gonna go in the pocket I've seen you crush a room by making noises Right, I've seen you crush a room by literally like singing and making like I've seen you do five minutes of shit Where you're just I don't need your communication Your special was like a sermon almost hold on before you get to that but let me let me let me finish the whole game. Alright so with this so I already knew that he had a

certain issue with Dave which for me people say why you care because it's my good friend right I knew that at some point that I was gonna see him and I wanted to question him about it now like yo motherfucker but like how could you say that you know I'm saying why are you putting that type of negativity out in the world when you know this guy's character? You know what he's done for comedy? You know what he's done for other comics? You know one of the most celebrated comics I'll do. You don't gotta be on a motherfucker dick for that, but the reality of it is that you rather talk about what your personal feelings are about this guy, opposed to talking about what make this guy to what for some people to go, right? So I was at a comedy club the other night

and I was assuming that I was closed. It was at three shows, I was assuming I was closing. I don't go check the list or anything, right? So I'm sitting in the back, I go on stage and then when I get off, I'm like, I thought it was gonna be like good night. It was like, we got another guest. We got another guest, a comedy, it's gonna come on blah, I'm like, I thought it was gonna be like, good night. They was like, we got another guest. We got another guest, uh, comments on the come on blah, blah, blah.

Corey Holcomb, 5150, right? And I was like, oh, shit. I was like, I want to hear this, you know, told my guy, let's sit down and everything. And, and, um, Corey, uh, projects the idea of this theory that if Hollywood, the only way you can be successful if you do certain type of sexual favors basically This was a his cat Williams. Yeah, this is this is what he said any man if you are in more than three movies and Hollywood you've sucked the dick And that was the trigger for me. That was a trigger for me because now

Of course I had had my relationship with David in the back of my head, right? But then when he said that, I was counting how many movies I've been here, right? I'm like this, wait a minute. Oh no, I wasn't smiling the whole time. I was frowning when I did it. Yeah, I like this.

I go to, I was like, and I'm like, and I said, and I know that the rule is you don't have, I don't consider it a heck of, I said, wait a minute, Corey. I said, and I know that the rule is you don't have I don't consider heckle I said wait a minute Corey. I said um, I said uh, I said I've been in three movies and I'm dick-free Right, I said I've been in three movies and I'm dick-free and then he didn't know it was first. Who's that who's that? He was like Donnell and he and I said yeah, then then he says oh man And he and I said yeah, then then he says oh man

Comedians don't like me because I tell the truth. I said Corey you do tell a truth I said but sometimes you say some sideways shit which provoked him He knew where I was getting that with that right and it was like oh your boy is not funny Oh whatever he's saying all this shit right and I'm like this now. This is what I really got pissed. He was like He said don't know you, you're a mild comedian. A mild comedian. A mild comedian. Man, has he watched you? Has he seen?

No, listen, listen, he said, you're a mild comedian. Then he said, you're not, you're ketchup, you're not hot sauce, right? And this, this, and I know I haven't, haven't owned a pair of Timelands in a long time. Right? So people will question my gangster, like this took the other day, it was like, where's your Timbs? I was like, I don't know.

Does that make me a bitch ass motherfucker? I was like, I wanted to borrow somebody Timbs, or whatever, right? And then it got ugly. He was like, you never worked these, cause I was like, bruh, I came from the grimeous spots. I did the nastiest for them in Brooklyn and then he went on to say What he said you're not um, he said you're you're you're a you're a mild comic

Then he asked the audience he was like he said you think you're strong comic. I said no, I don't think I'm strong comic I'm a beast motherfucker. Yeah fact and he tried to get the audience to Right with him. Yeah, it was over after that. You know? And that's how it happened. Then it's so funny because, um, man, I'm being petty, right? So I go back to Google and I'm like, wait a minute, he's been in six movies. So, so like it was a my movie. I just don't get the point. Like him, bring him up. Him talking, you'll know who he is. him talking down about Chappelle or you like that brah

That's not gonna it doesn't help anything. No one's gonna see me negative. Go. I want to buy it take me No, no, no, no, no, no, you're wrong. You think no 100% I was talking to one of my content Producers once right and we were just talking about what Daniel what Daniel's brand what Daniel's brand is right and I my brand is Bringing people together having a good time, right? And my brand is bringing people together, having a good time, right? And then I said, we're gonna stay on that path, right? We're gonna stick with that. He was like, you're right, uncle. He called me old, like you just called me,

what'd you call me, OG? I called you legend. Legend, that's like saying you're fifth. Correct, yeah. Yeah, that's like 50. That's right. You called me 50 on the low, right? Yeah, I did.

OG is like the mid-40s, 50, but uncle. We haven't got off and get foot. I called you old, he even surprised you were on time. Yeah, Trishon, Trishon said, Dad called me Dad the other day, so I didn't. Yeah, so I lost my thought. What would I say? What does it mean?

Oh, you're saying I'm wrong on negativity. Like, I don't think it sells tickets. I was talking to my content. It gets views. Well, different. But some people want different things, you know what I'm saying? In some places, it will get sell tickets.

And I told my content guy, I was like, he said, yeah, uncle we're gonna stay positive because negativity and toxicity doesn't win I was like yes it it does win it does when you give me an example don't know who's been a super negative comment that has reached Kevin him well that's a different level no not that I'm saying the like big successful comics none of them are that going after people. Nobody.

They don't have time. But that's my point. But those other ones that you're talking about don't have certain opportunities. I think that they go spiral into that situation because this is all I have. You know what I'm saying? This is the only way I'm going to gauge people. You can get a following by being a pointed hater. You can.

But then if you ask that to buy tickets, tickets is like how you want to make your money and i think that the type of history that when we started the bad guy didn't win now you had to be likeable new year to be and you had to be good to anybody but you don't have to do any of that anymore yet all you gotta do is engage now some people that get comfortable in what their brand is you got engaged when i say that whatever though how they register how much money you get for a certain hit scenario thing,

some people are comfortable with just like, I'll sit in this podcast and I'll provide for myself all for this, they don't care if that draws people to go to Philip and Irina, Philip at 10,000, you know? Well, you know, that's the thing. I did a show two nights ago with Jay Moore and Jay Moore is back. Jay Moore had a little problem with some, he is public, but he had some drug issues.

I mean, he wrote like the same stuff. And, and he's been writing and when you watch that dude get up on stage, I mean, I was reminded of where the bar really is. I was reminded of what a monster. I told you at the ice house, he tore down the house and no one wanted to go Oh, I I thought I thought well then it was Jeff died Jeff died followed and I came up Bro this guy was I mean Jeff's amazing too, but but but you know you go I go damn it's interesting you say that because I do know it was a time where you didn't see too much of J

No, he does you actually said people like that because I'm from the Boston Comedy Club days You know I'm saying John roundy Ron John what's up? The round I got John it was it they did a duo show Had something no no no red Johnny is it red Johnny or the round tree or something like that? Yeah Yeah, it was him back then guy right big. Yeah, it was two guys. It was him It was Dave Chappelle It was Jim gaffigan. These are the guys was popping and it was Jay Moore

And when Jay more at that time what people understand Barry cats to this to it red Johnny in a roundtree What is it red Johnny? Whatever red Johnny? Yeah, but at that time round guy right at that time Barry cats had New York Entertainment or whatever name of his company was and there was it was Jay Moore and Dave Chappelle That was it They he had two of the top guys and that time they were smoking this stuff and we went into a room You saw a Jay some people like yeah I think I'm gonna go outside and have a cigarette or do a push-up or something

But you never never want to when you want to follow them so just to hear that People because they were dying I go yeah that dude's been doing that shit for 25 years let's take a little break because our friends at DraftKings got quite the deal for you fam get in on the action with DraftKings Sportsbook and official sports betting part of the NBA new customers who deposit $5 or more can get a no sweat bet up to $1,000 back in but bonus bet be you know if you're gonna bet, you gotta bet my nuggets. We got Jokers, we got the Joker, we got Jamal Murray. We're poppin' right now.

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You can save up to 25% off your first order. That's trueclassic.com slash fighter. Save up to 25% off your first order. I don't care who you are out there. I don't care how popular you are. Nobody wants to follow. You follow him, you better, like you said, pack a lunch, you better have your seat belt on, everything else, I mean, bring everything you've got

if you gotta follow him. But you know what's so funny, there's always been a question in our business, can you follow somebody? And me personally, I've never been afraid of that because I think that there's a very, very unique strategy on shifting energy. I think when you go up there with the notion, I want to out-funny this person,

because if somebody goes up and rips a stage, the room is set. You know what I'm saying? But you gotta have the patience. Like, I've been in some situations where people smoke the room and I've seen me have to eat five minutes. Dick.

Where they still, you can't say that, sir. You can't. Sorry, I just meant, I'm sorry. I'm black, I'm homophobic, bro. You can't say Sorry, I just meant, I'm black, I'm homophobic. You can't say that. I've not been in this many movies. I'm saying a bag of dicks. That's all.

No, you can't say dick around me at all, son. Ah, what am I doing here doing black history? Oh, God, oh, God, that's a trigger word. I need to be here in March for women's appreciation of the subs, son. And you said it so casually. I did, I did, I called you guys. White people don't have a homophobic bone in their bodies.

Yeah man. And I've had situations where I had to have the page, I'm like this dude is just ripped. I mean I've been behind people where it's like they still saying oh shit to that guy's joke. But I think the part of following everything I think is just a mental thing and being able to shift that energy and get them on to it.

Well you've always been this Ability to dominate the audience like you set the tone like when you go up at just it doesn't the same way That's a weird when you say that man. Yeah, I try to do the same thing I mean, but that's why I've always just loved watching you because I like that energy is what I I vibe on appreciate Yeah, man. It's just like a different thing. It's like I don't you know how connection connection from the beginning What is it? We were both with cyworld a pa. Is that what it was? Yes, and you remember a woman named Mary Ann Rebekah? Yes, that was the first agent and that's when APA was considered in the top four agencies in the country. Yes So around yeah, yeah, it's not when we were with them. They were they were the especially with comedy. Yeah

Well, it's with comedy that like when we were young. Do they have you two, Charlie Chabon, who else? Yes. Yay. Oh man, Joe, Joe, stop it, Joe! I can't wait for you to lose your hair. Bro, I can't wait for that. I know. There's something about age that's a great equalizer. It's just like I see you and I just want to hug you

because we're both in the same fucking box. I will tell you this. I say the thing that I appreciated about you and what I said I wanted to do or be Goddamn I want to be a white man. That's not it. That's not what I'm saying. You heard it. No, no What I'm saying is For motherfuckers like you to be a killer like you were in stand-up But you like at the beginning was getting acting roles. Yeah, you know I I'm saying? Because I wanted to be an actor first, I thought.

Yeah, that's interesting. So I spent a lot of time like really, really studying acting like being in class, doing scenes, doing plays. Doing the work. I did a play at least one, usually two plays a year in LA for 10 years. How many auditions? 10,000 hours?

10,000 auditions and got seven. 9,000 no's, yeah. Yeah, you get it, it's just a million no's, but when you get that yes, that can turn and got seven. 9,000 no's. Yeah, you get it. It's just a million no's, but when you get that yes, that can turn into a seven year job. Oh man. Like the whole version of that. Did you ever fall into that, Dono?

As far as like the, I mean, you've done movies, but I'm sure you've had offers to like really go down that road where you're looking full time. The thing, I've been lucky enough early on, I was with the same agency, right? Early on, and this was the same agency, early on, and this was a time of my generation of deaf, comedy, jams, whatever,

it was just one way, you just did shows, you did the Chitlin circuit, but it was not too many people of my generation doing law and order, doing a third watch, and stuff like that. And I just happened to, I started a sketch group years ago, it was called a secret society and then we some of my managers we we set up a

Showcase right and everybody was all excited because it was like a very uh black sketch group We it was like 12 of us whatever and nobody was doing sketch on stages like that So we did a showcase and we um invited all the agencies out and then the next day Jason Steinberg phone was Ringing off the hook. I've never had any training or anything. I just realized a lot of my jokes were like three dimension I'm like instead of just telling them as jokes. I can make these these characters. I'd never had any training anything but then we got then That got on and then I was with an agent and they were sending me out and I was so green.

I mean I was getting blown away in the audition. I mean one time I was auditioning with this girl and I had the script like this. I'm looking back and forth and she started shitting on me. She threw the script up and just going back to you saying all the nose like I think maybe my third audition I booked the law and order thing. But I never ever took acting that serious. I took stand up. Yeah, see, I went to theater school in New York.

I went to formal theater school. News day. You know, I studied everything. But now I could, now and I know the history of that, I could see why you were where you were. But at the same time, to be focused on being a great actor and a great comic, that took me to people to do that shit. Well, man, it. Well, man, it was a grind all the time. But I was also lucky because I came up with some people.

Like, I remember, like, if you see what it takes to be a really successful actor, like Bradley Cooper, when that dude would work on an audition, he would work on that audition for three days straight. Like, he was working with his acting coach. And like people like that. Just for the one audition? Just for that one audition.

So everything was considered. The clothing, the wear, even the soles of their shoes. Like, how does it make me feel when I walk in leather shoes versus rubber shoes? How, what does this, is it belt untied? What are the things in between the scenes? He was an actor. Bro, they would work on, I'm talking about details.

So when they get up there in front of those people, they're doing shit that the writer and the director never thought about. What guys like that would do is they'd go, I know you have an idea, watch this. And then they'd go, what the fuck is this? And you can't compete with that. But that's so funny you said that because

when I first started going on to auditions, they would send me out on stuff. And I was like, they don't fucking, they don't get it. Cause I go out in the breakdown and be like, like a beach hunk, right? I have never been called hunky or anything, right? They be like beach hunk and I'd be like,

yo motherfucker, y'all know I ain't hunk. But they was like Don Ayl, to your point. They was like this, you want to be in the room. Cause a lot of times they don't know what they want And you could show them something different. Yes, you know, but I'd never I'd never took I'd never was that serious But it was so I was so disrespectful to acting. It was a couple of roles I remember this one it was a movie with camera on the wrapper, right? It was one of those, you know like movies away and I knew who I was playing right and I was I always just focused on

Stand-up and I'd'd been a comedy club. I'm like, man, I didn't gotta read all this shit. I was just sitting in the chair and I'm like, okay, I'm doing this, right? I wasn't reading the script book. It was so funny because I came to work one day and I was all happy. I'm telling everybody, yo, what's up?

Hey, y'all, what's up, motherfucker? We got this shit right and die, right? And I was wondering why everybody was looking away from me. They wouldn't look me in my eyes, right? I didn't know. I was gonna get killed that day. You're fine. God damn it.

Hey, I'm all like, four, he's a jolly good fellow. Nobody wants to make eye contact. What number? Page three, yeah. Nobody wanted to make eye contact with me, right? So then I look, I'm like, oh, shit want to make eye contact with me right so did I look I'm like oh Oh This is my last day at work. Do you find out at the table read some yes, but I didn't man. I skipped that it was a ghetto joint

I was just like this y'all want me to act. I'll fucking act I'll take a page my page day by day, but I was like fuck that I didn't go out like that right? Yeah, but look it was a scene. Yo, it was a scene where I get shot right I get out the car and I'm not talking about shot. We're like one gun. I'm talking about they got eight K's and everything right? Yo, I was like if this is my last time on this set it I was supposed to die in two seconds Right now. I took a minute and a half two seconds right now I took a minute and a half. I took a minute. I love my children.

Look, I was, yo, I was, I know they would probably do this slow motion. I was like, fuck that. I'm going to die in slow motion. I was running up the steps. I, yo, they shoot me in the back. They like this. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr like, no! Y'all, y'all tell me something like coming out of your mouth. I ran up the steps. I ran up the stairs, they still shooting me, right?

And I'm like this, I slid, now this, I didn't took like 50 shots. And I slid down, I was so dramatic. I slid down a wall like this. I'm like, y'all still got the camera on me? Like, I'm a minute in right now, right? And then at the end, and look, I'm a minute in, and at the end I was like, camera on me. Like, I'm a minute in right now, right? And then that's it. And look, I'm a minute in, and the end I was like,

still not dead. Right? Then I did like this, I did like this. And I was like, yo, and it was like, like we got it, thank you. We're not using that take. But there's a funny thing, you know Keith Robinson in New York, right?

He's an asshole, but when I say, I say in the most friendly way, he's done so much for so many people's career, right? And we always had this like, like love hate relationship in the most positive way, right? And he made me feel bad. He was like, I saw that motherfucking movie. You was, I was so fucking mad.

He was like, I was like, get him. He was rooting for my death. He was like, shoot him more. I'm like, yo, you asshole. There's nothing more embarrassing. I did an audition one time. I was so excited about it. It was a big job.

And I just, I, the character I believe was crying because the character is like talking to the love of his life. And it was like a loose, it was a loose rendition of Romeo and Juliet put in modern times with guns and all that and I'm doing the fucking scene And I'm you know, I'm just fucking killing it and and the casting director goes hey Hey, why are you crying? Really and you know I was like, oh, I just thought you know Well, I Brian's Brian educated me on how you know because I moved out here what like 13 14 years ago

And I didn't realize how cut you know I come from sports was just cutthroat. I didn't realize Hollywood is cut Bro, yeah, Brian. It's cutthroat unless you suck a dick correct Now this is deep I've only been in two movies I've only been in two movies, so one more and I'm in. I'm falling back. Career's about to boom. But I don't realize how cutthroat was then, Brian invites me to the opening of one of his movies.

He's like, I'm in this, man. His wife and kids, I go with them. I'm in a suit. I'm like, red carpet's gonna be sick. We're taking pictures up there. We're sitting down watching movie. It's a Kevin Hart movie, right? I forget.

But we sit down and yeah, Kevin Hart's in it yeah we sit down and it we're 45 minutes into I'm like when you come on y'all I think they're ending me out man I was like wait hold on but I said hold on they didn't tell you you know we're all here but no one told you now with like the Joker I'm there for five. I'm there for five days in a fucking, I'm with Greer Barnes, you know Greer? He's great and a couple of the comics were at a table and I'm in fucking, well I got a tight black pants, no shirt, a bow tie,

a blonde wig. Joaquin Phoenix Joker, like big movie. Joaquin Phoenix, with that crazy dude right there, I mean great actor, but he won't even look at me or say hi, which is he's in character. And I'm sitting there in that room doing my shit just like that, but that was, I wasn't allowed to wear that. I had my shirt off the whole time.

And I'm just like that, and we're improvising, we're doing the shit, and we're coming back up and forth. I'm doing my scene with him, I'm talking to him, and I can see it, ba-ba-ba, camera here, da-da-da. And I've just been doing this so long and after the fourth day, I look at how they're shooting this shit and I bring Todd Phillips over,

I go, Todd, come over here for a second. He goes, what's up? He goes, you're doing a great job. I go, yeah, good improv, right? He goes, yeah, very exciting. I go, yeah. I go, now I'm friends with you, so I'm gonna say something.

I want you to tell me if it's true or false. I'm not gonna be in this movie. Right, you felt it? I'm on the floor. He goes, you know, we'll see about, yeah. I mean, it is taking a turn. You see like a back of your head and you hear your voice. When I did, I had an opportunity, Spider-Man 2, right?

I was in that, and like, but I learned my lesson about not telling what you're doing because there was a I had did an episode of law and order, right? Yeah, and I had an air date and back then you know again coming from the BET in the dev jam you just didn't do stuff like that. So I had fucking my cousins and nephews I mean everybody had a watch parties everywhere and I watched the whole fucking episode of law and order, right? Come dead again. I don't read the script. Yeah, Right. So I didn't know when I was just waiting for me. Yo, in 30 minutes, I was like this.

That's my career. I was like, yeah. And it made me realize you can't, you never know. And what happened was they didn't cut me out. They switched the way the episodes were going to be. Yeah. Even when I did Spider-Man 2, right, I had a the opening part of the opening scene that right and I was so nervous about it I was like I can't tell them about Spider-Man 2 because they could cut you right but the only way I knew I

was in there because Jason Steinberg one of his good friends was editing on that and I was like yo did I make it and it was like, yeah, and he told me the line and everything, so I was like, oh, shit, I'm about to be a Spider-Man too. And that was- You know what, I will say this too, you won't say it, but I'll say it. Like when we were coming up and we were young,

if you looked at TV, it was- You got a joke about it, you was like, you guys were young? No, no, no, you were, yeah. But when we were coming up in the 90s, TV was insanely white, so there were so many parts for me, but if you were coming up in the 90s TV was insanely white So there were so many parts for me, but if you were black back then there wasn't one black TV show There really wasn't I mean there really if you there was a strong that was it that was it

But I mean and that you could almost say that family like there's not yeah very few like every pilot that came down Every single pilot had five white people on a couch. Yeah. It's just what it was. So if you were young and a really talented comic like yourself, there wasn't, that you probably, that just weren't a lot of rows. It was a wire, which you did. Yeah.

But here's the funny thing about it. There wasn't a lot of rows, but I was lucky enough. And this one, I got tired. I was like, wait a minute, I'm going to focus on stand up. Cause I did special victims unit. And it's like three or four of them, right? And I was like, wait a minute, every shot, I'm getting arrested.

Yes. Yo, every, yo, everyone, I'm telling you, I was like, yeah, I'm tight guy. Everyone is like this, what I do? You know, everything was like, oh no, not me. Oh no, not me. What I do? Every time.

And this so fun, You said the wire. The wire. Well, a lot of people don't know. Was that one of the best TV shows ever made? Yeah, if people always ask me what you want your legacy to represent and whatever. And it's hard to really answer that question. But I will say, I was reading, it

was an article in Entertainment Weekly maybe like five years ago, right? And they named 100 best shows in the history of television, right? Chappelle Show was one of them and the wire was one of them. And you were in both. So I was like so if anything if it's anything it's a mic drop but the interesting thing a lot of people that were fans of the wire they don't know that there was another show before that called The Corner. David Simon. Charles Dutton. Charles Dutton directed it. David Simon. It was a

police officer they wrote the book and they adapted it to the series. That was one of the, to that point in my career, it was one of the biggest things that I had done. And the crazy thing about how I got that role, again, I don't read the scripts like that. So I just got this, I just got this. I don't prepare. I'm letting you know, I don't prepare. I'm letting you know I don't prepare.

Right? So the corner, I get part of it. I get one of the sides, right? And it's this guy. It was a heroin addict, right? But I didn't know he was a heroin addict. The sides I got was just about him just being regular, right? So when I went in there,

I would not tell you Jackie Brown, I remember her, I was, I thought I was bomb. I was, I didn't know the lines or anything. And I was gonna, I think I said, man, fuck this, right? In the audition, I was like, that's what I was like, you about to be the best comic in the world, right? I was like, man, fuck this. She was like, Donnell, relax.

Black people always bring God in the room. Right. She had to bring the Lord in. I'm telling you, y'all white people like, fuck that. We don't fuck with God like that. You know what I mean? She brought God in. It's my talent.

I was trained. Black people like God Lord, please. So she was like, she said, Donnell, God is in the room. And I felt like those teachers like this, we're not going to bring God into the school since around. I was like, that's, Donnell, God is in the room. And I felt like those teachers like this, we're not gonna bring God into the school since around. I was like, that's nothing to do with it now. I fuck with God, but not right now. Right, she was like, God is in the room, take a deep breath.

I took a deep breath and did all that shit, but I still thought I bombed that shit, right? And I get a call three days later and they're going crazy. It was like, you booked the HBO series. Damn. The corner I was like I know all black people look alike right. So I'm saying for sure it wasn't Alex Thomas you know I mean I'm like the radio and all the black guys would know. I'm like you might have confused it right and I'm like this at the same time I'm like yeah I know I booked that shit I'm nice with it right didn't know what the fuck was going to get the script or whatever now I'm like, yeah, I know I booked that shit. I'm nice with it, right?

Didn't know what the fuck was going on. I get the script or whatever. Now I'm starting to study a little bit, right? But I had to get an answer to this, right? So David Simon, when I get on set, I see him, and I was like, I got a question. He was just laughing, like just talking to me, laughing before I, I said, I got a question.

He said, well, I said, I said, how did I get this? He was like, what do you mean? I said, I thought, how did I get this? He was like, what do you mean? I said, I thought I bonded an audition. And this one he said, he said, Donnell, we liked the way you threw the lines away. Yeah, man. Right? And just did your own thing.

I was like, that's not, that's like, I didn't know the lines. I didn't know the lines. I was just, I know other choice. It worked in my favor. He was like, we liked the way, like, like I chose. Like I made a choice. You never know when you get a part. It's so non-linear, man.

You can prepare for three days and it's the roles that you get, like you walk in and you're, you got to get somewhere. I don't want to be there. But he said, we liked the way you threw the lines away. I couldn't tell him, I didn't know the lines, right? Then he was like, because he said, and I know what he meant by that.

Everybody in there that identified with him as being a heroin addict, went in there with the stereotype of a heroin addict they didn't want to see that in an audition they wanted to see who he was without being high so everybody was going in there like this yeah man I didn't do that I was like oh man look and that's that's the side they wanted to see now that went going down to one of the greatest shows of history whenever I talk to people they like this you was in my favorite show

I don't know if they gonna say show the wire so the wire audition for the wire right uh and I didn't Know again with this what the character was the Audition for this character. Oh Omar right audition for Omar Right, I'll audition for Omar. That's my favorite, right? I auditioned for Omar. The big role.

I auditioned for Omar. I love that's my favorite character. I didn't get Omar, but I didn't know Omar was like, he had already done three movies, if you know what I mean. He's, well he was also a trained theater actor. He's a beast. So I didn't get Omar, I got this other, I played Damien Price, Day Day, right? They gave me that. And then when I got this other, I played Damien Price, Day Day, right?

They gave me that. And then when I got on set, I asked Robert Cosberg, he was like, you know, Donnell, I'm gonna be the driver and the governor or whatever it was, I mean, he's assistant, and he said, you know, that road, Omar, it came down to me and Mike. Wow.

He said, you know that that he said, you know, we were really considering you for Omar. He said, but we wanted to save this for you because we think it's gonna be something special, right? I didn't know the depth. And then when I look at what Mike did to that character, Omar, I'm like, I couldn't touch that. Like certain people was just born for that.

That actor, Michael, I got a chance to... Michael K. Wimps, yeah. Well, Michael K. and Daya to- I had okay whims, yeah. What Michael, in Diode too, rest is, you know, he RIP because he was, I met him, I got to meet him because I'd seen every episode of The Wire and I did Rod along and he was at the premiere of Rod along and I was able to really just give him props.

I was able to be really like he was just a beautiful. He played that character like a hero, there was something heroic about it. Like he was oasis in in the desert. It was yeah He had he he is an actor shine there was something about him It's just like when you you can when someone like beats you out of a role whatever you can you know, you know You're you're gonna be like well, but then when you see the performance Here's a crazy thing a lot of people don't know about the wire. Like they said we have something special for you, right? And if you follow the wire series that first season in the towers, it was incredible.

Right. But what happened was now it was a lot of unanswered questions. Like the last thing you see is me. They pulled me over. They catch me with $30,000 in cash. They bring me in the office and now they had to let me go. They had to let me go with the money. And I got to tell you a funny thing when I added to that.

So the scene is, they interrogate me, they got to give me the money and they got to leave. So I was like, I'm still coming up with a shappale show, but we just freestyle everything, right? And they were, so I'm walking out with the money and I'm still trying to be funny, right walk out with the money right and I'm like some people got to have it don't let money change dude I look back at them I said oh my darling and yo everybody died laughing but it was like yeah no you can't you can't do that. Why not? That's great.

But here's the thing. That was the end of it. Now this one people understand, you got to find out where was that money going? And one of the why didn't he didn't give it back? But you notice the second season I wasn't there. And the reason why is because the Baltimore tourism board was upset with all the production in Baltimore. Because they say every time they bring the cameras in there,

it's always drug addiction is always these, which it was back then. But it was. What do you want to do? It was wasteland. But that's what happened was they complained enough. Well, David Simon, cause that tower season was the shit.

And I'm like this, ooh, next season, and I'm saying to myself, I'm already a vision. I'm like this, I'm gonna be a dude who wears suits, but at the same time, and I'm like this oh next season and I'm saying to myself I'm already a vision I'm like this I'm gonna be a dude to wear suits but at the same time and I'm in the streets I'm like I know this I could just fail I could just tell this character is gonna blow but because they got so much criticism about the depiction of Baltimore they had to switch the storyline wow a lot of people know that so that's why if you look at it so that's why it went from the towers to the docks. Really?

Yeah. See people don't realize, like I, so I shot a movie in Baltimore. People don't realize that it was a true wasteland. I'm talking about like Detroit, the land that time forgot. Cause when industry moved out of there, only the poor stayed,

quote unquote black. So there was, it was black, it was a black, so when Charles Dutton, bring up Charles Dutton. You know he is the actor Charles Dutton. He just had a great, he was a beast. One of the great actors went to jail for murder and killed a dude in jail. Right there, okay.

Went to jail for murder, killed a dude in jail. That was the janitor and Rudy. Went to Yale theater school. Was reading and writing while he was in jail, taught himself everything. Now he came from Baltimore. When he shot the corner, he was just looking for one person he'd grown up with,

just one person he'd grown up with who would show up with a good story and not one person. It was an example of what can happen to a town and what happens to everyone. I'm talking about everybody. The same thing in Detroit, where the hopelessness and despair was so deep and so widespread that you couldn't find one good story

and that's what killed him. And he wanted, and Charles Dutton was like, let me hire some people. Let me hire just some black, like some of my people, like just as grips and stuff like that. There wasn't one, he couldn't find anybody. But I would tell you so, it was so real, like in 97, when I said it was so real we were

Shooting on location like when you see the hood it wasn't a set man They didn't build it was there. It was so much that we didn't even know who the dope things were into he said cut Yeah, it would be people like yeah, they'd be like So real like the actors had never had any training, but they were so fucking good. But another thing, but a lot of those actors did, some of them, you got Kandy Alexander, you got Tasha Reggie McCarthy, you got Tasha Smith.

Andre, who played Bubbles, the fuck's his name? I forget his name too, Big Hair or whatever. Like you had those guys. And one thing I will say about David Simon, man, he's so loyal, because if you look at the cast of The Corner corner a lot of those guys started working on the wire And it totally switched the character They went from like dope fames to people that was working in politics, right? So they were actors

Oh, yeah, they were like actor and they took me. I didn't know what I was doing I think Tasha Smith and Candy Alexander so much because I was green they took they took me so much I was just a deaf, damn, con, beaty, comic. That just happened to the best way. What are you doing right now? You're doing a show right now, right? What do you mean?

Weren't you doing a TV show last year? Oh yeah, BMF. Yeah, BMF, that was like in the streets, that was one of the biggest shows. It was about like this drug gang or crew or empire back in the 90s it was a big show and the crazy thing was I'm such a bad auditioner that I told my manager I'm doing all for only and that in a cocky way because I know I'm a shitty

auditioner and I say myself if somebody want to work with me they would just be like this that's it only way to break I am I should call will for real just call me but the funny thing about this Tasha Smith this role was she just called me one day and I did that she called me and I was again I was getting ready for something else with the voice bell is that Leon right there that actor huh is that Leon not as coffee that's a British actor I forget his last thing he? Nah, that's Kofi. That's a British actor. I forget his last name.

He played Lamar. That was my cousin. Everybody loved this character. So Tasha calls me one day, and I sent her the voicemail because I was doing something else. And she, this is how you know you, but this is how you know you got a good friend. When I finally picked up the phone, she said,

Motherfucker, when I call you, you answer the fucking phone. Because it's certain people that call you know it's money. Yes. They don't call you for bullshit. And she was talking to 50, Randy Huggins, who was a fan of mine, he used to see me at Chocolate Sundries or whatever. They, there was this character of this guy,

well I forget the guy, the people that fuck dead bodies. Right? Necrophiliax. You're a freak. See, only white people know that. No, I didn't know that. Okay, here's another one, another white test. What is the thing that you choke motherfuckers before they come?

Auto-affixiation. See, you know all of these. Yo! Ride a freak. Ride a freak. Things that white people do for a thousand, Alex. Yeah, baby. Crazy white people for a thousand.

So we had, sorry, everyone, I'm educated. She was, so we, she was basically, she took, they threw my name up, 50 liked it, Randy, like, and I came in the last season the finale I did one one one one scene and I did good enough where the next Season they were brought me back for three episodes and then it was loving as characters as much it went from three episodes to I think I did like seven extra ones after that and was a part of the stuff that the whole series because of that show Do you with everything going on today's climate? Do you think you could have the same success on the Chappelle show if you guys launched it today? Yeah, I think so yeah because like what a McQuinn- well with Tommy Central

Let you give you guys the freedom. I don't know the reason why I say that because I think like When we when we launched that show it was I think people were tired of war to down comedy. They wanted something honest. They wanted something unedited. They wanted that. And I think that right now, what I think in comedy with all the cancer culture and everything, cancer culture is canceling themselves.

Cause they bitch about so much shit. And now people are getting pissed about it. It's forcing people to want to- It's coming back the other way. Oh yeah, it's coming back, it's coming back. It's flipping like, fuck that. You can see how, even my good friend Dave, how they attacked him so much, attacked him so much,

and they couldn't fuck him to the point now, now it's turning to like, shut the fuck up. It's like you're bitching. And then when that lane becomes open, now you get people dead of raw. The only thing I didn't, with this council culture, people always like freedom of speech. You have the right freedom of speech,

but you have to have freedom of some responsibility. Just because you can go hard, that don't mean you have to go hard. And now some people like corn gets grain, they just saying crazy shit just to be shocking. I think my special, I feel like my special is gonna be I don't know I'm gonna say part of that movement, but I think it's gonna be a point people like you know what this shit is just funny Yeah, I agree. It's it's not just funny though because I love I loved a lot of the stuff you touched on

Like I never thought about the idea that you know you, you girls, women use those words like narcissists, like gaslighting, like, you know, like, like manipulative. And it's just, it's, right now it's become like, and I know that mental health is real. Shout out to Charlemagne and God for the breakfast club cause you love that shit. That's all you told my father. I forgot you, you and Charlemagne.

Oh yeah, we go on. I love what you guys are doing. You and Charlemagne. They just talk shit to each other. All the time. All the non-stop. But I think now it's like, I do know that mental health is real, but now is that they get a whole these words

and they use them just to fuck with you. And now, just like, they weaponize it. It's like over-sharing culture. Like when you can talk about what a mess you are, you get social credit for it. Used to be like, you know, for our generation, your generation, like if you complain about, like, I don't know,

kind of how you were having a hard time, especially if you were a dude, about, like, I don't know, kind of how you were having a hard time, especially if you were a dude, it was like, I don't know, you didn't. But even with like, it's like, see, I don't want to deal with that shit. Like fuck you, put that on stage and shut the fuck up. That's where our therapy is. Right?

But even with like, even with my baby mother, right? Like she used to, she knows all the words. Like she sent me a grit, a mental health grit. She be saying shit like monkey branching and shit like that. Right. Monkey branch. Yo, she got all the words and I didn't know all the words. But see once I started learning what these words were, I was like, oh,

I started using it on her. You got to be your first responder, your own first. Well, you can't just wait on anybody. You gotta be prepared for any situation. But where do you go? Where do you learn how to do things like tag turn? Dude, you know what I wish? I was thinking the other night.

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They have educational content up the gizoo. Now with FieldCraft Survival app, you can learn all these things to get ready from legit experts at FieldCraft. For the monthly subscription, you get 30 days free using the code FIDER30FREE. That's FIDER30FREE, the number 30 and free. For annual subscription, you get 35% off your annual subscription. Use the code FIDER35. All right. And then for the training, use the code FIDER20. You get 20% off training and products at FieldCraftSurvival.com. And I didn't even know the context. I just couldn't wait to say, don't gas like me.

Right? She was like, you want a cheese? I was like, I'm not gonna let you gas like me. Right? Turn around. I still don't know what it is. She was like, you want cheese in that burger? Look, I was like, just, she was like, you want cheese in that burger?

I was like, just respect my boundaries. You know, I was just, I was just using all of my shit. But the funny thing about it, once she knew I was mental health lingual or whatever, she was like, she was shut down. Man, I said, I said, respect my, I said, gaslighted. She looked at me like, who taught you that? Yeah.

She was like this, oh shit. You know the lingo? He said trouble. But I realize, here's the real deal about that. The people that use those words the most suffer from what they're saying you are. The user of people that call you the narcissist the most, they fucking narcissists.

Yes. That's exactly right. And I don't have a problem. What I do know about narcissists, most of the ones I know are the most successful people in the business. Yeah. Well, it requires a certain amount

of self involvement. It has to. Like, you know what I mean? Like I always say that to, you should say that to my significant other. It's like, look man, my first one too, it was hard for her because I was traveling all the time. But I was like, I don't know how else to get successful.

I don't, like I don't know how else, like it's like, for me anyway, it takes every bit of effort and I barely make it. You pay a price to get to the, to where you wanna get. Yeah, but do you think that? You gotta be selfish. Do you think that that's because of how old you were back then and then you think later?

Yes, yes, maybe. You know what I'm saying? Because you got, you look at it, you look at it like, like you have a 20 year old, 21 year old, comedian actor, right? We're just driven on, gotta make it, gotta make it. But you think it's a difference between you getting married again, like, all right, you're more successful now, you're more comfortable with what you're doing, and you don't have, we always go ahead and hunger,

but it's not that desperate. Yeah, maybe that's where I learned. But when you're coming up with that desperation, it takes, you know, you gotta go. It does. There's no balance. It's like, but I wonder if you're going to go to where you're going, it's something has to give. Whether it's family, relationships, there's no way you can get to where you're going and be able to balance the two. I don't think so. Maybe not.

I think when you get older though, you start to realize that everything you need is right there and home. Yeah, but be your 10,000 up. Now you have perspective. But you've also, like you've made it to a certain extent, but back then, oh, go and try that. I'm just gonna chill.

I'm gonna pass on that. I'm going out there. I want to fight. I'm not good with the audition. I'm good, man. I want to chill with my girl. You're not gonna make it. You know what's so funny?

Cause I'm going on the auditions. That's it. You know what you say, you want to chill with your girl. For me, the life changer, whatever, where I had to realize that now I can't always think money and all that is when I had my son. Correct. You know what I'm saying?

Because I never had to make decisions based on anything. I was selfish. It's just all worried about me. I never had to worry about my time fucking I'm gone. You know what I'm saying? But with me now, and like, now I have to make decisions sometimes, like if it's something that's important to my, and it's happening to me, something that's important to my son in school or whatever when I

used to be like this I'm taking that I'm taking that then I'm like I can't do that you pass up a lot of money yes I'm passing by the money but I'm not passing up on him on the memory I even yeah it's not worth it anymore yeah and it no monetary gain that can break my son's heart I'm good and I'm at the situation where I'm at the point now where like if I want to I can work every weekend like I went from doing like you know how the road is I'm at this situation where I'm at the point now where like if I want to I can work every weekend Like I went from doing like you know how to road is I'm doing like 40 45 40 45 weeks a year Because I was like oh, I'm done. Now like this I tell my people, you know what they like this

We got so as I was like I'm gonna take those two weeks off I gotta be able to balance and that's what Having some for me, people always ask, Daniel, so do you think you're more focused now that you have a kid? And I've always been focused, but the lens has changed now.

It went from that wide lens to that detailed lens. That 50, that effort. I would offer. I would say this real quick for you. I would say having the option to go, I'm gonna pass on the chill with my son, to me, that success. Success is having the means where you cover your nut

and you can pick and choose and you don't miss out on the kids. And I would also say that the other thing that's great about children that you don't realize as a man, especially when you're kind of after it, you know, you spend your whole life after it, is that you all of a sudden have people in your life whose happiness is that you all of a sudden have people in your life whose happiness is more important than your own.

Yeah, and you care about it. Yeah, like I don't care. I almost care, like when I got, I'm gonna have my fourth soon. And I don't care about myself nearly. I don't even think about myself. Like I swear to God, if I could go with nothing as long as my kids, when my kids have everything,

when I'm teaching them shit, when I'm watching them laugh, when I'm watching them play, when I know that they're developing and growing, I swear to God that's almost, I'll do everything just as you do. Are any of your kids disrespectful to you? Yes, man. Yes, man.

That's why I'm glad I just got one. And reason why I'm telling you, bro, I love my son to death, right? But this little motherfucker, though disrespectful, he's eight, and I'm so petty, like he has a phone, I gave him a phone, right? Because I didn't want to have to deal with the face time with his mother and I'm telling you to your mom you got up. No, it's like this when you got it Well, you got a baby mom is giving you this shit every once well

Then when they faith when they FaceTime you it's different. They don't even they'd be like your dad like your dad. That's it. You don't even see the face. This is like, there he is right there. When he turns into a teen, my 15 year old daughter calls me Brian, doesn't call me dad. Yo, my eight year old son calls me bra. He called me bra, I checked him.

No, no, no. No, he said, but that's when he's around his cousin. Like, bro, I was like, he's trying to be cool. Yeah, he's trying to be cool. But this is why he's disrespectful. Like I texted one time and I already, like, you know, one part of my joint, I was like'm a I'm a dad that identifies as a mom right does that make me Does that make me transparent?

Like this kid got me like on all right and I be says one time I said I'm about to get real sensitive with this motherfucker, right? And I get out typed a paragraph to him yes I'm like just I text him a paragraph this mother fucking gave me the thumb just I had to suck it up right he gave me the thumb and I was like that's kind of rude right I was thinking I'll get more than a thumb. Then he changed it to a heart, right? And then he did a ha ha When I tell you somebody got me like he asked one time I said also what you want to do What's your name Austin? That's a good name. I'm like this. What you want to do?

You know why's a good name is a good name on paper and I talk about this I didn't want him to deal with Tyrone or Donnell. I wanted him to get in the room. That's right. Austin sounds. Yeah, Austin sounds like that. So one time I said, I said, Austin, what do you mean? He said, daddy, I want to be in entertainment.

And I was like, oh, come on, man. You know, first you think like, oh, I want to walk in my footsteps with all like, come on. And then I was like, well, you know, there's a lot of rejection in this business. I'm being real with him. I was like, it's you know, there's a lot of rejection in his business. I'm being real with him. I was like, it's going to be a lot of something. I'm not going to support you.

I said, you're going to have to be tough. You got to deal with no, you had to deal with the negative stuff and everything. I was like, maybe you want to consider being a funny doctor or a funny lawyer or whatever, right? And then I was like, you still want to do it? He was like, yeah, I was like, why? He said, daddy, because you inspire me. I was like, oh, damn, bro.

I was like, I was like, look at my, you inspire me I was like damn bro But I'm gonna tell you with this special people always ask me what makes this special What's so special about this special and I tell them 20 years ago when I was trying to build a name for myself I would been super, super excited like this is gonna be the introduction to the business. Whatever, but now after 32 year career, enough people know me where I could make a good living for myself telling Joe. This is for me, it's for all my fans that say, you're next, you deserve it.

You know what I'm saying? Just the way you said like, yo, Donny, you've been a beast for so many years, whatever, I think that this is a reward and a sense of accomplishment for my fans for those people like you're underrated. I never agree with underrated because you got to ask yourself who's rating you because the people know, you know, you've never said that about underrated, but you know that I do my thing. So I think that this is a this is a calling for for that. I had a conversation with Dave a couple weeks ago, and like, especially like with black comedians,

it's such a cloud of negative stuff going on. Why is that? Especially lately, right? I'll tell you this. Oh, I wanna talk to you about that. I'll tell you, for one reason, that for some reason in the black community, we feel like it can only be one comic

that's that dude at one time. Oh, wow. You know what I'm saying? Famine comic. That's that dude at one time. Oh, you know I'm saying it's like famine thinking Yeah, it's a crab mentality want to pull him down so they can go up. Yes, like crabs crabs in the brain I'm not talking against my people about no means but I ask myself. Why can't we all get along? I say this and even Dave asked me because we were talking about you know, some people to go him and he said why do people are? Why do you think that people act like that and feel that way to me Dave Dave? I said, cause a lot of times when people don't know what their path is, your, your success just mirrors their failures and what they're not doing. Security, so they lash out.

Yeah, they lash out instead of saying, all right, here's the blueprint. Yeah. I'll say, okay, what made him who he is? You know, what type of work ethicist do I have to deal with? You don't look at that. You want to bring people down. But another thing, misconception, they say, only black people go at only black communities, go at each other like that. No, no, I say, but see what white people, which I do is y'all put it under umbrella of a roast. We do it on stage. We do it like, but y'all be like this. I fucking hate your guts.

Do we got a roast coming up? Where's Jeff Ross? Yeah, Jeff Ross. I'm like, you think Black people go hard? Have you ever seen Jeff Ross do a roast? Oh my God. Have you ever seen Tony Hinchcliffe do a roast? It is murder.

And that's why I don't do roasts. I was like, I'm going to start a fight. Yeah. I don't even, don't even put them in some nab position. Cause you tell them, and me what they do is like you're I'm just it's just jokes. No, that was not the truth. So you know, Cat Williams. Yeah, one of the one of the great comics. Yeah. I mean, if you really look at his

body of work, yeah, what's what was that all about? This is what I think when Cat Williams situation, you say it really honoured for the audience. You're referring to the Shannon Sharp interview. Yeah. Yeah. I think it was a six. Colorful. I think that it was. The funny thing about the interview is that Cat Williams is very short.

He did three hours interview and his feet never touched the ground. It looked like he was riding an imaginary bicycle, right? But the funny thing was that Shannon's shop is so animated, right? It didn't matter what Cat Williams said. Shannon, oh, you can't say that, Cat. OK, come on, Cat. You can't say that. Come on, Cat. Oh, come on, Cat. He didn't matter what Cat Williams said, oh, you can't say that, Cat. Okay, come on, Cat. You can't say that.

Come on, Cat. Oh, come on, Cat. No matter what he said. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You can't say that. Yeah, he's the best. Cat Williams like, I'm four foot three. Oh, no, Cat.

You can't say that. You know you four, one, Cat. But I think it was what it was. It was like enough is enough. I think that the conversation that Kevin Williams had Was conversation it was locker room talk I think like you know it was stuff that all him and his boys talk about and I think finally He just got fed up with it and he wanted to say what his truth was You know I'm saying and I don't have a problem that somebody said don't yell. Yeah, but see it was funny

It was he's also funny as fuck. It was almost like a one-hour. Yeah, but I think so we say it's his truth But how much of it is maybe he thinks it's the truth. I'm sure there's some people out there that beg to differ Yeah, it is but those but the people that beg to differ like he has like you know all of these famous people They got the group of people that fan base like um like Nicki Minaj. She got the barbs. Yeah, right? I had beef with them for two. Oh, that's trouble. Oh man, they swifties. No, no, no the swifties I don't fuck with them either. I got love for I don't the swifties never had beef with the be the barbs the beehives I've had beef with them with a beehive the shaman is that's that's that's Beyonce Okay, right you got to be half you got the swifties you got the barbs the barbs are who they're for you

Can I okay? Yeah, well, they come for it's trouble really no the reason well this it came for me The Barbzer are who? Nicki Minaj. Okay. Trouble. If they come for you, it's trouble. Really? No, the reason, well, this came from me. I did a David Spade show, right? It was like one of the topical shows. Yeah, I love that show. Where they bring, like, the one of the topics was Cardi B, Nicki Minaj.

And I said, I'm trying to be fun. I said, the reason why Cardi, Nicki Minaj is so upset with Cardi B, because Cardi B is taking her shine, the Barbbs did not like that. When I tell you they attacked my page, they was like, they was putting clown faces, guns, knives and everything. They was like this, they was like this, we found this page, meet us over there, right?

Yeah, get them. And they was putting unicorns or anything. I just had to say, I'm sorry. Yeah, my bad. But now I was as notorious as those groups are Nobody and I named him this nobody's more gangsta than cat whims and the kitty cats Oh, he has some that right? He's got some followers. I what it's a cult It's nothing you can that's why you say the reason why people don't address it because there is nothing you can say

Even if you've tried to have rational thinking or whatever, it's gonna be like, where's the lie? Where's the lie? He exposed y'all. Where were y'all when people were saying that he was smoking crap? What was y'all saying? I was like, guess what? I wasn't saying that.

You know what I'm saying? And I don't have anything bad to say about Cap. I think it was a person that was frustrated. And he has some built up. He was upset about it. And also, no, it was a person that knew that was frustrated and he has some built up, he was upset about it and also know it was a person that knew that he got a tour coming out too. You know what I'm saying?

And it's gonna drive some sales or whatever. But yeah, things are like 50 million views. Yeah, it really broke the internet. But man, I'm telling you, I don't want or start trouble with anybody. No when I go to a club or whatever I'm I don't have I don't befriend a lot of comedians like people they will or you starting to change because you you Blown up let know you don't mess with them, but you don't fuck with nobody cuz you you blow it off I was like no, I never fucked with anybody. No, you know I'm saying and I know even with that situation

We're speaking about earlier. It's a lot of ways I could probably have handled that, but I got triggered, I responded to it, and that was it, but I will say, this one's a funny way. I shut it down, and this is what I look at, I was like, okay, the name of your special, right? What is it? It's called a new day.

So as much as we had that little war, or whatever you wanna say that's going on, it's a new day. Yep, yep. It's a new dawn. You as much as we had that little war or whatever you want to say that's going on, it's a new day. Yep. Yep. It's a new dawn. You can see it, man. I love that. I love that. Did you see that? Did you feel that? Did you feel that when you watched it? I really did, bro. I really did. First of all, I was like, I was, I didn't realize you hadn't done a special and having watched you for so many years, just crush a room and just be unique. Like you're the best compliment you can give a comic is I just think you have a very unique voice. There's no, I've never seen a comic.

I've never seen, I've never seen you do your stand up and go, oh, that's just like, or that doesn't remind me of fucking anybody. And that's a huge thing. That's your original self expression. And the special drops on the 27. 27. But essentially you say that because people talk about like jokes still and everything

and when people talk about jokes, I know that in our business that's the big deal, right? But I know this is crazy, but there was an unwritten rule back in the day. It's not your joke until you put it on TV. That's what it was. And I was like, I heard old-timers say that whatever. And back in the day, I didn't go where we didn't have the internet our thing was with somebody so you joke you beat them up Right you beat them up and do you write another joke? This is my feeling on joke thieves if you have a joke That somebody could steal that easily then guess what?

That's a great point. You know I always said that said that I mean premises and shit black comic okay They were arguing about a joke. Yeah, I got a joke about being poor and having a bootleg Halloween costume Every black comic in the hood dressed up as guess what the number one outfit was it was a box and it was a ghost Right and my outfit, we had boxes. We had pieces of outfits. Yo, one day I was in- Where'd you grow up?

In Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Virginia. When we were growing up, I remember Halloween, one day I was the Hulk Spider-Man and Superman in one outfit. I had the Spider-Man web, I had Superman cape,

and I had another mask this year. I was Negro man, I was a hood man. That's what I'm saying. But even with this special, even with this special, I shot this special, a lot of people don't know us. Two years ago, we took a stab at this special, right? We did it at the bring up the COVID, right? We did this special and we got it.

And I'm like, oh man, I got this special out. And Dave called me and he said, Donnell I'm gonna shoot your special again that's the most insulting thing you could tell to say to a comedian because the first question you gonna say is it wasn't funny yeah you know and I was like how do I go from doing a chest bump with a Stan Lathan high-fiving Ricky Hughes hugging one of my closest friends till you want to do it again and they said Donnell you are one of the funniest comics I know.

He said, I can put you in any room and you're going to rip the room up. He said, but that does not make it a great special. Right. So I had to deal with some constructive criticism. At the time I was like, whatever, but the check cleared. So I was like, all right, okay, I'll listen. Let's do it again.

Right? Yeah. It was worth the wait. It was worth it. A year later, we were in Napa Valley. This was just random. We were doing some shows and one of his producers were there. He was like, he always records all of his shows, right?

For whatever reason, had to create an archive or whatever. He said, Ricky, how many cameras do we have? She said, we got five. He looked at me and he said, down there, do you want to do your special? I said, when? He said, tomorrow. And I couldn't be no punk.

I was like, first I was like, yeah, right. But then I was changing my stuff. I was like, well, I need a suit, right? What I need a tire. So I said, I want to do a certain look. The first time I did it, I was going for like a rock and roll type of joint. And then when we looked at that wasn't, I was like rock, they was like, you're a rock star.

You're sent me to have, have lights and I had on John Vivaldo sneakers. You know I'm saying like the jean jacket and all that and then So we we shot it and I was excited about this because it wasn't no announcement I don't have to worry about getting anybody no free tickets or anything Yeah, there was only three people knew that we were trying to do a special that was me Dave Ricky Maybe for a while man. And I was like this. That was what I saw. for you know, and I was like this that was what I saw no no no No, this was the one that No, I think he can the first one. Yeah, then the second one No, I don't really consider us the can because we just rolled the dice. I was like hell. Yeah, since we got the cameras

You know make now. I don't have the pressure of my family anything Yeah, nobody knew what it was then I didn't have the pressure like you got to do it I was like, it's just a regular set and that's the the vibe I want to be on rip that special right a month later I'm like I I'm calling Robbie Praw from Netflix right because Robbie's like where's the special Where's the special called Robbie and I didn't David know I was like yo, I think we got it He was like let me see it motherfucker. Then I said Dave said I want to do it again I'm like why he said I didn't like to produce. I'm like, why? He said, I didn't like the production. I'm like, motherfucker, you the producer.

Damn. Is that self-hate? Perfection, right? Perfection. But this is what he said. Second time he said, Donnell, out of all the specials I'm producing, right? He said, because of my relationship with you

and the Chappelle show and attached to this brand, yours is the most anticipated special out of everybody. He said, I want it to be right. And he was a perfectionist. He was like, there's people walking around they're not seated. And I'm trying to argue around. I was like, yeah, but Richard Pryde live

is such a strip. One of the best jokes he had was when people was coming, coming from the bathroom. I was like, let's keep it classic. Let's keep it raw. Right? He was like, I said, is it something we can handle in post he said, yeah, Donna, it's's your special he wanted me to put it out I will

and I was like yeah they said but I think so it was those two attempts and every step of the way I took his notes I was doing my homework I mean one time we was on one of his planes we was going to wear and I'm throwing him ideas for promos I was I got this idea for a promo. He said, you weren't about promos, you need to be worrying about your jokes. And I said, Dave, I'm not gonna let you talk to me like that. I said, if you would come out the green room,

cause he's always in the green room, wouldn't check my sets up. If you come out the green room, if you see what I do with these arenas, if you will watch the tapes, I say you understand how disrespectful, I'm listening to you. I'm with these arenas. If you were watching the tapes, I'd say you understand how disrespectful, I'm listening to you. I'm doing my homework every time

you ask me to do something, I corrected it, whatever. Cut to the third time. And all the notes, and I was talking to Jeff- They all came together. They all came together, even after the first time, Jeff was like, you doing it again? He said, boy, people don't never do that. And he had so much respect for me

that I had already got my money. And the next goal to already go around, he had to put more money up. But you're worth it. And that's why when mother fuckers like, sorry to do it, Cory Holcomb talks shit about the guy that put one of the biggest checks I've ever said about that.

One of the biggest checks I've ever seen in my life. The guy that negotiated my contract where one of the biggest checks I've ever said about the guys. One of the biggest checks I've ever seen in my life, the guy that negotiated my contract, where one of the biggest checks I ever got, he had a clause in my contract that, if they wanna work with me again, if they gotta minimum, they gotta give me that money again. A motherfucker that fought for me to like,

it's licensed to Netflix for five years, after that I have ownership of it. The guy that says, you know what, Don Hill, I don't got to keep producing specials after just let me do this one and you go from there. And another thing you started special and one of the things that you said that I really really appreciate you was you said the opening of it because this when we would catch some creative differences he said Don Hill do this for me. You work on the jokes.

You do that part. Let me do the bells and whistles. And I didn't know what intro I was gonna do. I was stuck. Every time I pitched, I'm like, eh, eh, eh. Then he said, I got an idea. And when he told me that idea, the reason why I resonated so much

because he took what the song means. He took what I care about. I agree with you. He took what I care about. I agree with you. He took what I care about. Looking at your face, looking at like, like. Come on. Well, I don't want to give it away. But you don't even know when you see that intro.

It was like, I've never seen that side of you. Right. You know what I mean? Like I see the killer on stage. Another thing that showcases me, but what people don't know, and that short period of time as an actor. Yeah, 100%.

As an actor. You know what? Cause you weren't acting. It was real it was real and you yeah you're right now I think about it you right that's one shot No, they're gonna kill kill us they keep flashing you Yeah, I can't be black at this next podcast Podcast done out wrong man a beast special drops on Birds flying high you know how I feel.

Breeze drifting on by, you know how I feel. It's a new day, it's a new dawn, it's a new life for me. And I'm feeling good. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. Ha-ha! Pluto TV is as easy as it is free, and it's totally free, with over 300 channels and thousands of TV shows and movies. Finding what you love has never been easier.

Just open the app and something good will already be playing, because it's curated by real humans who love TV as much as you do. So you'll spend a lot less time scrolling and a whole lot more time watching. That's why Pluto TV is TV the way it should be. All you need to do is download the app and start streaming. Pluto TV, stream now, pay never. Some time in the early 80s, REO Speedwagon's airplane made an unannounced

middle-of-the-night landing. This is my friend Kyle McLaughlin, the star of Twin Peaks. And he's telling me about how he discovered a real-life Twin Peaks in rural North Carolina, not far from where he filmed Blue Velvet. What was on the plane was copious amounts of drugs coming in from South America. Supposedly Pablo Escobar went looking for other spots quiet out of the way places to bring in his cocaine. My name is Joshua Davis, and I'm an investigative reporter. Kyle and I talk all the time

about the strange things we come across, but nothing was quite as strange as what we found in Varnum Town, North Carolina. There's crooked cops, brother against brother. Everyone's got a story to tell, but does the truth even exist? Welcome to Varnum Town. Varnum Town is available wherever you listen to podcasts. story to tell, but does the truth even exist?