The Bonfire with Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly - Black & Mild with Donnell Rawlings

Episode Date: April 2, 2025

Comedian Donnell Rawlings has worked on every radio station in New York and got fired from the biggest shows. He has comic Todd Lynn in common with the guys and they all had a difficult time with him. They share Kevin Hart stories who had a signature bit impersonating a monkey. During his time on The Chappelle Show, Donnell did a comedy tour with Bill Burr and Charlie Murphy. He recalls having a bad time at a roast battle after drinks with Teddy Swims. Donnell Rawlings "Black & Mild" tour is in full force-go to donnellrawlings.com for dates! *To hear the full show to go www.siriusxm.com/bonfire to learn more FOLLOW THE CREW ON SOCIAL MEDIA: @thebonfiresxm @louisjohnson @christinemevans @bigjayoakerson @robertkellylive @louwitzkee @jjbwolfSubscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Bonfire ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

And now, the bonfire with Big Jay Olkerson and Robert Kelly. I went platinum seven times, steal the ale and wanna see us die. I guess because I'm only God knows why. This is my hype song when I did premium blend. This was? Yeah. They call me cowboy. No one's called me cowboy. They don't call you, they call you the first part. You're a cowboy. You're not wrong about that.

Bonfire Faction Talk, SiriusXM, 103, Big Jay Overson, the great Robert Kelly. We have an awesome guest in the studio with us right now. He is currently out on the Black and Mild Tour, which will be at City Winery in New York City on March 28th and 29th. The end in Torrance on April 8th and Donnell land in Yellow Springs, Ohio on May 23rd through the 26th and of course he's got his podcast we can catch on YouTube. The Donnell Rawlings show which I have an episode ready to go on my YouTube. Donnell claps back at the roast battle people I have to watch that. I think I watched a little bit of that. First of all what's up with your staff son they slow son. I asked for coffee he gave me a cup of cold water man what the hell is going on man.

And then it was I didn't like the way he asked me he was like how do you take it? You know you can't ask some black man how to take it. I'm the homophobic most homophobic motherfuck you ever want to meet man. And I did like all type of pause pause no diddy he was like this I said how do you take it. But I appreciate it. I appreciate the water. Is Christine getting coffee? Yeah she's getting coffee. Oh you know what the mistake is. I like my coffee from white women more than black women. That's just we all that is also the funniest thing is like there is coffee and Christine's getting it it's just also the water that we have to give to the guests is a cup of water. For some reason, the only, and I'll say it again,

the monopoly on satellite radio can't just have like bottles of water in the green in the break room or something. It's too strange. I think it might be your show because whenever I do swaying them, they have a lot of water. Yeah.

They got water, they got baby oil, they got everything you need. No. Same cup, same goddamn cup. Now you're not gonna know which is your coffee and which is the water. I can feel the temperature, buddy. Good to see you, I ain't seen you in forever, man.

You too, buddy, good to see you too, man. What's happening, where you living now? Couple places, one, Delta Airlines. Spent my time between Yellow Springs, Ohio and Los Angeles, California. Oh no shit. Oh, you got a place out in Yellow Springs? Yeah and Los Angeles, California. Oh no shit. Oh you got a place out in Yellow Springs? Yeah.

Oh nice. It was weird how it happened. I never had intentions on doing that, but my baby mother got on my nerves so motherfucking bad during the pandemic, I just had to retreat and go somewhere. And this was a time Dave was doing the outside shows in the cornfields.

And then I don't think it was just me, but a lot of people during the pandemic realized that kind of like the whole Hollywood scene was played out you don't need it as much it used to be you know all of us about the same generation and when we came up it was like the only way you could make it if you made you live to New York or LA. You had to go out there for pilot season remember that? Yeah they don't even do that and to your point there's nobody when the last time you had an audition when you walked in it's always self-tape.

So I'm like, why am I busting my ass to live in probably one of the most expensive states in the country and not have the quality of life that I thought I had worked up to? You were in LA and went to the Old Springs or New York? Yeah, LA, yeah. I went to LA, I was like, fuck Hollywood. But another reason I was saying fuck Hollywood,

because Cat Williams did an interview on Club Che Che, and he said you can't make it to Hollywood as a film or TV star unless you suck a dick. And that's when I called my agent and said, I think I need a job. I need a new scenery. I said from the streets to the Greeks, from the streets to the Greeks, from the hood to the woods, from horse to horse.

I know a lot of guys who didn't make it who did suck dick. That's gotta be the worst. But just a lot of guys who didn't make it who did suck dick. That's gotta be the worst. But just think about the guys that can't make it that wanna suck dick because it's all out there, that's the only way you make it, they're frustrated. That was my favorite. One of my favorite things in that, was in the Kevin Spacey documentary, that was great.

They were talking to a guy who was like a quote unquote victim of Kevin Spacey. And Kevin Spacey basically made an aggressive move on him and he was like, no, no, no, get the fuck off me I don't I'm not gay and he left and then he's like a year later he wrote a script you remember he wrote a script and he goes man Kevin Spacey would be the perfect producer for this he goes so I guess what you have to do is like I guess I'm gonna suck his dick and then he'll take a look at this script and he goes and then so I asked him if he wanted to meet up one night and then I drove or he drove me around while I sucked

His dick and then he didn't even look at the scripts The big strong black guy Terry Crews I just don't understand it man like Terry Crews like, I think he kinda outed one of the big agents or something in Hollywood, and then he was like, he grabbed my package, and then I was like, whoa! What are you doing? And then he said, then the third time, I'm like, what time? You not know if three strikes you're out, but what time? See, I'm the homophobic that the first time, I'm like, what time? You not know if three strikes are out, but what time?

See, I'm not homophobic that the first time, I'm like, what the fuck you doing? But I guess he had to realize, I don't know, he had to really take it in and see what it's gonna do. But it takes a lot of balls to do that. Literally and figuratively speaking. Now let me ask you a question, because I follow a lot of the crazy stuff

that you do online. Charlamagne the God, you seem to fight with him a lot. And you call him gay. No, I don't call him gay. I say he has gay tendencies. You gotta watch what you say, because then I could be canceled from the TV show and the movies that I don't already have.

But I don't know, I started going like eight years ago. What are gay tendencies? Like getting your eyebrows done and no nails painted? No, I mean that can't think that's kind of social southern now I think a tendency is like when a guy comes to the studio you give him a fucking ass Okay, you're sure like a lot of a lot of yeah, like when I first went up today Oh, don't know look in the box and it was a box and it was like a prosthetic ass Take a Roberts like fuck toy

Why are you looking me like you which one? Like which model was that? That's a five thousand But he does you want to use a water-based polymer though See, I don't even know about this. Jay's a pro at that stuff. Oh, I'm Vaseline in the sock. I'm jail tight know about this. Jay's a pro at that stuff. I'm old school. I'm Vaseline in a sock. I'm jail tight. That's what they do in jail. Remember we used to use, I used to use Vaseline all the time. You used to waterproof your dick. Until you realize that Vaseline is the worst thing to jerk off with, it just gathers room dust and grit. It's nothing. It's not for jerking off.

And you can't wash it off. You got to use like Palm Olive. You got to like dish washing sick. And I can't speak for you, Dino, but it really kinks up my white dick hair Now but it's like it's like people always ask me about that like, so what's the deal with you and Charlamagne? I was like, it's like, if you have to ask if it's real or not, then it's almost like the WWE, WWF. What side you believe in or not, if it's entertaining? You know, and I decided a long time ago, I kind of played a certain way.

When I first started growing up, I was like, I could go up there and just destroy this entire room. And I wouldn't be invited back. I said, but if I'm underdog, then everybody's like, oh man, why they keep fuck with him? It's a funnier storyline for me to play with that. And since then, I've been doing it for eight, nine years. And I probably have the most appearances on that show.

And it used to be like, can you guys get another guest? Then I guess people kind of acknowledge that. I do have some experience in radio. I'm good when I do radio. So whenever I go up there, it's almost like a special guest company just to have fun experience in radio. I'm good when I do radio So when I come whenever I go up there is almost like a special got guest company just to have fun with the guys There's were you regularly on hot 97? I was on every station in New York and got fired from one No, but they say ready. Were you on the Jimmy Martinez time? Is that same time Jimmy came? I think some time after I think it might have been closer that area because here with this how it went for me

I think it might have been close to that area because here this how it went for me Starring buck Wow used to be big radio sure huge radio They was they was I think though one of the only stations that ever gave Howard Stern and run for his money They came along and then they did something across the line. They got fired and then um Sway from sway morning show was that the mr. C stuff starring buck wild no that wasn't that was that was a pass God was sway came in an interim of starring Buck Wilde. Sway was the first person that gave me opportunity to do radio, he brought me in as a comic guest and I stayed with that.

Then Sway left and then Ebro and Envy and Miss Info and some other people, they came in. I was on the show, then Miss Jones came in. Well, a lot of people don't know, Joe Buttons used to do morning radio in New York. Really? Yep. I didn't know that. A lot of people know, because you gotta realize,

the time Joe Buttons used to do it, maybe 20 plus years ago, radio wasn't the thing comics did. You know, if a comic did a radio show, a morning show, it was like interpreted as, you gave up you had to settle for it. Yeah a job I know a lot of people some people would do that too they would leave New York you find that and you see you go to some city do morning radio and you're like oh shit yeah well so and so for you to live in New York

because it wasn't as lucrative it wasn't as much money that was involved with it and every time I came and I never like tried to get a job it just so happened then I left that job or got fired from there and then Star and Buck Wilde went to Power 105 and they was killing it and then they had a big deal with Envy and Hot 97 because those two stations were super competitive back then so Star and Buck Wilde got fired from that job and I and then in that time Big Tigger came in it was Big Tigger Egypt Nate Bell was the program director and Nate Bell gave Big Tigger came in, it was Big Tigger Egypt, Nate Bell was the program director, and Nate Bell gave Big Tigger in Egypt

two weeks pretty much to see how it would flow, what it would look like. Jacob, these are black radio host names. I don't want you to think it's a child's book he's talking about. Jacob, I'll give Jacob a shout out. Jacob worked for Foxhole Radio for a long time. Oh yeah, I remember Foxhole,

that was Jamie Foxx's situation, right? So, Big Tigger and him came in for two weeks. Ed Lover was on a two o'clock day part and I came in one day I think was the last day of part of Big Tigger's audition and whatever and they was about to change the day part. They was gonna bring Ed Lover back to Mourners that Monday and put Big Tigger, god damn, Big Digger or whatever the name is, Big Tick, we're gonna put him in the evening. And I went on there and we had a guest call

and it was Holly Berry, right? And I think they didn't find out what was gonna be the pop of the show. Holly Berry's in the line and I was like, Holly, I got a question. She was like, what is it? I said, you know, a lot of black, young black women, they look up to you,

you're a pioneer, you're a legend, you're a mentor to a lot of black women that's coming out, success and everything. I got a question, she was like, what did I, I was like, what color draws when you were wearing when you were doing X-Men? Right? Right? And then, because nobody had came in and just was going off the train like that. And she was like, what kind of question that?

She said, I didn't have any. Program director runs it and was like, this is the show! So we did that and we, there was me, Big Tigger, Egypt. I wanna watch that tonight. And then Egypt, they didn't, Tigger won a certain amount of money. I didn't know really what was good money in radio. I was just happy that I could go up there and do it.

So Tigger left. The promotions also, great. That was it for me. Big Tigger left, then it was the Egypt and Ashy show, and we was killing it, man. I'm telling you, I really enjoyed doing morning radio. Then what happened? Something, I got, then they brought Ed Lover back,

switched it to the Ed Lover Show with E. Jim and Ashy. And then I was like killing with all the benchmarks. Some of the funniest benchmarks we had on that show, I did, we had a situation where we were getting in trouble for stuff, and it was like, if anything, if we do anything, it has to go go through the producer like the producer has to prove it and if anything any Thing happens is wrong or people get offended to produce it wasn't gonna be on us It was gonna be a producer and we were I was wrote this benchmark. You remember that show on

Are you smarter than the fifth grader or whatever? So I was going crazy. I had, are you smarter than the stripper? We had strippers come up. I said, are you so smarter than the Jamaican? Yo, I did everybody. I did, are you smarter than the midget? I did everybody, everybody was cool. But the minute I said, are you smarter than the Asian? It was over.

It was over for me. Nobody was smarter than the Asian. Wasn't that weirdly caught off You weren't. It was over for me. Nobody's smarter than an Asian. Wasn't that weirdly caught off? Because that was Hot 97. Was that the Todd Lynn? That was a tsunami thing. Yeah, they made a parody joke about the tsunami. I remember that.

And then it was funny when Todd came in talking about it. He was saying crazy shit that definitely wasn't true. He was like, yeah, now it's bigger than an egg It goes to the triads are threatening me like no, they're not The triads don't threaten you they'll just do what they're gonna do or but Todd Lennon RIP but Todd was easy to hate Christine's one of her favorite things of all time, laughs that we had together was the first time we were from Montreal together.

2011. Yeah, 2011. So you saw him when he was blind? He was blind at that point. He was blind at that point and we got into a transport, me, you and Christine. And I was like, man, I just saw Todd Linnega. It's kind of a bummer, man.

Just seeing like, he was such like a presence, you know, love him or hate him. I was like, I was like, I just feel bad seeing that. And you were like, ah, fuck that. I was like, yeah, but I was like, I was like, why? And Dino goes, that motherfucker was a piece of shit when he had sight.

He goes, yeah, because that motherfucker was a dickhead when he had sight. He was such a dickhead. He goes, yeah, because that motherfucker was a dickhead when he had sight. No disrespect. No disrespect but disrespect. I hated this motherfucker so much. I was standing beside him and I held my breath so he wouldn't know I was dead. Yeah, I was like, ah.

He was always looking for a problem. Here's the thing. He was an ink. Shit, they're they gonna talk about me when I die. Sure. It was unfortunate case with me because I remember when he first came here from Ohio, right? Todd wasn't really accepted by too many people, too many crews or whatever, and I remember specifically,

he was about, I had started a sketch group, right? And I knew he was a talented writer and everything. And he was about to give up, he was like, fuck this, I'm sick of this, I'm going back, I'm going back to Ohio and I was like man, you know, I Can't get you a lot of money But I can get you some type of connections you at least have a team of people you could work with And you could feel you're part of a family when you when you give yourself To a person like that and then they backstab you and talk shit. That's what the situation was a hot 97

I never took a person like fuck you in person but I was like we get burnt in this business so much it's you can't be mad at everybody trying to fuck you. So I was like this you know what I'm not gonna take away from why I tried to help him but I won't help because once he got that lick he got he did a bang-up show in Montreal at the Comic Festival. He got a lot of money. And that's when Montreal was just throwing money. People always say this question, oh they were a plant, how did they make it so so? Blah blah blah.

Because a lot of these motherfuckers that are super famous right now make a lot of money, they did the showcase, the three popular showcases, New Faces, the Gala, Nasty Show, and Uptown. Monique was discovered, if you want, Uptown. Russell Peters. Yeah, those shows that they gave us then, you could just have a seven minute development set

if you could just tune in, get your point of view and everything. You leave nothing but a quarter million dollars. Zucastello, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Monique, as a lot of those. Chicken was the. Remember Chicken? No, I don't know. Well, that's the one that ended it. That, as a lot of those. Chicken was the- Remember Chicken? No, I don't know.

Well that's the one that ended it. That's the one that ended it. That's the guy who ended it. Because he got one of the most unprecedented, it was like a million dollar deal, a development deal. Nothing came and everyone was also, I guess this guy locally wasn't, it was one of those when he got a deal,

everyone was kind of like, we thought it was crazy that he got the festival, and then crazy that he got this million dollar deal and he ended up killing himself yeah yeah well you know it happened and X member X with we killed himself yeah well I know this is disrespectful yeah what I'm about to say sure how did he do it I don't know that it yeah Michael Chicken roof how did he do it I think he hung himself probably which means he could have been jerking off. I always say.

I love the Todd Lynn story that- Oh no, he's from a tree. Jesus. Jay- He's hanging from a tree. Jay always tells a story about Todd Lynn because he got that deal. Oh, it's my favorite.

Here's the thing, when he got that deal, he changed. 1000%! He became way more of a dick when he got that deal Oh, yeah, and then he everything changed and then he came back But the funny part is is that he you told that story about him. It's a bachelor was Dean Edwards bachelor party He know he got didn't he get his uh, he his apartment. No. Yeah, I'm saying I'm with the Dean I got Dean Edwards bachelor party. I went to and I went to his plate. He lived in Park Slope it was a Todd's house and uh I remember going these rickety steps inside the building and I was like

And then we go in his front door and it was like coming to America when I Yo I was getting ready to say you know a black man making money, he was buying monkeys and shit son Yo! He was buying monkeys! Where do you get monkey food from son? Where do you get a monkey manny who take care of the monkey when you're gone? You can't just have a nigga down the street like, yo, come take care of my monkey. Hey, you mind watching my monkey fur field? I was like, yeah, this motherfucker

making too much money. He's like, look at this monkey out there. Michael Jackson, the only one. And Bubbles is fucked up dealing with PTSD and child-hood drama right now. Two things that were hilarious. One, he got that money, he bought an Infinity G out cash. So it doesn't help his credit whatsoever at all.

And in his apartment, he put speakers in the walls and the TV in the wall. It had all this stuff, new pergol floors. It was beautiful. And then I was like, I said to him, I was like, oh you bought, you bought this place? And he was like, no. I go, I go, he goes, but I'm gonna live here for a while. And then the, I mean like months later,

when it was like lease time, the fucking landlord came in and was like, oh this is great. He goes, I'm gonna charge like nine grand a month for this. And he was like, I can't afford that. He goes, well thanks for doing this man, I appreciate it. And just fucking sent him out, he was out. That's crazy. And then he got blind.

But it's so, you know, you want a root for people, you know what I mean, especially, it's so hard for us to make it in this business, whatever anybody says, the fact that all of us right here right now, we got 25 plus, you know, it's hard. But it's just so fucked up when you're an ugly person, man. But the thing is, people say a person change

I don't think they change as much as their real personality was The money makes him but that shit don't make you and look at look at all the cases of people that thought that they're not Even here with us Todd Lynn did as if the weirdest thing that I said it was a strange time I got caught cheating with my ex-wife so bad right before I went to South Africa for three weeks to do the South African Comedy Festival. The only other comic I knew on it going out there was Todd. That was me and him and one other person were the Ameri- Alou Belle were the three American comics.

I know. So we're out there. And Todd was like, he was so nasty to everybody right away that I was like, but it was good that I was there cause I was able to be like, God, Todd's just like, I'm almost like, he's a a character like he's choosing to be a villain it's kind of thing he does and they kind of got and they were fine but while we were there Todd like knew I was going through this crazy thing at home I

like a young daughter and I'm probably breaking up with my exes seem like and so he was like not letting me wallow in it like he was coming every morning and knocking on my door and be like come on man let's go walk around these nice moments we're having and they starts telling me about his daughter and his Swallowing it but he was coming every morning and knocking on my door and be like come on man. Let's go walk around these nice moments We're having and they starts telling me about his daughter and his daughter he has and she's gonna be getting ready to go to college soon He's paying for college and but this was pre or post monkey pre monkey pre monkey Here's what was crazy. It really was but this is what blew my mind. I really like Todd pre monkey Monkey Thomas alright

No, he called or he was telling me about this daughter, you know that he has and I was like And then so on Father's Day like a few months later. We're back home I'm just going through my phone doing like a you know You had this kind of daytime time like let me know the fathers who are my friends and give him a happy Father's Day And I just sent one to Todd he went back goes man I ain't nobody's daddy and I went oh what no don't you have a daughter he was like no man and I had to check with my ex-wife to be like hey what's going on am I crazy that Todd told us that he had like a funny was like no he definitely told

us that I'm like what a weird thing you it's pre monkey, but I'm pretty sure you had put a deposit down. You were just waiting for it to clear. You think every couple of weeks he goes by the store, he goes, I just want to check out my monkey. It's like what type of weird shit can I buy? How do you get a monkey before you get a house? How can you get a house? His grand scheme, I remember him telling me was a funny one. It didn't even not make sense. He was like, Jay, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to take all this money when these deals are over

and the wheels fall, I'm buying a Subway. He just wanted to franchise a Subway. I'll tell you why, how that happens because in our business a lot of times, and it kind of was part of my life, you got different times. You have times when you have the credit, or no, you don't, usually you have the credit,

don't have the money. You have the money, you don't have the credit. It's not too often that they match up at the right time for you to be able to do everything. And I know in my community what can be disturbing, like if you've never been in that process, a lot of people haven't been in the process of buying houses, first thing you think is like,

they gonna tell me no, it's gonna be so much red tape, I don't even wanna go through this shit. And I think that that's kinda discouraged my folks to make stupid decisions. I just literally just did it for the first time and it really was when you go, you're like, oh man, what is this? What do I have to do?

Sign and. And then after a while, you're just like, god damn, I should have done this a long time ago. This was the dislikes. If I would imagine, two less monkeys. Yeah. Like.

You know, I could have had a multi-unit building with those monkeys, man. Oh, this is the wasted money you do? I know. As soon as you get some, I know you, man. Oh, this is wasted money you do right now. As soon as you get some, I know you want to spend it so bad. But then you got to start prioritizing shit and do the right shit. It is weird when people make money the fucking... I know, what is it, DiPaulo got a horse?

Well, you know, it's impressive. What's impressive, though, that's why I've always given Kev, Kevin Hart, his credit. How many monkeys does he have? Oh, probably so many monkeys. He was a monkey. He's got two. No, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, Jay. You know, when he first started, his signature bit,

and I've said this on many platforms, it was the monkey. He's doing it since the monkey. The humpin' monkey, yeah. Yeah, and he did a good monkey. Like, I'm saying he's a bad monkey. I mean, he- Willy Robocop would have been taken back by this monkey. God damn it, they was tied for monkey-ness.

But Kevin had the shoulders and everything. He had the thing. He had that monkey. And it was like, when you first started, most people have the signature bit. Like for me, it was like, do the joke about Fat Tom on a still of your bike or something like that. But it was that they would yell out, like this Bobby,

we want the monkey. monkey, monkey, monkey. And then these were rough rules. It was some people would even hit, and some people even hit this. And some people even did it. And he was like, come on man, I don't wanna do it. And he would do it. But the thing that,

what used to impress me so much was- That's how Richie was. He was the monkey. That's how everybody used to... What I was impressed with, Kev, when we were still talking pretty regularly, was when he got the sitcom, the big house that he did. It was six episodes, it was a mid-season replacement, and it didn't go.

What was that on? ABC? I think it was ABC. It was a Disney deal, I think. But he had the six episodes, and it didn't go, and they didn't give him another deal, and it didn't go anywhere at all. It was these six episodes, hey, Kevin Hart's introduction to the world, it's over. I will say it's an impressive thing because I would look at that as we said, well, that was it. That was my thing.

They gave me prime time, a nighttime slot sitcom my idea he wrote it him and he networks wrote it they go that's it the world's not really into him and mainstreaming my thing it's not a thing to stay with that I mean to become one of the biggest stars the world's amazing but people don't understand like I'm not in defense of anybody but people don't understand the work ethics don't I say it especially been a black comic it's so easy to get caught up in doing the black rooms. Back then, the black rooms paid more money

than the mainstream rooms, but there weren't no producers. Nobody was going out those rooms. And motherfuckers were doing the black rooms to get pussy, get a couple hundred dollars. They was like, man, I ain't gonna go fuck with them white boys. They only paying 30 or 40 bucks. But you never knew when there was gonna be an audition there. JFL wasn't coming to Polk Knockers,

the spot I used to do. Of course, I was making enough money in one night to pay my bills, but it wasn't there. And there's one thing I tell people about Kevin. He would still, and you did the same thing, would come up and you balanced both of it. You would do the hood shit and you'd do the mainstream shit. But what the people don't understand, One of the biggest things that Kevin did and I remember this when I was on tour with Bill Burr with the I'm rich bitch

Tour we had and everything they was serious about getting those those comment cards those email Adjust the shit that we looked at like I remember Bill Burr used to be passing out shit I was like man. We bought to go fuck these bitches. What's I say it all when I used to pick up cat We were I mean, a year in the comedy tops, if not months, and I'd pick him up to go play basketball in the afternoon. He'd ask me to take him by the post office. He's gonna drop off a tape and headshot

to a black college promoter. And I'd just be like, why? You can't do an hour of comedies. Billy Burr used to do those comment cards just for that email. Back in the day when an email was like, why? You can't do an hour of comedy. Billy Burr used to do those comment cards just for that email. Back in the day when an email was like high technology. And here's the thing about that, and he won't deny it on a one-on-one.

At that time, when we were doing the Chappelle show, we were getting popular, we were getting names off, we were becoming names off the show, but we really wasn't making no money off the show. That's how it is, a cable show just started, you haven't proven it, and who gonna get the money first? Dave.

So I came up with the idea, I said, let's do a tour. Me and Charlie name was popping. Bill Burr was bubbling. You know he was gonna blow, but at the same time, he wasn't drawn like that. Now you put him on the stage, he gonna eat it up. We did the I'm Rich Bitch Tour, and Bill Burry used to come, he used to have his CDs and he would always pull out these comment cards always and then you we're talking

about we were doing like 42 cities a year, average and comedy club turning around 15 and 2,000 people a weekend so he started building that base. They started him and Kevin same thing, they started getting those hardcore fans. Cause you gotta realize, if someone takes the time to fill out their email, address, everything, they wanna be connected with you. And they was always, Kevin did that.

People treating you like a business that young, is smart and long-winded. I treated it as I'm 19. So I started out with 19, 20 and I'm like, I don't know, business of what? I went to this show and 19. I started out with 1920 and I'm like, I don't know, business of what? I went to this show and they said I can do that show and then I do Polk Knockers and Polk Knockers said come to Avenue D and then you get another show

and you just become the rotation of it. I did the same thing Billy did. I just only got eight emails. Yeah. But they're still with me today. That's a hardcore family that I can count on. We toured for a year. You know, it's always a question.

People like, who can follow who and all that type of shit. And people asked me questions, I was like, try doing a tour for a year and coming behind Bill Burr every show. I had no time to be off. Anytime, if I had a bad day hungover and I'm going on stage, I had the comments was coming with like,

yeah man, they shoulda gave that white boy more time. They always did it, but I'll say. How was Charlie? Now Charlie, cause he wasn't a standup, he became a standup on that tour. I bullied Charlie into doing standup. Cause he became standup off of that, right? People were really critical.

I knew I couldn't do the tour by myself. At the time I knew that Charlie Murphy was hot. You know what I'm saying? And I said Charlie, because Charlie, the only thing, he talks a lot of shit about, like you talk shit too, you get a mic in front of you. You know what I mean? Put a mic and see how much balls you got.

And finally he got, he was like enough is enough. I was like I need Charlie to go up, just host the show. Just give us 10 minutes, do the catchphrase and whatever, Bill Goldberg and I bring it home. And the thing about it was Charlie didn't get the same learning curve as us, performing for bringer shows for five people.

He basically was selling out as an open mic'er. He was like the original social media motherfucker, he was a phenomenon that people wanted him, but he never compromised on what he wanted to be. People used to always say, well you don't have the same energy as Eddie, whatever. He wasn't that person. And he came, people, like they was super critical of him,

but he stayed true to himself and he became a great storyteller. You know what I mean? He would, I mean, damn man, he was just, it's just so bad he's not here because he just was a great dude. Well when he was a great actor. I heard he became very good at the end of the tour.

By the end of the tour he was actually, became really good. But can you imagine? But when they figured out, like I said, that's also kind of the thing to watch them like, Steve-O, Steve-O came in, started doing stand-up comedy with a fan base already. On his first time getting on stage.

And how can you tell those people to turn away from the money? They gotta get the money. Exactly, but he figured out kind of to make it like he's telling stories now, he's showing video. It's like an AV thing, it's like an audio visual thing to it. And it's like, that's great, that works perfect for him. And then nowadays, it's so many different definitions

of what comedy is. I get in arguments, not arguments, I used to, till I understood, I was talking to this young lady maybe five or six years ago, and she said, I'm a comedian, I was like, oh, let me see some of your stuff, she said, I do skits on YouTube, I was like, bitch, that ain't no good. Because I'm also, when you say comedian,

you didn't separate it from standup or anything. She was like, I'm a comedian, I said, no, you didn't separate it from stand-up or anything. She was like, I'm a comedian. I said, no you're not. She said, yes I am. Then she put a definition. Webster's definition of a comedian is a person that entertains an audience through humor. So what their definition of a comedian is,

okay, I can make people laugh. But us, if you say comedian, we just associated that with stand-up. I thought about that a lot when I used to say, before I go, how could I not argue, through my lifetime, like Mount Rushmore of comedians, like how could Howard Stern not be on there? I've been listening to him since I was 12 years old, and I'm like, and I know he doesn't do stand-up at all, but he's like, it's a comedy show. What else is there?

I listen to it and laugh. I'm not listening to it to not, you know, for news. It's two different questions, Jay. Who's your favorite stand-up? Right, exactly, as I'm saying, there it to not the other two different questions Yeah, who's your favorite stand-up right exactly as I'm saying there's a comedian But but a person who just does internet skits. Yeah, it's not it's not not a comedian There's not a stand-up would be Howard Stern Jack Tripper from threes company name was he had a name John Ritter there There you go.

Yeah, it didn't like those people, especially from, I keep saying our class, but you know, oh, they do so, I'm like, if you have the opportunity to put yourself on, that's one thing I say about the internet, like there is some work ethics you have to have. There is a type of energy you have to have to make it work. You're not just going to post one video and you blow up but isn't there a calming nature to the fact to watch as as we get older To watch that have I'm gonna you know, I'm almost 50 in like two more years. I guess I'll be 50 Yeah, me too, but I'm saying just you're already in your 50. You're already in your how do you know?

You don't know nothing I'm saying as you get older the success of the young How do you know you don't know nothing? I'm saying as a get older the success of the young Doesn't hit me when it does when they were like your peers like that was hit It would hit you more sometimes cuz you're like But I'm doing this thing when you kind of find your lane Whatever it is even if you're not like it doesn't you know I remember we brought Shane Gillis like on the bonfire like he was so excited to come on when we brought him up from

Philly with me and Dan To like you know I'm opening for him at fucking arenas now, but that doesn't make me go like the bonfire, like he was so excited to come on when we brought him up from Philly with me and Dan, to like, you know, I'm opening for him at fucking arenas now. You know what I mean? But that doesn't make me go like, pfft, I'm like, whatever man, like, I'm like, good for him. If you happy. I'm fine, yeah.

If you happy with, here's the thing, people, I look at it like this, success, my opinion of success for someone that's a true standup is being able to put your name on the marquee and people come see you and that's your fucking life. Now we could get the extra stuff, the TV shows, the film and everything, but to be able to wake up, you call your own shots, you work,

we could still maintain a lifestyle without getting approval of a director, without getting approval of a producer. They don't have to pick us, we already picked ourself. We're the boss. Yeah, we're the boss. And there's another level, we could of a director, without getting approval of a producer. Like, they don't have to pick us. We already picked ourselves. We're the boss. Yeah, we're the boss. And there's another level. You can be a multi, multi, multi-millionaire.

But the fact that me personally, being a person with no formal education, out of the high school, military, into comedy, to be able to put myself in a position to make seven figures telling jokes, it's a win. It's a win. No, absolutely crazy. And David, I wanna feel good. I go back to my old neighborhoods

and look at people that's doing fucked up. No, you're absolutely right. And take them to 7-Eleven. Give them whatever you want, motherfucker. I was a- 7-Eleven. I was a- 7-Eleven.

I was bummed out. The one thing that existed when I first started though that I don't know if there's if this is as cut and dry now, but like The Black Circuit comics man. There was such Like high-level guys that wouldn't cross over because and I said the quote unquote the term they big I'm not going to the white Clubs, you're like, they're not really white club. It's just like tourists essentially in New York Like it's everybody's there, but they would call the white.

And then I'd see some of the comics come over, and then I'd see them freeze and do their not-best stuff because it was hacky because they were like, well, this white audience will get it. But there was so many guys I thought would have crossed over. And I've brought them on the show many times. Tony Roberts, I can't believe Tony Roberts

isn't world famous. He's so funny to me. But you take them out of their comfort zone. Yeah. Like, I would say, like, probably 80% of the most successful working black comics, if you put them in front, say they draw 3,000 people for a show, if you put them in front of 1,000 white people

that show, they up it up it up it up. Because they not in their comfort zone. That's why I always worked everything. People like, does your show change from, no. But how about when the audience changes completely? That's an interesting thing to watch. I don't know if I ever talked with anybody about this. Oh, I stick to it.

But trying to describe J.B. Smoove in 1999, 1998, 2000, coming through the Laugh House was like an explosion of comic you've never seen. His audience is now Curb Your Enthusiasm fans. Very interesting, it's very interesting to watch him. It's a different energy he brings now. There's a regional thing now. Cat Williams, when Cat Williams was smoking, smoking,

he's still popping, right? White people, management, they just didn't know what the fuck was going on. They were like, this dude is doing all these shows, they just didn't understand it. fuck was going on. They were like, this dude is doing all these shows, they just didn't understand it. Another reason why they didn't understand it, because as much careers as Deaf Comedy Jam propelled for black folks, it still was like,

they put us in a bubble, like you couldn't even be black on the show. They was like, oh, he's one of those deaf jam acts. And it kind of- I think by being a white guy called that, they would call me that in Philly when I'd go to the mainstream rooms, they'd go, the deaf jam shitits not gonna work. You're like white

In fairness, I was wearing a fubu We look at you like a light skin Warrior Jay, where are you white? Well, it happens with a lot of Boston comedians, like all these guys that are Don Gavin, these guys are so... I've never seen people kill the way I've seen these guys kill in front of 500 people, 1,000 people, but they'll never... As soon as they came to New York, something happened where it didn't translate.

When the one risk pans out and you're at a level where you're respected at least in your circle, it's gotta be hard to go like, well, let me just go a complete start over. Plus, why would you leave if you're the kings of this? And you can't even be critical, not critical, you can't even, I know you were talking earlier, I had an incident at Jeff Ross Rose Battle, right? And it, well first off.

Was that real or was this this K-Fab stuff? No, no, it was real. Every time I've been labeled the walk-off king. Right. I see you guys are doing. This mother fucking no. You guys, you guys, I follow all this stuff, but you have to, you gotta stay off these goofy

white guy shows, they're setting you up for failure. You know what, the thing is, like, the thing is I got relationships all over. Sure. Kill Tony, I had a situation with Kill Tony, right? And it was unfortunate about Kill Tony. This was when, that show was always bubbling. I remember when they moved the show to Austin, Texas.

People would come to do Joe Rogan's podcast, but they were like, fuck Kill Tony, I'm not staying on Monday. And I was there, he needed, his band was a different band. He needed help, he was like, yo D, could you come do it? I was like, you know I don't do this road shit, man, because I'm too sensitive, I'm telling you straight up I don't want to put myself in a position to want to beat one of you motherfuckers ass which I'm fake laughs

yeah come on why you so upset don hell oh no well there is but for a friend I said I was doing it I was on this Oh shit. But for a friend, I said I was doing it. I was on this motherfucking show for two hours, had a couple drinks, I had something to do, right? I'm like, I don't wanna stay here. And then he had this punk ass motherfucking open mic roasting motherfucker, wanna fuck with me.

I'm like, why? He was the only black guy. I felt like it was black on black crime, right? So I was, what they did was, and Tony doubled down this and talk about the video wasn't doctored. They showed two things. They showed me leaving the show

because I was getting lit and I was ready to go. Then they showed a motherfucker that was roasting me. So they had the roast, this guy roasting me, cut to me leaving. Now I'm the walk-off king. It was after, it was substantially after that. It wasn't the same sequence, it was a different sequence. And I don't wanna do this shit.

I've been, Teddy Swims, right, I've been listening to Teddy Swims' album for like the last three years, right? His intro song, Lose Control, has been one of my favorite. So we met, as we do sometimes, people on the internet. So I never met him in person, but he had been on my podcast, he phoned in, he's a really really dope dude. And one of the waitresses at the comedy store said your boy is going to be here. I got excited. Black people don't take me, don't get mad. When I said, I said, oh my god Teddy's going to be there! Right? I mean but then translation,

your word, all right. So you heard and all that shit right? All right, all right. So, you heard and all that shit, right? So I pulled up on Teddy, he was doing Adam Carolla's Dr. Phil, the Dr. Phil shit, right? I pulled up on him, as soon as I saw him, it was thug at first sight, I don't wanna say love, but we just connected, he sent his pregnant fiance home, we down in, you know the little private bar at the comic store, it's like, I'm off,

I'm not even working, we start doing shots, we down in, you know the little private bar, the comic store, it's like I'm off, I'm not even working. We start doing shots, we start getting lit. Then Teddy was like, yo, you wanna go up to Roast Battle, one of my friends is gonna be up there. I was like, that's not a good idea for me. He was like, come on, I went up there, and I had one, two, three, four, whatever number of drinks I had, I had them.

And they started having these roasters up there, and The Negro, what's his name? The hostess show Brian Moses the Negro You know what I mean The Negro the Negro that's what Jay calls them. Yeah And I didn't know everybody what happened was I went up there and I was I did have some drinks I was something's got a hole in me I was in that mode and then they came to a point where they asked the judge how do you feel and how do you feel and these guys clearly not to say they didn't have a future

whatever but that day it was not their day and I got my own brand of comedy first off the Negro was upset because the minute I went on set I took control of the whole show this is why he's a dumbass quarterback This is why he's stupid that shows been around for 11 years, right? It's had its heyday, right sure not being cocky. You got a person like myself show up You got Teddy swim show up. You got Jeff Ross You have to be quarterback enough to know don't make it the show all about you tonight to know don't make the show all about you tonight. You got every week to fuck with these motherfuckers.

Now you got a special moment, it's being funny, and you wanna retract. First off, this show ain't on no time schedule. It's not like we got a hard out and so and so. You can run that shit for whatever you wanna run it. It's a midnight show, right? It's a midnight show, but you can run it however you want because your editor's gonna do the magic at the end.

If Don-El is all wanna having fun, as long as these motherfuckers laugh, let it roll. But now you wanna make like, oh, come on, Don-El, here's the rules. This is how we do the show. And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. They got mad at me because I looked at Jeff Rawls. I said, Jeff, you can't believe in everybody's dream.

I was like, I said, I said, Jeff, they're not gonna make it. Jeff was like, and then, Jeff, they're not gonna make it. Jeff was like, and then this is what they flipped, they was like, oh, come on, Don L. You can't say that. Yes, I can. Well, it's a roast battle judging. I said, but this is the reason why I told him, I said, they're not gonna make it because of this.

Because I had some drinks, nobody wanna take me serious. The truth comes out when you drink. I was like, this is why. If this is your biggest moment to perform, neither one of you motherfuckers prepared. You guys are doing a roast battle, acting like y'all best friends, fuck that, if I'm roasting you,

I hate to say it, but we just gonna go at it. You're not making eye contact with anybody here. You got one fucking joke. You're looking down, you get one chuckle, and you laugh like, oh, that's the best thing. That's not what's gonna make it for you And I also told him I said I hope you motherfuckers get so mad at me and hate me so much That you want to prove me wrong and say fuck him. I'm gonna do something else then the Negro switched that into this

I the punk shit. He did he was like, oh I done hell You know that all I don't hell come on you can't just come in here talk shit about us and our show You know what? Whenever he says something guys, I want y'all to boo him Oh, no, so now that his audience is trained sure to go whatever they say and I was like, yo I've been booed by bigger and better shit than that and that's how this shit got out of control Oh, you was obnoxious and the thing that fucked me up the most how you motherfuckers sensitive at a roast battle By the way, I'm on your page though with that. I think about the roast But I said with the roast battle stuff like particularly or even kill Tony

When a young comic comes out and they go they decide that they're gonna start going at you Yeah, you're the thing is like it is only I'm the only one with anything to lose It's a show over yeah, we're done I'm gonna be this weekend Okay, I didn't know Don Aarons is gonna be out on his black and mild tour Which will be at City Winery in New York City on March 28th and 29th. That's this weekend at the end in Torrance on April 8th and Donnell land what is that Donnell land in Yellow Springs, Ohio on May 23rd.

It's a weekend filled with all type of fun activities man we kayak we play kickball we do nature walks.