Lamar Jones: Comedians Need Therapy | TURNING CORNERS

Thing about being the Trailblazer, you're gonna smell like smoke.

Going city to city, we turning corners when you with Trailblazers smelling like smoke. Pay attention to the jokes, success tried to warn us. Motivation conversation captivating the coast. Performing arts, it's the heart, so we gotta watch the votes. All my dreams out of mind, out of sight. They standing on my left 'cause they can't get right. You know what make them wonder every time I turn the corner? Yo, this comedian Lamar Jones, man. I'm from New Orleans, born and raised, man. I'm out here in Dallas, Texas, man, on a comedy scene, man. And we gonna talk comedy tonight.

The hell is that guy? And what you don't know that I told you a few minutes ago, yeah, I literally, I literally left the club or the bar or whatever, went by Arts and Improv, saw your name on the side. And I, in the parking lot, sent you a friend request because I'm like, those are the type of people I need to be around, you know what I'm saying? What gives you that hustle that says, you know what, I'm gonna handle my business regardless of what life throws at me?

Well, one, comedy definitely shows you a different approach of, from business side, from a talent perspective. And like, when I first started doing comedy, man, I was, you know, I was just like everybody else, blind. Comedy ain't got no handbook, ain't no manual, you know. So I'm thinking I just need to be funny at the time when I first started. But then when I realized, oh, once you build funny, it's about marketing and branding and all of that, you know. And this was really before, or right before really social media start popping big time, where, you know, because like now people don't really pass out flyers as much. Come on now. Yeah. Uh, but so, you know, and that was one of my first shows of me headlining, you know, the club. And so it was like I needed to get people out and, you know, talking to different people. I felt like that was the way to do it, you know, from talking to OGs in the game, people like JJ Williamson and all of this, man, where you just realize, okay, all right, you gotta hustle. And so I learned it from, you know, the OGs in the game. I learned it from people that have experienced and people that told me stories, you know, about the success and their failures, you know. And, you know, it's, it's been like that with me, you know. You have success, you have, you know, uh, the times where you don't succeed as much, but you learn a platform. Be like, hey, I need to hustle. I need, I need, I need to get people out here. Because my greatest challenge— I done performed across the country. Yeah, see, I done performed in front of some hood crowds, you know. Uh, it don't— like, like from the Midwest to East Coast to West Coast, all over the South. Good crowd. Now I perform in front of mature crowds too, but what I'm saying is the greatest fear for me was selling them teens. That's—

come on now, that is not the same. That's a different beast.

Yes, that is a different beast. I would rather go in front of your most hostile crowd. They could be drunk and I performed in front of— I've had weed shows where people is high and they drunk, but I still get up there and face that, you know. Uh, I've been— I'm performing in front of gang members, drug dealers, pimps, players, you name it, you know what I mean. And, and you still get the courage to get up there and do it, even though it's been— there have been times extremely nervous. But it ain't the same when somebody say, hey, I need you to sell about 300-something tickets. What? Yeah, you know what I'm saying?

Like, yeah, it's different.

That's, that's, that's a different ball game. And so, you know, that was one of the things of what I wanted to do, you know what I'm saying, and to test myself out there, you know, with the people, you know, into the public. But like, hey, listen, I do comedy, I do comedy, you know. And now social media and it kind of, you know, shortcutted that where you don't have to go door to door as much now. Yeah, it's, you know, because everybody's plugged to the internet, everybody's plugged to social media, everybody have a phone. And, and so, you know, that's, that's the way, you know, that's what I'm, you know, I felt like that was what I had, you know, I had to do it. And even to this day, that's what you need to do. You're constantly promoting yourself, constantly branding yourself. It's, uh, it's, it's never-ending. When you off stage, you off stage. That's, that's, you know what I'm saying? Whatever amount of time you have done, 10, 20, 30, 45, even an hour, after that hour done, you off stage. You ain't got, you know what I'm saying, you gotta wait till the next show. With promoting, marketing, your branding, that is a 24/7 job.

Yeah, I, I like that you said that because it kind of leads to my first question and then also my second question. My first question is, when did you fall in love with comedy? But then my second question is going to be, and only comedians understand what I'm about to say, when did you become— when did you fall in love with the stage? One, when'd you fall in love with comedy? The other one, when'd you fall in love with the stage?

Uh, I can answer that both at the same time. Um, I fell in love with it, and at the time when I bombed, right? Come on, boy, I bombed. And like every comedian had a bomb.

No, some comedians say never bomb. I ain't I ain't never bombed, man.

I ain't—

everybody like every joke I do, man.

It's a lot, it's a lot of comics that say that. Okay, all right, obviously we know there's a lot of comics with special needs. Come on, you know.

All right, okay, I'm sorry.

That's like me saying like every, every woman I slept with, I wore her ass out, she tapped out.

Sometimes I'm looking for my shoes.

Yeah. I'm done. I'm done early. I did my part.

I did my bad, my bad.

But, but I, I realized, man, once— I, I'll forget— I had a set and it was a good crowd and I was bombing, and I knew I was bombed. And not one of those situations where like you know, I didn't know, you know, or I was just delusional about it. I knew, like, it was silence in the room.

Oh, that silence is the worst in the booth.

It's worse. And people are staring at me like, what the hell are you talking about? But what was so inspiring about it, I don't know what it was. Like, I had been to a ton of open mics, had been At that point, I was constantly, constantly getting on stage. Like, I was doing open mic, like, you know, 5, sometimes 7 days a week, like, out here in Dallas, you know. That is— yeah, hustling, you hustling. And so, and doing a lot of driving, and doing a lot of driving.

Dallas is huge. I mean, the DFW is just huge.

And keep in mind, you're doing it for free.

Come on, boy.

And, and I never forget, I was bombing and I was relaxed. Like, I wouldn't know. Okay, okay. Like, I wasn't feeling any kind of way. I wasn't like, you know, like, you know, some comics, you know, a lot of comics, they may have a ritual where they got to be drunk or high. Like, I'm flat out stoned. Like, you know, and it was like I didn't have a care. Like, you know, in regards to if these people like it or not. Like, it was more so of me being comfortable, and it was a life learning lesson from a perspective of, yeah, you're going to have some bad sets, but are you comfortable doing what you're doing? Are you comfortable enough to, to say what you want to say when things are not going your way? Are you comfortable being you despite situations that maybe permit you from trying to be you. And so that was one of the most, uh, inspiring, like, sets that I, I've ever had. Like, Obam really, like, you know, was one of the things that were like, okay, I can do this. And I loved it, like, because I, like as uncomfortable as it was. I mean, because we all know when you bombing, it's uncomfortable.

It's almost embarrassing, bro.

It's almost embarrassing. But when you bomb in a sense to where you like— like, I literally, I was like, man, that feels good. Like, it was, it was like everybody else in the audience was looking like, what the hell? Like, it ain't— I knew damn well he ain't, he ain't doing comedy no more.

He got to quit.

And they don't know Like, I was relieved because prior to then, you know, the nervousness, you know, the jitters, the, you know, the anxiety, you know, uh, the anxiousness, you know. I mean, because we all know as comics, man, one of the biggest things I used to have an issue with was the buildup. I used to hate waiting on getting on stage. Like, you know, when a show starts, yeah, another comic is up there, they might be bombing, but like, oh Lord, yeah, yeah, yeah. Or somebody killed too hard, it'd be like, okay, let me make sure I get— I, I mask that. And, uh, or when a situation where the show is going on and on and on, you look at Black shows, a lot of times go 42 hours. Yeah, you know, they can, they can have 350 comics a gospel choir, a pep rally, band, you know what I'm saying, a step team. Like, like, like, we do the most in regards to the damn comedy show. Like, we like— and it's always some people that's putting their money up that ain't never been involved with the industry at all, but they just, you know, they just stubborn. They just like, oh, I know how to go. Be like, hey man, you might not want to have all these damn people on the show. And, and so being in that space, like, nigga, you got too many, man, you got too many. But they, they— oh man, I know, homie. Like, no, your ass don't know what you talking about.

So, so not to interrupt you, my dumbass, I learned that a couple of weeks ago. I did a show just trying to put some comics on. 10 comics, $10, nigga. Everybody had 10 minutes, nigga. I was like, uh-uh, I was sleepy. I'm like, Ray, what were you thinking? Trying to help people out. I learned a lot. And then even the owner of the club was like, bruh, what you— I said, bruh, I already know I'm sleepy too. And of course Black people gonna go overtime. Like, you already bombing of 10. Don't bomb in 15. Let the shit go. If you didn't get a single— I'm gonna get at least one laugh. No, nigga, go home and play with yourself. Like, fuck that shit.

I'm sorry. No, no, especially with a host that's— if you got a bad host, Uh, that's doing too much. Hosts that think that they're the face of the show. Like, ain't nobody coming to see you, Otis.

Ain't nobody coming to see you, Otis.

And get your ass off stage. Like, ain't nobody ask you. I literally just did a show not too long ago in Arkansas, and literally they had a comic doing like 10 minutes in between each comic, and it was like 5— it was like 6 other comics. No, you were only supposed to do 10 minutes. That's it. You don't get bonuses for going over.

You don't.

But a lot of comics, man, it's hard. Like, their egos and all of that, they get in the way. Their pride, especially. Don't let them not have a good set.

You know what? So, so here's a great question. Um, I said like, that's kind of arrogant, says a great question. Might be a stupid question, but fuck it. Um, how do you keep time while you're on stage? Maybe it's a young comic, like I keep going over, they don't do enough. How do you keep time of your jokes on stage? Because people don't know there's an art form to knowing how long you've been on stage.

Well, it's typically like, you know, when you work, like for instance, like for me that do— I didn't work a ton of comedy clubs and stuff, you know, somebody like me, you know, it's a simple solution. Is somebody like you, or if you want to time it yourself, like, you know, prepare off stage, you know, uh, to where you supposed to know where your set— how long is your set supposed to last. Anybody that's been doing comedy like, you know, 10+ years, you don't know about the timing of your set, you were doing something terribly wrong. Like, you know, like, like, you, you're being misguided. And, and so a lot of times comics Or because we don't have these situations of not having names or not having someone that can give you step by step of the true fundamentals of comedy, a lot of people really thinking that their path and their way of doing things is the correct way, and that won't work. You go to a comedy club or you go to these theater shows with these big-time headlines, they say 10 minutes and they cut that music on your ass. You gonna know you went over. Say, or if they tell you they don't want to book you no more, you don't realize, you know what I'm saying?

You mess up a great opportunity.

Messing up a great—

and see, when I first started doing comedy, I would write my jokes in 5-minute sets. Like, I would have a tight 5, and I would work that 5. Like, somebody let me, you know, open or whatever, a tight 5. And then I started doing 10, right? So now when I do a show, I do either 2 or 3 10-minute sets. But in my mind, I know after I finish this joke, it bleeds to the next joke, and then boom, I'm right at 30 minutes. Now what gets me to this day is when it's a fucking heckler, and the heckler comes in and messes up my timing. So now I have to skip that joke because now I got to get on, because I know I got to get off and I got to get to the big jokes at the end, right? Like, what most people don't know about comedy while we on stage, we're, we're, it's a lot of things going on. We thinking about the jokes, we thinking about the crowd, we're thinking about the time, we're thinking about, you know, a million things going on at the same time trying to make you laugh. We, you know, because I know I've been on stage and I don't know if you've experienced this, while you're on stage, man, this side of the room is cracking up, but over here it's like 8 people that just looks mad. And for whatever reason, I have to train myself not to pay attention to those people over there and just keep going.

Oh yeah, I mean, like, everybody has that. Like, like, I always have these experiences where, like, I've traveled with different comics or I'm doing a show. I don't care how packed the show is, it's always some people that sit in the front row that look like they took an edible. Yeah, come on now, you know what I'm saying? Like 2, 3 of them before the show.

Yeah, yeah.

And they just stuck, like, you know, they ain't saying nothing, they ain't responding, like, you know. Yeah. And it's like, you see them, but you gotta focus on, you know what I'm saying, the most important thing is, is the people that are laughing. Now if you want to address that, that's fine, like, you know, like I don't let none of that you know, deter me from what I want to do. Yeah. Now, if somebody's interrupted my show, you know, I mean, like, like, it's ways, you know, you can address that. You know, there's ways, like, you know, everybody have their different styles, a different approach, you know. Uh, I don't— I try not to let it rattle me from a perspective of once I'm like— once you've proven that you're funny, and when I mean funny in front of that audience, You know, if they've laughed a couple of times, you know, you, you're proving that you're funny. You know, you don't have to be Katt Williams or Dave Chappelle, you know. You, you be you.

Yeah.

Can you get laughs? Yeah. You know, and once you prove you get laughs, address the people that's, that's paying attention and be convicted in regards to, uh, what you doing and how you want to do it. And if you want to address them, address them, you know. Um, every now and then, like, be at places, especially like when I'm— if I'm headlining, then yeah, I absolutely will address them, you know, because now it's my show, I have complete control. Now with other people's shows, you know, I'm mindful in regards to my time, uh, you know, that I'm designated to do, uh, and also the flow of the show. Right, right. So I keep that in mind. I don't let my egos get involved, you know, unless they just flat out saying something to disrespect my show. Then, you know, if they want to sit there and be mute and all of that, you know, let them have it. Because I mean, one time I was at the Improv and I was featuring for a headliner, and it was two people that was sitting in front of the stage and it was quiet. But I noticed they weren't just quiet, they were deaf.

Oh shit.

But I didn't address, you see what I'm saying? I didn't attack them. I just know, you know what I'm saying? I'm looking at the crowd.

Oh wow.

Okay. Okay. But I'm watching them and I see a couple of them doing sign languages toward each other. You see what I'm saying? Yeah. Now there's a couple of times I've done shows where there's an interpreter on stage, but this particular time there was no interpreter. It's just them.

That's crazy, right?

It was just them two. And I'm like, you know, and you notice this as you're telling your jokes? I noticed this as I'm telling them because they sit right by— you've been to the auditorium, they sitting right there in the front.

So ain't no, ain't no way around that.

Ain't no way around it, you know. You got—

so, so, okay, did you feel the urge to like maybe turn around a couple of times and like kind of help them, like make them look like they was really— like they can read your lips or something? Or you just kept going with your stuff?

Yeah, I kept going with my stuff.

You, you know what I'm saying?

Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

That's crazy.

God bless you. I hope you understand everything that I'm saying, uh, but ain't nobody informed me of nothing that when I got up here. So my job is— and They didn't complain. Well, I mean, even though they were, you know what I'm saying, even though that they were white. And here's the other thing, they weren't there to see me.

Oh, they were saying the headline, right, right, right, right, right, right. But you, but you know what, and I never, I never even, till right now, I never even considered deaf people coming to a comedy show. But I'm like, they need to laugh. I mean, that's kind of, that's kind of messed up on my part for not even thinking about it, man.

I've been to several shows where I've performed, whether either I hosted, uh, or featured, and they've had interpreter, uh, interpreters on stage.

So the interpreters on the stage, silent? Yeah, yeah.

Absolutely.

That's cool because, because you, you would think, like with us, and you know this of course, it's not just the jokes, it's the way we, uh, perform the joke, it's the way we say certain words, it's our body language, it's the temperature of the room. It's so many things going on at the same time. And now I'm simply thinking about maybe a deaf person or even somebody that's blind, but they're still laughing. Like they're still enjoying it. You know what I'm saying? So Derek, Derek Jack said something the other day, man, that just really blessed this whole process. He was saying, one thing we forget is that we're healers. Like our job is to heal people and we're maestros. As a matter of fact, the maestro thing came from RJ. But like, we are maestro, we are moving the room in the way that we wanted to. And, but also we're healing ourself. So my question to you is, I've heard a lot of comics say, including myself, that the stage is therapy for me. When I hit the stage, I'm able to vent this, you know, it's better than sleeping on somebody else's, I mean, laying on somebody's couch. Telling a stranger all my business. I tell other strangers my business, but in a comical way. Do you find yourself using comedy as an outlet to deal with your own personal stresses or whatever you've been through?

Hell no. When comics say that, that's the dumbest shit I ever heard.

Hey man, I say that, man. All right, go ahead, I'm listening. Yeah, I'm gonna tell you, he said hell no.

I'm saying already, comics get therapy. Yeah, like, like, there's no excuse. That's like saying, hey, listen, uh, if I'm out of shape, you know, hey, I'm gonna just stop eating cereal and, and, you know, or, or, or I'm gonna go someplace where they won't complain about me being obese, or they won't complain about, you know what I'm saying, well, I can just fit out and just do whatever. Like, comic comics, I think in this camera Comics, stage, being on stage is not therapeutic. Yeah, okay, this is the camera. It is not therapeutic. I don't know who told them that. I don't know who came up with this.

You know you have pushback on that.

Of course.

Okay, okay.

I know people, I got good friends that are licensed therapists.

It's different. It is different.

It is different. Yeah, just because you've been— I know people, I know comics that on drugs, they're abusers. When they get off stage, they go back and do the same damn thing.

You're right about that.

Yeah, it's a, it's, it, it's a, a small healing, very, very temporary.

I got to say.

Yeah. So, so let me ask you this. So when comics be saying that, so what happens when you're balling?

Oh, look, look, I'm looking for a button.

Because they talking, they, they act like everybody killing all the time. Everybody ain't killing all the time. Get your ass some therapy. Sit down with somebody. What you're saying, you need to work on your body, you need to work on your mind just as much. Yeah, yeah. Your mind and your brain and your, your health is, is like that. Like, it ain't no— like, like, in comics, for some odd reason, feel like, oh, because I've made these people laugh, that solves the problem. If you a cheater, being on stage ain't gonna, you know, ain't gonna stop that. Yeah, yeah, look, look, look, anybody that ever told you differently was a fat Faison liar.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I lie, like, I don't understand what comics have taken this.

But you know what, okay, so let's also say this though. One thing about you And I, I, you know, I looked you up and I was like, man, this dude is smart as fuck. First of all, you went to Dillard, uh, one of the oldest— I think, I think I read 1869— one of the oldest HBCUs in the country, right? And correct me if I'm wrong, you're a Q. So, so you're not just talking from just a comic, you, you actually know what the fuck you talking about. You know what I'm saying? And one thing I do love about comics, I do, man. I wish y'all could be a fly on the wall to hear some of the stories I've heard over the last few days I was here. Even when I started doing it in San Antonio, when I tell you comedians are some of the smartest people in the world, dumb as fuck sometimes, but definitely some of the smartest, most intelligent, out-the-box thinkers on the planet. And we're the last truth-sayers because even in church they lie. You know, I'll just be honest with you, a lot of preachers lie. They're trying to keep the members happy. Not all of them, but some of them, right?

Right.

But comedians, you can recognize a person that's lying. That's why I don't worry about nobody stealing my jokes because I'm like, I tell— I talk about my life. So if you are trying to emulate my life, first of all, why would you do that? Second of all, you fucking lying, you know what I'm saying? So with you, are you able to just be your 100% self on stage, or do you find yourself trying to emulate— and I already know the answer to this because I've seen you— or do you trying to emulate what somebody else is doing?

Oh no, hell no. I, you know, I love it. Yeah, just flat out me. Yeah, like, you know, if you imitate anyone else, you You're stealing. That's what it is. Yeah, you're flat out stealing. If I, if I like, when people be like, you know, like reference other comics as, oh, they kind of like Bernie Mac, that's not a badge of honor. Uh, like, you know, to say they just like someone else. Like, what about like you as a comic stand-up? And, and it is like, you don't have to have the moves clever jokes. You don't have to have the most, uh, unique material. It's about who you are on stage. That personality sells to the audience— how they receive it, how they accept it, and how they enjoy it. Yeah. And character sells more than material. Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Character sells more than material. That's good, that's good. When people get these specials, oh boy, when they get on these sitcoms, they selling character. That's how you— how you think Bernie Mac got a sitcom? His character. Wasn't that just because of his jokes? Yeah, his character. Yeah, Katt Williams, his character. I can go on and on about comics in regards to their character. Now, are they— do they have material that works? Absolutely. I'm not saying that the material is trash or anything like that, but they're— but writers are behind who you are, and you know what I'm saying, as a person. Writers get behind that. Directors, producers get behind that because, okay, I can use them in this particular role. Yeah, I feel you. He's saying I can use your jokes. You know what I'm saying? Ain't nobody doing they set. Ain't none of these comedians doing they set on TV, or, or, you know what I'm saying, in movies. Now you might have some stand-up, whatever, but they not, you know, they like, it's not flat out, you know what I'm saying, like their material or anything like that.

So, and when you say character, what I also heard you say—

social worker in me—

what I also heard you say was You as a person, for instance, are you on time? Are you professional? Do you treat people good? Are you nice to the waitstaff?

Yeah, but more so what I mean by that is the character that you display on stage. Okay, okay. Who are you playing? Are you playing an uncle? Do you imitate a father? You imitate the, the sex symbol guy? Do you, uh, who do you portray? What is it about the audience that find you likable and appealing to say that this is for sale? I can use this for something else. You see what I'm saying?

Character— you're killing it because that likability is a big deal. They have to like you at the beginning. And that's why I personally believe Black comics is different than other minority groups. I'm not talking about it from my experience. We have to talk to the audience before we even get into our jokes. We, huh? Well, okay, okay, help me out then, because when I got on stage and just start hitting, it was always some pushback. When I come, hey man, how y'all doing? All right, all right, you know, and I'll say this And then I get into my set, it seemed like it was an easier transition. But again, that's if I perform in front of mostly Black audiences. If I'm performing in front of Hispanic and, you know, Caucasians, normally I just come out and start telling my jokes and they're very attentive. But sometimes, not all the time, sometimes our people are rough. They like, nigga, make me laugh. Like, and they sitting on front row like this just looking at you. So I come out and I mess with him for a minute, like in a friendly way. Hey man, how you doing? Whatever. And then I keep going. But then again, that might be immaturity on my part, you know what I'm saying?

And the reason why I say you don't have to do that, because it's about the present, it's about the headline, he or she, whoever she may be, uh, how like the, the level of experience that they have uh, the level of connection that they have with that audience, uh, and so when they get there, people are already engaged. So who they want to see? Yeah, that's true. They already— Katt Williams ain't got to do shit about, you know, trying to, uh, talk to the crowd to get them amped up to come. That's very true. You know what I'm saying? I can go on and on, you know what I'm saying? JJ ain't got to do none of that. No, you know what I'm saying? Lil Rel and all of them, they ain't got to do none of that. That's true, that's true.

So do you think it's a level to it, or just, or just they're just so, they're so, they're so mature at it at that stage where they don't even entertain that stuff? They want to get right to what they got going on.

It's the level of professionalism, the experience, obviously the, the experience, the, the stardom of it, the, the familiarity that the audience have with that comic. I give you another— Ali Siddiq. Ali will come, he ain't dressed, he sit down. Hey, hey, no, ain't no warm embrace.

Like, bro, when I first saw that, I was like, what the hell? And then he just started, so, you know, and then he just went into it.

But it's brilliant. I was like, how does he do that?

It's brilliant.

And, and it's, and it's a way that he created his own uniqueness, his own style and likeness of, of the crowd. And because he's done it years, that part, years, like, you know, he's comfortable at what he does. And, you know, you can get away with it, you know. And so once you develop a talent and art form as well as the branding to where people are aware of what you do, you can do whatever the hell you want. Yeah.

And you know, it's interesting to say that because like Charlie Murphy seemed to be abrasive, right? You know, rest, rest in, rest is, uh, in heaven. But it was his style. People respected who he was by being him, being him. And it's kind of like we was talking earlier about people want to know if you're fake on stage. You know what I'm saying? So speaking of faith, I got a couple of questions for you, right? Um, people lie a lot, and, and I don't see a ring, so I don't know if you married. No, no, no, no, no. Okay, so let's go here for a minute. People lie a lot, and as a comedian, my mind just goes places because I'm thrown off. I can't get right. It is what it is, right? If a woman tells you that she's celibate and she got 4 kids, 5 baby daddies. What's your response to her? Now you're trying to date her, you're getting to know her, you took her out to eat a couple of times or whatever else, but then she tells you she's celibate. What's your response to that?

I wouldn't be trying to date. That's a simple solution. Like, I, like, like, I, I respect her decision in regards to what she got, you know, got going on. Like, you know, I'm pretty sure she probably might be in a state where she need emotional and spiritual healing. I need sexual healing.

So that, that's a, that, you know, like he said, she need emotional healing, but you need sexual healing.

Yeah. Yeah. So we, you know, we just wouldn't be on the same page. Now I, I'm like, because in society nowadays, and particularly with the Black man or Black women, We put ourselves in a place of war, uh, a verbal war. Yes, sir. Uh, of trying to prove a point of who's right or who's wrong, you know, in different perspectives. And be honest with you, man, like, because I was talking to a comic about this earlier, like, I don't have no fight in it, like, you know, and, and I don't decide, like, if I met a woman that have had 6 kids, 6 baby daddies. Nah, I didn't— like, I wasn't involved with a woman, but I know this woman got 6 kids, 6 baby daddies. And then this woman, her mindset is she deserves a husband. She deserves a husband, and she deserves a man to be committed and faithful and loyal. Who am I to argue with this woman about her expectations? And you know what I'm saying, like, if that's what she feel you deserve Hey, have at it.

It's not gonna be you.

Yeah, yeah, that's it. It's not gonna be me, but you know, have at it. But you know, bless your heart, sister. Good. You know what I'm saying? Go forth, be great. Go far, go forth and be great. You know what I mean? Like, if that— if you don't mean like, like, we all— life is going to give us an answer whether we make a decision on it or not. Now, life may not agree with the answer that we thought we were gonna have. That's real, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's like I can tell you, hey man, you know I'm going to NBA, right? I can guarantee it, and I'm gonna score 40 points every game. I can tell you that 30 years ago, you know? And life be like, nah, you said that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Because life, life will tell you, nigga, you was wrong.

You was wrong. Yeah, so people, you know, whatever a person's view is and all of that, like, you know, like, okay, have at it, have at it. I agree, show them.

So are there any topics that, that you stay away from when you're doing comedy? Are there certain things you're like, I'm not going to talk about that? No, you know, uh-uh.

Um, but I am mindful of the audience that I'm performing in front of. I'm mindful of material that relates to me because I'm not a person just want to create something that's funny just because. Like, like, how does this fit for me as a personality perspective? Okay, how can I sell this joke? Where can I use this joke? How far can I extend this joke? Um, you know, place and time and order of the joke within your set. Can I, you know, can I do it in the beginning, in the middle, or the end, you know? Um, am I fully confident in saying the joke? That part, uh, oh yeah, it's like, you know, me coming up with an idea of one joke that maybe, you know, get a haha laugh, but it don't register with any other material that talking about, um, you know, for me, I'd be like, well, I'm kind of all over the place. And so this is what I talk about when creating a character on stage and that personality, because your personality sells with everything that's in line with the material. That's very true. That's true. You see what I'm saying? You know, this is why when comics talk about— if you're talking about yourself You know, uh, it should line up with everything you doing in your life. You know, how are you as a father? Problems as a father, problems as a single man, problems as a Black man, you know what I'm saying? Or whatever, you know what I'm saying? Good and bad. It don't necessarily have to be tragic, you know what I mean? But what is it like in your life and your perspective and your views, and how does it link up to you, and how does it sell on stage?

So do you find yourself, or have you ever found yourself, where a comedian— because again, the Katt Williams thing, it caused a lot of riff. But those of us that's been doing comedy, we've already known there's always been beefs, it's always been haters. That's just part of it. Just like I tell everybody, no matter what job you do, no matter where you at in life, somebody gonna hate you. You know, the Bible, Cain and Abel was beefing. They first brothers, you know, they beefing and one killed the other, you know what I'm saying? So that's just part of it. But have you ever found yourself in a beef with another comic? And if so, how did you handle it? Because it seems to me that you, you have a personality that's very non-confrontational. You kind of, every time I see you, kind of in your own lane. You ain't really on no BS, you know what I'm saying? Except on social media, you crazy like me. Like your Facebook account crazy like me, you know what I'm saying? But that's still— it's all in fun, right?

Right.

But have you ever found yourself in a situation where a comic was beefing with you or hating on you? And if so, how did you handle it?

I mean, I mean, I think at some point everybody— you're going to come at some point a situation where somebody might say something against you or somebody may, uh, not agree with you for whatever reason. I mean, let's be honest, we got people in comedy that got problems. Mental problems, uh, bipolar, schizophrenic, drug problems. Yeah, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, let's keep it 1000. Most comics come from terrible, like, like, background and lifestyle. Yeah, like, you know what I mean? Like, most comics come through some stuff. You'd be like, hey man, You like, you got some demons. And this what I be talking about when they be talking about some man, the stage is therapeutic. Hell no, sir, ma'am, you need a therapist. You need some, you need some medication, you know, something. And so the, the point of me saying it is like, I, I never like looked at it in a perspective of, uh, I need to have beef and, or, or I need to go on public rants or anything because I feel like I'm a man, like, you know, and as a man, like, men don't handle those type of problems those ways. If I got an issue with you, come see me. I gotta call you or talk to you, or I gotta see you. Yeah, I like, I don't, I feel like that's out of character for me as a man. I think what happens is in the social media world now. Social media is so dangerous, even though we use it, we understand there's money in this. There's— across the country, across the world, there's billions of dollars being made from social media, made off of it, you know what I mean? And people are using conflict, you know what I'm saying, or trying to expose conflict for their own financial gain, you know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

And that's a dangerous thing, you know, uh, and I never desired to be that way. And so, you know, when I look at other celebrities, right, and like, for instance, I've never— I met, I met Steve Harvey one time, uh, but I don't know anything like that, you know what I mean? Um, and I use him for it. I use him, Eurekki Smollett, You, you, you, anybody that's a star, and I had to ask myself this, at some point, if you could become a star tomorrow, can't handle what the rest of the world is going to say about you. That part, that, uh, that, that, that's not your problem to figure out why they, you know what I'm saying?

Like, and then you got more people now looking at you, look at that, so it's gonna be more people trolling.

Say something about— somebody's gonna always, you know what I'm saying, have a disagreement or opinion. And you know, everybody don't do business the same. Like, I know, I know some funny comics, but they're horrible at business. They're like 1,000% unprofessional.

So, so since you're there, uh, when— what made me start doing contracts when I do shows, especially if I go out of town. Because, you know, I've unfortunately had a situation where I went to Clarksville, Tennessee, long ride, and got— they didn't pay us at a church, you know, but the Lord gonna provide, you know. And I'm like, wait a minute, bro, you know what I'm saying? Now, in their mind, they paid us, but that's not what we agreed upon. I'm gonna say that, $100 to drive all the way there. And the church was literally people standing against the wall. And I'm watching people pay to get in. I'm like, bro, come on, don't do us like that. And I knew they was gonna screw us 'cause the show was on Saturday and we was leaving Sunday morning. They said we gotta come to church first before we get paid. I'm like, I don't know y'all, I don't go to y'all damn church. So then I had to go to the church. They wanted to lay hands on us. And I kept dodging, the lady kept trying to put hands on me. I kept dodging her ass.

Was it predominantly white or Black?

Oh, it was 100% Black. It was—

it was—

matter of fact, I'm gonna say it was a nigga church. Uh, probably supposed to say it was a nigga church. It was a nigga church. It's just— and then they were like, well, next year when you come back— next year? Ain't nobody coming back to y'all damn church, you know what I'm saying? But that was my first, uh, situation where not getting paid. Yeah. So have you ever had a situation?

Absolutely.

Okay, I need to get—

I have to go further. Like, if you If you've never— anybody that have done or truly claim that they're a comic and ain't never been like lied to or scammed in regards to comedy, whether it's from bookies, whether it's from comics, whether it's from promoters, casters, they— oh. Churches, all nonprofits. I done done it all. And, and there are many of them that have scammed the hell out you, you know what I'm saying? And, and it's like, once you— and this is what I learned, what they— the approach is, they scam me because they know they can get away with it. Yeah. See, when the people, they that are successful, when that celebrity status come Or they know not to come to them with that.

Yeah, that's 100% right.

And this is why I've always had to do it for a different conversation on a different day. This is why I've always had the issue with— I think a lot of, you know, nonprofits should pay taxes because you get a lot of free stuff like that. Like, you know, yeah, so you can sell out a venue and profit it in the name of Jesus. Come on now, come on. Yeah, but not pay me nothing. And you go to sleep at night just fine.

Listen, when I tell you this, this is God's honest truth. It was my last year in Dallas, and a lady knew me from San Antonio, nice enough to, you know, hey, I got a comic, he's funny. It was during the New Year's Eve thing.

Yeah.

And I told the guy, I said, yeah, I'll do it. And I sent him my numbers and everything else in the contract. And I never, I never forget, man, I was so disappointed because I was excited, like, yes, I get to go to Atlanta. You know, and I looked at the church, they got over 5,000 members. I'm like, oh, bet, bet. And my fee wasn't that expensive. I was gonna, you know, I paid my own hotel, own gas, just pay me this one fee, that's gonna cover everything. And it was crazy because the pastor at the time, he called me, hey Doc, I need to talk. And I'm like, hey, what's up? Now at this time I was coming out of the ministry. I wasn't preaching no more. I was moving away from organized religion because I used to be a preacher a long time ago. And when he said, hey Doc, when he said, I'm like, here you go, here you go.

Hey man, you know, you know, you ought to do it for the Lord.

I said, what do you mean? God, God, God, I am doing it for the Lord. He gave me this gift. Yeah, man, but you know, you know, we can pay you $100. I said, well, hold on. I said, Pastor, first of all, y'all gonna fly me there, okay? Are y'all gonna pay for my room? Well, how is this gonna work? Oh no, you gotta get your own way here. But I said, wait a minute, hold on, so you want me— and then they wanted to go live on Facebook. I said, no, that just kills all my jokes because I can't ever do them jokes again in that particular city because, oh, Doc, dude.

I said, no.

I said, what? And this is what I said. This is how I knew something was wrong with me. I said, nigga, fuck you and your $100. And I hung up. The girl called me the next day She said, did you, did you tell my pastor fuck you? I said, you got that right. She said, Ray, why would you do that? I said, he offered me $100. She said, but we had $5,000 in the budget for you. I said, you fucking lying. I said, I told him I was going to do it for $1,000. I was going to drive to Atlanta because I got a cousin live over there. I was going to stay with my cousin. I said, I said I was going to do it for $1,000, a 45-minute set. I said, well, he actually was going She said, I'm gonna call you back. I never heard from him again, but she, she was on the committee. She said, we had $5,000 for you. We was gonna fly you, he's gonna room you. And so my whole purpose of saying that is you come across people that for whatever reason, I don't know if he's gonna keep the other $4,000, I don't know what was going on, but you got people who will mess over you all in the name of comedy. Yeah. Not knowing that this shit is hard, bro.

Right, but in all, in regards to that situation, uh, too, so listen to your situation. You're part of the blame and he's part of the blame. He's part of the blame. You got to set a standard for yourself. They got enough money to fly you out there, I get you a hotel. I would refuse. I like that, I like that. I would refuse to go anywhere.

Damn.

Hey, you want me Yeah, like you, you reaching out to me, but you, you know what I'm saying, but you don't have the accommodation. So you want me to be professional, you want me to be professional and perform in front of this audience. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, give a quality show. Keep in mind I'm in the church, so I've got to be, you know, make sure I'm respectful and read the guidelines, you know what I'm saying, of, of all that, that comes along with it. Make sure I ain't cursing, uh, cursing and disrespecting the church, you know what I'm saying, like that. You obviously, you still got to act like, you know what I'm saying, you a businessman and be respected. Because, you know, Black folks, we act, you know what I'm saying, we have a different type of, uh, standard than everybody else, you know, especially particularly in our, in our church. That's true. So you got to govern yourself accordingly. So you, you mean tell me you want me to have all of this, fly myself down there and put myself in a Ray Sorrell. Yeah, what?

Yeah, I, I like, I like you said that because a lot of people, a lot of comedians, entertainers, people in general, they don't know their worth, you know what I'm saying? A lot of people in general don't understand what it means to— like, you can be a mechanic and you can be the best mechanic in there, but you're getting paid the less or the least because you don't, you don't necessarily understand your worth. And I like you saying that because how do you know— and this is a loaded question— how do you know when you're worth it? Because, you know, we all went through the process of I'm performing for, um, what you call it, uh, what's the word that they use? Uh, I'm performing for— Goddamn, what the fuck was it called? When they just— hold on, look, it's right here in the things. And I'm gonna mess it up. Damn it. Well, basically you're performing to just get exposure.

That's the word.

Like, like, I just want to do exposure. And then you go from that to $50 shows to $100 shows to maybe headlining. How do you know at what stage you say, no, I'm really worth XYZ? Like, does the crowd, does the people tell you that, or is that something you know within yourself?

I mean, it's a a little bit of both. Okay. I mean, it's from a perspective of the people that's willing to pay you, the people that enjoy you, the people that, that recommend that or suggest that you're worth it. And only that— not only that, if what you're putting out solidifies that, hey, this is this is something that's worth that, then you are. Like, you know what I mean? And, and like, if you're an entertainer and if you don't know that you— if you're giving a good show, stop, stop entertaining. Stop. Any, any, any, any, any comic that is— or so-called comic that don't know if they funny or not Probably ain't. Yeah, like, you know, and that's okay. Like, you hear what I'm saying? That's okay. But once you notice that, be like, hey, listen— and I get it, there are different stages in regards to kind of— like, I didn't call myself a true stand-up comic until literally I was about maybe like, you know, maybe like 10 years in. But that was just for me. And the reason why is because I wanted to be at a space wherever, like, okay, uh, can I hold my own on stage? What, what accolades do I have to solidify that I'm a true comic? Does other comedians value me or look at me as a, like, uh, um, as a comedian? Does, uh, people that's above me value me as a funny comedian. What I mean by people, other major headliners— can, uh, can I go in a room full of headliners and be like, oh, he funny? Yeah. Uh, can I— can they— can they take me to no matter what city and state and I can hold my own? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Can it be a bunch of funny comics and it don't matter what order I go in? I don't have to be just as funny as them or whatever, as long as I'm funny. Yeah. And people like, hey, they get it. They get a good job, then that means I'm supposed to be here. Uh, and, and so there's different levels of proving. Like, once, once I got to the point where I could satisfy people that paying money to see me, you know, that's when I was like, oh, okay, I'm a comic. Yeah, I'm a comic. If nobody has never paid money Whoever see you, to see you, to see you.

Now, now, now, hold on. To see you, not the headliner, not the headliner.

To see you.

Because hold on, sometimes they think it's about this.

Oh my God. Oh, it's a lot of comics do that though.

Oh man, you know, for Ricky Smiley, they was not there for you. Yeah, they was there for Ricky.

Yeah, that is, that is not the same. And, and I get it, like, you know, like everybody had this thing where you opening up with somebody or whatever. Yeah, I get it. But if that's never been the case, and also if nobody of a higher status can look at you and say, hey, listen, I will give you good money, or I'm okay with paying, like, for instance, like Um, I've had bookings where big-time headlines be like, hey, listen, I need you to, you know, do this theater show with me. You know, it's gonna pay, you know, a couple of grand. We'll get you a hotel. You got to be funny. Yeah, you get what I'm saying? Yeah, not like this serious, but let's say for instance somebody offered you $5 grand for 10 minutes. Oh wow, man. Dang, you got to be fun, man.

You gotta bring it in. Yeah, yeah, man.

And like, it ain't no— ain't nobody doing that for, for shits and giggles. Like, you know, like, can you do this? You know what I'm saying? I don't, I don't, I don't do— you know, you can't be like, I'm, you know, I'm confident.

No, not that confident.

Hey, give me my damn money back.

That, that's when you gotta know what you know. Yeah. And you kind of led to what I was going to say. As a comedian, I'll be honest with you, I'm not a very arrogant person. When I'm cutting hair, I am. I feel like can't nobody outcut me because I've been cutting hair since 7th grade. That's 40 years of cutting hair. But when I'm on stage, it's something clicked in me. Matter of fact, I'm gonna tell you what happened. I was talking to Rodney Perry on the Tom Joyner Cruise some years ago. Just so happened we sit next to each other, just start talking. Cool brother, shout out to Rodney Perry.

Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely.

And Rodney Perry said, because I'm asking about these same type of questions, and Rodney Perry said, it came a point in my life where I said I'm only going to be doing headliner. He said, even if I'm working with other headliners, I'm only going to do headliner. I'm no longer a feature. And I said, when did you get to that stage? Said, something have to snap in you. And I remember I was on stage one night and I was killing. I mean, I was literally killing in front of a room I had never performed in. Wasn't like it was a whole bunch of my cousins and stuff there. And in my back of my mind, I said, I'm a headliner now. Like, like I was headlining the show, but I still didn't believe that I was a headliner. I just knew I was funnier than everybody else that was going to be on the show. But the guy booked me as a headline. And when I tell you there's a level of arrogance, not arrogance, confidence that comes where you say, you know what, I might not be the funniest, but I can hold my own. And I think as a comedian, we gotta have that 'cause there's so many different things that we fighting against that we wrestling with. And if you don't have that level of I can hold my own, this industry's gonna eat you up. Oh yeah, absolutely.

I mean, you have to have a peace of mind, um, you have to know, uh, you have to be in a place where you can be okay with where you are and also be okay. And what I'm saying is, don't like don't exclude yourself from other opportunities or don't strive anymore. But I know a lot of comics that no matter the success, they're unhappy. Yeah, you know what I'm saying?

Oh, you're right, you're right.

And this is another thing I was talking about, that therapy shit. Yeah, yeah, you know what I'm saying? No, no, no, no, no. I know a lot of comics that make millions of dollars and they, you know, they going through hell and they drunk, they high.

And I'm not dogging anybody out, I'm not gonna— of course I'm gonna say the names, but I've been on— performed with people and I'm like, this is drunk. Like, he can't perform if he's not drunk. He can't perform if he's not high. And I'm like, damn. So with that being said, what you said earlier is 100% correct, because the stage ain't doing it. You got— you got the money, you— but unfortunately, something else going on that, like you said, maybe a therapist can dig into. Absolutely.

So that's the reason why when comics say that Like, where do y'all get this from? Like, there's like, if I'm a shitty father, me doing 10, 20 minutes of comedy, you gonna erase the fact I'm a shitty father?

All of a sudden your kids are better.

Yeah, everybody good now. Everybody good. Love everybody now. Daddy here. Daddy had a good set tonight. Love you.

Well, Daddy, I forgive you now.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I wasn't around on this past year, but glad they laugh. I did fine.

I'm just You said something really— you said, what if you bomb?

Right?

Like that, you know what I'm saying? Uh, do me one favor, uh, look into that camera right there. Give everybody all your social media stuff. You got some shows coming up or whatever, uh, let me know. I mean, let them know how they can get in contact with you. That's the most important thing because you want to push that out.

All right, uh, it's your boy comedian Lamar Jones, man. Listen, uh, follow me on social media, uh, my Instagram, Comedian Lamar Jones. I'm also on TikTok as well. I'm on Facebook as Lamar Jones, man. If you need to, uh, reach out to me, definitely inbox me on one of those, uh, uh, one of those sites, social media outlets. And please, for bookies, bookies, Let's, let's be professional. This is not a drug transaction, okay? Let's talk business. One of the biggest pet peeves that I've been having lately, man, and I'm sorry to go on this rant in front of you.

Go ahead, you do it.

Bookies, for some odd reason, will come to you with these ideas about a show And they trying to get their money together.

Yeah, get your money together first.

Get your money together first. Yeah, hey D. Yes, before you do any of this other shit, don't, don't sit up there and be like, hey man, I got this idea, let's start promoting the show. You ain't sent me my deposit, we ain't got no contract. You may say, bro, I don't know you like that, bro.

You, you, you Yeah, you cooking with Chris.

Oh my God, bro. Book it. Or here's the other thing, bookies, we are not partners. I'm an independent contractor. I'm the talent. You come to me with this, with the ideas of the show. You sell this damn place out. If I don't sell it out, I'm paid to make people laugh. If it's my show then that's a complete different conversation. True. If we going half and half to say, hey, we finding a venue and we both gonna sell this place out, then that's a complete different conversation. Yes. But if you come to me and you telling me, hey, listen, I have a venue, I have an idea for a show. Yeah. I have a list of comics that I want to book. You one of them. I need you to sell. No, you don't. No, you do not need me to sell anything. How the hell you think you gonna get me for a set price if I'm selling tickets? Have you lost your rabbit ass mind? Is that what these fuckers, man?

No, no, it is funny because I, I don't know if they do other entertainers like that, but they definitely push comedians on that right there, man.

I've done shows, bro, not to hold you like—

you good, bro.

They don't even— they, they claim they ain't got no budget, a strong enough budget for the comedian, and they want us to sell the show out and perform, but they don't ask the DJ for shit.

I ain't— you know what, I ain't never seen the DJ have to sell tickets.

Never. And I know some great DJs, so there's no issue with the DJ, but it's like, what is up with these books? And this is where, you know, this is why I said I thank God for comedy clubs. Yeah, because comedy clubs, you ain't got to go through that. Yeah, comedy club, you ain't got to go through that at all. Now, all bookies are not bad. Like, I've met some great bookies.

Yeah, but then I met some terrible ones, a bunch of terrible So before I let you go, man, I gotta ask you this because I, I, it seems that you have a great networking system. How important is it to network as far as being able to book shows? And you know, because you know, likability is one big thing. KG talked about that last night, um, uh, comedian KG, right? Yeah, yeah, he talked about that last night. He said you got to be likable, man. I'm like, well, I'm not very likable. He said, well, you got to work on that. Like, he was so sincere. He's like, you gotta work on that. And I was like, yeah, you're right. But I said, but I like being an asshole sometimes. He said, yeah, but you ain't gonna go nowhere with that. And he said it in such a nice way that I went to sleep thinking about that shit.

Like, well, you can't— you can't be— you can't be an asshole. You can't. That's not gonna ever work in, in a comic space. I don't care. I like— it's only gonna go so far. Uh, but I will say this. You ain't gotta kiss nobody's ass, that part. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I— like, like, if I don't know you like that, I'm not about to make it seem like, you know, we the best of friends, you know what I'm saying? Like, you don't have to, bro. I'm grown, man. I'm in my 40s, bro. I don't got time. I— man, I done been through too much shit in my life.

Yes sir, yes sir.

To feel like I need to be running up to these Lees straight. Hey buddy, hey, hey, what you doing? Hey, you want to hang out over here? You want— you know what I'm saying? Try to alter or figure out what your mood swing is based on how you feeling this particular time and day in your life. See me perform, make your assessment there. Long as I ain't disrespectful to you, I ain't cussing you out or yelling or screaming or, you know, having anger issues towards you. Don't look at me as— I'm, I'm not your servant. I'm in my 40s. I'm not your little bro. Yeah, I'm a grown-ass man. I got, I got kids. I got responsibility. Treat me as such. Now, I understand, as like, you know, in regards to the professional realm of like, hey, listen, if I'm working with someone, somebody's my boss, that's completely different. Like, I understand it. Like, hey, listen, my boss is telling me, hey, it would like the flow of the show be this way, that way, or whatever. Cool. Yeah, you know, but I don't— after the show, if we don't talk, it's all good. It's all good. Yeah, I got shit I need to take care of.

And what's funny is, on your job, everybody ain't your friend on your job. So why do people think every comedian is your friend? Like, why? Some people I don't like. Some people don't like me. That's cool.

That's cool.

I can work with you, not like you.

Yeah.

And listen, nobody in the room would know. Oh, nobody in the room would know.

It's the difference if I'm— now I'm like this. I can work with you if there's— if it's money involved and somebody's booking the show and I don't like you, I can work with you. But if I'm booking it—

oh no, I ain't gonna book.

I ain't booking.

Yeah, yeah. If I don't like you, your name ain't gonna come up. It's too many other people out here that's hungry. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

If it's my money involved, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm not, I'm not boogie.

I don't know what to tell you. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Because then you bomb, I really ain't gonna like, hey, nigga, you fucked up my money. Yeah, you fucked up the church's money and everything. Hey man, I want to say thank you. I appreciate you again for coming through, um, doing your thing. Keep doing your thing. Keep inspiring people. Again, you never know who's watching you. And that day I saw you walking through the Hollins parking lot, going to car to car, person to person, smiling. And then came to where all— I mean, it was a whole bunch of Black folks out there smoking cigars, listening to music, whatever. And you stood out to me because I was like, that's why you sold your house, Ray, moved to Dallas. Why are you up here smoking? You supposed to be over there finding an open mic or something. I wasn't on my grind. I just— there's no other way around it. Yeah, when I saw you, I literally left this spot. I was with the female and I stopped in front of West End. I took a picture of your name. He said, what you doing? I said, hold on one second. And I pulled over and I sent you a friend request and you accepted it. Now let me show you how I'm a dick. I didn't come to your show though. Oh man, you know what I'm saying? I didn't come to your show though. And I thought about that when I asked you to come here. I'm like, you didn't come to his show. Now I've seen him perform in other plots, but I'm like, he inspired you, but you didn't spend no money with him. You know what I'm saying? But I'm saying that was me convicting myself, like, right, you got to do better at that, you know what I'm saying? But I thank you again for your time. I appreciate y'all. Hey, listen, this is your boy Ray Can't Get Right. We are Turning Corners. We are out here. We will be in your city. Uh, inbox us, let us know what's going on. Let us know who your favorite comedian is, because there's, you know, the whole show is designed of comedians you know, it's comedians you should know. This is your boy Ray Can't Get Right. I holla. Thing about being the Trailblazer, you gonna smell like smoke.

Going city to city, we turning corners. When you with Trailblazer, smell