The Let Go and Let God Lifestyle w/ Lil Rel Howery

In this episode of the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show, host Crystal Renee Hayslett chats with actor, producer, and writer Lil Rel Howery about his career, faith, and new film 'Unexpected Christmas.' Lil Rel shares stories from his early years in Chicago, his breakout role in 'Get Out,' and his journey through standup comedy. He opens up about the influence of great comedians, the importance of faith, and how he found healing through prophecy after his mother's passing. The conversation also touches on his experiences in the industry, the importance of owning up to mistakes, and how he maintains balance between his family, faith, and fame. Lil Rel emphasizes the significance of representation in holiday films and offers advice for young comedians. This insightful chat underscores the power of laughter and faith in navigating life’s challenges.

Connect @luvCrystalRenee @comedianlilrel

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Calling all my sweeties to the forefront. I'm your host, Christopher,
and this is the keep It Positive, Sweetish Show. Little
Real Howrie has built a career that blends humor and honesty.
He's an actor, producer, and writer who always stays rooted
in purpose, and he continues that legacy with his latest film,

(00:21):
Unexpected Christmas, a story about love, family, and finding laughter
in the chaos kids. Family. Please give a very warm
welcome to Lil Rel Howri Real. Thank you so much
for coming to that. I know you got a busy schedule.
You are promoting your new film, Unexpected Christmas. We're going
to talk about that, but first I want to get
into Lil Rel Howri.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
You're from the West Side of Chicago.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Everyone knows you from your breakout role get Out, which
you stole the You stole the movie.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
I'll the show. You stole the movie.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Like everybody really took to you in that movie. And
it's crazy because you were like in small parts, but
you were you very intentional about how you delivered because
you really like were memorable in that movie.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
I mean a lot of credit goes to Jordan Peel.
He knew where the slice in comedy in the very
intense moments. But it's also one of those things, like
you know from like the Bernie mac school of performing,
where whether there's one line or two lines, you're just
gonna bring it. Yeah, you want to be memorable.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yes, yes, you were in the rest is history.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
That's awesome. When did you know that you were funny?
I knew I was funny early, but I knew I
could be performative funny. It was really my senior year
in high school. I did a play my senior year
and the teacher let me like write.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
My the lines, my comedic lines.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
And so I went to a hood school on the
West side, Craning High School, and I throw that out
there because them kids don't laugh at nothing, like they
mostly heckle you. It's like the toughest like they like
people coming to give like a speech to tell us
that we're gonna be somebody.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
But man should have no I'm not like theydn't heck
of anybody, and.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
So like to impress them was a big deal. So
my first big laugh came from my peers, and I
remember being like, Okay, I can actually do this if
I'm making these groups of.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Stupid Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, I hear that Chicago is
a tough crowd.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
It's not. It's not a tough it's a real crowd.
It's not necessarily tough. You just you just because it's
a lot of funny people there. Don't do comedy, just funny.
It's just funny people. So imagine if it's already funny people,
you got to make those people last, right, you know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
That's true?

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Ye?

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Yes, So what was that journey like getting from the
high school when you realize in high school you were
funny to getting the get out roll?

Speaker 2 (02:38):
What was that journey like for you? I mean stand
up stand up is where I started right after high school.
Really yep. And I wasn't doing it all the time
because I was still working and I was still going
to junior college at the time. But yeah, I stand
up stand up created the life for everything. You know,
I'm a big stand up comedy fan, like for real,
real like Richard and Eddie was literally who I looked

(03:01):
up to, and then like you know, watching Depth Gym
and Comic View. I'm in this very beautiful place now
where I kind of like been reminiscent in a way
kind of like replaying my own journey in my own
and I'm like, wow, I was influenced by so many
great comics, you know what I mean, watching Comic View,
watching Ricky Smiley, watching Earthquake, watching RNFJ, watching Tony Roberts,

(03:23):
watching Rob Stapleton, and it's like very specific bits of
people doing stuff that you know, wow, Like I mean
even watching Kevin Hart on Comic View, and it wasn't
that he was just so hilarious and that we just
looked like we was the same age. And so I
was like, if he can, if he doing this, I
definitely can make it on tea.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Right, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, No, I love that.
It's funny because I just had Funny Marco on and
he was talking same similar things about where you are
and reflecting on how far you come. How do you
feel now that you are one of the people on
that list where people like, oh, I'm inspired by Little
Real along with the greats as well.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
It feels great, you know what I mean, Because it's
that's been very intentional, you know what I'm saying, And
it's I was just telling somebody that because I've never
really said that out loud, how intentional I was about
doing what I saw my heroes due. Yeah, so you know,
me having a sitcom called Real on Network TV that
was a real checklist. It's like, you know, because of

(04:25):
Red Fox, because of Martin, you know what I'm saying. Like,
it's like, oh, I need a show that's with my
name in it. Yep, and it has to be a sitcom,
you know what I'm saying. The stand up specials I've done,
you know, even the movies that now, a lot of
the movies that that God surprised me. I mean it
was prophesied to me, but it was more or less

(04:46):
a surprise to be like, it was a surprise and
not a surprise because when I started seeing my friends
like Tiffany Haddish and Gerra car Mi. I remember I
saw Gerari and tipping a trailer.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
I went to see.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
I forgot what movie I went to see, and she
was in a trailer for Keanu at the time, and
he was in the Trader for Transformers. Wow. But I
remember sitting in that theater like, oh, I'm close, come on,
this is my friends. Yes, oh this is about to happen.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
Then, Yes, that's so good that you saw that, because
sometimes people can see that they're close or not realize
how close they are and be jealous of the ones
that got it before they did. The fact that you
were able to say, Okay, I'm close to this, this
can happen for me.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
And it came right after I was rooting for them,
like I was seeing them like, oh, this is amazing,
and it was like, oh, I'm close.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yes, that is so important. That's so important. Now you
say you had your own show and that was something
on your checklist. What was that process like, Because a
lot of people don't understand getting a show greenlit and
Hollywood can be hard. But was it easy for you
or was it a lot of hoops that.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
You had to jump in?

Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, wasn't that complicated.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
So but and that's interesting because I think I think
people loved telling him this is so hard story. But
the great thing coming from stand up is relationships. And
you know, that wasn't my first series. The first series
I did was a sketch series called Friends of the
People that was on True TV. But I did that
with my friends. We all created a show together. We

(06:09):
were all stars of the show, executive producers, and writers. Amazing,
So that was the first time getting all those checks
at the same time. But that's how it started. Can
you imagine that? Like until my start was very interesting,
and that came because of the you know, I got
cast on the Unliving Coloring boot that never came out,
but that changed. I'm telling you, I've been us having

(06:29):
this conversations very interesting because I've been replaying everything. Yeah,
because I'm like, how did this happen? Because even with that,
nobody LA really knew who I was for real outside
you know, the Robbie Reid's and stuff like that man
who told me like I can see you being a star,
and you know Keenan Ivy Waans whatever Stapy has. Can

(06:54):
you imagine the show never came out. I felt like
I was a basketball recruit. So I would leave the
Living Color set and it be agents lined up in
the lobby waiting to take me to dinner or buy
me a drink. Ye wow, talking about U T A,
c A A. W all of them was there and
I ended up stating at the time of U T A,

(07:15):
which I'm still with, but it was I've done them
twice ya crazy? Uh, But yeah, it was man, just
watching Keenan hand pick me. It's one of my heroes. Yes,
Like you gotta stand some of the way, like the
way God maneuvered. A lot of this stuff was thoughts
from a little kid. And then like I'm talking about,

(07:38):
like even just meet my hero. Like the only person
I haven't sat down and talked to yet, like had
a real sit down yet is Eddie Murphy. Everybody else
I've talked to, He's the only one, Like I just
want to just sit down and just just have a
just a casual great like like I've had with Robert Towns,
I've had with Keane everyone, I've had those kind I

(08:00):
just can't wait to have that with Eddie.

Speaker 1 (08:02):
I love that you speak about certain things were prophesied
over you.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
Did you grow up in the church one hundred percent.
But it's funny, I grew up in the traditional Baptist church,
so you know it wasn't necessarily boy, anybody probably like
they always had to.

Speaker 3 (08:17):
Want old lady you know, mother Johnson, she said.

Speaker 2 (08:21):
But it wasn't until later on where I started understanding
you know, being prophesied. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
And that happened after my mother passed. Really wow, And
when I was going through that craziness in my life
and just struggling with grief and was in so much
pain and didn't know what to do with it. Is

(08:41):
I was doing stupid stuff and putting myself in crazy situations.
But it wasn't until like I was on those crutches
and I went to get a haircut from a random
female barber and who started just saying, you know, God,
God want you to just she was speaking speaking a
word to me. It is like, well, I want you

(09:02):
to come to my church. It's not a real church,
it's at a business center in a hotel. And that's
why I met Pastor Qatar, who to this day is
I think everybody should have a profit.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
In they you know, in their life that they trust
if you can, if you can know for sure.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
But she everything she prophesied to me that first service
get Out was in that prophecy. Wow, Carmichael show was
all of it.

Speaker 1 (09:29):
And how does it feel when you start to see
those prophecies reveal themselves in real time?

Speaker 2 (09:34):
It's just I was happy that it didn't go one
year after other because a lot of times you can
get a word spoken to you, but like you know,
how people keep running to get a prophecy. It's because
they haven't taken in the first thing they get, so
now they want one every week. Right, Yeah, I need
a word. I need a word like you even like.

Speaker 3 (09:53):
Especially when you first get the first word, it's loan.

Speaker 1 (09:57):
It's who you telling I had to do?

Speaker 2 (09:59):
You have recorders so you can go back and listen
to it. No, because because the time I didn't know
what's happening. Yeah, okay, yeah, it just stuck. It's stuck. Yeah,
it literally stuck. And and so because I believed it.
I'm only because you know, if you're if it's truly
what it is. Yeah, your your first reaction usually is like, dang.

Speaker 3 (10:21):
God, that was just me and you talking.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
So fun I heard her say, I know this gotta.

Speaker 4 (10:26):
Be you, right exactly Nobody else knew nobody Isn't that
Oh my goodness, I said in awe when I when
that happens, I'm just like, it's my phone tap?

Speaker 1 (10:36):
Did you hear me? Like what? And I know it
was just me and God, so like you know it's true.
It's like, okay, I'm on the right path.

Speaker 2 (10:42):
I love those kind of moments. And it's funny because
I didn't even know I was in the right path.
I just needed healing, you know that became. I remember
that first year was one of the most healing years
of my life. That's why I think I'll never forget that. Yeah,
you know once again, we wasn't We was at a
business center. It was like sixty seven of us in there.

Speaker 4 (11:00):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
And just what she was so just on it, and
you know, I just when I had my moment of
it's funny, I kind of put it in my show.
I mean foxing know thise what I was doing. But
my Mama episode when I had her showed the Benniggins

(11:23):
and she was already passed away. But we did it
in the show, and then we had that conversation that
was a version of what really happened. And the real
version was I was in church one day and we
were praying and she came and just sat next to me,
and it felt like everybody left. Wow, And we had
a real conversation. A conversation is basically what I put

(11:45):
in the show about. You know, she forgives me and
I'm okay because it was stuff I really felt like
felt bad about where you living with guilt at the time. Yeah,
because I couldn't see her in the hospital. I didn't
feel comfortable, so I didn't come to the hospital as
much as I should. And she had left the journal
and she talked about that, but she said she understood.

(12:07):
But I felt so good. I literally was taking road
gigs and shows. Like the time I did go see her,
I was like, I don't think I could come back
in here. I'm telling my brothers that, like, I'm not comfortable.

Speaker 1 (12:18):
It's just seeing her in that state.

Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, And it wasn't even that bad.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
It was just seeing her in there, and you look
you ultimately, I know we all want miracles to happen,
but you know, some of the stuff you can of
just own, you know what I'm saying, And I don't.
But it was a lot at first, and so I
felt really guilty about it. I think that became a
lot of part of a lot of the pain I
was going through. But man, when she said and talked

(12:42):
to me and I remember, I'll never forget. And when
it was over it and I literally saw everybody sitting there, Yeah,
it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
But that was part one I think of, like of
the healing process where I could go forward a bit,
but it was always these little steps like where I'm
at now to me is after all of these steps

(13:06):
since two thousand and nine, And it was a lot
I've been through, and a lot of craziness and a
lot of ups and downs. But now it all makes sense,
you know what I'm saying. It always does.

Speaker 1 (13:17):
I love the after fact where you're sitting looking at
everything that's happening, like.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
Okay, now I get it. It's always comforting to know
that it was for a reason.

Speaker 1 (13:25):
It wasn't in vain.

Speaker 2 (13:27):
It's a beautiful moment when and when you get to
this place I am in because I'm in my legt.
I was like, I called this my let go and
let God lifestyle. And once again it was a moment
of replaying everything.

Speaker 3 (13:42):
Good and bad, Yeah, good and bad.

Speaker 1 (13:45):
I was.

Speaker 2 (13:46):
I think I was on my balcony one day and
I was just crying, my God, You're so good man,
like you could have easily given up.

Speaker 3 (13:53):
I make so many mistakes in the blessing.

Speaker 1 (13:57):
Talk about that that is so true. I was praying
this morning and just giving thanks for God's grace. You know,
even when I didn't deserve it. I look back I'm like, God,
you have continued to bless me even when I mess up.
And I was reading about the Israelites and how I
was in judges and it's like they went against God

(14:18):
and started works for other idols and then they started
begging God, please forgive us, and he came back.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
And then they did it again and he came back.

Speaker 1 (14:26):
And I'm like, God, you are a merciful God. And
I was like, it's crazy how he just continues and
it will bring you to tears when you think about
his goodness.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
Well, you realize God never leaves you, right, that's the
maturity of your faith. It's like God is never all
God is doing is just waiting on us with everything.

Speaker 3 (14:44):
It ain't like God showing up.

Speaker 2 (14:45):
Well, God show up right now. Like that's why even
you know you when you mature, your prayer has changed. Yes,
I'm not asking for stuff it is yeah, you know
what I'm saying. And so like, I'm extremely living that
part of my life now and it's really fascinating. I

(15:05):
think I think you know, when I it's about to
be two years of me not drinking good.

Speaker 1 (15:10):
Time, Let's see how many months it's been seven months
for me?

Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, but I had to because I had to own
and this was wise levels to it, Like I had
to realize how much I was abused, like because I
don't you know if people stop doing stuff and they're like, well,
because that's just the best, Well that's me. I abused it. Yeah,
own it. You know what I'm saying. It ain't I
don't think it's evil to drink. I don't know if
you're doing that. You know, if you're abusing it, you're

(15:39):
not doing it. The moderation your intentions is to take
you out of stuff because you can't handle stuff and
all this other stuff.

Speaker 3 (15:46):
I had to own that, and I'm like, yo, and
then you start learning like.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
What else have I abused? My goodness? You know what
I'm saying, And so like you should start learning, like
you know, God wants you to stop because you didn't
you abuse.

Speaker 1 (16:00):
Yes, Yeah, for me, it was understanding like what it
evokes me, like the behaviors that happened when I started drinking.
You know, I was like, I gotta just get control
of this. And it's so freeing to be sober minded.
I love it here.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
Yeah, it's great. I mean, look, I wish I would
have understood more about this early and I didn't. Yeah,
you know what I'm saying, Like, even when you think
about it, it's I mean, we can go deep, but
it's like it's just some things that couldn't be talked
to you because nobody had real understanding of stuff, right,
certain things. You know what I'm saying. It's just going
to therapy and now I can explain why that's important.

(16:38):
And I think sometimes we tend to get in a
place where we get better at something we starting. You need,
that's not it, that's not it.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
I had to own that too, Like what they can
function this way?

Speaker 2 (16:50):
Right? That ain't me right.

Speaker 1 (16:51):
Our pastor just reached on that Sunday. He was like,
I can listen to this because it's not gonna make
me do something. He said, Just because that's your issue
doesn't mean that somebody else is.

Speaker 2 (17:01):
That's real. That's real. Yeah, I mean that's why I
love it, you know. I laugh. Like sometimes if I
go out and I have like some Walter Hawkins playing,
They're like, man, we're going to the club, Like right, yeah,
you about here Project pat right after Jelina Adams something.

Speaker 1 (17:22):
Right, you never know just what it is. I love it,
you said, that faith has always been your foundation even
when the world gets loud. How has your faith shaped
and grown through your success?

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Man? You know it's uh. I love that I've rediscovered
everything more or less in the last few years.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
It's like rereading a Bible and not just going with
somebody telling me.

Speaker 2 (17:55):
I'm like, I'm smart. I'm a smart guy.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
Like no other part of my life.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
I'm listening to everything somebody till right and so and
it's and it's okay to disagree with certain things, and
then you got to learn to go directly to the source.
I enjoy the way i've I feel like I love
Jesus in a totally different way now, and it's not
just based off what was told to me. Is what

(18:19):
I like, is what I when I'm reading this is
what I'm reading. Yeah, because you know this is gonna
sound terrible, but it's like like some of the stuff
we listen to people who's preaching over the years and
just growing up, but like some of them not even
really educated. So if you could barely read and comprehend
anything else, I'm gonna like take whatever you like.

Speaker 3 (18:40):
That's crazy.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
Yeah, you know that's crazy crazy.

Speaker 1 (18:46):
Let me know, for myself and.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
I sound crazy. Man, I love you. I'll be here
next Sunday, But but I don't know's I agree with that?

Speaker 1 (18:57):
Right? No, that's so true.

Speaker 2 (18:59):
It's that's funny.

Speaker 1 (19:01):
Our pastor he did like, you know how like they'll
start the scripture and people will finish it. And he's like,
see that ain't even have said because we've been taught wrong.
So we had to go through a whole season of
unlearning false doctrine and things that we had been learning
all the life that was wrong. And I'm like, dang,
just because we've been listening. He's like, you gotta get
in your word.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
Well also to you know, you give grace in that too, right.
I feel like just think about just as black people,
we're the most educated we've ever been. We are and
it was a time it wasn't even accessible that you
know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (19:29):
Yeah, And so like I get it, and so a
lot of that was then winking it.

Speaker 2 (19:33):
Yeah, you know, literally, but you do. You are supposed
to grow grown. There's a responsibility, responsibility to like to
you should go to school, yeah, to be a pastor,
like like learn everything right.

Speaker 1 (19:45):
No, for sure, you often use humor to talk about pain.
We talked about your grief with your mom. When did
you realize that laughter can actually carry you through the hurt?

Speaker 2 (19:56):
You know something reading Richer Pryor's Uh, Prior Colvinches, Prior
Convictions and other life sentenceives. I read that book when
I was sixteen. Actually I stole it from the library
because I bet I was reading the book. So I
went to the live. I was the library guy, and
I didn't have a library card, so I tried to

(20:17):
take all the senses out the book and I forgot
a page and I walked out with this old lady
and I grabbed.

Speaker 3 (20:22):
Her like I ain't steal in no books.

Speaker 2 (20:23):
And I kept running. What y'all grabbed me?

Speaker 1 (20:30):
He wait into the old ladies walking out like walking
out card.

Speaker 2 (20:33):
It's like, wait a minute, I ain't never stole no books.
I was just running. That was crazy. But that book
was so important, and what they did in that book
that was brilliant to me was like it would be
real things, facts about his life, and then the joke
that matched the real thing, and so you just like dang,
his brother lived in so much pain, but he was

(20:55):
able to make it funny.

Speaker 3 (20:56):
But also it made me feel bad for him.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
Like when I think about it now, it's interested like
a lot of our stars, I feel I wish I
could have been their friends. Yeah, you know what I mean.
I wish they had a friend like me and the
Indian type of thing, like people I looked up to,
just to have conversations with them, you know what I'm saying.
And understand you, nobody's judging you. You've been through this,
this is what it is.

Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (21:17):
I think about that a lot with you know, I
think about Whitney Houston all the time. Yeah. And you know,
once again, and this is this is a faith question
part too. I tell people all the time, I thank God.

Speaker 3 (21:30):
I'm not God. And when you have that mindset, it's like,
because I'm not, I can't.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
I don't want to.

Speaker 3 (21:38):
I don't want to make those decisions.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yes, And so because I don't want to make those decisions,
my only job here is to just love the people
for who they are, because I don't ultimately make the
decision about whatever their consequences Indian, that's not on me. Yeah.
So you know it's that faith, you know plays a
big part in that, you know, for me, and you know,
I even just think about like you know, met meeting

(22:01):
my wife and just shut out your wife.

Speaker 1 (22:04):
She is beautiful inside and out, just stunning.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
She's amazing. Yeah, and I enjoy our journey together. We
have some really deep conversations.

Speaker 1 (22:14):
Man.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
Yeah, it's interesting, like we've got to this beautiful place
of like I remember, it was a time, you know,
especially like you know, to think of things in a
relationship where you just irritate each other, right, I don't
want to hear your voice, and.

Speaker 1 (22:31):
I like it.

Speaker 2 (22:31):
Now we can disagree and have those moments and it
doesn't change anything. Yes, yeah, so that's that's that's growth though.
But that's why it's important too to bring God in
the middle. You know, we joke about it all the
time because sometimes we've literally had arguments. Like God, you
heard she said, this is what I was talking about earlier.

(22:56):
You know, so you got it in the middle and
keep it one different, you know. I mean I love
that keep them in the center always, that's key. As
a major key.

Speaker 1 (23:06):
You've said that God's timing often shows up in unexpected ways.
Can you think of a moment in your career where
you felt like things are off, but then God revealed
something you were like, it was in his divine timing.

Speaker 3 (23:18):
Man, it ain't even just timing, it's like growth.

Speaker 2 (23:23):
It's times I felt like I was I remember for
one of the movies, I felt like, you know, I
didn't like I ain't like the way they was moving.

Speaker 3 (23:34):
Look, I'm big on standing up for myself and I.

Speaker 2 (23:36):
Do it all the time. Good, but it's sometimes it's
deeper than that. Well, it ain't just about you. Yeah,
And I had a moment where like it was all
about me at once. You know, I kind of made
it about me. I'll never get I did this movie
and we was doing reshoots and I was mad at

(23:57):
them because they didn't send me the music that you know.
I'm like, I just shot another film. I don't remember
any of this stuff. I told you to send me
this stuff ahead of time. You want me to do
it again, And they didn't do any of that.

Speaker 3 (24:06):
So I was like, I ain't performing.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
So they was like action. I was just standing there.
I'm gonna show them, and you know, you know, it
put a bad taste in their mouth, and you know
they tell other people that it's difficult to work.

Speaker 3 (24:23):
With and all that stuff, which is fine.

Speaker 2 (24:25):
I was like, I own that, but I know the truth.
You know what I'm saying. But here we go. This
is the deep part about that fast forward. I'm on
this journey of just rediscovering everything myself, reading my word,
and I'm at the premiere of that director's movie for

(24:46):
the newer movie. This is recently, maybe like a couple
months ago, and I asked a question. I didn't ask
God it all. I said, God was out wrong. I
felt like I was wrong, but I said, but God.
I had a moment. I was sitting there quiet, like
What's I wrong? And God was like, yeah, you didn't
think about all those other people that was there. Wow,

(25:10):
that showed up that day, that was excited to be
in this film. I know he was taking a stand. Yeah,
and it's another way you could have did it, but
you were wrong.

Speaker 1 (25:20):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (25:25):
I was like, damn, I guess I ain't never asked.
I ain't want to know that. Yes, I wanted to
do right.

Speaker 3 (25:30):
I wanted to be on my side guy.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Because they were wrong.

Speaker 3 (25:33):
Right, But it's a bigger you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (25:36):
And I was like, wow. I remember telling wife he right,
were sitting there. I'm like, Hey, I just asked God
this question. She's like, wow, I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna
apologize to him screen. He don't even know why I
was saying I'm sorry. Wow, It's it's funny. He don't
know a lot of things. He don't even know that
I know what he's what he said to other people
about me, you know what I mean. But I can

(25:57):
understand side of that. Yeah, you got to think about
everybody's Yeah, and you know, sometimes we can be really selfish.

Speaker 1 (26:06):
Like this is about me.

Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yeah, I'm taking a stand for me. But it was
deeper than that, and I just wasn't in a mature
place to understand that. Yeah, but now I get it.
So it's things I'm replaying now that I'm owning and
I'm like, yeah, I could have did that different.

Speaker 1 (26:23):
Yeah, And that's good, especially for the position you're in
now as a director working on the other side. So
these are the lessons that you learned now you can
walk into that.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
For when I tell you directing this feature, I've done
a bunch of movies. I'm actually almost I think I'm
in like fifty movies since twenty eighteen, which is crazy.

Speaker 1 (26:42):
No, every time I turn around, you're in another movie.

Speaker 3 (26:44):
And it's not just because I'm saying, yesterday, this is
stuff I want to.

Speaker 2 (26:47):
Do, right, but man directing this movie and I got
a chance to talk to everybody at every different part
of the crew. Yeah, and it was such a great experience.
And that's when I realized, like, oh, wow, I'm helping
all these other people dreams come true. That's helping me. Yes.
And so when you're having these conversations where you're having it,

(27:08):
you're asking them how the day is acting on some collapse.

Speaker 3 (27:12):
So what would you do if you were shooting this?

Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yeah? You know what I mean. It just was a
great one of the greatest experiences in my career. Yeah,
and this is the Haunted heist that talking about your
directory and it was beautiful and it was so much
fun and I'm like wow, and I'm like wow, I
guess I didn't look at it.

Speaker 3 (27:32):
I'm in this different place where you. I'm not in this.
I'm not letting the persona.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
Run anymore, right, And you can't. It's tough because it
gets you, Ay, it gets you far. You create this
thing so nobody won't hurt you or whatever the case
may be. But once I let that go and just
started truly experiencing everything for.

Speaker 1 (27:53):
What it is no, that's so good, and that takes
into protecting your peace. You know, on the costs are
protecting your peace? What does piece actually cause when you're
juggling family, faith, and fame all at the same time.

Speaker 2 (28:07):
And have you been able to manage that? Man? I am,
I'm in such a great place.

Speaker 1 (28:11):
You know.

Speaker 2 (28:11):
Why we hear people say, oh, you know, God want
you to rest. I sitting to rest so well and
to think about it is I get where like people
hear rest and they think all that means I'm being
lazy and I'm not being active. Especially if you're an
active person. You want to make things happen. You want
to strike the iron wires, hot stuff. But God make

(28:31):
moments for you when you're supposed to just chill. And
that doesn't mean you don't do anything. It's just you
just do everything and a chill a chill version of it, right,
you know. So if I'm writing instead of like sitting
in the office and sitting at home being intense, it's like, no,
I'm gonna go get a blanket and sit on some
grass and pull up my laptop and happily write. And
I'm not forcing anything. Yeah, because what I started noticing

(28:54):
was I was getting tired in my blessing.

Speaker 1 (28:57):
Sometimes talk about that real my goodness.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Because I was like, because of the hustle part of everything,
I'm over grinding and I'm trying to do as much
as i can before God show up for me instead
of doing things on God's time. And sometimes I was
tired when I was being blessed, and so I got
tired of that, right, And so now I feel like
I've been experienced. I'm still really busy, but I'm not

(29:21):
tired in it. Yeah, that's good, you know what I'm saying,
because I've learned the rest and that you know that's
comes with peace. It does, and so I do whatever
I like to do peacefully for myself. I love sports,
you know what I mean. Like, I truly love sports.
I love watching tennis. I'm taking tennis lessons. I'm doing
the most peaceful.

Speaker 3 (29:42):
Stuff right that I like to do.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
Right, you know what I'm saying. I put on my
mic Digger sweater to watch the Bears play. That is
just what it is. That is what I like to do.
Like if I missed the Bulls game, guess what, I
find time to watch the replay. Like I'm a scout.
I do all the things that I like to do.
You know what I'm saying. I've put stuff in my house.
I love working now, so I have all the equipment there.
I get up in the morning and I get it in.

(30:06):
You know, I make my playlist even if I want
to sit and just praise God, like it's just I'm
just I'm in such a chill, yeah, chill.

Speaker 1 (30:16):
I feel it. Your energy is so it was just
like calm, you know, like you can feel energy when
people in our room. It was like complete peace and
calmness about you. I feel that you live in brother.

Speaker 2 (30:28):
Wisdom, like you know how you start to become that
person in your family. I had to own that too,
like I'm that I'm the wise. So when everybody like
you're done, Okay, this is what we're gonna do, right,
I could sit in there and it doesn't change my energy,
right yeah, because some people just got to get whatever
it got to get out.

Speaker 3 (30:47):
But when you become that person in your family, now you.

Speaker 2 (30:51):
Just you know, yeah, yeah you figure it out. I
love that.

Speaker 1 (30:55):
Now, speaking of family, you have a blended family. Yes,
seven children total between you and your Is it Danella
or Daniel Adams.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
That's perfect, Danella, I got it right, Danella.

Speaker 1 (31:05):
How what has fatherhood taught you about patients.

Speaker 2 (31:08):
A lot man especially like and that's it's interesting to
say we're just talking about the rest, like when you
and we still it's still happening now. But like you know,
especially with the girls, I know what I can offer

(31:30):
them as far as you know my dad energy and
dad or but you gotta wait on them to want
to receive it. I can't force it.

Speaker 3 (31:42):
I don't want to. But I'm in my let go
and let God lifestyle.

Speaker 2 (31:45):
I truly let go and let God like God, whenever
you're ready for me to say, like, it's been good too,
because it's like it's moments when I want to say
stuff and God's like, no, it's not time. All right, cool,
you know what I'm saying. And so you just you
just move a little more peaceful like that, you know
what I'm saying. And so it's really interesting, like and
I'm enjoying the relationships getting better and just growing. But

(32:07):
it's not forcing anything, right, you have things, Let things
naturally be what it is. No, that's true, that's true.

Speaker 1 (32:14):
You look amazing. You just talked about you have a
gym in your home. Now, what really made you fall
in love with working out and just really taking on
as a lifestyle.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
Man, First, I needed energy. I was actually inspired by
Kevin Hart, right because it works a lot he does.
And so I started doing. Like for me to be
at fifty movies, that means I'm doing like four or
five films a year, yes, and I was doing them
back to back, and we do. We've got great at
negotiating stuff I could do at the same time and
und of the day. But I was so tired, and honestly,

(32:46):
it helped, you know, fast up. One of it was
a clear fast that helped a lot. But then just
being active again and most men, honestly, it's a lot
easier for us to lose wait if we truly put
the work in.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
For sure.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
I know it may seem crazy to say, but it
is a lot harder for y'all. It is, oh, I know,
because y'all got so much more going on, right, But man, boxing,
you know, I like God's due to divine connects him.
Like I go to Mayweather's gym, and I remember the
first time I started going my trainer Sloan before he
was my trainer He was just some random dude. I

(33:23):
was like at the class one day, He's like, come on,
come on, what brother, I'm god, come on, we ain't
done yet. He was like, I'm done, but I appreciate it.
He became my trainer and so we you know, when
a shutdown happened, he was and I didn't even know
I was inspired of the people like my cousin Rashida,

(33:44):
I didn't know she had. She was going through some
health things too, and she started seeing me meet up
with him and him come to the house. So when
a shutdown happened, we could all just only meet at
the park. So we would meet him at the park.
And so it turned it into work out Sunday now
my gospel playlist, and we'll be working out to every
We did that for like a year and a half.
That's fire and just watching where she's at and just everything,

(34:05):
Like I didn't even know she needed that. And that's
one of those things when you started learning that it's
bigger than you. It became my own thing. But honestly,
and then I have to tell people this all the time.
It wasn't just physical weight that was on me.

Speaker 3 (34:19):
Once I started going to therapy, and.

Speaker 2 (34:25):
Re channeling my journey in my faith and building my
relationship it like I'll never forget. And then when I
stopped drinking, that's when the six pack popped up. Come
on now, like seriously, it was. It was crazy because
I you know, I dropped weight and and started toning
and all that stuff. But then the six pack showed
up when I stopped drinking, which was crazy. I ain't

(34:47):
think I was like I just got his dad by
day forever whatever, but no, it was. It was crazy.
And so like now where I'm mad. And it's interesting
because you have people that are like, you know, especially
people that work out like you could be swollen. Brother,
I don't want to be a y'all can have the swoolness, right.
I don't want swool right. I like being tone. I
like being lean. I don't want to be swooen. I

(35:08):
don't want to drink all the swool juice. I don't
want to take the swool piece. Leave me alone.

Speaker 3 (35:13):
I'm not going bigger than twenty five, right. I like tone.

Speaker 2 (35:18):
Yes, I'm good. That's why I put everything in my
house because I know you'd be at the everybody like
you can go oh, y'all not listen to me.

Speaker 3 (35:25):
You don't want to participate in this. I love where
I'm at, right, leave me alone.

Speaker 2 (35:33):
That is so true.

Speaker 1 (35:34):
My trainer is an ex NFL player, and this man
trains like we're getting ready for the combine. You can
go heavier and I have a really good poker face,
so a lot of times it's hard, but I'll push
through with a straight face and he's like, oh, that's
not heavy enough.

Speaker 2 (35:48):
And I'm like, no, it is.

Speaker 1 (35:49):
Don't add anything else onto this.

Speaker 2 (35:50):
But that's why I don't. My boxing guy is my
only guy that I like, you you know mine, because
he's participating in it with me. I don't necessarily anybody
to do this. Do that, I mean, which is while
I got the peloton. Peloton was such a shout.

Speaker 1 (36:02):
Out, especially during COVID man, is that when you really got.

Speaker 2 (36:06):
It to me too? Same?

Speaker 4 (36:08):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (36:08):
And it's crazy because you know what's funny people don't notice,
but your body has to catch up with how committed
you are to this.

Speaker 3 (36:15):
You ain't gonna lose no weight till your body believe you.

Speaker 2 (36:18):
That's real. Your body be like you just doing this
for a week. We're gonna stay chunking, right if you're
committed to it, then it's just start, you know what
I'm saying. And but it was interesting. It was like
it was things attached to me. It was trauma attached
to me that I didn't realize that was a whole weight,
you know what I'm saying. And once all that stuff

(36:39):
started shedding, Yeah, I could feel it in a fast
one day. What kind of fast did you do? Well?
I forget which one we did. I did it with
Cali Worship, which is where I go to, Yes.

Speaker 3 (36:48):
And when it was when I first started going back
there regularly.

Speaker 2 (36:51):
It's literally the fast was happening right out there, like damn,
I just got here right right. And so you know,
we didn't do any sweets, any treats, any meats, and
and man, those conversations with God so clear, crazy clear.
And I've done fast before, but it was a different

(37:12):
commitment because once again I'm looking at things different, right, Yeah,
And you know it just it made me even like
see Daniella in a lot of and a lot of
different ways too, Like I love the way I see
her now and more understanding of her, yes, and having
real conversations with God about her. That's powerful, Yes, And

(37:36):
so it's it's it's I'm lucky in that aspect of it,
Like I really feel like I think about that all
the time. I guess now like once again, it feels
different now that we're a husband and wife and we
can say that, yes, we both talked about this because
we've both been married before, but this time feel like

(38:00):
it was really our choice. Wow, you know what I'm saying.
I'm not saying the first time it wasn't that, but
it was other factors in that right. This one was
like I mean, I ain't gotta do this, but I.

Speaker 1 (38:12):
Want to do this.

Speaker 2 (38:13):
I want to do That's good.

Speaker 1 (38:15):
Yeah, yeah, that's so good because I think any every couple,
you want to be with somebody that wants to be
with you, not like I have to be with this person,
like I want.

Speaker 2 (38:26):
To be here. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (38:28):
I mean it's interesting how like.

Speaker 2 (38:31):
When you want to be there and want to experience
and want to talk and want to.

Speaker 1 (38:37):
And it was.

Speaker 2 (38:38):
It's been a beautiful journey with that because I mean
even like just even my journey where her was big
for me even just to change my ideal of like
just even just colorism in a way because for a
long time with even data light skin really because I
didn't want nobody think because I made it, that's what
I did all this other stuff and it wasn't and

(39:00):
that wasn't just yeah, yeah, it was mostly that. And
I had to stop all that and just let love
be loved, yeah, and owned it. I'm like, dude, but
you ain't. These dudes that you don't want to look
like that ain't who you are. Yeah. Yeah, And so

(39:20):
just loving on her in every way I can. And
just this is this beautiful dope black woman who's a
great mom and a great partner. You know, watching her
just you know, open her salon and just the way
she's just thriving right now. Yeah, you know, it's just
she's just amazing. And I look forward to whatever our
future is together. Yeah, how we continue to build well

(39:44):
for our children and children's children. Our children's children.

Speaker 1 (39:47):
Come on generations, yes, and that's important. We talked about
you being a direction now, but you've literally said in
every single seat, what does it feel like being a leader.

Speaker 2 (39:56):
You're a leader in your household.

Speaker 1 (39:58):
But what does it feel like when you walk on
set and you're the leader of all those people that
how you said you're making their dreams come true and
helping them create their own dreams.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
Man, it's next level. I had to graduate to that,
you know. When I have my show, I was so
comfortable with the persona leading the way, you know what
I'm saying. So it was me acting like I knew
I was doing. I didn't wow. I would be in
a writer's room giving out notes and instructures and then
go in my office. I don't know what the hell

(40:26):
I'm talking about, but I rather, you know how crazy
it is, just I rather front instead of asking questions
about things and stuff like that, and that sometimes I
believe that's part of our culture, you know, because you know,
you get certain opportunities you don't you don't want to
look like you don't belong. That's so true. And I
heard Seanda Rome was talking about this the other day.
She said one of the greatest things she did was

(40:47):
just ask question.

Speaker 1 (40:48):
Yes, I saw that too, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
And that's so I'm like, dang, I wish I'd have
thought about that early. But you know, sometimes hip hop
is a part of that too, right. The people I
looked up to, you know that time, looking at the
Dane Dash snapping at everybody like that's a boss. That's
not leadership and no dis to him, but you know,
how is he supposed to know too? A lot of
us are first generation to whatever we're doing.

Speaker 1 (41:11):
Say it, that's so true, you know what I'm saying,
So like, how do you know.

Speaker 3 (41:14):
What to do if nobody's really telling you?

Speaker 2 (41:17):
And then sometimes you know, especially being black, especially being
black men in our business, we tend to want to
act like we know everything and just act like, you know,
just just provido, which is crazy that I'm even talking
to you, like I had to own and this is
just real talk. And I've said this a couple of times.
It's what you hear.

Speaker 3 (41:37):
It's great, Like I had to own.

Speaker 2 (41:41):
Like how how like how I was wrong about anything
I've ever said about Tyler Perry, Like I was like
wrong And a lot of that came from, I guess,
the locker room version of our industry, right, like we're
just like, well, that's not how you do stuff, and

(42:02):
da dah da da, and you start to learn like
with art, with art, it's whatever that person's voice is,
whatever it's art. I don't think we're supposed to be
judging art the way we judge right, be quite honest
with you, like even just critics.

Speaker 3 (42:19):
It's like, I don't, why do that exist?

Speaker 2 (42:21):
Right?

Speaker 3 (42:22):
Yeah, you know what I'm saying, And so like I
had to own that.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
And he became actually one of my newer, bigger inspirations
because I had to. But that's God stepping in and
hearing God. God is like, I'm giving y'all a prime
example of somebody doing something through faith. And I want
to talk crazy because everybody else is doing it, you
know what I'm saying, Right to be your own people,

(42:47):
your own people.

Speaker 3 (42:47):
So it's like no, like, and so I had to
own it, and I'm so.

Speaker 2 (42:53):
I see it. I see him now in this bigger
light that I it's kind of crazy. I'm like, damn,
I guess I never paid attention like that. You know
how smorrow of a businessman his brother is man.

Speaker 1 (43:05):
You know.

Speaker 2 (43:05):
I like literally right now, like my top people, I'm
like really inspiring to, Like people don't really inspired by
as Tyler Perry, George Lucas, m h Ava Duverne, Ray,
Shonda Rhimes. Ah. So it's so many though, I mean, yeah, Quintin,

(43:27):
Quinton Brunson, Jerakar, Like, it's so many people I look
up to.

Speaker 3 (43:31):
Donald Glover questlove.

Speaker 2 (43:34):
The way he's getting these documentaries, He's figured out a
great way to get people their flowers. And I think
we got to do such a better job at this,
you know, losing di'angelo was like and watching a video
of him kind of like, you know, I think he
was mad about why somebody probably posts some on social
media for one of his performances. They're like, man, they

(43:55):
know what's coming. And you felt like he felt like
I almost felt like he didn't know he was getting love,
but to his manager showed them like people she want
to love.

Speaker 3 (44:02):
Yeah, and that's that made me sad because that means
so many people don't know how love they are.

Speaker 2 (44:10):
And artists we be in our head, yes, but I
think we just got to do a better job as
black entertainers giving our flowers to our legends. Absolutely, they don't.
They don't know it. That's no way we you know,
we haven't honored Loretta Divine yet. We haven't even honored
Marla Gibbs, not for real, you see what I'm saying.

(44:31):
That's crazy. Yeah, she's in her nineties now, she is.

Speaker 1 (44:35):
We thatsen swommen of Hollywood honor her this year at
our luncheon, but like it needs a high level definitely
to be no luncheon, No for sure, Like that's like the.

Speaker 2 (44:45):
Network. Yeah, Marla GiB Yes.

Speaker 1 (44:49):
Literally yeah, Life a half hours, right, not seriously. Yeah,
that's the only time I've really seen her get any flowers.

Speaker 2 (44:59):
Yeah, and that's like I was thinking about that now
to the point where I'm like, all right, let me
figure this out because it has to happen, right, you know.
And she's such a blessing. I mean, she did my show,
she did Carmichael show, we did a movie together, and
I threw a birthday party.

Speaker 3 (45:15):
Were yet my best birthday party?

Speaker 2 (45:17):
Really best birthday party ever. First person at that party,
guess who was Marla?

Speaker 3 (45:23):
Marla g are you serious?

Speaker 2 (45:25):
Came in there, we got a dance song, she got
a drinking and she left. She ain't stay right, she
showed up.

Speaker 1 (45:30):
I know that's right.

Speaker 2 (45:31):
Was like then she was gone, And I respect that
first person at the point my favorite party ever, Marlin
Gibbs kicked that party up. I love that she showed up.

Speaker 1 (45:43):
I love that you recently launched or not reason, but
you launched What's Funny Comedy Festival in Chicago? Was this
about legacy, frustration or just a love for home.

Speaker 2 (45:53):
Oh wow, well it was versus a love of comedy. Yeah,
it was kind of birth from somebody else approaching me
wanting me to help them with their festivals, but they
didn't seem as serious as I was about and so
I kind of declined it.

Speaker 3 (46:13):
Which I think that's probably why.

Speaker 2 (46:14):
I mean, this person ain't talking because they like, you're
gonna do a festival with like, yeah, because I want
to do it the way I want to do it.
And what it really represents, too, is that as an artist,
as a stand up comic, that we need to be
more in more boss positions. I noticed.

Speaker 3 (46:30):
I love it, So why wouldn't.

Speaker 2 (46:33):
I start a festival? Why I'm gonna keep letting all
these other people do these festivals and they're not a comedian.
I know exactly what we need, I know exactly what
the opportunity to I know what the shows to look like.
And when I tell you, it's been one of the
biggest blessings of my career. Wow, you know, we just
finished year two and we're already plenty year three, But
like watching how and the first year we did it

(46:54):
was when Like the Beast was happening. You have the
cat say what he said, and so it was a
lot of ten yeah. And so to have like everybody
loving on each other every single day, God blew my
mind because I was nervous, you know what I mean, Like, God,
I ain't ever did this before. It shows it well.
And when I tell you, every night was crazy. It

(47:14):
was sell out.

Speaker 3 (47:15):
But the comics was so happy.

Speaker 2 (47:18):
Yes, I'm sure, but it was crazy because I was like, God,
how can I be the one to lead this? You
know what I'm saying? Like at first, I was like,
shouldn't it be people who have more money than me?

Speaker 1 (47:28):
And this?

Speaker 2 (47:28):
And that it's like you you.

Speaker 1 (47:32):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (47:33):
And year two is even crazier, even better. It's getting
better and better, and it's it's not necessarily about legacy,
it's about what's right, but it's kicking off everything else.

Speaker 3 (47:48):
All of this is a part of my random workout.

Speaker 2 (47:52):
Session I had while fasting, and God started listing things.
This is what's interesting. You know I talked about it
was prophesies to me, but now things prophetically happen for
myself that nobody tell because God going to tell you
right here clearly. Yes. And so it's been a list
of things, and God just been having me walk into
my boss season a lot differently, and so I've been like,

(48:15):
everything's been about business, Like when we was on strike,
that was my prayer. I was like, God, can I
understand why the CEOs don't want to give us this?

Speaker 1 (48:23):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (48:25):
I don't want to keep begging for stuff like because
it can't be just because they all evil, right, right,
some of this got to just be business. And so
I asked, and God started putting me around some very
powerful and wealthy people and they were saying, really, you know,
rich people love to talk about how they got rich.
They do, you know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (48:45):
And so like listening to a lot of the stuff
was just business.

Speaker 2 (48:48):
Then you start to learn too, even in our business,
that a lot of these executives are not necessarily about entertainment.
These are corporations and so all these people that are
investors that they only care about that ottom line. They
hired these people to make sure their bottom line is good.
So with us learning the business two of it, they
do need some of us in there though. That a

(49:08):
our creators that can do both that understand both, right,
you know, which is why I like, you know, even
just you know, with the What's Funny Comedy Festival. I
learned how to raise money with the movie. I learned
how to raise money with my special Real Talk. You know,
I did that independently and became two BEA's first original special.
But we did it on hand, our code directed and
so but what I learned was more than anything, is

(49:30):
I can't ask for money and can't tell people how
they gonna get their return listen artists money for my movie.
And then they'll be like, yeah, maybe it's gonna go
on Netflix, and you don't even know nobody over there.

Speaker 3 (49:43):
Come up with a real business plan when you ask
for this money. Yes, at the least you.

Speaker 2 (49:48):
Should get people the money back they invested into you, literally.
And so once you understand all that stuff, you know
what I mean. Like I've been like I've been learning
a lot of business stuff and sharing this much as
I can. Yeah, when I tell you that festival, it
is what kicked it out, because it was like God
was like, just do it, and what it did was
it literally kicked out. That's when I ended up directing

(50:09):
the movie's extreme of thing.

Speaker 3 (50:12):
Yeah, like pop pop pop, like, well, just do it.

Speaker 2 (50:15):
Not crazy Yep. Take this stuff, these divine connections, this information. Yeah,
just do it. Sometimes we overthink. Sometimes we just need
to do it. That is so true. I'm an overthinker.
We just gotta do it. I love that.

Speaker 1 (50:31):
For young comics coming up, what is some advice you
would give them? Because you talk about doing things independently
and when you're starting off, it's just you.

Speaker 2 (50:38):
What advice would you give them? You know something, truly,
I do believe, learn the business of the business, but
don't forget that this is a fun job. I think
things can get really serious at times and we forget
how fun it is. Why, Like collaboration is so important,
collaborating with your fellow comics. You know what I'm saying.

(50:59):
I'm hoping in this next season that it's more collaborations.
Like I did something maybe like a month ago, for
no reason at all, but I went and decided to
you know, let me tell you what happened. This is
this is real tough. I was thanking God, right, I
was thinking God, and God challenged me to thank some
people that helped me alone the way Wow, whether directly

(51:23):
or indirectly. So I went through my phone, leaving voice
notes and texting messages to just some of my comedy ogs.
Some of them called back, like in tears. I didn't
know they needed to hear what I was saying. Yeah,
which is about giving flowers. You know what I'm saying.
Where once again what it was directly indirectly? Yeah, I
mean I squashed a beef like you know, shout out

(51:43):
to Corey Hoko, you know what I mean. Like, man,
it was kind of you know, at odds, but I
hit them up. I said, look, let me say this
to you. Man.

Speaker 3 (51:49):
I don't necessarily like anything you said.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
I don't agree with it, but man, thank you for
opening doors. Though. Bro, I know whatever got murky and
it's a part of the grind. And we all got
same dream, which is that's the honors God truth. A
lot of the crab in a barrel comes from we
all have the same dream. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
And it can come with animosity if you see somebody,
and then that's when you love to.

Speaker 3 (52:12):
Make up something like well they only got it because
they did, like because everybody else.

Speaker 2 (52:15):
Every time you do well, you gotta sell yourself. Nobody
ever just say so.

Speaker 1 (52:19):
I just can't be blessed, right, I had to sell
off a whole song.

Speaker 2 (52:22):
It was really hard and I'm blessed.

Speaker 3 (52:24):
Right.

Speaker 2 (52:24):
We was at the same showcase, same festival, same audition, right,
same everything.

Speaker 3 (52:34):
You know, baby, it's a mindset, right. Also, what's own?
It was yours is yours.

Speaker 2 (52:38):
You're not gonna get everything, yeah, and owning your success.
We're all successfully different, right, yeah, all of us are. Yeah,
as long as you don't you know, you don't have
this bitter thing about you because you're watching everything like
I should be. No, don't do that, right, But that's
the one thing I can. I hate the fact that
we got all these rich black committies.

Speaker 3 (53:01):
And people bumping ahead, and.

Speaker 2 (53:03):
It's like, why right, you made the will in different
versions of it, We're not going to do the same
exact thing. No, And it's okay, Yeah, that's good.

Speaker 1 (53:14):
I love that your new movie Unexpected Christmas. I watched
the screen of the other day. I had a red
eye from LA to from LA to Atlanta. I told
you about it, and I was literally in the airport cackling,
and I kept looking at my man. I said, this
is so funny.

Speaker 2 (53:26):
I was like, this is so funny.

Speaker 1 (53:27):
She's like, I gotta watch. I was like, no, you
have to watch this because you see Christmas movies and
a lot of them kind of have like the same storyline.

Speaker 2 (53:35):
I love this one. It was so funny and a
lot of stuff I didn't know.

Speaker 1 (53:39):
It was unexpected.

Speaker 2 (53:40):
I was like, I didn't expect her.

Speaker 1 (53:43):
So tell me what brought this together and what made
you want to say I want to do this?

Speaker 2 (53:48):
Well? Was the script first?

Speaker 4 (53:49):
Right?

Speaker 2 (53:49):
Great script? Yes, it was funny. They offered for me
to play the uncle, to offer really the uncle's but
I was like, but who's playing the leade? Yeah? Yeah,
so I saw the tabit that was producing, and so
I called it playing the league, right because if they
ain't get her them mone, why they ain't offer that
to me for right? Yeah? And we end up, you know,

(54:10):
calling Trail the producer, and we talked, and you know,
it was more or less like they wasn't sure if
I would want to do anything, like because they didn't
have the money.

Speaker 3 (54:18):
Wasn't But this is what I learned, and this is
such a.

Speaker 2 (54:22):
Beautiful lesson in this stop pisionholding yourself black producers. Just
ask my producers canna have twenty dollars? And they asked
Eddie Murphy if you do them for twenty dollars.

Speaker 1 (54:37):
It just took the note, right, what's the worst that
can happen? All it is just hey man, no, yeah,
all right, cool?

Speaker 2 (54:43):
What about can we play up? But see, that's the problem.
I think sometimes we like to look like we don't
like to look like we're less, you know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (54:50):
Like whatever that mindset is is ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (54:53):
Yeah. And so one of the biggest things with what
you know, when I saw I jumped on for real,
I'm like, yo, we can make this a bigger movie.

Speaker 1 (55:00):
Wow mm hmmm, because you know what value you bring
to the projects.

Speaker 2 (55:05):
I know what Tabatha brain, I know who and guess
what you know? Making these calls it was a collapse.
It was with Phil and treil is doing it something
very special. Even just where we're at now, even with
this movie going to theaters and the way it is
when I tell you this is real talk and maybe I.

Speaker 3 (55:22):
Will did you tell me that's the camera?

Speaker 2 (55:26):
Honestly, y'all, don't look at things just on the surface,
like God is like literally cleaning the house. In so
many places, evil people be thinking they're doing evil stuff,
and a lot of time they don't even know they
working for God. Come on, it is some things happening
where like this is a wealth season. A lot of

(55:46):
us can sneakingly get wealthy really fast if we pay
attention and don't fall into the group of complaining and
like this is so hard. No, it's some doors open.

Speaker 1 (55:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (55:59):
Yeah, a lot of these movies ain't doing well. I
can't wait for this movie to go in theaters and
surprise people. Yes, it's all about giving an audience what
they want. Yep. Cool. If you don't want to give
me distribution, let's build our own relationship with these theaters.

Speaker 3 (56:10):
Yeah wow, let me shut up.

Speaker 2 (56:13):
But it's good now for the secret Black meeting right right,
We're gonna hold the media know that we know stuff. Listen.
I love that. That is so good.

Speaker 1 (56:22):
So the film drops November seventh, right before the holidays,
and the soundtrack dropped this week. You got songs like
Tony Braxton October London, like look, look, let me create
Tamark Tamar Braxon.

Speaker 2 (56:33):
Yes, I don't want to marguing episode of Tony wore
all my shot, but no, that's what makes this movie
unique too. Like this, it has been a long time
since we had an original soundtrack. Serious crazy. The soundtrack

(56:55):
is so good and that is the movie.

Speaker 3 (56:57):
I like when you can listen to a song you're like, oh,
I know what seen that is?

Speaker 2 (57:00):
You know that's what this is.

Speaker 3 (57:01):
I love like, you know October London and then take
my Braxton and I mean.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
Look, this is gonna sound crazy because I listened to
sound track Baby Boy than both you know, Casey's on it,
Casey one really from Casey and Josey. Yeah, I think
that's here. It's one song that sounds so old school.
It's hysterical. I mean it's a good song.

Speaker 1 (57:22):
You know, it's a nineties movie.

Speaker 2 (57:23):
It's so funny cause you can hit the rasping voice
come on Christmas time. It is hysterical, but it's good.

Speaker 1 (57:31):
But I'm mady to check this out.

Speaker 2 (57:33):
It's number nine.

Speaker 1 (57:34):
I think, do you have a favorite song on the soundtrack.

Speaker 2 (57:39):
I love Ooh, it's a good unexpected Christmas and things.
So October London is amazing. But it's a song called
I Believe. It's I'm not I'm gonna I don't want
to be alone or I'm not Alone. It's it's it's
still alone song and I think it's by Hey. It's't
start with a tea. But it's so good. Okay, I'm
gonna check it out. It's so soulful. But all the

(58:00):
songs are good. My two favorites.

Speaker 1 (58:02):
Okay, it's being called the New Black Friday. How important
is representation, especially with holiday movies.

Speaker 2 (58:10):
I mean it's so important, especially like with also seeing
a new group of actors. Yeah. Yeah, for a long time,
we've seen the same group all these Christmas movies. Yeah,
but you almost don't know the difference sometimes. Yeah, and
so us being a new, fresh group, Tabitha with me,
with Dominique Perry, Dominique Goldmez.

Speaker 3 (58:30):
I mean, like Rico Ross, it's so, it's so how
we bail. It's such a great group.

Speaker 2 (58:36):
Yeah, and so like just having all this all shout
out to c C. So it's a lot of it's
a lot of great.

Speaker 3 (58:41):
It's just a good, uh ensemble group, it is what
I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (58:46):
And it's a theater laugh. I've enjoyed watching and hearing
people laugh in the theater together.

Speaker 1 (58:52):
That's always great.

Speaker 2 (58:54):
That's a good thing. Yeah, no, for sure.

Speaker 1 (58:56):
What is the message that you hope families take home
after watching this?

Speaker 2 (58:59):
Is there at the end of the day. Let love Lee.
We're gonna have problems, we have disagreements, but if you
let love lead and faith lead, Yeah, promise you everything
to work itself out.

Speaker 1 (59:09):
For sure.

Speaker 2 (59:10):
Will. I love that, lo Rel.

Speaker 1 (59:12):
Thank you so much for sitting down me today.

Speaker 2 (59:14):
Thank you for having this is literally one of my
favorite podcasts. Thank you. Yes, that means a lot, it
really is. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (59:21):
No. I was honored when we got the call and
I was like, yes, I literally just wrapped a film
last Thursday, and I had planned on taking the week off,
just the rest because I've been filming for a month.
When they said you were coming, I was like, light
it up, let's go.

Speaker 2 (59:34):
Oh wow. I appreciate you.

Speaker 1 (59:36):
No, for sure, anytime you want to come back by.
You got another project, please come by and talk to us,
tell us about it. If there's anything you want to
let us know that. We can stay tapped in for
you on Yeah.

Speaker 2 (59:45):
Man, make sure y'all watch Real Talk on to B.
It's one of my best specials. And I'm proud of
myself so many things about this special. It's amazing outside
of co directing it and financing it with like two
people from my church. Wow, Today's son And that's how
that happened. But just being so comfortable in my own
skin in so many places, even with me just wearing

(01:00:06):
that vest I got their arms out because I'm proud
of it, my work I put in, you know. So
just just just go watch Real Talk if you need
a good laugh. It's a perfect, perfect, perfect special on TV.
I love that, all right.

Speaker 1 (01:00:17):
Thank you so much, Thank you absolutely, that was such
an amazing conversation A little real I remind you that
laughter isn't the opposite of faith, it's proof of it.
Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the
Keep It Positive Sweetish Show. Don't forget to subscribe, leave
a review, and share this episode with someone who could

(01:00:39):
use a little encouragement today. As always, stay blessed, stay encouraged,
and remember to keep it positive. Sweets.

Speaker 2 (01:00:46):
I'll see y'all next time.