STACY ANDERSON

Thing about being a Trailblazer, you 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 coach. 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.

Comedian Stacy Anderson.

Did you point?

I didn't see the point. Did you point?

I was like, the music's up, you know.

I'm trying not to look at you.

No, that's why I'm laughing. Don't worry about it, girl. Stacy Anderson, you good. It's not that serious. Oh my God, that is so funny. It is so funny. Oh my Welcome, welcome, welcome to Turning Corners, girl. I'm so happy. Thank you so— uh, listen, I'm excited. I'm excited because I think you're a dope-ass comedian. Uh, I met you some years ago, which we're going to talk about. Um, first of all, where are you from, Stacy?

I'm from Brooklyn, New York.

Are you serious?

I am. I mean, I've lived a lot of places. Uh-huh. I'm, uh, uh, both my parents met in the military, so I was born in Fairborn, Ohio on the Air Force Base. Ain't that crazy?

Fairborn, Ohio.

Yeah.

Where is that at?

It's in Fairborn, Ohio.

I mean, is it close to Columbus? Is it close to Dayton?

I don't know, actually. I really don't know how close it is to— I was in Dayton. I say Dayton. So it's probably as close to Dayton. And, um, I was like, dang, my mama done got fine, got a six-pack, you know, went through all the basic training and then got pregnant right away. Like, that's crazy.

That's crazy. Well, that's why she got pregnant.

Yeah.

Somebody was like, oh, I gotta, I gotta get that.

My dad was like, yo mama was— whoa, she was a brick house.

Yo mama probably still bad. That girl.

I mean, she is, she's very—

yeah, come on now. Yeah, good dreams. I got good dreams. Um, so what brought you to Houston?

Yeah, okay, so what brought me to Houston?

She said, yeah, okay, I'm about to get right in there. Okay, let's go.

I live north, you know what I'm saying? So I used to live in— I was in New York, and then, um, that's my mom's side of the family. And then I moved— I would go to Minnesota and Ohio. So that's where I would travel, like, during summers or holidays. So, um, I left New York at like 12. My mom was like, you know what, you big now, you can make your own decisions. I said, I want to move to Minnesota then. I want to go because my granny used to— I'm the first grandchild, so she spoiled me.

So you spoiled?

I'm spoiled by Granny. Okay. Got to Minnesota and didn't know how cold it was. Okay, it's 80 below wind chill out there. Yeah, so that's what made me come to New York, or to leave Minnesota. I went back to New York and then I came to Houston because I was like, you know what, I want some warmth. I don't like this cold. It's horribly cold.

So your mom was in Houston then at the time?

Nobody was here.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Hold on.

Hold on.

Hold on.

Hold on. Hold on.

Hold on. Hold on. This is— I like this already. You mean to tell me as a woman, you moved here and your family wasn't here?

No, but I'm going to tell you who was here. OK. So living in Minnesota— I lived in Minnesota for 10 years. OK. OK, 12 to like 22. Around that, right? Went to high school and did college out there, and it was horribly cold. One of my friends from high school moved here to Houston and invited us to come see it, and we loved it. Me and some other friends from high school, we loved it. So we decided we're gonna move down here and move in, like, you know, see what it's about, try to make it work.

It's warm.

There's, you know, I like the fact that it had grass because New York ain't got nothing but concrete. You know, I like the fact that you had— you could drive your car and all that stuff, but it was warm. That was the main thing, you know. So came down here, me and my friends, and within a year they all moved back to their respective areas. I had a '92 Toyota Camry. This is back in '08. My car did not make it back. I've been here ever since.

So you decided to leave your family, follow your dreams, and actually moved to Texas. Of all places, you decided to come to Texas.

Houston. Yep.

Yes. Now, now, I like how you said that quick, like it wasn't just any part, not just anybody, because I mean, Houston is different.

Okay.

Of all places I've lived in, and I even considered moving here a couple of years ago, but between the traffic and the traffic and the traffic. Uh, that is the number one thing that I was like, no. And part of me kind of wish I would have moved here because I was like, I would look for a place for comedy. So Dallas and Houston were like, I was going back and forth, but that traffic. And then I remember y'all had a couple of floods that— but for you to do that, that's very brave of you.

Thank you.

No, I'm serious. I'm not saying like, like, I'm just saying like, that's true. That's big.

Yeah, I know you ain't just trying to tickle You know, my ego and stuff like that.

Yeah, that's real.

And the crazy thing is like my friends, they moved from, they came from Minnesota and drove here. I came from New York and drove here. It's 22-something hours, up to 24 hours of a drive because Texas is huge, you know? And we came from the North. They thought that I was riding with somebody. I had to lie because these are my homegirls. We went to high school together.

They wouldn't have let you do that.

No, they was like, who you with? I always be like, oh, she sleep. I ain't have no money.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What year did you move to Houston?

'08. Were there cell phones in a '92 Toyota Camry? Yeah, there were. Yes, there were cell phones. I had a cell phone.

I'm not being funny, I'm just saying.

'08, yes, it was— there was cell phones.

But even then, were you buying minutes?

It wasn't minutes at that time, really.

It wasn't— it wasn't like after 9 type stuff, you know what I'm saying? Not, I'm gonna call you right back, you know, right?

Like, I gotta call you on the weekend, I'll be there on the weekend.

And that's how you knew it was important.

That's how you—

because if I use my anytime minutes with you, I liked you.

Exactly.

You know what I'm saying? Wow, that's crazy.

So I had no money. I had $247 to my name. Um, I didn't have no hotel money. I slept in a gas station in my car though, underneath the light, you know. Like, it was dark and I was tired. I couldn't drive no more. And I was like, dang, let me pull over. I think I was in like Tuscaloosa somewhere. I was en route to here. And I parked underneath the brightest light at the gas station. I was like, I'm going to just take, if I go to sleep now, it's like 2:30, I'll be waking up when the sun's coming up and then I could drive the rest of the way. You know what I'm saying? And I fell asleep and I woke up to some dudes, I could hear talking around my car. And I opened my eyes and I sat up because I was kind of leaned over, trying to be comfortable because I had all my stuff in the backseat and all this other stuff. So I sat up and they all was like, yo, she's alive. They thought I was a dead body. They thought I was a dead body that somebody just parked in the gas station and just left for dead. They just thought I was dead, left it there for, for, you know, discovery. And, um, that was better than a cup of coffee. I was like, aight, I'm outta here. And I drove the rest of the way to Houston.

You know what, for, for some people, they don't understand what it's like to step out on faith. Or just do something out the norm, right? And the fact that you moved with all your belongings, all my belongings, that's, that's, that's brave. Yeah, like that, that's, that's really brave. Um, how long were you in Houston before you started doing comedy?

2 years.

Really?

I had no— and people be like, you left New York and started doing comedy?

Okay, Houston. Yeah, you, you already on it.

Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So people said that So because I lived in a lot of different places, 'cause of my parents and all that stuff, I was afraid of New York. I wasn't even afraid of New Yorkers per se, I was afraid of my family. Because my family keep it real, you know what I'm saying? I remember when I was a little girl, it was Thanksgiving and the food ain't ready. Black folks, we always wait until the last, we start cooking when you come, you know, on Thanksgiving. So the family murmuring, they hungry, you know what I'm saying?, and I had this brilliant idea to like, let's put on a play or a musical for the family while we waiting. I'm young. I'm like, I don't know, about 10. So I cut up these little tickets and I taught my cousins a real quick raggedy old dance routine. I think it even had like from, what's that movie, um, with Patrick Swayze when he's dancing? You know what I'm talking about? That movie?

Uh, Dirty Dancing. Nobody puts baby in the corner.

There you go.

Dirty Dancing.

So I just learned about that pickup move at the end, you know. I was like, okay. So I had my little cousin, I had us all doing this, this crazy dance just to, you know, kill time. And we did it, picked the girl up. My little cousin almost dropped her or whatever, and we was done. Like, yeah, you know, I felt good. Like, yeah, look what we did. And my aunt was like, I want my money back.

Like, little kid, you just doing your thing.

My feelings, I was destroyed instantly, you hear me? Because I was like, I'm expecting to Cuz in Minnesota, my family, they, they hug, they love. And in New York, they keep it real. Like, they do not sugarcoat.

Fuck your play, right?

Like, they just— let me crush your dreams as a little kid like this and smoke a cigarette, throw a hand.

You gonna never be Debbie Allen. I'm just playing.

That part, like, no, it was— I was devastated. Like, I, I had put so much effort. I had everybody come through a certain door. I was like, yeah, we about to kill it. Like, I felt so good. And instantly my dreams was like that smashed me and whatever. So I didn't want to do comedy in New York because I was like, if I ever get that feeling again— like, that feeling resonated, it stayed with me, you know what I'm saying? Like, I had to be delivered of that emotion.

Yo, that's crazy.

Yeah. So when I got here, it's crazy. Like, I used to smoke a lot of weed, you know? And, uh, I had moved into this apartment complex. My friends, they done left back to Minnesota to their respective places. They couldn't, like, make it work out here. My car broke down, so I had no way to get back to New York, right? And so I had an apartment, and I had just moved in there, and I was like, I need some weed. So I knew if I walk around, I could probably find somebody who smoke weed, because who don't smoke weed? Almost everybody. And I was listening out for bass. That's a telltale sign. I heard some dude bumping music, right? Shout out to Blue the Comedian. It was Blue. I ran into this comedian named Blue. I didn't know him from nothing. We just so happened to live in the same apartment complex. And so we ended up chopping it up, got to be friends, and I would get my stuff from him or whatever. And one day we just burning, and he was like, yo. He was like, tell me something you always wanted to do. And I was like, man, I always wanted to try to do comedy, you know what I'm saying? He's like, say less, I got a room. My heart dropped to my feet because you know, you say something to somebody about what you want to do, don't nobody be like, yo, I got everything you need to have that happen. So now I gotta put my, you know, I gotta stand up to what I just said. Yeah, so that's how, that's when I started comedy at this room he had. I can't remember, Mac Lounge, it's called the Mac Lounge off of Westheimer. And, um, yeah, man, and that was it. That's how I started, and I've been doing it ever since, you know what I'm saying? Good times. And, um, I'm talented at it. Like, I'm good at it.

You're very good at it.

Um, didn't know— I've always been funny. And, you know, moving from place to place, um, with or without my parents, you know, I would leave my mom and move over here, leave— I didn't really grow up with my dad because he was fine, and I was the first And he was still sowing his oats, you hear me? Like, he was a man. Anyway, yeah, so living with people outside of your parents, you better know how to like be clever, say the right things to keep people off of you, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, because you're gonna get mistreated some kind of way. But What level of mistreatment is going to happen? Because it ain't your parents taking care of you. So I learned to be witty and quick, fast, early, to be funny, to make you not want to hurt me. I'm yellow too, in the, in the '90s, in the '80s and the '90s.

That's, that's why, like, even right now I'm listening to you and it seems like you was battling things even as a kid. Like, like you knew you had this gift You knew you had this gift, you knew you were talented, you knew you had an imagination, but it was people around you that seemed— seemed, I don't know, seemed to be dream killers. I mean, you know what I'm saying? Like, and I'm not saying they were, but it seems like that at times they, they didn't understand you was trying to blossom. And she said, uh-uh, because, because, you know what I'm saying?

Like, like I said, my family in New York, they do not sugarcoat nothing. It. They, they came up the way they came up, and I don't know what I look like, but they wanted to instill strength in me. But it kind of— they went overboard. Like, dang, you're gonna just keep slamming my fingers in the door? Like, I get it. Like, you know what I'm saying? So that was that side. But then on— so it was, it was extreme, you know, trying to encourage and strengthen me. But then on my, my dad's side in Minnesota and in Ohio, they gave a lot of love. Like, even when they were like the people on— when you watch American Idol and you be thinking like, who encouraged them to get up and sing in front of people? Like, you were in front of like Paula Abdul and Lionel Richie, and you sound like that. That was the love that my family in Ohio and in Minnesota gave. Like, they never say no, you sound bad, you ain't— you know, they were just encouraged. So I had polar opposites growing up.

You know, but that would make sense with why you also wanted to go back to Minnesota.

Yeah, exactly.

Because you had enough sense to realize, okay, that's love over there. Not saying the other side wasn't love, but I think a lot of people grow up with that, with that. So I, I didn't want to even ask this question, but you brought it up and I never even thought about it. Being more fair-skinned, do you feel like being more fair-skinned was was an issue in some situations. Uh, I've never thought about colorism in, in comedy or with family because my black ass, you know, but now that you're saying it, I've heard people, uh, especially people that have mixed and stuff like that, uh, they talk about how this side of the family treats them one way, and they'll say you high yellow, or they'll say little words or things. And I never thought about that as a comedian or as just a person, like what that does to you or how does that affect you.

So for me, it didn't really affect me.

Like, you're dope.

Say that one more time.

Yeah, you're dope. You're dope as fuck.

Thank you.

No, I'm being honest.

I mean, yeah, and I appreciate the honesty, you know, because some people want to hold it back. And look, look, anybody that ever told you differently was a fat face I like.

I'm just saying, I'm just saying, like, yeah, I'm being honest.

Like, okay, and I like, I receive all that, but for me, okay, so my dad is high yellow, my mother's mother is high yellow with red hair. I look just like my father, but I have characteristics of my grandmother on my mother's side. She's from the islands where we're Bajan. I've never been there.

You said where?

We're from Barbados. We're Bajan.

Barbados.

I've never been there.

Oh, I love Barbados.

Oh man, I need to go.

Oh, I'll tell you a story off camera.

Okay, okay. Yeah, so I had yellow, I had light skin. In Minnesota, my family, they intermix. Like there's Black, white, Mexican in the family. My grandfather's Japanese. He married my grandmother after her kids, you know what I'm saying?

You said your grandfather?

Japanese.

Is Japanese.

Japanese. Married my grandmother after her kids.

So he— but she's from the islands?

Nope, that's my mother— my dad's side.

So you just have everywhere. You are the United Nations.

That part.

That's dope.

At my high school graduation, I lived with my best friend, and, um, the family all came. You know, we all graduated high school at the same time, me and my best friend, you know. So the party was at her people's house. So when my Mexican uncle and my white aunt and my Japanese grandfather and my distance and that all came They was like, what is Stacy? You know what I'm saying? Because I'm—

what is Stacy?

What is she? You know what I'm saying?

Is she Mexican?

Right. What is she? You know, they can't say—

we canceled already.

Yeah, you know, that's because we in Texas. You thought about it. But I mean, I had a Puerto Rican follow me home from the train station who couldn't speak no English. He walked me all the way home, basically behind me. And then right as I go to get into my gate, this is in Brooklyn, he was like, uh, excuse me, pardon. I was like, oh, I don't speak Spanish. He's like No habla español. Yeah, he's Puerto Rican. He walked me all the way home thinking he gonna try to, you know, rap to me, get my information. I'm not Spanish.

No, no, no, no, homes.

Oh man, you should have seen his face fall.

Oh, and this is before ICE, so he really was interested.

Oh man, he walked 4 blocks.

Well, he's from Puerto Rico. That's America. I mean, I mean, Trump don't think it is, but So, so how long now have you been doing comedy?

I've been doing comedy— this will be my 16th year.

16 years? Yes. Wow.

16 years.

So we're looking at—

oh, a long time. I started— I took a break because I had like— I had a mental break, you know what I'm saying? Like an enlightenment moment, right? Um, that was hard. And then I got into clean comedy.

Hold on, let's stay there just for a second. You know, what do you mean when you say you had a— because you hit me on something that I had to go through. But I just wanted to see if our experiences was the same. Similar? Yeah.

So, like, God has a way of getting you, right? Getting your attention. I say when I moved here, '08, everybody left. That was my Abrahamic moment. Like when you leave everybody.

Okay, Atlanta, us, us. I mean, us.

Come on.

Okay.

Come on. I'm listening. My friends is gone now, and I'm in my apartment, and I'm communicating with them. They just left, you know what I'm saying? And my homegirl— like, I love music. That was one constant besides school in my whole life was music. I love music. My mom gave me a great, you know, love of music. So my best friend, she called me and she was telling me about some, some videos that she was watching on YouTube talking about how some musicians be sacrificed for fame. And this is back in 2010. I ain't never heard of Before the Illuminati, you know, right before all that. So I'm like, what? So I'm looking online and it— I got like polarized by it. I watched it, every video that came out, I watched it all day. I, when I went to work, that's the only time I didn't watch it. I came back and watched it again. And I was doing comedy, I would be like stuck. Sometimes I wouldn't get out and do comedy at the open mics. I'm just starting, you know what I'm saying? And, um, I wouldn't go out. And like, I just did that 9 months straight.

So help me understand, you didn't go out because of the fear of—

mm-mm, mm-mm, because I was so polarized. Like, it had my attention. Like, I would go out sometimes, but if this video is good, you ain't going nowhere. I'm not going nowhere. And it was video after video. I didn't catch it at the beginning of the series. I had videos to catch up on. And so, um, after a while, my question— now my brain is like, why though? Why would they do that? Like, there was no— you could— now you go to TikTok and figure it all out, but at the time I'm like, why? Like, because when Aaliyah died, oh my goodness, me and my dude, I— at the time I was in college, I was like, bro, get away from me. He's like, you don't even know her, shut up, I'll break up with you right now. That's Aaliyah. Like, so when I found out that she was sacrificed is what they saying, like, it answered my questions from college, 2000, early 2001 or something like that. This is now 2010. And like everything's, I'm like, I'm polarized. You know what I'm saying? And I'm wondering why. And I went through like Tavis Stock, racism. And it took me as I continue, you know how they say babies all be like, but why? I kept saying, but why? And I got all the way to the Bible. And I wasn't raised in church, you know, but I'm here in the Bible Belt. And I'm like, I don't know if God is real. The only videos that I would watch or TV I would watch at that time was Creflo Dollar. Right, that was all. He was entertaining, you know what I'm saying? But I didn't know anything. So now I'm scared because I watched all that and I heard about these evils and how, you know, the bank and all these people trying to mess you over. And like, you know, uh, what's that, uh, Alex Jones? I'm watching Alex Jones now. I'm paranoid and I'm terrified. And all my family, like, all my friends are gone. Nobody's here. I'm by myself. So I just fell to my knees. I said, God, I don't know if you real, but if you're real, I need you to show yourself to me because I'm scared. I don't even want to go outside. I want to close all my bank accounts.

That's dope.

I'm horrified. And I promise you, Ray, I ain't even joking. You know how people say they hear God, he's a still small voice? I only heard him one time. He's never— he don't want to terrify me, I'm assuming. But at the time, I'm on the floor and I'm crying because I'm scared. Who's gonna believe me? If you, you had to watch everything I watched and then like go through every video I went through— Tavistock, Tuskegee Experiment— I went through all that. I can't really give you what I went through so you could get to where I'm at. And do I want you where I'm at? I'm on the floor crying and I said, if you real, Lord, manifest yourself to me, please. And I heard, read my word. That's all, that's it. Read my word. 3 words. I had never read the Bible. The next day I ran out and got a Bible. I'm reading it, and when I say it read like French— okay, okay, all right, I got the word. Now you said get the word, I got the word, but what is this saying? So I was like, I need to go somewhere where they'll tell me what the word is. I gotta find a church. So I'm living in a certain part of Houston, and I'm driving around, I find a church. I found a church.

So all this, all, all this, this revelation these situations that you're going through. This is a, a pinnacle part of your life. It is where it's changing your mindset. And it's, and it's interesting because as a Black person, most of us are indoctrinated in church.

Yes.

Like, we don't have a choice. We are mandated. Mandated.

Yeah.

Or you're gonna get your ass kicked.

God, you know, y'all live there all week for hours.

I grew up Jehovah's Witness. So we used to knock on doors, lady throw some mop water on me. Oh, it was Pine-Sol too. That's why I use Fabuloso today.

That's why your skin looks so good.

That's what it is, because that bitch didn't put that shit on me anyway.

She put that on you. I'm sorry that that happened to you though.

No, no, it's okay. My eyes were burning and shit. My mama was looking for the help. She's like, which apartment was it? You know what I'm saying?

Are you gonna put this Jehovah's Witness stuff on the side?

Yeah, made me miss Kung Fu Theater on Saturdays. But anyway, Uh, but no, I think that's dope because in this comedy thing, in this comedy thing, you got to have, in my opinion, a base. You got to have a base. Now, your base don't have to agree with my base. The way you look at the world don't have to be— but there's a lot of darkness. This is what I really— what I like this because there's a lot of darkness that comes with this. And as one person said, we're dealing with spiritual things because— talk to my boy DJ— he said that we're almost maestros when we're on stage. We're moving spirits because you might come in in a bad mood, but then I don't even know you, but I made you laugh and forget about your pain. That's right. But when we leave the stage, a lot of times— and you know this as well as I do— we're empty. Hmm. Because good set, bad set, good show, bad show, when we leave the stage, oftentimes we're drained because we've given our energy, we've given our, you know, our creativity, we, we've done all these things. Plus, not to mention our nerves and stuff. Now I gotta fuck with this nigga about getting my money, like all the different things. And what he said was, after you pour out, you need somebody to pour back into you. And I'm listening to you and I'm hearing his voice right now when he said that. So what do you think about that?

I think— I don't think it's absolute for everybody because it depends on how you carry yourself, right? Yeah, you can. I've seen people come off stage dripping.

They gave it.

Yeah, yeah. Oh my God, just, just ring it out, you know what I'm saying? I, I see that. I see people that do. I've felt that at times. Yes. Or I just— I'm sweating, you know, I'm dripping or whatever. Um, but I've never— I don't want to deal with the, the BS of where's my money, you know what I'm saying? But I never felt completely empty. I think it's because I've lived a nomadic lifestyle and I've had to entertain to keep myself from getting into bad situations from childhood, whether it's my family, friends, new school, new class, this and that. I've done this so much, it's the same thing. I don't give everything where I'm empty at the end. I'm still good. I'm still good. If I have a bad set, the voices, I had to learn how to cast those out because you still did a good thing. You took somebody from their negative experiences. Preach, girl, preach.

Yeah.

And you brought them into your ignorant, funny world and you flipped the way they see stuff. Whether you talking about what's going on politically, which I don't usually deal with, but sometimes I got a little, you know, and it's still, I make you laugh. I make you forget about your circumstances. It's almost like when Jesus let Paul walk on the water. Don't look at the water, look at me on stage.

Come on, girl.

And let me change your situation for at least for an hour, homie. Let me do that. You know what I'm saying? But I've never felt exhausted. I've seen people do that though. I've seen that. And I don't know what to say to people who do that because you're doing a good thing, but you also have to have someone, like you said, pour into you. And that's why it's good to have friends, real friends. I, I don't know how—

hold on one second, hold on. Yeah, like you said, it's good to have friends, and I gotta ask you this, you mean friends in the business or just friends in general? Because you know, like I know, there's a huge difference.

There's a huge difference.

Of being a comedic friend that know what you're going through, but you look at me as competition.

That part.

And then there's the other side of it where you're just my friend and you just let me vent. Yes. I got gay when I did that, right? A little bit. I got it like, oh my God, like, okay, pause. Let me vent.

Yes. But your voice sound very masculine.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate it. The hands, the hand.

It was a hand. I'm sorry. It was a very weird motion.

Okay. Yeah, well, in the industry, yeah, that is a double-edged store like that. Like, what do you mean you might have to put an actual real title? Like, we should say what it is up front, for real. Don't just give blanketed statement friend because that means a lot of things. Um, friends in the industry, they're really associates, right? They're really associates because at one moment we could be besties and the next moment we are against each other. We are competitors. You don't want to give me the best advice. You don't want to tell me how you move. Oh, you know what I'm saying? Because you think I might move and usurp you. And there are people that do that, so your feelings are valid, absolutely. And if you could separate the two and have— if you could have same, a friend and associate, a comedic associate, and in the same person, wow, amazing. But you might want to separate the two because it's going to be hard to find. Oh my God.

So are there, are there actually comedy mentors? Because I don't have one. I'm out here just balls to the wall by myself because I can honestly say I don't, I don't have comedic friends I have associates. I have a lot of damn associates, especially if I'm doing things that they may be able to benefit from. Yes, try not to say that, but yeah, I mean, it is what it is. But mentors, like, I hear the older comedians talk about this person took me up under the wing. I heard, you know, uh, Ricky Smiley talk about Steve Harvey and how he blessed them, and this person and set I, I, it seems to me, and maybe because I'm in the wrong city, it's— I'm just saying, it seems to me that it's very difficult to have one, real friends, two, mentors in something that we're all struggling in.

Yeah, there's not gonna be true— it's not gonna be genuine 100%. Understand that. I think this is me because remember I had a mental break and I was all in the industry That's what I was seeing, how they hurt each other to move up. You know what I'm saying?

So preach, girl. Don't make me start talking.

So what I think is, let's say someone do take you under their wing, you're going to benefit them too. Like, the benefit that they going to give you ain't going to be the same as the benefit you going to give them. And if you don't have a benefit to give them, they're not going to benefit you. They're not taking you. So it's selfish, but it's righteous because you, the littler person, looking for someone to do that, and they put you on another level that you wasn't getting to. But you putting them on another— you making them not work as hard because you probably not funny as them. So you— they letting you get some time, they paying you a little change because they don't want to do an hour and a half and really work. So they're gonna let you do something. But it's a win-win. It's probably a win-win. Mentors— there are none right now, in my opinion. They probably are, but not genuine ones. That the mentors that you're looking for are in the book. If you want to look for someone with a name, you know, go get a Richard Pryor book, go get an Eddie Murphy book where they kind of like— they like, I did it already, I could write it out. They didn't help nobody during, okay, because nobody helped them during, because dog eat dog. If you really want the mentor that got you on that stage, look up. It's the Most High.

Go to the Lord.

He gave you your talent. He gave it to you. He gave it to you. Just ask him to fine-tune it. He knows we're not perfect. He know you're gonna say some crazy stuff, but whoever you saying that to, that person needed it.

Mm-hmm.

So stand firm in what you doing. It's a gift. Look to him. You want him to order— your steps are ordered. You're here for purpose. So walk in that. Don't look to somebody else who's still trying to figure them out. They gonna try to get over on you. Is it integrity or is it iniquity? Which one are they doing it for? For their own righteous gain? Are they trying to really help you? And I cannot be in a room full of comics. There's no real conversation. Everybody's trying to be funny. Do your face ever hurt? Oh my gosh. Cause you laughing. They all retarded. They funny and retarded. I mean that. I work with mentally disabled people.

People.

And these retarded people I'm talking about are not like mentally disabled people. Those people smart. Yeah, but this is a different level. My face be hurting, bro. Like, you know, they like, we can do a road trip. I will not. All this will be sore. But you can't have a real conversation.

So, and this is part of the reason we're doing Turning Corners, because my main focus is comedians. I have other people that's going to be on the show, of course, but my main focus is comedians. Because it's hard to have a real conversation with a comedian. But I will drink to that when you do.

What'd you say? Say it again. It's hard to what?

It's hard. Listen, it's, it's, it's, it's very hard to have a real conversation with a comedian. And what's even funnier than that is— excuse me— comedians I don't know about you, I don't always want to be on. Sometimes I just want to be Ray again, you know what I'm saying? Even, even me, uh, when I'm at the barbershop— I'm a barber— and people will come to the shop and I'm quiet, they're like, what's wrong with you? I'm like, I'm just quiet, I'm watching TV, I'm on TikTok. And they kind of don't understand that sometimes I'm tired. But you said something that was so damn dope. It's a gift.

Mhm.

And when it's a gift, you got to treat it as a gift. Now that you know it's a gift and it was directed towards you, this is something I deal with personally. How do you, through all the hard work, the pain, the tears, all the, the stuff that we go through, the open mics and all the other shit. When I start getting blessed financially and in different rooms and God is elevating me, because only God can do this.

Yes.

How do you cut people off that don't mean you no fucking good?

Oh man. So I'm— look, you see how fast I—

no, this is where we at.

This is where we at. So I'm on a spiritual walk, cuz I'mma just quickly say I, I had my mental break. I was doing comedy before that mental break. I was just doing open mics, you know, met the dude smoking, and, you know, put me on stage, boom. Then I had a mental break. Now I wanna, I wanna change. I don't know how to change. Oh, I can't cuss no more. I don't want to talk about dirty stuff no more. I want to be clean because I'm scared, right? So I do clean comedy. Everybody starts knowing me for clean comedy. Now my comedy still is racy, okay? It's racy, but I'm not cussing.

It's clean.

Then I get hurt at the church. I get church hurt, right? They didn't teach me nothing. I mean, they gave me a foundation, but I get church hurt. Now I wanna— now I wanna cuss. I was doing this for y'all is what I felt like, because that's where God is, right? The church is where God is, and that's not true. That's man. Man is gonna hurt you, not God, right? I almost went apostate, okay? So then now I'm back to— I think I want to go back to— I want to go back to clean because I'm on a new— I'm on a reignited, uh, journey, you know. I'm— is— I've already— I have my foundation already. I want to know more now. I want to know more what they're not teaching. At church. So I'm online looking, I'm reading, and I learned what you said. How do you— how do you say stuff to people? When you say stuff to people in regards to your money or not helping— preach— and they get an attitude, they don't want you to tell them truth, right? You're not hurting that person because the Bible say we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, it's against the principality. That's the spirit. This place is full of spirit. Like you said, it's dark. This place is full of spirits. That the devil fell and brought two-thirds of angels. We don't even know how many angels there was to bring two-thirds, you know what I'm saying? So that's a lot of spirits you brought, and they use you, flesh, a body, to do their work. When you tell that person, no, I'm not doing that because you— I don't want to give you that, they shouldn't be mad at you, right? That's your friend. Why they mad at you for not giving them what you earned hard? You know, they didn't do it, they just want a handout. And when you tell them no, if they get mad, that's not them getting mad, that's that spirit not getting what it wants. Because that person is good until that question comes up, until that situation when they want something. They want you to do something. They need you to do something for them. They want you to agree with them or something. And you say no one time and it's like the teeth come out and you're like, who is you? Like, what? Now you wish me death?

How dare you say no? Right.

How dare you say no to me?

Explain your no because I, last time I heard, no was a complete sentence. I don't need to do anything else after no.

Do not.

But when you say no, so I, I, I gotta ask this too though, because I've, I've learned that the, the, the women, the, the, the, the women comedians, okay, female comedians, yes, have a whole different experience than the men. So if you are a female comedian that's thinking about getting into this, talk to them for me, because I, I can't, because I have— I don't understand it. Now I do understand, someone told me, you're funny but you're too big. I said, what do you mean? He said, Ray, you're bigger than most comics. What the fuck does that mean? I'm just— I'm me. But they say, no, your size intimidates people. What the fuck? Like, I'm just trying to be, you know what I'm saying? But then I started looking at comedians, I'm like, damn, ain't really no big— I didn't know it was a problem.

You know what? And I think that's by design because there's a lot of funny look— and forgive me, there's a lot of funny looking comics out. They look awkward, you know what I'm saying? They look nerdy, they got glasses. I don't know if this is the—

we talking about glasses now?

I'm sorry, your glasses are very stylish.

I can tell you, I appreciate it. I can't see shit out of them. Yeah, that's where I went to. Exactly. Girl, get out my business. Okay, go ahead.

They're very jazzy. But this is one comedian, he's probably hilarious, but his hair looks like a microphone and he's just nerdy. He looks nerdy, he wears funny clothes. Like, I don't understand why they putting out these itty-bitty comedians and they don't be that funny. And that's why I said I think it's by design. Okay, so you, you didn't choose your height and your structure. Yeah, because they've changed stuff right now. They're changing stuff right now.

Girl, talk, talk. Because, okay, are you okay? As a woman, yeah. Is there a difference?

There's a difference in, in approaching this, tackling this industry. Women right now, we are being recognized for our strength, and you need to walk in that because this industry is, is, is hard. It's out, it's hard out here. They want to bend you over. They want you to lessen your gift. Yeah, literally. They will make you wait. I stayed at a comedy room until everybody— it was only staff in there at the time. It was packed, and by the time I got to hit the mic, there was nothing but staff and tables and chairs. That was it. And I still stayed because it was to my benefit, and I made them people laugh, all 4 of them, while they were sweeping. And it was fine. Stay the course. If this is what you want to do, right? Don't just— if, if your jokes are dirty, there's nothing wrong with having dirty jokes, but figure out another way to say it. Don't just come out with, you know, vulgarity, because they gonna treat you that way. They gonna treat you like, oh, she want it. You know, you want this stage time? Let me see what that mouth do. Let me see what you could do. And a lot of people do compromise. A lot of women do compromise. And we're very overly sexy now. Overly sexy. So just write. I mean, it ain't nothing.

If you look at it. No, no, no, no, no. You're right. I saw a comedian recently, and they were just talking about certain body parts. I'm like, damn, baby, you killing yourself. Because she was funny, but she kept talking about certain body parts, and I'm like, uh, you don't need to say that.

And it depends on how long she's been in the game, because depending on how she is being groomed, like where is she going, uh, how— because a host, they will hold you back, or— but if they see you talking about something that they like, they're like, okay, I'm gonna let you go up. And so now you start fine-tuning your, your comedy to that, because that's what got you the opportunity to get on stage. And when you begin it, every time you get on stage, oh, thank you for the opportunity, thank you for the opportunity, thank you for the opportunity, not thinking that this is your gift and you blessing them with it. Because that open mic ain't nothing without my, you know, comedians coming up to do it. So it's like, yeah, wow, you know what I'm saying? You don't have to belittle yourself. You don't have to. And I know I've been there. I got some dirty, dirty jokes. And I mean, and that doesn't always work, you know. And you feel— now you talk about feeling exhausted doing stuff like that that ain't really in it's not your genuine attitude or position, your posture. You're changing for the— they say read the room and change up your jokes because of reading the room. Sometimes just be authentic. Yeah, that way you don't be so wore out because you're—

now you're working instead of being natural.

Instead of being natural.

So thank you. Something I didn't consider I really did not consider it until I started watching your videos with your son, who is a joy, right?

Yes.

Like, that's, that's, that's— he's a, he's a character by himself in a good way. Nothing negative, of course.

Oh yeah, definitely.

Um, I was thinking, even when us scheduling this, I, I've never had to worry about babysitters. Yeah. I've never had to worry about, you know, the childcare or whatever when I hit the mic or whatever. And that's another obstacle that a lot of female comedians have. If they have children, they have a family, say they got a husband, and you're saying, I'm going to an open mic with a room full of men.

Yep.

How do you, how, how do you balance between that, being a mother, being a comedian, being a wife, being you know, a dreamer, working a job. How do you balance that?

I'm gonna say, and it's gonna sound cliché, but God. Okay. And being authentic and not being afraid. You gotta be able to not be afraid. So with my son, like, and my husband and I, like, I don't know, my son is gonna know one day, but I was assaulted and that's how I ended up being a mother. It's okay. Because I wanted to be a mother. Not this way, you know. Okay. So I was doing well in comedy and now I'm pregnant and I have no family here. I've told this story before. I wrote jokes too. I wrote jokes about it and it didn't go over well because it was too real, you know what I'm saying? And my husband now, you know, God blessed me with a husband. I wanted my child to have a father. I wanted to have a husband because I never seen that dynamic, you know. But because I was suddenly pregnant, right? And one of my best friends at the time in comedy, I called her. I was like, I'm pregnant. And she said the best thing she could say to me that led me into motherhood. She's like, I ain't got no money. You know what I'm saying? That she couldn't help me because I was at the clinic at the time.

Like, girl.

She's like, I ain't got no money. And she's like, but did she say?

No, no, no. No, no, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait, wait, wait, wait. In the midst, in the midst of everything you just said, and I'm, I'm sitting up here with, with water in my eyes.

Yes.

That's comedians.

That's comedians.

We, we, we laugh. Kevin Hart had a thing, laugh at our pain.

Yes.

And I'm sitting up here and I'm like, I'm empathizing with the, the serious, your truth though, your real life.

Horrible at the time.

Horrible.

And this is not to be funnier, but this is my gift. After everything happened. Girl, I get up in the morning because it's nighttime. I go to Walgreens. I'm very familiar with Plan B. Everybody's familiar with Plan B, but they had a cheaper one called the RightStep. It was the wrong step, but it was the right step because it didn't work. You know, I didn't know what was going on, what was going to happen, but I was scared. So fast forward, my friend, she said what she said, and I'm, I'm gonna have to go through this, go through with this. You know what I'm saying? I have no family here. I work a job. I do comedy. I'm moving up in my comedy. I feel like I'm gonna plat— you know, I'm about to get opportunities. Now I have a baby. I still want to do comedy. So I had to say my truth. "Hey, I want to do the show. Yes, I can host the show. Yes, I could be on the show, but I got to bring my son." So I was hosting at the Improv with my baby on my chest in a carrier. Wow, girl, you gotta ask. You got— you— closed mouths don't get fed. And if you're talented, they're not gonna deny you. And as a woman, you have to try it. You have to try it. Because I know some women who are— been doing comedy a long time, and I've asked them— they are established— and I've never heard their stories, and they said, man, basically I missed my child growing up. My kid don't even really know me because I was chasing this bag. For their betterment, right? So they can have a house in that, but they don't know you. I didn't want that. I grew up that way, in my opinion, because I lived in different households because my parents was in the military and other things. So I moved around. I didn't want that experience for my child. I wasn't even trying to be a mother at this point. Like, I was like, I don't know what kind of mother I will be because of my experiences or what I've seen and stuff like that. So when I— now I'm pregnant By myself. My boss, shout out to my boss, she's like, I'll be that baby's white grandmother. Don't leave me. She let me move into her. I'm trying not to laugh. I'm not even joking. She put him in the shop with me.

That's why I'm like, really?

I mean, but that's God though, right?

Yeah.

God held me through it all. And it's crazy, I didn't even recognize it. You know, you think of it as luck. Man, I sure am lucky. Oh man, this— I made this decision. But no, we're here for a purpose. There's a reason. And I, although I was broken, I wasn't broken. I was bent. I wasn't broken because that's a horrible thing to experience. A horrible, a horrible thing to experience. And so, but I— my son is off the chain. He's brilliant, you know what I'm saying? Like, I had to go through some things with him. But ladies, you can still choose to be a mom, to be a wife, and chase this dream. Honestly, if you think about it, it's really writing that takes the most time, because stage time is all of what, 3 minutes at first, then 5 minutes, then 7 minutes. You can really balance that. I did. That's what I did. I balanced it. My baby was out at the shows with headphones on so I don't blow his eardrums, you know, because I didn't know what I was— I didn't know what I was doing. I was just moving by spirit, like We got intelligence within us, you know, and you like, I'mma do this, and that's what I did. But I tried. Sometimes they told me no, he can't come in here, it's a bar.

So let me just first of all pay a bill. This segment right here is sponsored by Drop the Sauce Barbecue, and I want to know what is your secret sauce? Because every comedian that's dope has a secret sauce. It's something about them that's just different.

Okay.

You know what I'm saying? What is your secret sauce?

I want to say humility. Wow. I'm humble. I had a, uh, shout out to J Cookie. I love J Cookie. She's a comedian, fairly new out here in Houston, and she said to me once, you just so humble, and her face broke like that. 'Cause it's like people think I'm acting.

It isn't. Let me switch cameras. How was her face?

Okay. And I know she probably didn't feel her face do that. We all at the bar, you know, at the comedy club. So we probably had some drinks, but she was being honest with what she perceived of me. And I think other people see that too because, you know, someone, if you got an attitude because someone cut you off or someone did something wrong to you at work today and you go and talk to somebody and they like, it could have been worse. You mad at that person for not joining in your energy because you want somebody like, man, F that person, man, quit that job. And I'm like, well, at least you got a job. You know what, you don't work there all the time with them. I, I'm, I'm, I have humility. Like, I don't move in anger, and that's frustrating to a lot. And that's been a situation with me since childhood. Like, I don't get angry first. That's not my first energy to go to. It's not, you know, it's, it's humor.

It's a choice.

And I mean, yeah, it is a choice. And you know, you wear that choice, you look that way, you know what I'm saying? And then you bend that way. That's not your natural thing, but you turn to bend that way. Now you're conniving. Now you're looking for someone to cuss out. Like, your day ain't good unless you cuss somebody out. You got— you looking for that. That's that energy. That's my sauce.

So As you know, the name of this show is Turning Corners, and turning corners to me means there's something in your life that changed, okay, that made you move in a different way, and you feel like it was a life-altering event. You've talked about several of them on this show. Now, I appreciate your honesty, you know, being very candid. But is there a, a moment or a time where it was just you and God, you know, where you was like, this is a turning corner moment? I can either go this way and wallow in my pain, wallow in my tears, or is there another moment where you say, no, I'm gonna hit myself on the chest, I'm gonna put on as my big girl panties. Yeah, and my bloomers. And I'm going to handle this. Not saying you wasn't rocked, not saying it didn't hurt, because one of the things people understand, we do talk about our pain. And the reason people like us, because they understand I've been through that too.

Identify.

But what is a turning corner moment for you that you would like to share with the audience where you can say You know what, I didn't even realize at the time, but that, that made me different.

Okay, so, and this is a recent discovery, but I've been, uh, wrestling with it for a while. Um, past hurts can sit on you and have it kind of like dictate what direction you go in life if you don't handle it, because it's a hurt, it's not something good that's on you. So mine was being abandonment. And not being— I felt abandoned. That's what I walked in, that in fear, right? I don't want you to not like me. I don't want you to not be my friend. I don't want you to leave me, you know what I'm saying? Because I felt that way a lot, right? So in this industry, I'm a beast on stage, but I don't say my worth when it comes to a promoter looking to book me. I will give— I will lowball not just because, not because I feel I'm that, I'm, I'm, that's my worth, but I don't want you to take this opportunity from me, you know what I'm saying? And then I'm thinking like, well, you know, they probably don't got it, as opposed to me saying, no, this is what my price is. And if they say, well, then we can't choose you, be okay with that. That does not take away from my talent and my gift and who I am. And because now I'm mad that, man, I ain't making no money in this game, you could have But you afraid and you think you being abandoned because you don't get that stage time now. And you're afraid to say what your price is because you don't want them to say no to you. But it's like, get over that. That's when you was a kid, girl. If you was a kid, you was abandoned. Your dad left you at school. Shout out to Daddy. Shout out to Daddy. But, you know, he was going through some things. But you left me at school, you know. Or my mama, you know, she chose things because she— they were young parents. And it's okay. God chose them to be my parents. And those lessons were to strengthen me. And they have. But I didn't know that at the time. I took it as abandonment. And it made me afraid to say to someone my true feelings. That would strengthen me. Like, I would rather get my feelings hurt. Like, I'mma just do it. You know? Even though it's hurting me, but it'll probably hurt them more. They probably wouldn't be able to handle it. It's gonna destroy them. Like, I'm indestructible. And I let my feelings get hurt and lessen my worth for them, for whomever it is, any situation. I did it time and time again, whether it was comedy, whether it was friendships, whether it was whatever. You could just add, just edit it and put something, another situation, work, anything, you know? But now I'm understanding that I'm supposed to be here. I'm walking with a purpose. And everything that I pray, "Lord, give me more money, Lord, so I can afford myself. We got a family, we're trying to this and that." God is like, I gave you the gift now, okay? I can't make your mouth work, you know what I'm saying? I'm gonna need you to dig deep and understand that I have already given you all that you need. Say something. Stop being afraid. That's not, that's not a fruit of my spirit. Who you listening to, me or the enemy? Because that's one of his fruits— fear and, and, you know, anger and frustration. That ain't my gift. I ain't do that. Who you listening to? Fine-tune your ears. You know what I'm saying? Like, listen more, be quiet. Listen more, talk less. You know, listen to me talk within you. Go with your first mind. You know you want to save $500 for 20 minutes. Say it. And let them be like, nah, I ain't got that. Or man, all I got is $150. Okay, well call me when you got $500. Click. No disrespect, this is business. You're not their friend. They're not abandoning you. Girl. Why are you afraid? So that's my turning corner moment. Like, and I'm just now getting here.

No, I had a conversation some years ago. Shout out to Rodney Perry.

Yes, I love Rodney Perry. Uncle Rodney!

Rodney, we was talking on a Tom Joyner cruise one time, and just so happened we sat next to each other and I was like, yo, you know, you know who you are? He was like, yeah, fool. But he had went through some health issues and stuff like that. And we were just talking. I was a young comic and everything. And shout out to Rodney Perry for saying this to me. Because he don't know what he did. He said, it came a point in my life where I'm saying I'm not an opener anymore, I'm a headliner.

Yeah.

And I was like, wow, that was big. Now to him it probably wasn't nothing, but to me I was like, yeah, I am better than what I'm putting myself out to be. Why am I shrinking in certain rooms to make other people feel good? And yes, I might not get booked as much as y'all because y'all want to be on the flyer. I want my name on the check, right? You know what I'm saying? And, and yeah, I might not get as much, you know, but when I do get, my following is going to be bigger because people like, no, this motherfucker's funny. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? So I appreciate you saying that because somebody need to hear that you don't always have to lowball yourself, especially when it's a paying room. Yeah, there's one thing, you know, there's a benefit or something like that, or I get it. There are times where you give. Sometimes, like, people have told me no. Cool, I don't have a problem with it. We're not— we can't pay yet, but we will one day, and then I'm gonna remember you.

Exactly.

Oh, I got a good ass memory. Oh my God, there's one comic that left me on read like, nigga, you ain't even funny.

Oh wow.

I just tried to be your friend because I know you was going through some shit through your life. But anyway, man, I, I appreciate you taking time out your day. And as we close out this interview, I gotta ask you, because it just wouldn't be right for me as a comedian to not ask another comedian, who are your top 5?

Oh, that's such a hard question.

But hold on, there's another side to that. I need top 5 comedians, okay, in no particular order, okay, because there's reasons for whatever, but 5 famous people that don't do comedy but you think they're funny as hell. I know, that's good, right?

That is hard, man.

Thank you, thank you very much.

That is so difficult. I hope I can answer these questions.

Okay, give me your first top 5. How about that?

Okay, that's hard too. Okay, of course Eddie Murphy was hilarious to me because I grew up at that age. Uh, Richard Pryor, because I watched JoJo Dancer as a little person with my granny. She's hilarious.

My granny could have JoJo, you want your ass whooped?

Oh man. And my baby is at the brothel. Not for real, but I'm just saying, at comedy clubs, it's about the same. You know, it's about the same. You see what they got right now? Even the men got skinny jeans, booty all out, balls out. So let me see. So you got that. Uh, George Carlin, love him. Um, I think it's something a guy called Jeff Gaffigan, something Gaffigan. It's a chunky white dude. He is so dry.

But funny as hell.

Oh my God, something Gaffigan. Um, who else? Uh, I gave 3, right?

Okay, that's 4.

I did give 4. Thank you, because I was like, whoo, I got to work. And, uh, a female— there's a female I, I love. I like Melanie Camacho. I love me some Melanie. She's funny. She was funny when I was watching, because now, honestly, I don't watch comedians like that now.

Oh girl, I thought it was just me.

No, because like, one, I, I— people regurgitate So if you listen to a lot and people be like, they'll rattle off all these comments, I'm like, you watch all of them, how do you know what your voice is if you hear all these other voices? Like, come on now.

You're my question, but go ahead.

Yeah, that's— so that's the 5 for now, and there's more.

So how about this, how about I save you? Okay, give me 3 people, okay, that are famous. Matter of fact, I even go this: 3 people that are famous or not famous that you know if they got on the damn stage, they gonna rock it?

Ah, that's still hard. Because—

and the reason I say that, because there are some people who feel like they can just do comedy.

They just think everybody feel they could do it.

Yeah, it ain't what they think it is.

I mean, it's a testament to the comedians that's out because we make it look easy. It looks like we're just having a conversation. Now, we wrote this, we practiced this, we tried this, we thought this. We slept this. We ate this. You know.

We went over that joke 20 times before we recorded it.

In the mirror. We watched our facial expressions. All that. We bombed with this and then tightened it up and came back to it. So yeah. My father's hilarious. He knows he's funny. He be like, I could sell water to a whale. Like, he can. He the only man I know who could go on— Okay, this is a real quick story. What time is it? You're good. What time is it?

What time is it? You're good. I'm protecting your time. It's 4 after 2.

4 after 2? Okay, I gotta go soon. Cause I gotta get an hour back. I just had to stay on, you know, mother, like you saying motherhood.

I get it.

My daddy, he the only one I ever seen do this. My dad went to lunch. He had, he has 5 daughters, 3 different baby mamas. He had 2 of his daughters and their mama and two of his other daughters and they mama. So the one mama is sitting with the two kids from the other mama, and the other mama's sitting with the two kids from the other mama. And my dad is at the head of the table. They at a restaurant. And the lady, the waitress comes, "Hello, oh my gosh, what a beautiful family. All right, I'm gonna take your order, but can I, how are y'all related?" And my dad was like, "Well," no, the woman, the woman was like, "Well, those are my two daughters over there." And the other woman, she was like, "And those are my two daughters over there." And my dad was like, and they all my kids. And the lady was so, her face, my dad said, you should see how her face turned. Cause you don't never see a man with both his baby mamas and all his kids eating, you know, peacefully.

Peacefully. Yeah.

So my dad, that would be one comedian.

Okay.

His mama, she was hilarious. That's my grandma. That's the one who raised me. I had cramps at the age of 11. My granny had a hysterectomy. When I— so she knows how bad it is to have cramps. When I told her I had cramps— she was a nurse— when I told her I had cramps, she made me my first hot toddy. I didn't wake up until the next day.

Wow, she got you drunk. She—

but out of love. She's like, not my baby having cramps, we're gonna do away with that. She's funny.

So she's like, baby, look, um, I ain't got that no more, right? I got my transmission removed. All right, but we're gonna give you a hot toddy.

We're gonna give you a hot toddy. Her name Tutti.

Hot. Look, Tutti going— no, like, like the, like the, like the deodorant.

Not Tussi, like Queen Tutti, like King Tutti. Tutti.

Oh, Tutti. Okay, I thought you mean like Tussi, the kind that you put up on your fingers and— yeah, French tips. Go ahead, I'm sorry.

And that stuff stunk, but it works because I, I had to use that. Uh, so those two for sure. Um, just my family is mentally disabled. Honestly, that, that's really where you get it from because it's how they— like, not on my mama's side because they were serious, you know. They were funny but they were serious. Don't laugh though. I don't know what happened. But on my mom— on my dad's side, they were hilarious and that's just how they was. And they understood my hilarity, you know. Um, yeah, it's family. Nobody y'all know.

So, so I would say, for one, me personally, I don't know why, I just feel like Samuel Jackson could do comedy.

Okay, so like, okay, like that. Yeah, Samuel L. Jackson can't— he is a comedian. Like, did you see what he did at the Kendrick Lamar, the Super Bowl? Okay, that was insane. And then No More Snakes on the Plane, come on now, that shouldn't have been so funny. Like, that line, that's what I'm saying, that should not have been that funny. Um, Robert De Niro back in the day.

Robert, I can see that.

Yeah, because he's a serious, almost like an Andrew Dice Clay type. Yes, you know, his face Joe Pesci, if you want to go there, he was special.

Oh, I forgot about Joe Pesci.

How'd you forget about him?

No, I'm saying as far as like somebody that can probably be on stage and have you cracking up laughing.

Yeah, Marky Mark is like an arrogant, I have money type, because he's— well, I can see it, I can see it, you know, because you have all these different personalities in comics already now. Yeah, so y'all can see it like that.

I know there's, uh, and it seemed like they can read a room and go into character because people don't understand you when you're on stage. That's not you. Right, it's a part of you, but there's— yeah, am I right?

You know, you're absolutely right.

You're wearing a hat.

Okay, that's why when you come off stage, don't, don't come up to me like what you see on stage. Absolutely, like, I am a person off stage. Like, don't just be coming up to me talking to me like what you've seen on stage, because I— what? You know what I'm saying? Like, that's not me. That's not who I am all the time. That's on stage. Um, who else? Uh, No, she was a comedian. She was funny as heck. Uh, let me see who else. Let me see. See, I had to, I'm gonna have to email.

That's okay. That's okay. That's okay.

You got me honest.

So look at that camera right there and let people, let people know what you see. You're gonna crack up laughing at your face. Let people know what you have going on, how they can be in contact with you, all your information.

Okay, well, you have to follow me at, uh, on social media platforms, all of them. Laugh with Stacy, um, that's on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Follow my channel. I put everything that I got going on on there because, you know, as a comedian, you never know. Somebody call you like, what you doing in 30 minutes? You know, you know how that goes. So you can follow me there. So Laugh with Stacy, you can see I got merch, you know. Laugh with Stacy, come out to to my shows. I do cruises. If y'all want to get out on a cruise, follow me because you'll find out where I'm doing these things and you could meet me, beat me there, whichever one. So yeah, that's it.

That's it. Well, Stacy, I want to tell you thank you. I appreciate you. I appreciate you taking time out your busy day.

Yes.

Um, coming out here, being so transparent, I definitely appreciate that. Um, thank you. Thank y'all again for tuning in. It's your boy Ray Sorrell. A holla!