we’re you’re for Mount Rushmore
comedians you have to see yourself
what’s the great to be the great when
did I do grown little man that was
around was that my Broca’s point my dick
growing with a man keep the circle tight
make sure that’s a bubble that can’t be
popped whoever these people are go with
those people you guys should understand
each other inside now
this is a good time this is honestly a
good time so there are a lot of great
comedians out there many of them many of
them that I like I watch but there’s
only one that has nearly 150 million
people following them on social media
okay and by the way only a handful of
countries have one hundred fifty million
population this may could be a country
by myself only guy in the comedy world
that’s filled up football stadiums
football stadiums we’ve heard you know
basketball and somewhat football
stadiums and Forbes 2016 earnings I
think it’s eighty seven and a half
million some of the numbers 69 69
million I think 2017 and and he says
recently in a podcast I think on variety
that he wants to be a business mogul he
already is a business his name is a
business already but he wants to be a
billionaire by 45 years old Kevin –
brother
I wanna be with you here today I do a
great on trail I’m doing very good
ignore the financial numbers and you can
tweet him for a loan and Kevin Hart and
he will not reply by the way too soon a
disclaimer
okay so Kevin first of all we’re excited
about having you in August and Vegas
that’s gonna be a blast
I can’t wait it’s gonna be that’s gonna
be a lot of money I got a lot of
questions to get into what some part of
its gonna be business someone’s gonna be
comedy you know something’s gonna be
personal life and how you discipline
yourself but let’s start off with the
first one when did you know you were
funny when did I know it was funny when
I know you were funny for real for real
funny
I had my banquet for my swim team I swim
for a team called PDR Philadelphia
Department of Recreation you were a
swimmer I was a swimmer so is there I’m
an amazing swimmer really I am
didn’t like it because my mom made me do
it that was her way to keep me off the
streets so swimming takes up all your
time you got practice before school long
practice after school to the practice
you are beaten you’re too tired to do
anything so I was pretty much
underachiever because I did whatever I
had to do just to get by as strong so at
our banquet all of the people in the
swim team were getting amazing Awards
scholarships it’s just just unbelievable
with these people accomplished in a
sport of swimming and I think I got like
a participant award which was which was
nothing which is like how are you at the
stuff I’m this is my last this is 16
this is 16 yeah this is my last year so
my class like my swim class they’re all
going off to college everybody’s excited
oh my god USC University of Maryland
building over Penn State name it they’re
going everywhere
I got a participant in war and you know
we all had to give speeches and I just
gave a speech on being an underachiever
and like just how I know I’m not good
and you guys don’t have to like just
give me fake Pat’s on the back when we
leave you all know that I’m not at the
level of everybody else but I did it was
such a sense of humor where the room was
dying how big the audience
oh man it may have been 70 people at the
banquet 70 75 and without realizing it
then it was like a comedy said I had a
beginning middle and end to a speech
that I didn’t even write down I was just
personable I got up and talked and and
winged it and when I got all people were
clapping and after the banquet everybody
was just saying the same thing your son
is so funny he’s so funny he’s so
personable we love them we’re gonna miss
you but the word personable we’re funny
was used so much and I think that’s the
day when it really clicked I’ve always
been funny but that’s they would have
really clicked this could actually be
your entertaining others it wasn’t it
wasn’t this is going to be my career of
choice because I didn’t know at the time
oh so this isn’t a dream so you are not
grown you know I’m gonna grow up in one
I’m watching all these other guys no I
wish I wish I could sit in a lot of you
say that was the case I’m a late bloomer
and understanding what hard work brains
it’s something that my mom beat down my
throat and because of the way she did it
I didn’t want to comprehend it when I
had no choice but to understand it I got
lucky by having something I love to put
along the same line with the message
that she was giving got it
school wasn’t what I wanted to do which
is why I never got my all so who were
you in high school it has high school
with you who’s Kevin Hart in high school
funniest guy in school what is that
yours well how were you the funniest guy
nice guy class clown
most popular kid in school how BIG’s our
school I’m at a big school I went to
school George Washington High School
Northeast huge school I liked the fact
that it was that verse where I grew up
in Philadelphia we didn’t have other
races of people around us you know I
mean it was blacks in my neighborhood
black people on this side of the tracks
I think we had some Puerto Rican people
that we may have been cool with but it
was it was a minority driven
neighborhood going through the Northeast
my first time really interacting with
white people on a regular basis this was
the first time uh in high school no no
she sent me out different middle school
too so my last year’s a middle schooler
in high school was a 9 9 through 12 to
10 through 12 was 9 through 12 but I
went to middle school was 7th and 8th
god but with that day it helped me
become the people person that I am today
I was always a guy that was in a mixture
of races wow that’s so amazing you’re
saying oh this it’s the truth that is
amazing so I I got this one thing that
I’ve really that I really appreciate
about momma Dee the fact that she puts
you in an environment like this so I
grew up in Glendale if you’ve been to
Glendale that’s 90% I mean they’re all
Middle East and you go you know
everybody there’s Middle East yes so I
go to the army when I go into the arm
and I go to Kentucky no one’s made of
lead nobody had to learn very quickly
how to yeah work with different that
kind of helps you in business obviously
this has helped you with your career
because your audience is very diverse
you talked about your mom you reference
her a lot a lot you give her a lot of
credit for what she’s done and how we
do all these other things what were some
things your mom did to you specifically
that helped you become who you are today
my mom was very hard on me and the
reason why is because I think she saw
the mistakes that she made with my
brother you know my brother was Muslim
he was a loose cannon
my brother he didn’t have a tight leash
on him he come and go as he pleased
curfew was later and because of that she
saw the road that he went down you know
my brother went down very bad road
getting locked up young age you know
selling drugs what’s the age difference
man my brother eight years apart
got it eight years apart and with me I
think was more of a panic of I’m not
gonna allow this to happen again and
it’s typically the other way around by
the way typically you guys are easier on
the younger than they are the older and
I’ve heard that I’ve definitely heard
that but in my case it was not had to be
home at six o’clock I mean I really saw
night time in my teenage years and
especially with being outside amongst
friends
it was always doing something
constructive with my time so she never
let me waste time in a day if I had time
that time was either spent during
practice studying or preparing for
something that was to come my downtime
came on a weekend where everything else
was done and my Saturday was spent
watching cartoons where I was in the gym
with her while she was dead to jail
working what were your cartoons about it
we just decide no justice no what you
watch I was a big Bugs Bunny guy heavy
heavy time and Jerry had every Tom and
Jerry have that’s old school
Flintstones Wow I’m getting older I’m 38
now yeah where your mother’s my stuff is
back there yeah I’m Jerry Flintstones
those are my those are my picks a boy
school sounds good so it’s okay so now
mom’s discipline she’s keeping you
positively distracted all the positive
distractions in your life and then later
on later on when you’re getting to a
point when you’re kind of figuring out
because your story with your mom is a
complete opposite story with your father
why can you talk a little bit about your
experience with your dad yeah two
different roads can make it right or
left I had a choice to make a left at
one point in time of my life you know
my mom and my dad were together didn’t
say together didn’t work out my dad was
a loose cannon on drugs off drugs in
jail out of jail you watch you saw
witness all of this I didn’t know god I
was I was I was younger so the secret
was kept from me but everybody else
except me me your older brother knew not
would rather know eight years everybody
else when you’re blind to the reality of
what your environment is you know
sometimes people let you touch a hot
stove so you can go oh that’s hot
so my mom at one point we’re like you
know what
go to your father you always said you
want to go to that go and I got an
opportunity to go with my dad and this
isn’t to say that my dad you know didn’t
care because you were yearning you were
curious yeah I wanna go I’m mighty God
you shit you don’t let me do nothing I’m
gonna go with dad my dad to complete
opposite how would you at that time when
you’re saying this tomorrow probably 12
so that young and moms go to death at
this point you want to prove a point go
good for her for Evan anymore so you
want to do it go because my brother was
an army in the time so it’s just me and
my mom sweet butting heads you know
we’re we’re buddy I’m 30 I’m actually
1314 because my brother was in army
where we’re just at it every day and my
thing was you just you you’re not
getting me you not letting me grow up
let me go with dad you know my dad was
the complete opposite my dad and a
no-rules go we’re going to go back go
you dad my friends gonna go ahead you
ask no questions or nothing and you get
there and you realize it’s not supposed
to be like this like even supposed to
have some kind of guidance around here
right like there’s no rules at all dad
you do it man go away hey don’t forget
you got school what what you ain’t
making sure it was it was that level of
comfort it was that level of I guess not
understanding the the real role of a
parent at that time and he had a lot of
stuff going on and that’s where I had to
make the conscious decision to say mom I
was wrong I want to come back and to
come back it was understand that you’re
gonna go through my rules and it’s gonna
be my wave and higher standards it’s
it’s it’s something I had to deal with
but I had to make that decision to say
okay I had to eat that humble pie how
long did you live with your pops during
that time man it may have lasted three
days three days I was back home three
today I’m not dealing with this year I
got to go I got to go man I got to go
too many people in the house I’ll no
none of these people people coming in
and out just welcomed it wasn’t what I
was used to it wasn’t my comfort zone so
then you come back and then you know you
obviously your mom sets the expectation
you have to respond to it have no more
problems guys okay so now let’s fast
forward let’s fast forward after school
you’re out of school you’re not in high
school anymore I think you had a stint
selling shoes where you were you a
Salesman a shoe salesman I can see you
being a ridiculous thing you want to
know man Bernice you down who’s that now
you were something like you were you’re
selling lady’s shoes er were using us
sneakers sneakers City sports
Philadelphia supernatant pronate when
what kind of protecting you anything
name it I can tell you today how long
did you sell for uh I was at City Sports
for about two years
got it so it’s a good enough time I mean
you even have two years yeah yeah so
when did you so you know when you get
that one message seven years seventy
kids are in the room seventy people
aren’t there oh my gosh your kids so
funny you know they’re saying that to
your mom and your peers are around all
these other guys are getting the
scholarships you’re getting a
participation award maybe I can go make
people laugh did somebody tell you Kevin
won’t you go give comedy a shot you know
or was it mom or did you say you know
what I’m gonna go do stand-up comedy it
wasn’t it wasn’t my mom was somebody
from my job where I worked at City
Sports somebody was like yo man you you
have us laugh and every day like
literally every day at work is a fun day
because of you you come here you just
delivering jokes non-stop why don’t you
do comedy because where we worked at
there was a comedy club around a corner
called laugh house do you still keep in
contact with that person that told you
or know from work no no but we we were
good friends it’s Allison if I seen it
would be like I never stopped seeing you
pick up right where we left off I mean
those are all great relationships
amazing yes somebody that’s not in your
life gives you that yeah you
you just because you lose contact don’t
believe it doesn’t mean you lost contact
yeah you can see a person to pick up
right where you left off those
relationships that I had in that job it
was that those those people definitely
helped with the push they helped with
the the jump start to me understanding
how to go about doing comedy
it’s Antonia at the time 1819 it was a
thought I did not do it yeah I don’t
know where to go so somebody said comedy
club
yeah I want to go yeah my god let’s do
it it wasn’t even a fight I didn’t know
it existed I didn’t know and it was a
comedy club down the street from you it
was right around the corner so the
barber that cuts my hair I’m gonna tell
you if what he tells me so I said listen
yeah it’s cut my hair two days ago I
said Michael I’m gonna be with Kevin
Hart he says no I said yeah Michael
rapattoni Michael if you’re watching I’m
giving you a shout out right now Michael
rapattoni he’s one of these guys that
was a former boxer with enough story
there’s a reason why he’s a bar business
great story my story is that Andy he
cuts my hair for 45 minutes it’s not one
of those five minutes he’s just talking
to the entire time so she says you know
I’m from Philadelphia no you’re from
Philadelphia but what does that have to
do with Kevin I know Kevin’s also
Philadelphia says Pat there was a time
that Kevin used to go to this club
called helium no no helium yeah he says
he’s got a helium and they had Amateur
Night in the late 90s he says what I was
blown away by Kevin on Amateur Night at
helium is he kicked everybody’s tail and
every night because he would go watch
every single night he said every night
he would bring something new you would
say how does he come up with all this
stuff is what he was talking about so
i’ma tell you exactly what he’s doing
and there’s there’s a high level of
truth to it
helium comedy club is a comedy club in
Philadelphia but he’s referring to the
laugh House helium comedy club came
after the laugh house was like going
through their problems hidden comedy
club came they’re just an amazing comedy
club ran professionally just gave a new
look to comi and Philadelphia but what
he’s talking about with amateur nights
every week the amateur nights were held
on Thursday at
helium or this is what the laughs house
got a but the winner got $75 I won the
competition for about six to eight weeks
I was saying I was winning the
competition it was all amateurs and I
was winning but the reason why I would
make sure after each one I said I don’t
want to go back and say the same stuff
so the week leading up to it would be me
trying to create whatever my new jokes
were and of course it’s beginning so
they’re they’re green they’re hacky
jokes there’s nothing great there’s no
brilliant material but my energy my
energy needs to be nuts I would come on
stunts more than two days oh my god I
run I would run from the back I remember
my name is lo cab the bastard I never
say give it up for a little care of the
basket I’ve just run through the doors I
would grab the store now I was talking
about a minute
you couldn’t because I was so pumped up
but at the time I wasn’t Kevin Hart I
wasn’t I wasn’t being myself I was being
a version of what I thought I should be
to get laughs and that version of me was
getting laughs but as a character so it
wasn’t it saucer to figure out that I
didn’t have to be a character that I got
really funny I was situational funny
yeah but your foot and and I’d be bumpy
first grabber than you oh man I can’t
you see the way you look at your hand
when you wipe your butt it was stupid
stuff
it was nothing crazy it was stupid stuff
hey
you have a drain you fall in it like a
joke hey what but my energy would get he
was so crazy he said he said one he says
he says Pat here’s the only thing one
day I show up he says I was such a loyal
faces one day or something how come he’s
not here anymore he says then I found
out he was so good that he got the
attention of people in New York
apparently yes as he started going to
New York he’s very very well he followed
it very closely and the crazy thing is I
got out of Philadelphia because I was
seeing the same people your reach wasn’t
a big reach I was like well it’s not
that I was seeing the same people the
same comedians
the same audience people every week
wouldn’t you see the same if you went
somewhere else though
but that’s thing I didn’t know god I
wasn’t content with not knowing I was
like it has to be more what what’s the
next Kevin is this late 90s this is late
you’re 21 21 22 this is late nineties
this is this is 98 99 and I met a guy
named Keith Robinson who’s an
unbelievable mentor to me and this is
the guy who was telling me just like man
you gotta start talking about more you
gotta start talking about yourself he
said I want you to come with me to New
York I didn’t know the guy from from
from this piece of paper on the table
but we say you gotta come with me to New
York I jumped at it because I was like
is more comedy in New York I’m going I
want to see it I was so eager to see
what else was out there and I saw that
when he when he opened up that door not
to look behind it and I saw what was
there 12 13 comedy clubs in New York
I got to see comedians on stage all
races there were your casino yours oh my
god all races shape sizes I was I got
big I got big what’s that it that was
when that was when it was over that was
my that was the addiction at the highest
level when I woke you the first time you
went up on stage I know you all took me
I didn’t go on stage I just saw which
one what club was it the first one I
haven’t even said Comedy Cellar and who
did you hear the Jews do you remember
the names I say exactly who I saw and
who walked in and I was mind blown Jerry
Seinfeld
Ray Romano came on the same Wow and I
was like you know they this is when
their TV shows are to hide other shows
Colin Quinn George Wallace was there
this is Patrice O’Neal legit in the prom
this is rich vos in his prime bill burr
this is Tracy Morgan in his prime young
Chris Rock this is when I tell you this
is me cuz the seller you got to think
this is when SNL was real big for a lot
of these guys
going back and forth Colin Quinn had
Weekend Update this is where they would
go to see where everybody was holding
their material so before I got on stage
I was sitting in the comedy club and
just watching the grades Damon Wayans
came in one night and had a piece of
paper which they working on gonna take a
lot doing that I’m literally just
looking nobody know I’m the dirty kid
nobody know I mean little dirty kid that
nobody knows what he does but Keith
Robinson took a liking to me and he was
educating the Keith you know all those
guys keith was it you and you it keith
is a comedy legend one of the psychs
myself rock we all our students of the
Kiva’s honest and camp I mean there’s so
many comedians that he helped breed and
mold into what they are today and my
understanding for comedy and the way
that jokes should be told the way the
story should be vetted out the way to
the set has a beginning middle and
ending that comes from Keith he gave you
the system he a hundred percent would he
sit there with you and say Kevin here’s
how I come up with a joke there’s really
not he wouldn’t so that parts on you now
do your work dummy that’s me saying that
shit I’m telling you what you’re not
doing my job to tell you what you’re not
doing is your job to figure out how to
do it so I would get offstage here’s
what he did to me one night it’s the
best lesson he ever gave
I want stage and I kill you you ever get
up on a buzzin King King King it’s a
bunch of that just a bunch of a bunch of
nonsense hey you look at somebody like
one it’s nothing he says I want you to
see something I stand next to him and
like five people are walking out he says
do you enjoy the show and I’m like yeah
yeah yeah and I you were so funny he
what about you you know his name oh wait
what uh you were the third guy you were
number four you were four you were
number four nobody knew my name he said
you know why they don’t know your name
you don’t say who you are he say do you
have kids you might have kids you got a
mother a father a brother a sister tell
us
who are you why cuz nobody knows
anything about you all they know is that
you are funny everybody that comes
through here is funny only the special
ones make it much further than this
because people feel like they know they
invest in them in her career so then he
started making me watch the great so
when you start to watch the
quote/unquote girl live they talk about
themselves everybody’s there talking
about themselves their experiences their
opinion they’re feeling or effect from
said thing one two or three oh how
immediately did you make your adjustment
well it was a fast you try breathing you
struggle you struggle with the change
cuz I’m so comfortable with my style
you ever see don’t you hate when man I
can’t stand black people do this but
white people do this I’m so comfortable
doing that as soon as I had to change it
and start saying hey I’m Kevin Hart I’m
not confident in Kevin Hart cuz I don’t
think Kevin Hart’s funny I think this
guy what all this energy is funny it was
a mental thing so I had to tap out of
that and tap into the real me and put
the character to the side how soon did
you get up and perform yourself after
that so you tell they’re back and forth
to New York for about seven months to a
year before I got on stage in New York
you’re kidding me no so seven months to
a year Your Honor performing a laugh at
the Healey alone in there and a couple
little spots in New York there’s a
couple oh nothing big yeah nothing big
nothing big and during this time have
you built any relationship with me they
all know me and everybody’s cord really
nice to me and the reason for going back
and forth from Philadelphia to New York
I had to make something I lived in New
York that’s the only want to get spots
they have to be able to rely on you and
think that you’re going to make the time
so the first time you got it when was it
and what was it first time I got was age
I got an audition I got my first one at
Caroline’s and I got over it was like I
say like eight months probably I was
going up there past Caroline’s Carolina
started booking me a couple
during the week they don’t pay they give
you food like they call food spots until
you become a weekend comedian then you
get like $50 a spot in New York the
Comedy Cellar then that got up there in
the Comedy Cellar past me food spots
again staying in New York I think give
you like five dollars a spot weekend’s
the same twenty five to fifty dollars
but it was a slow grind but then when
you get in all of them you got to think
in New York you’re doing seven to eight
spots on the weekend so you get in $50 a
spot and you’re doing six to seven to
eight spots on for Sunday you you got a
good weekend
you figure it’s four weekends in a month
you can pull 2,000 2,500 dollars mm-hmm
in New York you can survive you can
support yourself and during a week the
goal would be to book colleges or other
shows elsewhere and then come around a
weekend colleges you were performing at
colleges informing the colleges man and
a college agent that’s how I was staying
afloat my college agent is here in
Chicago bass jewel entertainment
so when you say college like colleges
you know am I going to the auditorium
and performing in the auditorium
colleges wherever they put you sometimes
you’d be in order to and sometimes you
be in a lunchroom sometimes you’ll be in
like a a created atmosphere it could be
like their lounge space and they just
put a microphone in a while colleges
have a certain amount of money that they
have to spend a year on entertainment so
it goes the music and comedians around
them you know was one of the things we
forget about is there is no social media
at the time now so you are you have to
go hustle to get up nowadays somebody
can put in one video sixty million views
everybody does it here’s my head shot
that’s my guess the HUS here’s my tape
Wow my numbers in there if you want to
call that’s my tape please watch the
tape so who’s the first name that saw
you perform that said dude you the real
deal like who was the first person that
came and said this guy somebody’s gonna
tell Dave Attell
smart comedian very funny I’m not sure
be familiar with him if you’re not
educate yourself on Dave Chappelle you
would love repeal Dave Attell
I tell a tale okay very very funny guy
he had a show on Comedy Central called
insomniacs for a long time he saw me
perform and was blown away by my
performance and he called his manager
who was Dave Becky who is now my manager
and say you got to see this guy Dave
Becky reached out to me came to see me
and in coming to see me
expressed that he would love to work
with me he was a manager he deals with
some of the biggest and best names in
the business today but he said look he
doesn’t do the contracts and try to have
people sign my life away worse on a
handshake basis he said are you willing
to work I’m willing to help you tell
them I was willing to work he said he’s
willing to help shook hands
he came Washington perform put me in
other comedy clubs got me in other spots
I started to get better sharper faster
and I got him to it’s called the
Montreal Comedy Festival and he made me
turn it down he’s like we’re not ready
say they want you to go your new face
and it’ll be great but we wait one more
year we’ll go and we’ll be the talk of
the town trust me let’s wait I said I’m
gonna listen to you my manager
everything this man said has never not
worked and because of that he’s been my
manager for 15 16 plus years Wow
Kousaka Dave Attell gets denied of the
discovery of oh my god disguised
grandshaykh come here come meet this guy
game over yeah so first first big hit
what’s the first big hit for you my
first big hug you are still not on TV
I’m so not your Kevin still are not on
TV what’s the big hit biggest audience
biggest platform biggest place you
perform well you actually were nervous
about it like I got to really come
through and see if I can ever say it
would come from this event called NACA
which is where I got my college agents
okay this is what my college agents has
set me up for so bad Schuler was out of
Chicago
yeah the whole thing we get into college
agent as a comedian this is how you’re
gonna survive colleges pay you a
thousand five hundred seven hundred but
they can block bookie you can do seven
colleges in a week
you can do two in one day
another and in that city they’ll put you
in like a run where you go from city to
city city you’ll come out with five six
thousand dollars that’s in a week
oh my god you get two good weeks this is
great money you talking 12 13 grand a 22
year old comedian this is I’m rich if I
can book one of these you got to get an
agent you gotta get in the neck how do
you get in the neck well you got to make
a tape tapes got to be seven minutes got
to be clean no cursing I’m gonna make a
tape got to figure it out
had to go to a comedy club had to get a
comedy club to let me do it able to come
to club had to get tape edited where it
has to be a life tape like a lot of live
performance got it you got to get edited
who won’t edit it I don’t know I figure
it out
from who what huh go figure it out
stupid you’re grown ask questions this
week you for telling me made me do it
all on my own get it out of this okay
now you got editing you got to get
headshots now there are headshots now
you got to package it up you got to go
send it out each package that you send
out your sentence for all of the
different conferences I think it was
like 55 or $70 per conference that you
have to send your thing in with so you
gotta have a chat below so to send out
your headshots your take everything it
would cost you like 350 hours I don’t
have that type of money with a lot of
money at that time figure it out stupid
get it it’s worth it I got it
send out all my packages from Bad
Schuler bachelor said we got in we got
you in the neck it’s the biggest
conference ever
every school Under the Sun comes here
this is two thousand two thousand ones
this is 2002 got it 2002 it’s amazing
that’s only 16 years ago 2002 I’ll never
forget NACA
2002 the biggest conference name a
college there there you perform after
you perform you go to a booth the
colleges are walking around and they
come up to the different comedians boots
and they booked you on the spot we want
you for this date this state if you
don’t be bad you’re gonna get a lot of
dates if you’re bad you’re gonna come
out there with no dance it’s pressure
like no pressure before I’m next goals
the commedia before me bombs the bombing
of life I mean I mean it’s just it’s bad
I mean nobody’s laughing do you know
what I know that kept me young I mean
nobody’s laughing it’s quiet and it
wasn’t a this wasn’t a rude room it was
very professional so there are no boos
it was just quiet which boo me get let
me hear something tell me get my ass off
the stage they were just quiet the
comedian goes well I guess that means no
dates for me thank you guys for the
opportunity politely put the microphone
and a stand walked off the hosts
comments all and the host is like all
right let’s keep that energy going his
exact words let’s keep the energy going
give it up the little kids oh wait no he
changed his name Kevin Hart this is my
intro oh shit okay get it together
I go up there how’d you change your name
you’re not going back Kevin Hart I
wasn’t no more little kid I wasn’t
little Kevin I’m not Kevin Hart now this
is perd me and my conversation with Kiki
my first minute I was getting them
getting him a little loose give him a
little loose I said a joke whole room
laughs the rest of my set we were
supposed to be 15 minutes I ended up
destroying standing ovations I go to my
booth I probably booked 75 Wow
so that’s it 75 dates something to add
up the money I’m like my year my year is
full keith is like the ones on the
weekends don’t do make them put
everything during the week get all your
money read your weekends to be in New
York Aries has to be in New York I’m
like are you crazy it is like almost 100
grand look at the money cuz they offered
me like 1,200 to 1,500 a show stupid you
need to be in New York all right I made
everything on a week my Mondays through
Thursdays
was you named a Bismarck North Dakota
the Cumberland Kentucky to Nashville
Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee I was I
was going all of driving a hundred and
fifty miles I didn’t want to fly because
it would cut into the money put in so
many miles on rental cars this is before
all the apps and stuff on the phone so
you got the directions printed out me my
friend 19 who slipped me into this day I
told my would give him money to act as
my host open up for me
he said bet man 19 were road warriors I
mean hundreds of thousands of miles
driven driving 12 hours to do a show how
long how long was that run rate which
schools this was this was this one on
for a couple years so all four yeah
because you got to think as the schools
go they want you back so you’re not you
have you gone on TV yet or now yo this
is all just or you’re still not on TV
this is just grinding this is just I’m
figuring out figuring out figuring out
so here’s what happened I I then did
Montreal Comedy Festival Montreal Comedy
Festival got me a deal and that’s when I
did my first pilot that’s when it was
okay I now have an opportunity to be on
TV the pilot didn’t get picked up so now
I don’t have an opportunity but then I
do a bootleg movie called paper soldiers
paper soldiers which I had no idea would
be anything but it was a movie offered
to me by Dame Dash and jay-z at the time
I said I would love to work with you get
connected with them saw me in New York
on the weekend all goes full circle keep
said be available in the weekends
because you never know what’s gonna
happen in the city that’s where Dame
Dash saw me perform Caroline’s on a
weekend so instead of chasing the six
figures we’re going for the big week we
have to be around you have to be visible
you have to be seen that movie that
never went to the theaters that gave me
the opportunity to put a real together
that was my tape I sent this out to Dave
Becky who’ve been sent it out to people
all over California Hollywood XY and Z
that tape is what got me the audition
for parts and TV shows that’s what ABC
saw NBC
that’s what allowed me to go on the
rooms with the heads of the studios and
pitch my TV show how fast was that that
all happened in the blink of an eye so
you went from not being on TV to being a
star
well it wasn’t star it was just I’m the
hot guy he’s a hot guy and this is all
five this is he’s gonna be like this is
the hot guy Oh in two oh four oh five or
six who is the lead runner who were the
main names in Oh 506 Chappell Chappell
was Chappell Katt Williams was really
starting to make a name and terror stuff
a god thing can’t really start cat
really was banging oh six 208 that’s
right he did a movie with snow but was a
car wash something he did
car wash I know what you’re talking
about would drain the whole thing with
the Palm Pilot you know the line is he
had he had several I mean look yeah I
think that’s when the Friday next Friday
to find it the next this is all in that
time so Chapelle Katt Williams
those were your those were your two but
it was more about the Chappelle’s Show
around this time you know around it are
you close with Chappelle out the time do
you guys have a relationship or we I
know him but we not I don’t have the
relationship yes I know you yes we’re
we’re comedians we’re all in the same
circular okay but this is just where I’m
now working things are now going good
soul plane you know I did so from what
year was so clear like I don’t know the
exact year so playing I know I know that
from the years when you go 2002 to 2006
to 7:00
that’s where everything happened that’s
what all of the things that were
supposed to make me a star it all
happened in that time when did you
consider yourself your start like this
is now I’m a star they know me in my
space last four years you can say I’m a
I’m a star like you’re a superstar but
people don’t I don’t think a lot of
people understand the real definition of
star there’s different levels of star I
agree so you can be a star in your
school you can be a star on campus you
know you can be a star on the East Coast
you could be only a star on the west
coast like whit what is the definition
are start to me a superstar man I I
remember star now I I can embrace what
that is because I’ve known the
definition for a long time some people
who said it I’m so now would you say
you’re when did you become a superstar
is that a three-year thing less I would
say last three last three to four years
when I start going international when I
got international successes when I said
okay now now it’s real well you can go
anywhere and people go in the world yes
China do bus business got it
that’s where you can start to play
around with that but that’s why I work
so hard because I’ve never been content
with the little levels of success in
your book you talk about oh my gosh I
can’t believe I’m rich
you know I’m rich so when did that
happen we’re luck I’m making money you
don’t want to on me I thought I was rich
when I got 25,000 for a pilot so I want
to get depends on the levels that she
goes from you know you’re talking about
having no idea what money is to making
your first good amount of money I mean
that $25,000 check was a real thing when
I did NACA and I made all that money
from them schools and then they took all
that money out of my check for taxes and
I’m like wait what who what person
attacks you know these are all things
that become education educational hard
core moments that you have to deal with
at the time
but when I got my first deal my first
deal was $225,000 and that was from ABC
ABC gave me 225,000 it was a hold nice
money
that’s maybe you’re getting rich yeah
I’m not the bottom I’m not I’m by mama
house in a car gotta give my brother
house cuz that’s one Chuck yeah but I’m
getting a lot of houses this is how you
think you don’t budge about your first
floor yeah it was getting me gotta get
me a watch brought a bunch of throwback
jerseys need those got to give me some
throwback hats to Maxwell’s jerseys hey
man you know I got a business manager
now he running that hey real quick shift
this money so I can use this keV
you don’t have any money excuse me what
you mean
I got money guys had 225 Ken well we
never pay taxes on the money so now
you’re actually in the hole because you
ran through the money you gave out so
much well then nobody why don’t they
take it out to check they you said well
you know corporated well you did explain
to me what that meant
well Kevin we we assumed that you
understood what that was when we did it
so what you say it well you owe you owe
a hundred and twenty five thousand huh
and the same as you never paid on the
other money that you made from previous
pilots and television gigs so I ended up
being in a hole what your is this is
buses no this is when that do grown
little man that was when I was at my
broker’s point when I did grown little
man whenever I did grown little man I
was when the money was sold that’s when
it was like well I bounced checks I’m
curious to know what your the tip roll
or your night o night
this is owner owner and that’s when
everything hit the fan i old the
government and absurd amount of money i
I was like what I don’t understand what
happened to the money that I had I
looked up I couldn’t even tell you where
it went where where is it I just member
seen a bunch of Jersey nights yours is
all yeah unbelievable
I remember saying I said man if you give
me a second chance give me a second
chance your thing this was the movies I
had I did so playing at the time I had
some TV shows I had like my scary movie
threes fours I had all of this stuff but
I didn’t pay tank nobody told I didn’t
know he’s already done all these things
and you might so I knew nothing so I
ended up owing like five hundred
thousand it was it like a weird number
and I was like yellow so give me a
second shot I said it’ll never happen
again I remember I said it’ll never
happen again I learned my lesson I just
got to figure out how to recover and
that’s when I went back to the heavy
stand-up grind as some popularity I was
I had a little bit of recognition with
my face people will go oh that’s the guy
so I start doing comedy clubs I saw some
male comedy club
and I the business manager I had at the
time I fired I wanted to understand how
to control my money deal with my money
make sure I see my check sign all my
checks and I said I want to take the
absolute minimal amount for myself and
everything else I’m just gonna put in an
account i’ma call it a tax account and
until I get that number back plus a
percentage on top of it I’m gonna live
off of that minimal amount made that
decision of their choice yes and then
once I got out the hole in like a year
and a half yeah got out the hole from
all the comedy clubs and I said you
don’t have to pay up to $500 yeah
because I was gonna comma Club so I was
making fifteen grand
eight grand 10 grand 9 grand I was doing
well familiar because well you know
everything is next year I dedicated the
same thing so I could get out that hole
even yeah so I paid that back into the
following year I did the same thing so I
could be double out the hole
so I’m in a hole 500 but you really do
need a million doesn’t need that yeah
but because the government it was so
long I was able to get a little bit of a
break in the amount of money I old so I
settled for a less amount was still the
chunky amount but I ended up paying
probably like seven hundred total to get
out but it took me you don’t have two
years taking that and then once I got
out I say oh never again how are you
handling it at that time while you’re
performing like are you because this is
pressure this is a pressure type
situation
you’ve seen it worse it’s no pressure
you’ve seen you’re performing you’re not
even thinking about it your problem you
just I have a game plan I’m gonna go hit
it I’m gonna make that money back in
I’ve seen the words got it what else can
happen I’m doing years ago yes I faced
the words I saw it oh that’s what looked
like there it is that’s what that’s what
don’t have nothing look like right there
oh I don’t want to see that shit again
so different so when when was it when
you made real money when is like when
I’m talking real money because there’s a
big difference between 25 I went in real
mindful Wow are you you been making a
real money for a while enough about now
it’s all over I do so much so
able to see it from so many different
streams but there’s no monster like the
monster of touring no monster you know I
own my tour it’s all me Live Nation is
my partner but you know the deals are
all up to me
I keep my partner in a loop Mayweather’s
down so this is got it I keep it I keep
them in loop because I’m loyal to them
because they were there with me in the
beginning got it I’m never gonna cut
them out let me let me talk to you on
the comedian side a little bit I’m
piercing on the comedian side a little
bit so so when you think about comedians
there’s a there’s a very what he called
a trend my there’s a run rate and
there’s a big fall mmm right and then
you know there’s a run rate a little bit
maybe a fall and then it dissipates
right why do you think that happens and
why do you think it’s so common in in in
your world I think it happens because
you allow it to happen no matter what
there’s always gonna be a high level of
a pain and negativity that comes with
any level of success everybody loves to
have something to say it becomes cool
mm-hmm at a certain point to say
something negative people love to watch
the movie of success oh my god we saw it
we saw you getting care but it’s a
better movie to watch you fall so if
you’re content in that fall and shoulder
shrugging oh well I was here at one
point in time then that fall is gonna be
a fast fall it’s easy but you don’t even
let the media have a chance that shown
now I don’t even look at me to have a
chance that you’re never very big on
recreating myself I’m very big on
creating other entities that can act as
revenue streams with or without me I’m
very big on the brand of Kevin Hart
surviving with or without me you can’t
make the mistake that you’ve seen others
in your position make actually highest
levels of success instead of enjoying
that those are the moments where you put
yourself in position to do business with
people that are much bigger than you so
for me I grew up in Iran war pretty
difficult environment the way I overcame
a lot of it was humor laughter levity
right he just kind of have to figure out
a way to get everybody to become right
that’s a very common thing with
comedians you know
had a very pressure type situation life
where Robin Williams carry you know the
list is along this where you go through
that your life you know that you have
this thing and then you have the drive
side that comes with you when you’re
there and you’re always so there’s the
show camera everyone’s watching oh my
gosh I’m gonna go watch it he’s so funny
I love this guy he’s hilarious
is that performance or is that Kevin
behind closed doors those are kind of
like camera action
oh the character has been off you know I
told you when the character exists that
has been off I mean I made bablu some
dates here and there by just not
remembering the exact times like I’m so
yeah I know it was in that mm but
there-there is no sense of false to me
now what do you mean well what you see
is what you get this is a hundred
percent me all the time
it’s not it’s not an act but your energy
is here when you’re up there in 100
percent me all the time I have no reason
not to be this guy I just told you I saw
it I saw two I don’t think that’s
everybody though no it’s not everybody
because I think they’ll act yeah I think
there’s within itself yeah but the
reason why the reason why is is my take
on life my take home life is completely
different
alright if I look at the odds and I look
at what it’s supposed to be I’m not
supposed to be in this chair I’m not
supposed to have the level of thinking
that I have at this point in time in my
career with this success I’m supposed to
be comfortable I’m supposed to be like a
days ago I’m supposed to be the asshole
statistics show I’m supposed to be on
drugs I’m supposed to be a train wreck
right now I’m supposed to be on my down
so what keeps you grounded the fact that
I’m the complete opposite of what I’m
quote-unquote supposed to be the fact
that you hear people say five minutes of
fame and six minutes of fame and it’s
much more bigger than that
the fact that at any point in time that
rug can be pulled out from under you and
that world can no longer exist as Follis
Hollywood is false it’s not real
it’s make-believe
that’s not real the day that you believe
in and think is real is a day you lose
it’s not real that’s why I work as hard
as I do
I’m going to get it all right now so if
you ever do decide to pull it from under
me there’s so many other things that
can’t be pulled because I’ve set it up
when I had the opportunity to yourself
yeah Jerry Seinfeld said it best Jerry
Seinfeld said I don’t want to do this
anymore because I know right now I’m at
the top of it I’m here and I want this
to end on such a high note that people
always have good things to say about it
he didn’t walk away from the business he
still does comedian cars he still does
stand-up comedy I mean me and Jerry go
back and forth with the Forbes thing now
yeah him or me if I’m not on tour is
gonna be him Chappelle pop back up
that’s the beauty of doing stand-up
comedy
he didn’t leave the business he was
smart enough to say I’m not gonna allow
Hollywood to pull this from under me and
tarnish what I control but how do you
control your emotional like on the
emotional side Urich um so for instance
if Will Ferrell decided to play the role
of Corleone II Godfather Forest coming
up there’s no way in the world I want to
look at Will Ferrell and say dude you
are not a mobster you know what I’m
saying I’m just not gonna see it right
okay do you ever feel like the industry
puts you in a box of hey Kevin you’re a
comedian make me laugh and you’ve got to
be on all the time and so how do you
differentiate one I’m gonna put the hat
on right now it’s the business head
right now it’s the comedian hat right
now it’s the actor hands the industry
doesn’t control it I told you you lose
when you when you adapt that perspective
here here’s why I’m not a work-for-hire
even when I am a work-for-hire I put
myself in position to be a partner in
the beginning I had to be hired please
pick me that’s what you’re busting your
ass for it to not be the please pick me
god yes so when you’re no longer to
please pick me god you’re the I want to
do this I choose to do I want to do this
yeah here’s what I’m doing
so there is no box that you’re being put
into did you want to get to this point
like what is it I want to get to the
points that I’m gonna choose and want to
do the work for someone when did you
think
yes I want to get to this point that
because I want to control I’m not saying
hire me anymore
I look at the I look at the people that
I admire and I look at the people who
careers have went above and beyond what
people may have expected to be when you
look at just in your space or period and
we can tell you paired let’s look at
let’s look at let’s look at Tyler Perry
I’m gonna use Tyler Perry’s example
right whether you love Tyler Perry or
not if you think Tyler Perry’s the best
actor in the world or not Tyler Perry
from a business perspective is a genius
this is a friend of mine I talk to him
all the time from writing from producing
from creating from selling Tyler Perry
started off don’t the same thing I do he
was a performer he did plays he wrote
the play they took the plays on a road
he toured he sold out those ideas those
concepts went on and on and on Hollywood
then saw what he was doing and said oh
my god this is special Tyler said I’ll
tell you how special it is I got a movie
here’s the movie oh my god we want to do
it with you okay I’m gonna write it I
also want to help produce it I want to
be in business with you he positions
herself at a partner so early on because
the entity that he had with in Medea was
created from a world that he owned the
live performance yeah as a stand-up
comedian my financial side is so high I
don’t have to do the movies I lose money
when I do the movies because the live
aspect of it I control I own of course
I own those movies when I lose you wanna
do man I want ya but they also help the
brand so he that’s cuz you also Tyler
Perry that’s a person I look at it and
go well I want that
who else under Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy
you look at Eddie Murphy you know my
animation is so attractive you know what
Eddie Murphy really broke the banquette
the donkey Shrek Shrek the donkey people
think and though my gosh Shrek what’s so
crazy you wanna know why you don’t see
Michael Myers anymore goddamn Shrek
three two one
you’re talking billions of
hours of animation the deals they had at
that point time were unprecedented
unprecedented so so oh my god Eddie did
animation oh my god and Eddie did what
wait Eddie he was a producer writer on
what wait what does he do now huh he he
controls what you got a dig behind the
scenes when you look behind the scenes
you go oh my god
well you look at leo and you really dig
behind the scenes when you look at Tom
Cruise there’s not a person besides Will
Smith Will Smith Tom Cruise sit in a
world of their own that a more in-depth
with their movie projects Tom Cruise and
editing room he’s a Tom Cruise Rizzo is
a scientist he’s a he’s a man he’s an
editing room he’s with the director he’s
on location he’s he’s with the stunt
coordinators he’s every stepping away if
you don’t show prepared on a set with
Tom Cruise you may not be there hi slow
he’s he’s he’s so much fun you are you
wanting to get to that level like
hundreds so let me ask you this question
Aaron speiser I don’t know if you know
Google’s code you know J Lo’s in respond
sir one time Jennifer and I would enter
spies probably five years ago I don’t
know the timeline five six years ago and
we’re in LA we still live in LA so we’re
in LA we’re sitting in on an entrance
like listen Patrick here’s what you got
to realize I said what is it he said
look the biggest challenge in acting in
Hollywood in these celebrities this is
what I tell Will Smith I said what is it
he said most of them can’t hang because
they don’t know what to do during off
time not during on time because you are
you’re done you have so much free time
you tell my video again there’s so much
free time to make stupid mistakes how do
you discipline yourself to the off time
to not make the dumb mistakes you gotta
make dumb mistakes you got to make the
dumbest you got to make dumb mistakes
you can’t avoid the dumb mistakes you
can’t avoid the life lesson that’s what
my whole book is about the whole life
lesson you can’t run from that I welcome
it smack me let let me hit my dumb ass
so I know not to do it again
because without that you’re living in a
hypothetical you think what if I you
think alike and probably you need to
know that this shit is stupid but but
there’s a part of it they did I want to
peel the onion on that one you’ve not
always thought like that you said at 37
when you kind of that’s when it really
clicked it got it you can have a hunch
of it you can you can you know right
from wrong
right that doesn’t mean it that’s gonna
stop you you really need to have like a
punch in the face in real life I’m with
you I’m a hundred percent with you there
but you’re not a drug guy I mean you see
you joke they said the only time I
smoked weed was with snow because if
you’re gonna smoke yeah yes the biggest
drug known to marry success is worse
than heroin success is worse than crime
not a limit to it
no because are you saying it’s a bad
thing or are you saying it’s it’s a bad
thing if you don’t realize it it’s a bad
thing if you if you don’t put yourself
in an environment to control it
you gotta think where success comes what
everything is given to you everything is
granted what you need no don’t get up
okay don’t walk there giving it gimme
that what say you
yeah no don’t worry about that car well
we’ll go and bring it to you then house
right there is that what you’re trying
to will get listen don’t let build it
and we’ll put it underneath your house
and you don’t have to ever look at it is
that what you want clothes no I don’t go
to the mall we got it somebody from the
water brings it to people like you hmm
when you get that if you’re a person and
really go this is real life now when
that goes away you’re you’re fucking
lunatic how do you maneuver well one
less will do my car my supposed to fuck
my own car do that clothes I can’t go to
the mall what they’ve been bringing my
clothes for the last 12 years be around
people yep huh you become that guy
that’s where success becomes the biggest
drug success also makes you feel like
you’re invincible so in a way you’re
saying you’re self aware of it so you’re
not worried about it because you are
self aware that it can be addicting so I
have control over it that’s what you’re
saying I saw my anklet of just simply
feeling like you’re invincible I never
was a Hollywood guy I’m never I was
never the aggressive guy I was never the
person that was disrespectful treating
people bad I saw me thinking that I was
simply invincible no I go we go we go be
good we can do this no no no no we get
you you you start to loose I
realities are different levels miles is
a very low level but I saw it but I
needed to see it for me to go Oh Kevin
ah everybody’s not strong enough to
catch themselves everybody not strong
enough to catch themselves and call
themselves out on and then point back to
them and talked it up I just had the
ability to do that and I’m blessed to be
able to do that
that’s where another talent within my
talents lie but people are ignorant to
that side of addiction that’s an
addiction that’s a real life thing but
people don’t understand that that’s what
people look at somehow you’re gonna have
you how do you understand it how do you
if okay let’s just say I’m somebody I’m
coming up Keith Roberts and play the
role in your life okay okay I come up to
you you’re Kevin Hart okay
and you’re the 38 year old Kevin Hart
you know your rock star you’re killing
it you’re superstar filling up football
stadiums I’m a 26 year old guy coming on
my YouTube video just blow up they’re
120 million views I’m doing gigs I’m on
demand you know I have 7 million
followers on Twitter and I sit with you
know yo what’s up Kevin you know you
know secretly I kind of feel like I’m
gonna kick your ass and I’m gonna pass
you up some little bit competitive I say
hey Kevin I want some coaching man you
know I’m just I got so many things
coming my way you know I got so many
things coming my way so you know what I
hear in the streets is you don’t do the
drugs and you don’t do this and you
don’t do that and so so how you how you
staying disciplined man what advice
could you give me what are you giving me
I’m giving you real advice keep your
circle tight keep circle tight make sure
that’s a bubble that can’t be popped
make sure your circle is a bubble that
can’t be popped in other words when you
start to bring other things inside of a
bubble ya aren’t inside that bubble when
that bubble grows the new thing around
that bubble is going to pop it new
people around you around popular I’m
gonna get you pop whoever these people
are grow with those people you guys
should understand each other inside and
out nice piece of advice I’ll give you
also look at the blueprint look at what
other people have done look at work
versus what hasn’t worked does mean you
gotta go down this road of that role
good or bad you can make your decision
based on things that you see don’t
alienate yourself from other people’s
success or down Falls a problem
educate yourself to it besties advice
I’m not here to change what you’re doing
or Taylor’s doing it wrong I’m just
simply giving information you can use it
or not you choose to dope if you don’t
even more dope
your life is gonna be your life no
matter what if all of our lives are
gonna be the same this world would be
stupid of course it’ll be stupid
everybody can’t be successful boring
well everybody can’t be the smartest
person in general it’s not possible
there’s just not gonna happen
people are gonna make decisions based on
what’s right for them I know where I sit
today I’m able to make decisions from a
perspective that I now know I have
that’s great for me I know I’m happy I
know that my priorities are straight I
know what I want out of life in the long
run I know what matters to me most I
have all my ducks in a row nothing from
the outside is going to affect my way of
thinking today never it’s possible I’m
not I don’t I don’t work for the the
will in want of the other person’s
perception I’m doing things to provide
entertainment at some point time if you
thought of that entertainment isn’t
right for you and I guess that means
that my time don’t I entertainment it’s
done there’s other things that I can do
my time is spent wisely if I’m not
working on what my family that is over
me I’m not running the streets I’m not I
didn’t want it’s over I’m I’m happy I’m
good
I’ve seen it all I’m I’m good I don’t
want no problems from nobody I sit my
ass down so let me ask you does this
this leads to the next question do you
think one has to have their like you
said earlier one has to have the big
fall to embrace this or can one really
you know they say the difference between
smart and wisdom is what you know smart
you just kind of are it’s everything you
have to learn from your self wisdom is
learning from other people’s experience
do you think to make it to the highest
level I have to make the stupid mistakes
I don’t think I think you have to okay I
think some people are fortunate enough
to where you know they can avoid and you
know dip duck and go around I’m saying
that nobody’s perfect oh I’m on a
percent no naughty I don’t care what
you’re looking at the outside looking in
body is perfect in you know the great
thing about America my dad sense
something about America says Pat let me
tell one thin about America here’s what
America is the sooner you figure my
dad’s in Middle Eastern philosopher it’s
a very weird man you meet coolest you’ll
meet him when we go to Vegas he said
family here’s America in America the
moment you get to the top everybody
wants to see you fall but here’s also
the great thing about America what’s
that after everybody makes you fall they
can’t wait to come back up he says it’s
a very weird thing you see just come and
she’ll look at Tiger Woods today
everybody wants to see a window glass
that’s the truth have you ever seen a
Truman Show of course
yes it’s one of the realest movies ever
I’ll give you one more example okay the
guy that comes in here and it sits in
your chair with no shirt on jeans it’s
cold outside
scarf around his neck and gloves say
he’s the biggest and best person ever
he’s huge whoever this person is I’m
creating just a persona and you sit and
you talk to him and your mind the whole
time during the interview you’re
thinking a man why the fuck does he have
on the scarf and no shirt and gloves but
you know what because he’s so big I’m
not gonna say nothing I’m gonna act like
this is okay I’m gonna keep my mouth
shut
everybody around you does it you no
longer think this is weird this is a
dope you just say no my level because
everybody’s afraid to talk to the guy
that’s considered to be the guy and then
when something happens to the guy
everybody jumps at the opportunity to go
oh he’s always been crazy mother crazy
he just felt that what he was doing was
okay cuz nobody ever said anything mMmmm
that’s why I say keep your circle tight
because your circle or the people that
should say hey man you don’t go take
your dumb ass decide to put on a shirt
you ain’t going out there with no damn
jeans and no shirt and a scarf why not
this is my new look no not on my watch
you look stupid
no man not accepted or you got to give
us a real reason why doesn’t make sense
and my reason
it makes sense and they may go I get it
I like why he’s doing it it’s art he’s
trying to do something don’t promote go
we rollin with you or are you doing an
experiment to see how many people don’t
say something you got to do something to
make me understand where you are
mentally so I know you okay but at least
we had a conversation about it how many
people choose not to have a conversation
most that’s the problem society as these
it gets right there that’s a gym that I
leave you with that you’re thinking
about for a long time that’s the biggest
problem with society and then when
things blow up especially in today’s
time scariest thing is we’re living in
the time of the power of the opinion
it’s cool to have an opinion I feel I
think you know what they’re doing I tell
you what it’s cool those opinions
because of the internet drive the
trailer so true of conversation every
opinion drives the traffic in
conversation when you feed that monster
that monster only gets bigger it’s not
that you can do nothing you can do the
best defense for that monster is to not
even get into it at all shit Bobby
because that’s all that’s in that world
because from the outside somebody thinks
well Kevin’s best friends with everybody
in Hollywood and they hang out together
cuz you’re on the outside you know it’s
like oh my gosh he must go to you know
hang out would Duane Johnson all the
time him an ice cube or probably playing
three and three in the back you know in
their house and they’re you know he’s
doing laps with Leo and they’re swimming
and seeing who’s fast
they must be kicking at 24/7 together
and party I am I’m a hundred percent in
my house man I’m with my kids house kids
when you when you read that me I’ve
always been that way but now it’s just
it’s even more it’s it’s times thirty
and I do have great relationships in
Hollywood would you say heaven and
Hendrix changed a lot of perspectives
like this yes yes could you like the age
where she really talks my conversation
with my daughter of real conversations
man this this little girl is the best
thing in my life but it’s not afraid to
tell her father how she feels when you
start to see that when you realize that
the Internet is that big that your kids
see everything
there is no escaping there is no wiggle
room not you 12 or 13 throw teenager low
teenager daddy’s girls talk to you Oh
hundred percent you gotta listen to her
getting little seven-year-old some
general otherwise Oh 13 Wolf Wolf
you just wait this way man you just wait
all those emotions gonna come to you and
it’s the best thing in the world because
they identify with your level of love
there will never be a level of love this
accept it if it’s not on par with what
you’re giving that’s the best thing you
know Steve Aoki right so Steve man yeah
he’s a good guy so Steve six weeks Mario
would you say six weeks were with Steve
and so so Steve story in your story are
very close I don’t know if you know this
whole story I guess identicals me watch
his documentary like his there’s a
documentary on Netflix about Steve it’s
sick
I haven’t seen is that more oh my god if
you get a chance to watch this it is a
sick documentary on who his dad is and
what is that bit okay like you’re
sitting you’re watching see I had no
clue who this guy was
it is amazing on how much of the turmoil
even Tony Robbins right Tony Robbins you
look at the story with his mom and dad
it is amazing that the highest driven
ambitious cycle obsessive guys that make
it to the not in one person that point
one it is point zero zero zero one
percent MJ you know it’s from you to
read about him in this book do you get a
strange operating in every one of them
has one side where there’s a lot of love
and one side where there’s a lot of
issues mhm
and it seems like that combination turn
is for a great man huge combust you know
an explosion and the great among beings
to say I’m gonna go out there and do
something about that this doesn’t mean
everybody’s gonna do because maybe your
brother was a different story but for
someone like you you’re gonna perform at
the level that you performed so final
stuff before we wrap up you want to be a
billion about 45 years old you got so
many things going on right now with your
businesses and you know the question I
would have for you is what I’m noticing
is obviously on Instagram you’re big you
got nearly 60 million followers you’re
big on Twitter you’re probably more
active Instagram than
Twitter although you are very active on
Twitter tell me tell me and I want to
hear it from your view not what we read
about on social media with everybody
saying how do you view YouTube and where
do you foresee YouTube going and let me
preface why I’m asking this question the
reason why I’m asking this question is
the following reason
I see Will Smith coming up he just went
on Instagram six months ago whenever the
timeline was I see him coming up on
YouTube and is doing his blogs and all
this other stuff and he said YouTube is
allowing me to stop be in Will Smith he
says for so long I had to be Will Smith
I no longer wanna be Will Smith that you
think of the Will Smith I just want to
be will I just wanna be Who I am right
on YouTube eastern sea in a yourself
with a laugh out loud Network and the
stuff you do is out of control I mean
that’s the control segment that upset
babe look at what look at what this guy
just said is the fun hilarious right how
do you view you in your world what does
you took to you you know what man you
you have to give credit to where it’s
due I mean look YouTube has been around
for a long time in the digital space
they’re a monster they’ve ever been a
monster and financially they had all the
money in the world to try to compete on
the level with these other content
creators you’re a poser who lose even
Netflix to a certain degree but Netflix
just took off and went into another
space Netflix is in another atmosphere
right now but YouTube has the
relationships within the talent has the
reach within their you know consumer to
to go out and get the stars of today to
come on our platform and be creative
you’re seeing Will Smith through it
you’re seeing myself do it with what to
fit you’re seeing
me with my little talk show that they
called his balls there they figured out
that people love to watch content on
demand you want it now you want it all
right now so the days of TV with a time
attached to it are over it’s gone I want
to watch it maybe when I wake up at 9:00
a.m. or maybe at 3:00 a.m.
YouTube has ever been that search engine
for you but now they’re putting a TV
perspective behind it so so because you
haven’t been on it for a while you just
got on it less than a year maybe a year
and a half yes and then doing Johnson
got on it as well so he got on it as
well about the same time so it sounds
like you guys are probably communicating
saying maybe we got a I don’t know if it
is or not you just want to know like you
know you don’t want to be the people
that lose momentum not momentum you just
don’t want to lose touch with with your
fan base you know but you could do that
with a Facebook or Instagram or not the
same winner see people think they’re all
the same than not I’m with you I’m
trying to agree because I think the
audience in YouTube is if there’s people
that follow you on Instagram that don’t
follow you on YouTube there’s people are
following you too
Facebook is a completely one thing was
it just to think for you to say we
better pay attention to YouTube this
thing could be a network and we got is
that kind of what happened we said we
got to get way attention to it all it’s
important for me as a CEO as a brand to
have relationships with them all but
YouTube takes more work than Instagram
does and you’re putting more work into
YouTube Instagram or Twitter but
Instagram isn’t produced content like
YouTube is Instagram is you being
yourself showing you all aspects of you
have used to short YouTube is now
allowing you to go and create premium
content so if you have ideas for
television shows the talk shows for
comedy documentaries if you got sketch
ideas yeah different things
YouTube is allowing people to take
budgets and put those things together
it’s the same thing that I’m doing with
the laugh-out-loud network which is why
I partner with YouTube to do what v to
do coldest balls because if I can have
my laugh out loud Network gain exposure
by teaming up with you – you’ve been
taking some of their can
to bring eyeballs to me into what I’m
doing it’ll help me grow and return I
let them get me as a star on their
platform in coldest balls are sponsored
by Old Spice and the other one is
sponsored by lyft and everything –
sponsored by somebody yes it’s also
business for you there also I need to
check for wrong and by the way on
coldest balls I will say this year I
don’t think anybody did a more honest
interview with Lavar ball than what you
talk I’m telling you right now I’m
telling you right now – see I don’t
think people realize that yeah you want
to really and the way you did it was
through comedy becoming but you ask the
three question that knows no yeah you
actually ask the question so if you
haven’t seen it you just got to go go
watch that boy first are you gonna laugh
are you gonna see how he puts the
questions about the relationship with
Lonzo and how you ask the questions
about you know who you were and you
can’t even talk about highlights
highlights or Nana you really address
some things with him so that’s why you
know when we first started we sat down I
said there’s comedians you have to be
very smart to be a comedian because your
brain has to go a million miles an hour
and then you have to be able to control
it as well I think you from the outside
well you know I’ve not hung out with you
we don’t have a 10 20 year relationship
together you come across as a guy that
excuse me that’s very intuitive that’s
also a guy that’s aware like you know on
that side and then you understand the
human nature side look nice screwed up
I’ve got to come out all those things
together I think that’s a rare
combination to obtain maybe that’s what
why you’re doing what you’re doing right
now in the world and so with the fact
that you know we’re gonna have you you
know a couple fun stuff I’m curious
about on your Mount Rushmore of
comedians who do you have up to who your
for Mount Rushmore comedians and you
have in your opinion prior Murphy
Chapelle and I would say Rock and if I
could take me out of it because I always
love to just throw myself in there
because you have to see yourself what’s
the great to be the great
I put George Carlin in there as well so
Cosby’s not in there Cosby here’s the
thing Cosby on a performing side with a
craft and as a comedian is a hundred
percent one of the best ever do it
he doesn’t surpass the
Rock Chappell Murphy Pryor stage for me
I’m a storyteller which is why I’m a fan
of Cosby got it and he’s great at that
but I think those guys are just
different monsters when it comes to
stand-up comedy I mean they all have a
unique unique moment in in the world of
comedy Pryor broke the mold for raunchy
comedy Pryor made it really cool to be
honest the term comedic rockstar that I
use now that comes from Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy was the first rock and roll
like star to tell jokes with the
microphone huge crowds large crowds I
got it I got no shirt on this is me this
is me but y’all coming out to an event
people dressing up to go see Eddie
Murphy outside of Eddie Murphy’s
Chappell Chappell getting a 50 man
dollar offer probably from Comedy
Central yeah unheard of from the sketch
comedy show success that’s that’s
groundbreaking that’s unreal and what he
did Chris Rock Chris Rock as a writer as
a director as a producer as a comedian
going on special number for a guy who
toured the globe and made it cool to go
to South Africa made it cool to go to
Dubai made it cool to go to all these
other places that people weren’t going
to Drock was the one that was going over
there making me go oh my god I gotta get
there
when you say Colin Colin did ten
specials people don’t even know that Tim
Tim has done something else by the way
he’s amazing this stuff is something
amazing so as a student of it you know
there’s so many names that I wish that I
could name I mean I’m huge
Martin Lawrence Bill Cosby to keep your
car you are Robin Williams fan Robin
Williams when the greatest ever do it
Steve Martin right behind them I mean
Martin you can I can be here all day
that’s your goal okay your your Mount
Rushmore those are once you put up there
very cool so look you know every time
you know I when we were meeting us I got
to get this guy gift and one by the way
the book we got the book we’ll do this
at the answer some of the guys we can
get that as well so I know you’re
running
be a billionaire okay and I think you’re
well on track with what you’re doing to
be there and uh you know so I said look
I don’t know if you’re a reader or not
I’ve read 1,500 business books oh wow
and I said I got if I can give a couple
books that have been the most
influential to me in business but what
we’re doing
I got it whether you read it or not
you’re busy I don’t know if you’re gonna
read it or not so one really one of them
is blue ocean strategy
okay and blue ocean strategy I think
this will help out with what you’re
trying to do with business because this
tells you that most people are in a
business with a red ocean that sharks
are eating each other and everyone’s
trying to steal from each other he gives
the formula on how to have a blue ocean
where you’re going in the market where
you don’t need to steal from anybody
Wow you create a whole new market that’s
that book and then the other one is not
only what I’ve read it but I’m going to
have a broken down a sus love the book
when I talk to you to see you I look
forward to it that’s it and that’s a
promise I look forward to promise this
one priority playing and then this one
Valeo you mentioned a few things in the
interview when he said the taxes all
this other stuff so kind of give you a
backstory on the Raiders book principles
he’s the founder of Bridgewater house
okay the seventeen billion dollar guy
okay and he wrote this book for three
different types of readers he’s out of
New York he’s a beast he’s a guy that I
think it would really I mean Gates looks
at him as a mentor really high end
people would look at him as a mentor he
wrote the book for three different types
of people one guy that’s gonna read the
entire book and that’s not most people
the other guy that wants to go to the
most important page and then somebody
that wants to read the outline I think
this is a book that you’ll go to an
outline and say this is a section I need
to read fantastic principles on how to
run a company in a business okay so the
fact that you want to go on down to
preneur side I think you can also this
book I’m gonna tell you something joy it
man I’m gonna tell you something before
we wrap up man I like the fact that it
was a conversation I’m bigging one
conversation and I think you get a lot
from people in having conversations we
weren’t supposed to be here for an hour
or whatever and you get lost in time
when you’re actually having a great
conversation how long have we been
together is it an hour
our hour and a half this thing went for
it I want audiences hold a great kana my
gosh and that’s what that’s what I like
the buddies have you are a very special
guy man let me know yeah I’ve been a fan
but it’s a whole different level so his
book his book I can’t make this stuff up
good gift okay his book here’s what
we’re gonna do this is what we’re gonna
do that I’m gonna give he’s gonna sign
we got four of them here this is what
you got to do when this comes up this
interview comes out you got to go by the
book on Amazon you got to post it on
Twitter tag me in him that you bought it
we’re gonna pick three of you that buy
it and we’re gonna sign sign sign sign
copies to you on three people so you
gotta tag me in him maybe he’ll like one
of them that you want he’ll pick and
choose who it is he’ll let me know we’ll
send three signed copies to you but you
got to go on Amazon we’ll put the link
on the bottom or you put a bitly link
below so they can go pick that up signed
copy three people will be chosen by he
and I and we’ll send that over to you
again brother thank you so much you say thank you this is a good time this is
comedians you have to see yourself
what’s the great to be the great when
did I do grown little man that was
around was that my Broca’s point my dick
growing with a man keep the circle tight
make sure that’s a bubble that can’t be
popped whoever these people are go with
those people you guys should understand
each other inside now
this is a good time this is honestly a
good time so there are a lot of great
comedians out there many of them many of
them that I like I watch but there’s
only one that has nearly 150 million
people following them on social media
okay and by the way only a handful of
countries have one hundred fifty million
population this may could be a country
by myself only guy in the comedy world
that’s filled up football stadiums
football stadiums we’ve heard you know
basketball and somewhat football
stadiums and Forbes 2016 earnings I
think it’s eighty seven and a half
million some of the numbers 69 69
million I think 2017 and and he says
recently in a podcast I think on variety
that he wants to be a business mogul he
already is a business his name is a
business already but he wants to be a
billionaire by 45 years old Kevin –
brother
I wanna be with you here today I do a
great on trail I’m doing very good
ignore the financial numbers and you can
tweet him for a loan and Kevin Hart and
he will not reply by the way too soon a
disclaimer
okay so Kevin first of all we’re excited
about having you in August and Vegas
that’s gonna be a blast
I can’t wait it’s gonna be that’s gonna
be a lot of money I got a lot of
questions to get into what some part of
its gonna be business someone’s gonna be
comedy you know something’s gonna be
personal life and how you discipline
yourself but let’s start off with the
first one when did you know you were
funny when did I know it was funny when
I know you were funny for real for real
funny
I had my banquet for my swim team I swim
for a team called PDR Philadelphia
Department of Recreation you were a
swimmer I was a swimmer so is there I’m
an amazing swimmer really I am
didn’t like it because my mom made me do
it that was her way to keep me off the
streets so swimming takes up all your
time you got practice before school long
practice after school to the practice
you are beaten you’re too tired to do
anything so I was pretty much
underachiever because I did whatever I
had to do just to get by as strong so at
our banquet all of the people in the
swim team were getting amazing Awards
scholarships it’s just just unbelievable
with these people accomplished in a
sport of swimming and I think I got like
a participant award which was which was
nothing which is like how are you at the
stuff I’m this is my last this is 16
this is 16 yeah this is my last year so
my class like my swim class they’re all
going off to college everybody’s excited
oh my god USC University of Maryland
building over Penn State name it they’re
going everywhere
I got a participant in war and you know
we all had to give speeches and I just
gave a speech on being an underachiever
and like just how I know I’m not good
and you guys don’t have to like just
give me fake Pat’s on the back when we
leave you all know that I’m not at the
level of everybody else but I did it was
such a sense of humor where the room was
dying how big the audience
oh man it may have been 70 people at the
banquet 70 75 and without realizing it
then it was like a comedy said I had a
beginning middle and end to a speech
that I didn’t even write down I was just
personable I got up and talked and and
winged it and when I got all people were
clapping and after the banquet everybody
was just saying the same thing your son
is so funny he’s so funny he’s so
personable we love them we’re gonna miss
you but the word personable we’re funny
was used so much and I think that’s the
day when it really clicked I’ve always
been funny but that’s they would have
really clicked this could actually be
your entertaining others it wasn’t it
wasn’t this is going to be my career of
choice because I didn’t know at the time
oh so this isn’t a dream so you are not
grown you know I’m gonna grow up in one
I’m watching all these other guys no I
wish I wish I could sit in a lot of you
say that was the case I’m a late bloomer
and understanding what hard work brains
it’s something that my mom beat down my
throat and because of the way she did it
I didn’t want to comprehend it when I
had no choice but to understand it I got
lucky by having something I love to put
along the same line with the message
that she was giving got it
school wasn’t what I wanted to do which
is why I never got my all so who were
you in high school it has high school
with you who’s Kevin Hart in high school
funniest guy in school what is that
yours well how were you the funniest guy
nice guy class clown
most popular kid in school how BIG’s our
school I’m at a big school I went to
school George Washington High School
Northeast huge school I liked the fact
that it was that verse where I grew up
in Philadelphia we didn’t have other
races of people around us you know I
mean it was blacks in my neighborhood
black people on this side of the tracks
I think we had some Puerto Rican people
that we may have been cool with but it
was it was a minority driven
neighborhood going through the Northeast
my first time really interacting with
white people on a regular basis this was
the first time uh in high school no no
she sent me out different middle school
too so my last year’s a middle schooler
in high school was a 9 9 through 12 to
10 through 12 was 9 through 12 but I
went to middle school was 7th and 8th
god but with that day it helped me
become the people person that I am today
I was always a guy that was in a mixture
of races wow that’s so amazing you’re
saying oh this it’s the truth that is
amazing so I I got this one thing that
I’ve really that I really appreciate
about momma Dee the fact that she puts
you in an environment like this so I
grew up in Glendale if you’ve been to
Glendale that’s 90% I mean they’re all
Middle East and you go you know
everybody there’s Middle East yes so I
go to the army when I go into the arm
and I go to Kentucky no one’s made of
lead nobody had to learn very quickly
how to yeah work with different that
kind of helps you in business obviously
this has helped you with your career
because your audience is very diverse
you talked about your mom you reference
her a lot a lot you give her a lot of
credit for what she’s done and how we
do all these other things what were some
things your mom did to you specifically
that helped you become who you are today
my mom was very hard on me and the
reason why is because I think she saw
the mistakes that she made with my
brother you know my brother was Muslim
he was a loose cannon
my brother he didn’t have a tight leash
on him he come and go as he pleased
curfew was later and because of that she
saw the road that he went down you know
my brother went down very bad road
getting locked up young age you know
selling drugs what’s the age difference
man my brother eight years apart
got it eight years apart and with me I
think was more of a panic of I’m not
gonna allow this to happen again and
it’s typically the other way around by
the way typically you guys are easier on
the younger than they are the older and
I’ve heard that I’ve definitely heard
that but in my case it was not had to be
home at six o’clock I mean I really saw
night time in my teenage years and
especially with being outside amongst
friends
it was always doing something
constructive with my time so she never
let me waste time in a day if I had time
that time was either spent during
practice studying or preparing for
something that was to come my downtime
came on a weekend where everything else
was done and my Saturday was spent
watching cartoons where I was in the gym
with her while she was dead to jail
working what were your cartoons about it
we just decide no justice no what you
watch I was a big Bugs Bunny guy heavy
heavy time and Jerry had every Tom and
Jerry have that’s old school
Flintstones Wow I’m getting older I’m 38
now yeah where your mother’s my stuff is
back there yeah I’m Jerry Flintstones
those are my those are my picks a boy
school sounds good so it’s okay so now
mom’s discipline she’s keeping you
positively distracted all the positive
distractions in your life and then later
on later on when you’re getting to a
point when you’re kind of figuring out
because your story with your mom is a
complete opposite story with your father
why can you talk a little bit about your
experience with your dad yeah two
different roads can make it right or
left I had a choice to make a left at
one point in time of my life you know
my mom and my dad were together didn’t
say together didn’t work out my dad was
a loose cannon on drugs off drugs in
jail out of jail you watch you saw
witness all of this I didn’t know god I
was I was I was younger so the secret
was kept from me but everybody else
except me me your older brother knew not
would rather know eight years everybody
else when you’re blind to the reality of
what your environment is you know
sometimes people let you touch a hot
stove so you can go oh that’s hot
so my mom at one point we’re like you
know what
go to your father you always said you
want to go to that go and I got an
opportunity to go with my dad and this
isn’t to say that my dad you know didn’t
care because you were yearning you were
curious yeah I wanna go I’m mighty God
you shit you don’t let me do nothing I’m
gonna go with dad my dad to complete
opposite how would you at that time when
you’re saying this tomorrow probably 12
so that young and moms go to death at
this point you want to prove a point go
good for her for Evan anymore so you
want to do it go because my brother was
an army in the time so it’s just me and
my mom sweet butting heads you know
we’re we’re buddy I’m 30 I’m actually
1314 because my brother was in army
where we’re just at it every day and my
thing was you just you you’re not
getting me you not letting me grow up
let me go with dad you know my dad was
the complete opposite my dad and a
no-rules go we’re going to go back go
you dad my friends gonna go ahead you
ask no questions or nothing and you get
there and you realize it’s not supposed
to be like this like even supposed to
have some kind of guidance around here
right like there’s no rules at all dad
you do it man go away hey don’t forget
you got school what what you ain’t
making sure it was it was that level of
comfort it was that level of I guess not
understanding the the real role of a
parent at that time and he had a lot of
stuff going on and that’s where I had to
make the conscious decision to say mom I
was wrong I want to come back and to
come back it was understand that you’re
gonna go through my rules and it’s gonna
be my wave and higher standards it’s
it’s it’s something I had to deal with
but I had to make that decision to say
okay I had to eat that humble pie how
long did you live with your pops during
that time man it may have lasted three
days three days I was back home three
today I’m not dealing with this year I
got to go I got to go man I got to go
too many people in the house I’ll no
none of these people people coming in
and out just welcomed it wasn’t what I
was used to it wasn’t my comfort zone so
then you come back and then you know you
obviously your mom sets the expectation
you have to respond to it have no more
problems guys okay so now let’s fast
forward let’s fast forward after school
you’re out of school you’re not in high
school anymore I think you had a stint
selling shoes where you were you a
Salesman a shoe salesman I can see you
being a ridiculous thing you want to
know man Bernice you down who’s that now
you were something like you were you’re
selling lady’s shoes er were using us
sneakers sneakers City sports
Philadelphia supernatant pronate when
what kind of protecting you anything
name it I can tell you today how long
did you sell for uh I was at City Sports
for about two years
got it so it’s a good enough time I mean
you even have two years yeah yeah so
when did you so you know when you get
that one message seven years seventy
kids are in the room seventy people
aren’t there oh my gosh your kids so
funny you know they’re saying that to
your mom and your peers are around all
these other guys are getting the
scholarships you’re getting a
participation award maybe I can go make
people laugh did somebody tell you Kevin
won’t you go give comedy a shot you know
or was it mom or did you say you know
what I’m gonna go do stand-up comedy it
wasn’t it wasn’t my mom was somebody
from my job where I worked at City
Sports somebody was like yo man you you
have us laugh and every day like
literally every day at work is a fun day
because of you you come here you just
delivering jokes non-stop why don’t you
do comedy because where we worked at
there was a comedy club around a corner
called laugh house do you still keep in
contact with that person that told you
or know from work no no but we we were
good friends it’s Allison if I seen it
would be like I never stopped seeing you
pick up right where we left off I mean
those are all great relationships
amazing yes somebody that’s not in your
life gives you that yeah you
you just because you lose contact don’t
believe it doesn’t mean you lost contact
yeah you can see a person to pick up
right where you left off those
relationships that I had in that job it
was that those those people definitely
helped with the push they helped with
the the jump start to me understanding
how to go about doing comedy
it’s Antonia at the time 1819 it was a
thought I did not do it yeah I don’t
know where to go so somebody said comedy
club
yeah I want to go yeah my god let’s do
it it wasn’t even a fight I didn’t know
it existed I didn’t know and it was a
comedy club down the street from you it
was right around the corner so the
barber that cuts my hair I’m gonna tell
you if what he tells me so I said listen
yeah it’s cut my hair two days ago I
said Michael I’m gonna be with Kevin
Hart he says no I said yeah Michael
rapattoni Michael if you’re watching I’m
giving you a shout out right now Michael
rapattoni he’s one of these guys that
was a former boxer with enough story
there’s a reason why he’s a bar business
great story my story is that Andy he
cuts my hair for 45 minutes it’s not one
of those five minutes he’s just talking
to the entire time so she says you know
I’m from Philadelphia no you’re from
Philadelphia but what does that have to
do with Kevin I know Kevin’s also
Philadelphia says Pat there was a time
that Kevin used to go to this club
called helium no no helium yeah he says
he’s got a helium and they had Amateur
Night in the late 90s he says what I was
blown away by Kevin on Amateur Night at
helium is he kicked everybody’s tail and
every night because he would go watch
every single night he said every night
he would bring something new you would
say how does he come up with all this
stuff is what he was talking about so
i’ma tell you exactly what he’s doing
and there’s there’s a high level of
truth to it
helium comedy club is a comedy club in
Philadelphia but he’s referring to the
laugh House helium comedy club came
after the laugh house was like going
through their problems hidden comedy
club came they’re just an amazing comedy
club ran professionally just gave a new
look to comi and Philadelphia but what
he’s talking about with amateur nights
every week the amateur nights were held
on Thursday at
helium or this is what the laughs house
got a but the winner got $75 I won the
competition for about six to eight weeks
I was saying I was winning the
competition it was all amateurs and I
was winning but the reason why I would
make sure after each one I said I don’t
want to go back and say the same stuff
so the week leading up to it would be me
trying to create whatever my new jokes
were and of course it’s beginning so
they’re they’re green they’re hacky
jokes there’s nothing great there’s no
brilliant material but my energy my
energy needs to be nuts I would come on
stunts more than two days oh my god I
run I would run from the back I remember
my name is lo cab the bastard I never
say give it up for a little care of the
basket I’ve just run through the doors I
would grab the store now I was talking
about a minute
you couldn’t because I was so pumped up
but at the time I wasn’t Kevin Hart I
wasn’t I wasn’t being myself I was being
a version of what I thought I should be
to get laughs and that version of me was
getting laughs but as a character so it
wasn’t it saucer to figure out that I
didn’t have to be a character that I got
really funny I was situational funny
yeah but your foot and and I’d be bumpy
first grabber than you oh man I can’t
you see the way you look at your hand
when you wipe your butt it was stupid
stuff
it was nothing crazy it was stupid stuff
hey
you have a drain you fall in it like a
joke hey what but my energy would get he
was so crazy he said he said one he says
he says Pat here’s the only thing one
day I show up he says I was such a loyal
faces one day or something how come he’s
not here anymore he says then I found
out he was so good that he got the
attention of people in New York
apparently yes as he started going to
New York he’s very very well he followed
it very closely and the crazy thing is I
got out of Philadelphia because I was
seeing the same people your reach wasn’t
a big reach I was like well it’s not
that I was seeing the same people the
same comedians
the same audience people every week
wouldn’t you see the same if you went
somewhere else though
but that’s thing I didn’t know god I
wasn’t content with not knowing I was
like it has to be more what what’s the
next Kevin is this late 90s this is late
you’re 21 21 22 this is late nineties
this is this is 98 99 and I met a guy
named Keith Robinson who’s an
unbelievable mentor to me and this is
the guy who was telling me just like man
you gotta start talking about more you
gotta start talking about yourself he
said I want you to come with me to New
York I didn’t know the guy from from
from this piece of paper on the table
but we say you gotta come with me to New
York I jumped at it because I was like
is more comedy in New York I’m going I
want to see it I was so eager to see
what else was out there and I saw that
when he when he opened up that door not
to look behind it and I saw what was
there 12 13 comedy clubs in New York
I got to see comedians on stage all
races there were your casino yours oh my
god all races shape sizes I was I got
big I got big what’s that it that was
when that was when it was over that was
my that was the addiction at the highest
level when I woke you the first time you
went up on stage I know you all took me
I didn’t go on stage I just saw which
one what club was it the first one I
haven’t even said Comedy Cellar and who
did you hear the Jews do you remember
the names I say exactly who I saw and
who walked in and I was mind blown Jerry
Seinfeld
Ray Romano came on the same Wow and I
was like you know they this is when
their TV shows are to hide other shows
Colin Quinn George Wallace was there
this is Patrice O’Neal legit in the prom
this is rich vos in his prime bill burr
this is Tracy Morgan in his prime young
Chris Rock this is when I tell you this
is me cuz the seller you got to think
this is when SNL was real big for a lot
of these guys
going back and forth Colin Quinn had
Weekend Update this is where they would
go to see where everybody was holding
their material so before I got on stage
I was sitting in the comedy club and
just watching the grades Damon Wayans
came in one night and had a piece of
paper which they working on gonna take a
lot doing that I’m literally just
looking nobody know I’m the dirty kid
nobody know I mean little dirty kid that
nobody knows what he does but Keith
Robinson took a liking to me and he was
educating the Keith you know all those
guys keith was it you and you it keith
is a comedy legend one of the psychs
myself rock we all our students of the
Kiva’s honest and camp I mean there’s so
many comedians that he helped breed and
mold into what they are today and my
understanding for comedy and the way
that jokes should be told the way the
story should be vetted out the way to
the set has a beginning middle and
ending that comes from Keith he gave you
the system he a hundred percent would he
sit there with you and say Kevin here’s
how I come up with a joke there’s really
not he wouldn’t so that parts on you now
do your work dummy that’s me saying that
shit I’m telling you what you’re not
doing my job to tell you what you’re not
doing is your job to figure out how to
do it so I would get offstage here’s
what he did to me one night it’s the
best lesson he ever gave
I want stage and I kill you you ever get
up on a buzzin King King King it’s a
bunch of that just a bunch of a bunch of
nonsense hey you look at somebody like
one it’s nothing he says I want you to
see something I stand next to him and
like five people are walking out he says
do you enjoy the show and I’m like yeah
yeah yeah and I you were so funny he
what about you you know his name oh wait
what uh you were the third guy you were
number four you were four you were
number four nobody knew my name he said
you know why they don’t know your name
you don’t say who you are he say do you
have kids you might have kids you got a
mother a father a brother a sister tell
us
who are you why cuz nobody knows
anything about you all they know is that
you are funny everybody that comes
through here is funny only the special
ones make it much further than this
because people feel like they know they
invest in them in her career so then he
started making me watch the great so
when you start to watch the
quote/unquote girl live they talk about
themselves everybody’s there talking
about themselves their experiences their
opinion they’re feeling or effect from
said thing one two or three oh how
immediately did you make your adjustment
well it was a fast you try breathing you
struggle you struggle with the change
cuz I’m so comfortable with my style
you ever see don’t you hate when man I
can’t stand black people do this but
white people do this I’m so comfortable
doing that as soon as I had to change it
and start saying hey I’m Kevin Hart I’m
not confident in Kevin Hart cuz I don’t
think Kevin Hart’s funny I think this
guy what all this energy is funny it was
a mental thing so I had to tap out of
that and tap into the real me and put
the character to the side how soon did
you get up and perform yourself after
that so you tell they’re back and forth
to New York for about seven months to a
year before I got on stage in New York
you’re kidding me no so seven months to
a year Your Honor performing a laugh at
the Healey alone in there and a couple
little spots in New York there’s a
couple oh nothing big yeah nothing big
nothing big and during this time have
you built any relationship with me they
all know me and everybody’s cord really
nice to me and the reason for going back
and forth from Philadelphia to New York
I had to make something I lived in New
York that’s the only want to get spots
they have to be able to rely on you and
think that you’re going to make the time
so the first time you got it when was it
and what was it first time I got was age
I got an audition I got my first one at
Caroline’s and I got over it was like I
say like eight months probably I was
going up there past Caroline’s Carolina
started booking me a couple
during the week they don’t pay they give
you food like they call food spots until
you become a weekend comedian then you
get like $50 a spot in New York the
Comedy Cellar then that got up there in
the Comedy Cellar past me food spots
again staying in New York I think give
you like five dollars a spot weekend’s
the same twenty five to fifty dollars
but it was a slow grind but then when
you get in all of them you got to think
in New York you’re doing seven to eight
spots on the weekend so you get in $50 a
spot and you’re doing six to seven to
eight spots on for Sunday you you got a
good weekend
you figure it’s four weekends in a month
you can pull 2,000 2,500 dollars mm-hmm
in New York you can survive you can
support yourself and during a week the
goal would be to book colleges or other
shows elsewhere and then come around a
weekend colleges you were performing at
colleges informing the colleges man and
a college agent that’s how I was staying
afloat my college agent is here in
Chicago bass jewel entertainment
so when you say college like colleges
you know am I going to the auditorium
and performing in the auditorium
colleges wherever they put you sometimes
you’d be in order to and sometimes you
be in a lunchroom sometimes you’ll be in
like a a created atmosphere it could be
like their lounge space and they just
put a microphone in a while colleges
have a certain amount of money that they
have to spend a year on entertainment so
it goes the music and comedians around
them you know was one of the things we
forget about is there is no social media
at the time now so you are you have to
go hustle to get up nowadays somebody
can put in one video sixty million views
everybody does it here’s my head shot
that’s my guess the HUS here’s my tape
Wow my numbers in there if you want to
call that’s my tape please watch the
tape so who’s the first name that saw
you perform that said dude you the real
deal like who was the first person that
came and said this guy somebody’s gonna
tell Dave Attell
smart comedian very funny I’m not sure
be familiar with him if you’re not
educate yourself on Dave Chappelle you
would love repeal Dave Attell
I tell a tale okay very very funny guy
he had a show on Comedy Central called
insomniacs for a long time he saw me
perform and was blown away by my
performance and he called his manager
who was Dave Becky who is now my manager
and say you got to see this guy Dave
Becky reached out to me came to see me
and in coming to see me
expressed that he would love to work
with me he was a manager he deals with
some of the biggest and best names in
the business today but he said look he
doesn’t do the contracts and try to have
people sign my life away worse on a
handshake basis he said are you willing
to work I’m willing to help you tell
them I was willing to work he said he’s
willing to help shook hands
he came Washington perform put me in
other comedy clubs got me in other spots
I started to get better sharper faster
and I got him to it’s called the
Montreal Comedy Festival and he made me
turn it down he’s like we’re not ready
say they want you to go your new face
and it’ll be great but we wait one more
year we’ll go and we’ll be the talk of
the town trust me let’s wait I said I’m
gonna listen to you my manager
everything this man said has never not
worked and because of that he’s been my
manager for 15 16 plus years Wow
Kousaka Dave Attell gets denied of the
discovery of oh my god disguised
grandshaykh come here come meet this guy
game over yeah so first first big hit
what’s the first big hit for you my
first big hug you are still not on TV
I’m so not your Kevin still are not on
TV what’s the big hit biggest audience
biggest platform biggest place you
perform well you actually were nervous
about it like I got to really come
through and see if I can ever say it
would come from this event called NACA
which is where I got my college agents
okay this is what my college agents has
set me up for so bad Schuler was out of
Chicago
yeah the whole thing we get into college
agent as a comedian this is how you’re
gonna survive colleges pay you a
thousand five hundred seven hundred but
they can block bookie you can do seven
colleges in a week
you can do two in one day
another and in that city they’ll put you
in like a run where you go from city to
city city you’ll come out with five six
thousand dollars that’s in a week
oh my god you get two good weeks this is
great money you talking 12 13 grand a 22
year old comedian this is I’m rich if I
can book one of these you got to get an
agent you gotta get in the neck how do
you get in the neck well you got to make
a tape tapes got to be seven minutes got
to be clean no cursing I’m gonna make a
tape got to figure it out
had to go to a comedy club had to get a
comedy club to let me do it able to come
to club had to get tape edited where it
has to be a life tape like a lot of live
performance got it you got to get edited
who won’t edit it I don’t know I figure
it out
from who what huh go figure it out
stupid you’re grown ask questions this
week you for telling me made me do it
all on my own get it out of this okay
now you got editing you got to get
headshots now there are headshots now
you got to package it up you got to go
send it out each package that you send
out your sentence for all of the
different conferences I think it was
like 55 or $70 per conference that you
have to send your thing in with so you
gotta have a chat below so to send out
your headshots your take everything it
would cost you like 350 hours I don’t
have that type of money with a lot of
money at that time figure it out stupid
get it it’s worth it I got it
send out all my packages from Bad
Schuler bachelor said we got in we got
you in the neck it’s the biggest
conference ever
every school Under the Sun comes here
this is two thousand two thousand ones
this is 2002 got it 2002 it’s amazing
that’s only 16 years ago 2002 I’ll never
forget NACA
2002 the biggest conference name a
college there there you perform after
you perform you go to a booth the
colleges are walking around and they
come up to the different comedians boots
and they booked you on the spot we want
you for this date this state if you
don’t be bad you’re gonna get a lot of
dates if you’re bad you’re gonna come
out there with no dance it’s pressure
like no pressure before I’m next goals
the commedia before me bombs the bombing
of life I mean I mean it’s just it’s bad
I mean nobody’s laughing do you know
what I know that kept me young I mean
nobody’s laughing it’s quiet and it
wasn’t a this wasn’t a rude room it was
very professional so there are no boos
it was just quiet which boo me get let
me hear something tell me get my ass off
the stage they were just quiet the
comedian goes well I guess that means no
dates for me thank you guys for the
opportunity politely put the microphone
and a stand walked off the hosts
comments all and the host is like all
right let’s keep that energy going his
exact words let’s keep the energy going
give it up the little kids oh wait no he
changed his name Kevin Hart this is my
intro oh shit okay get it together
I go up there how’d you change your name
you’re not going back Kevin Hart I
wasn’t no more little kid I wasn’t
little Kevin I’m not Kevin Hart now this
is perd me and my conversation with Kiki
my first minute I was getting them
getting him a little loose give him a
little loose I said a joke whole room
laughs the rest of my set we were
supposed to be 15 minutes I ended up
destroying standing ovations I go to my
booth I probably booked 75 Wow
so that’s it 75 dates something to add
up the money I’m like my year my year is
full keith is like the ones on the
weekends don’t do make them put
everything during the week get all your
money read your weekends to be in New
York Aries has to be in New York I’m
like are you crazy it is like almost 100
grand look at the money cuz they offered
me like 1,200 to 1,500 a show stupid you
need to be in New York all right I made
everything on a week my Mondays through
Thursdays
was you named a Bismarck North Dakota
the Cumberland Kentucky to Nashville
Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee I was I
was going all of driving a hundred and
fifty miles I didn’t want to fly because
it would cut into the money put in so
many miles on rental cars this is before
all the apps and stuff on the phone so
you got the directions printed out me my
friend 19 who slipped me into this day I
told my would give him money to act as
my host open up for me
he said bet man 19 were road warriors I
mean hundreds of thousands of miles
driven driving 12 hours to do a show how
long how long was that run rate which
schools this was this was this one on
for a couple years so all four yeah
because you got to think as the schools
go they want you back so you’re not you
have you gone on TV yet or now yo this
is all just or you’re still not on TV
this is just grinding this is just I’m
figuring out figuring out figuring out
so here’s what happened I I then did
Montreal Comedy Festival Montreal Comedy
Festival got me a deal and that’s when I
did my first pilot that’s when it was
okay I now have an opportunity to be on
TV the pilot didn’t get picked up so now
I don’t have an opportunity but then I
do a bootleg movie called paper soldiers
paper soldiers which I had no idea would
be anything but it was a movie offered
to me by Dame Dash and jay-z at the time
I said I would love to work with you get
connected with them saw me in New York
on the weekend all goes full circle keep
said be available in the weekends
because you never know what’s gonna
happen in the city that’s where Dame
Dash saw me perform Caroline’s on a
weekend so instead of chasing the six
figures we’re going for the big week we
have to be around you have to be visible
you have to be seen that movie that
never went to the theaters that gave me
the opportunity to put a real together
that was my tape I sent this out to Dave
Becky who’ve been sent it out to people
all over California Hollywood XY and Z
that tape is what got me the audition
for parts and TV shows that’s what ABC
saw NBC
that’s what allowed me to go on the
rooms with the heads of the studios and
pitch my TV show how fast was that that
all happened in the blink of an eye so
you went from not being on TV to being a
star
well it wasn’t star it was just I’m the
hot guy he’s a hot guy and this is all
five this is he’s gonna be like this is
the hot guy Oh in two oh four oh five or
six who is the lead runner who were the
main names in Oh 506 Chappell Chappell
was Chappell Katt Williams was really
starting to make a name and terror stuff
a god thing can’t really start cat
really was banging oh six 208 that’s
right he did a movie with snow but was a
car wash something he did
car wash I know what you’re talking
about would drain the whole thing with
the Palm Pilot you know the line is he
had he had several I mean look yeah I
think that’s when the Friday next Friday
to find it the next this is all in that
time so Chapelle Katt Williams
those were your those were your two but
it was more about the Chappelle’s Show
around this time you know around it are
you close with Chappelle out the time do
you guys have a relationship or we I
know him but we not I don’t have the
relationship yes I know you yes we’re
we’re comedians we’re all in the same
circular okay but this is just where I’m
now working things are now going good
soul plane you know I did so from what
year was so clear like I don’t know the
exact year so playing I know I know that
from the years when you go 2002 to 2006
to 7:00
that’s where everything happened that’s
what all of the things that were
supposed to make me a star it all
happened in that time when did you
consider yourself your start like this
is now I’m a star they know me in my
space last four years you can say I’m a
I’m a star like you’re a superstar but
people don’t I don’t think a lot of
people understand the real definition of
star there’s different levels of star I
agree so you can be a star in your
school you can be a star on campus you
know you can be a star on the East Coast
you could be only a star on the west
coast like whit what is the definition
are start to me a superstar man I I
remember star now I I can embrace what
that is because I’ve known the
definition for a long time some people
who said it I’m so now would you say
you’re when did you become a superstar
is that a three-year thing less I would
say last three last three to four years
when I start going international when I
got international successes when I said
okay now now it’s real well you can go
anywhere and people go in the world yes
China do bus business got it
that’s where you can start to play
around with that but that’s why I work
so hard because I’ve never been content
with the little levels of success in
your book you talk about oh my gosh I
can’t believe I’m rich
you know I’m rich so when did that
happen we’re luck I’m making money you
don’t want to on me I thought I was rich
when I got 25,000 for a pilot so I want
to get depends on the levels that she
goes from you know you’re talking about
having no idea what money is to making
your first good amount of money I mean
that $25,000 check was a real thing when
I did NACA and I made all that money
from them schools and then they took all
that money out of my check for taxes and
I’m like wait what who what person
attacks you know these are all things
that become education educational hard
core moments that you have to deal with
at the time
but when I got my first deal my first
deal was $225,000 and that was from ABC
ABC gave me 225,000 it was a hold nice
money
that’s maybe you’re getting rich yeah
I’m not the bottom I’m not I’m by mama
house in a car gotta give my brother
house cuz that’s one Chuck yeah but I’m
getting a lot of houses this is how you
think you don’t budge about your first
floor yeah it was getting me gotta get
me a watch brought a bunch of throwback
jerseys need those got to give me some
throwback hats to Maxwell’s jerseys hey
man you know I got a business manager
now he running that hey real quick shift
this money so I can use this keV
you don’t have any money excuse me what
you mean
I got money guys had 225 Ken well we
never pay taxes on the money so now
you’re actually in the hole because you
ran through the money you gave out so
much well then nobody why don’t they
take it out to check they you said well
you know corporated well you did explain
to me what that meant
well Kevin we we assumed that you
understood what that was when we did it
so what you say it well you owe you owe
a hundred and twenty five thousand huh
and the same as you never paid on the
other money that you made from previous
pilots and television gigs so I ended up
being in a hole what your is this is
buses no this is when that do grown
little man that was when I was at my
broker’s point when I did grown little
man whenever I did grown little man I
was when the money was sold that’s when
it was like well I bounced checks I’m
curious to know what your the tip roll
or your night o night
this is owner owner and that’s when
everything hit the fan i old the
government and absurd amount of money i
I was like what I don’t understand what
happened to the money that I had I
looked up I couldn’t even tell you where
it went where where is it I just member
seen a bunch of Jersey nights yours is
all yeah unbelievable
I remember saying I said man if you give
me a second chance give me a second
chance your thing this was the movies I
had I did so playing at the time I had
some TV shows I had like my scary movie
threes fours I had all of this stuff but
I didn’t pay tank nobody told I didn’t
know he’s already done all these things
and you might so I knew nothing so I
ended up owing like five hundred
thousand it was it like a weird number
and I was like yellow so give me a
second shot I said it’ll never happen
again I remember I said it’ll never
happen again I learned my lesson I just
got to figure out how to recover and
that’s when I went back to the heavy
stand-up grind as some popularity I was
I had a little bit of recognition with
my face people will go oh that’s the guy
so I start doing comedy clubs I saw some
male comedy club
and I the business manager I had at the
time I fired I wanted to understand how
to control my money deal with my money
make sure I see my check sign all my
checks and I said I want to take the
absolute minimal amount for myself and
everything else I’m just gonna put in an
account i’ma call it a tax account and
until I get that number back plus a
percentage on top of it I’m gonna live
off of that minimal amount made that
decision of their choice yes and then
once I got out the hole in like a year
and a half yeah got out the hole from
all the comedy clubs and I said you
don’t have to pay up to $500 yeah
because I was gonna comma Club so I was
making fifteen grand
eight grand 10 grand 9 grand I was doing
well familiar because well you know
everything is next year I dedicated the
same thing so I could get out that hole
even yeah so I paid that back into the
following year I did the same thing so I
could be double out the hole
so I’m in a hole 500 but you really do
need a million doesn’t need that yeah
but because the government it was so
long I was able to get a little bit of a
break in the amount of money I old so I
settled for a less amount was still the
chunky amount but I ended up paying
probably like seven hundred total to get
out but it took me you don’t have two
years taking that and then once I got
out I say oh never again how are you
handling it at that time while you’re
performing like are you because this is
pressure this is a pressure type
situation
you’ve seen it worse it’s no pressure
you’ve seen you’re performing you’re not
even thinking about it your problem you
just I have a game plan I’m gonna go hit
it I’m gonna make that money back in
I’ve seen the words got it what else can
happen I’m doing years ago yes I faced
the words I saw it oh that’s what looked
like there it is that’s what that’s what
don’t have nothing look like right there
oh I don’t want to see that shit again
so different so when when was it when
you made real money when is like when
I’m talking real money because there’s a
big difference between 25 I went in real
mindful Wow are you you been making a
real money for a while enough about now
it’s all over I do so much so
able to see it from so many different
streams but there’s no monster like the
monster of touring no monster you know I
own my tour it’s all me Live Nation is
my partner but you know the deals are
all up to me
I keep my partner in a loop Mayweather’s
down so this is got it I keep it I keep
them in loop because I’m loyal to them
because they were there with me in the
beginning got it I’m never gonna cut
them out let me let me talk to you on
the comedian side a little bit I’m
piercing on the comedian side a little
bit so so when you think about comedians
there’s a there’s a very what he called
a trend my there’s a run rate and
there’s a big fall mmm right and then
you know there’s a run rate a little bit
maybe a fall and then it dissipates
right why do you think that happens and
why do you think it’s so common in in in
your world I think it happens because
you allow it to happen no matter what
there’s always gonna be a high level of
a pain and negativity that comes with
any level of success everybody loves to
have something to say it becomes cool
mm-hmm at a certain point to say
something negative people love to watch
the movie of success oh my god we saw it
we saw you getting care but it’s a
better movie to watch you fall so if
you’re content in that fall and shoulder
shrugging oh well I was here at one
point in time then that fall is gonna be
a fast fall it’s easy but you don’t even
let the media have a chance that shown
now I don’t even look at me to have a
chance that you’re never very big on
recreating myself I’m very big on
creating other entities that can act as
revenue streams with or without me I’m
very big on the brand of Kevin Hart
surviving with or without me you can’t
make the mistake that you’ve seen others
in your position make actually highest
levels of success instead of enjoying
that those are the moments where you put
yourself in position to do business with
people that are much bigger than you so
for me I grew up in Iran war pretty
difficult environment the way I overcame
a lot of it was humor laughter levity
right he just kind of have to figure out
a way to get everybody to become right
that’s a very common thing with
comedians you know
had a very pressure type situation life
where Robin Williams carry you know the
list is along this where you go through
that your life you know that you have
this thing and then you have the drive
side that comes with you when you’re
there and you’re always so there’s the
show camera everyone’s watching oh my
gosh I’m gonna go watch it he’s so funny
I love this guy he’s hilarious
is that performance or is that Kevin
behind closed doors those are kind of
like camera action
oh the character has been off you know I
told you when the character exists that
has been off I mean I made bablu some
dates here and there by just not
remembering the exact times like I’m so
yeah I know it was in that mm but
there-there is no sense of false to me
now what do you mean well what you see
is what you get this is a hundred
percent me all the time
it’s not it’s not an act but your energy
is here when you’re up there in 100
percent me all the time I have no reason
not to be this guy I just told you I saw
it I saw two I don’t think that’s
everybody though no it’s not everybody
because I think they’ll act yeah I think
there’s within itself yeah but the
reason why the reason why is is my take
on life my take home life is completely
different
alright if I look at the odds and I look
at what it’s supposed to be I’m not
supposed to be in this chair I’m not
supposed to have the level of thinking
that I have at this point in time in my
career with this success I’m supposed to
be comfortable I’m supposed to be like a
days ago I’m supposed to be the asshole
statistics show I’m supposed to be on
drugs I’m supposed to be a train wreck
right now I’m supposed to be on my down
so what keeps you grounded the fact that
I’m the complete opposite of what I’m
quote-unquote supposed to be the fact
that you hear people say five minutes of
fame and six minutes of fame and it’s
much more bigger than that
the fact that at any point in time that
rug can be pulled out from under you and
that world can no longer exist as Follis
Hollywood is false it’s not real
it’s make-believe
that’s not real the day that you believe
in and think is real is a day you lose
it’s not real that’s why I work as hard
as I do
I’m going to get it all right now so if
you ever do decide to pull it from under
me there’s so many other things that
can’t be pulled because I’ve set it up
when I had the opportunity to yourself
yeah Jerry Seinfeld said it best Jerry
Seinfeld said I don’t want to do this
anymore because I know right now I’m at
the top of it I’m here and I want this
to end on such a high note that people
always have good things to say about it
he didn’t walk away from the business he
still does comedian cars he still does
stand-up comedy I mean me and Jerry go
back and forth with the Forbes thing now
yeah him or me if I’m not on tour is
gonna be him Chappelle pop back up
that’s the beauty of doing stand-up
comedy
he didn’t leave the business he was
smart enough to say I’m not gonna allow
Hollywood to pull this from under me and
tarnish what I control but how do you
control your emotional like on the
emotional side Urich um so for instance
if Will Ferrell decided to play the role
of Corleone II Godfather Forest coming
up there’s no way in the world I want to
look at Will Ferrell and say dude you
are not a mobster you know what I’m
saying I’m just not gonna see it right
okay do you ever feel like the industry
puts you in a box of hey Kevin you’re a
comedian make me laugh and you’ve got to
be on all the time and so how do you
differentiate one I’m gonna put the hat
on right now it’s the business head
right now it’s the comedian hat right
now it’s the actor hands the industry
doesn’t control it I told you you lose
when you when you adapt that perspective
here here’s why I’m not a work-for-hire
even when I am a work-for-hire I put
myself in position to be a partner in
the beginning I had to be hired please
pick me that’s what you’re busting your
ass for it to not be the please pick me
god yes so when you’re no longer to
please pick me god you’re the I want to
do this I choose to do I want to do this
yeah here’s what I’m doing
so there is no box that you’re being put
into did you want to get to this point
like what is it I want to get to the
points that I’m gonna choose and want to
do the work for someone when did you
think
yes I want to get to this point that
because I want to control I’m not saying
hire me anymore
I look at the I look at the people that
I admire and I look at the people who
careers have went above and beyond what
people may have expected to be when you
look at just in your space or period and
we can tell you paired let’s look at
let’s look at let’s look at Tyler Perry
I’m gonna use Tyler Perry’s example
right whether you love Tyler Perry or
not if you think Tyler Perry’s the best
actor in the world or not Tyler Perry
from a business perspective is a genius
this is a friend of mine I talk to him
all the time from writing from producing
from creating from selling Tyler Perry
started off don’t the same thing I do he
was a performer he did plays he wrote
the play they took the plays on a road
he toured he sold out those ideas those
concepts went on and on and on Hollywood
then saw what he was doing and said oh
my god this is special Tyler said I’ll
tell you how special it is I got a movie
here’s the movie oh my god we want to do
it with you okay I’m gonna write it I
also want to help produce it I want to
be in business with you he positions
herself at a partner so early on because
the entity that he had with in Medea was
created from a world that he owned the
live performance yeah as a stand-up
comedian my financial side is so high I
don’t have to do the movies I lose money
when I do the movies because the live
aspect of it I control I own of course
I own those movies when I lose you wanna
do man I want ya but they also help the
brand so he that’s cuz you also Tyler
Perry that’s a person I look at it and
go well I want that
who else under Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy
you look at Eddie Murphy you know my
animation is so attractive you know what
Eddie Murphy really broke the banquette
the donkey Shrek Shrek the donkey people
think and though my gosh Shrek what’s so
crazy you wanna know why you don’t see
Michael Myers anymore goddamn Shrek
three two one
you’re talking billions of
hours of animation the deals they had at
that point time were unprecedented
unprecedented so so oh my god Eddie did
animation oh my god and Eddie did what
wait Eddie he was a producer writer on
what wait what does he do now huh he he
controls what you got a dig behind the
scenes when you look behind the scenes
you go oh my god
well you look at leo and you really dig
behind the scenes when you look at Tom
Cruise there’s not a person besides Will
Smith Will Smith Tom Cruise sit in a
world of their own that a more in-depth
with their movie projects Tom Cruise and
editing room he’s a Tom Cruise Rizzo is
a scientist he’s a he’s a man he’s an
editing room he’s with the director he’s
on location he’s he’s with the stunt
coordinators he’s every stepping away if
you don’t show prepared on a set with
Tom Cruise you may not be there hi slow
he’s he’s he’s so much fun you are you
wanting to get to that level like
hundreds so let me ask you this question
Aaron speiser I don’t know if you know
Google’s code you know J Lo’s in respond
sir one time Jennifer and I would enter
spies probably five years ago I don’t
know the timeline five six years ago and
we’re in LA we still live in LA so we’re
in LA we’re sitting in on an entrance
like listen Patrick here’s what you got
to realize I said what is it he said
look the biggest challenge in acting in
Hollywood in these celebrities this is
what I tell Will Smith I said what is it
he said most of them can’t hang because
they don’t know what to do during off
time not during on time because you are
you’re done you have so much free time
you tell my video again there’s so much
free time to make stupid mistakes how do
you discipline yourself to the off time
to not make the dumb mistakes you gotta
make dumb mistakes you got to make the
dumbest you got to make dumb mistakes
you can’t avoid the dumb mistakes you
can’t avoid the life lesson that’s what
my whole book is about the whole life
lesson you can’t run from that I welcome
it smack me let let me hit my dumb ass
so I know not to do it again
because without that you’re living in a
hypothetical you think what if I you
think alike and probably you need to
know that this shit is stupid but but
there’s a part of it they did I want to
peel the onion on that one you’ve not
always thought like that you said at 37
when you kind of that’s when it really
clicked it got it you can have a hunch
of it you can you can you know right
from wrong
right that doesn’t mean it that’s gonna
stop you you really need to have like a
punch in the face in real life I’m with
you I’m a hundred percent with you there
but you’re not a drug guy I mean you see
you joke they said the only time I
smoked weed was with snow because if
you’re gonna smoke yeah yes the biggest
drug known to marry success is worse
than heroin success is worse than crime
not a limit to it
no because are you saying it’s a bad
thing or are you saying it’s it’s a bad
thing if you don’t realize it it’s a bad
thing if you if you don’t put yourself
in an environment to control it
you gotta think where success comes what
everything is given to you everything is
granted what you need no don’t get up
okay don’t walk there giving it gimme
that what say you
yeah no don’t worry about that car well
we’ll go and bring it to you then house
right there is that what you’re trying
to will get listen don’t let build it
and we’ll put it underneath your house
and you don’t have to ever look at it is
that what you want clothes no I don’t go
to the mall we got it somebody from the
water brings it to people like you hmm
when you get that if you’re a person and
really go this is real life now when
that goes away you’re you’re fucking
lunatic how do you maneuver well one
less will do my car my supposed to fuck
my own car do that clothes I can’t go to
the mall what they’ve been bringing my
clothes for the last 12 years be around
people yep huh you become that guy
that’s where success becomes the biggest
drug success also makes you feel like
you’re invincible so in a way you’re
saying you’re self aware of it so you’re
not worried about it because you are
self aware that it can be addicting so I
have control over it that’s what you’re
saying I saw my anklet of just simply
feeling like you’re invincible I never
was a Hollywood guy I’m never I was
never the aggressive guy I was never the
person that was disrespectful treating
people bad I saw me thinking that I was
simply invincible no I go we go we go be
good we can do this no no no no we get
you you you start to loose I
realities are different levels miles is
a very low level but I saw it but I
needed to see it for me to go Oh Kevin
ah everybody’s not strong enough to
catch themselves everybody not strong
enough to catch themselves and call
themselves out on and then point back to
them and talked it up I just had the
ability to do that and I’m blessed to be
able to do that
that’s where another talent within my
talents lie but people are ignorant to
that side of addiction that’s an
addiction that’s a real life thing but
people don’t understand that that’s what
people look at somehow you’re gonna have
you how do you understand it how do you
if okay let’s just say I’m somebody I’m
coming up Keith Roberts and play the
role in your life okay okay I come up to
you you’re Kevin Hart okay
and you’re the 38 year old Kevin Hart
you know your rock star you’re killing
it you’re superstar filling up football
stadiums I’m a 26 year old guy coming on
my YouTube video just blow up they’re
120 million views I’m doing gigs I’m on
demand you know I have 7 million
followers on Twitter and I sit with you
know yo what’s up Kevin you know you
know secretly I kind of feel like I’m
gonna kick your ass and I’m gonna pass
you up some little bit competitive I say
hey Kevin I want some coaching man you
know I’m just I got so many things
coming my way you know I got so many
things coming my way so you know what I
hear in the streets is you don’t do the
drugs and you don’t do this and you
don’t do that and so so how you how you
staying disciplined man what advice
could you give me what are you giving me
I’m giving you real advice keep your
circle tight keep circle tight make sure
that’s a bubble that can’t be popped
make sure your circle is a bubble that
can’t be popped in other words when you
start to bring other things inside of a
bubble ya aren’t inside that bubble when
that bubble grows the new thing around
that bubble is going to pop it new
people around you around popular I’m
gonna get you pop whoever these people
are grow with those people you guys
should understand each other inside and
out nice piece of advice I’ll give you
also look at the blueprint look at what
other people have done look at work
versus what hasn’t worked does mean you
gotta go down this road of that role
good or bad you can make your decision
based on things that you see don’t
alienate yourself from other people’s
success or down Falls a problem
educate yourself to it besties advice
I’m not here to change what you’re doing
or Taylor’s doing it wrong I’m just
simply giving information you can use it
or not you choose to dope if you don’t
even more dope
your life is gonna be your life no
matter what if all of our lives are
gonna be the same this world would be
stupid of course it’ll be stupid
everybody can’t be successful boring
well everybody can’t be the smartest
person in general it’s not possible
there’s just not gonna happen
people are gonna make decisions based on
what’s right for them I know where I sit
today I’m able to make decisions from a
perspective that I now know I have
that’s great for me I know I’m happy I
know that my priorities are straight I
know what I want out of life in the long
run I know what matters to me most I
have all my ducks in a row nothing from
the outside is going to affect my way of
thinking today never it’s possible I’m
not I don’t I don’t work for the the
will in want of the other person’s
perception I’m doing things to provide
entertainment at some point time if you
thought of that entertainment isn’t
right for you and I guess that means
that my time don’t I entertainment it’s
done there’s other things that I can do
my time is spent wisely if I’m not
working on what my family that is over
me I’m not running the streets I’m not I
didn’t want it’s over I’m I’m happy I’m
good
I’ve seen it all I’m I’m good I don’t
want no problems from nobody I sit my
ass down so let me ask you does this
this leads to the next question do you
think one has to have their like you
said earlier one has to have the big
fall to embrace this or can one really
you know they say the difference between
smart and wisdom is what you know smart
you just kind of are it’s everything you
have to learn from your self wisdom is
learning from other people’s experience
do you think to make it to the highest
level I have to make the stupid mistakes
I don’t think I think you have to okay I
think some people are fortunate enough
to where you know they can avoid and you
know dip duck and go around I’m saying
that nobody’s perfect oh I’m on a
percent no naughty I don’t care what
you’re looking at the outside looking in
body is perfect in you know the great
thing about America my dad sense
something about America says Pat let me
tell one thin about America here’s what
America is the sooner you figure my
dad’s in Middle Eastern philosopher it’s
a very weird man you meet coolest you’ll
meet him when we go to Vegas he said
family here’s America in America the
moment you get to the top everybody
wants to see you fall but here’s also
the great thing about America what’s
that after everybody makes you fall they
can’t wait to come back up he says it’s
a very weird thing you see just come and
she’ll look at Tiger Woods today
everybody wants to see a window glass
that’s the truth have you ever seen a
Truman Show of course
yes it’s one of the realest movies ever
I’ll give you one more example okay the
guy that comes in here and it sits in
your chair with no shirt on jeans it’s
cold outside
scarf around his neck and gloves say
he’s the biggest and best person ever
he’s huge whoever this person is I’m
creating just a persona and you sit and
you talk to him and your mind the whole
time during the interview you’re
thinking a man why the fuck does he have
on the scarf and no shirt and gloves but
you know what because he’s so big I’m
not gonna say nothing I’m gonna act like
this is okay I’m gonna keep my mouth
shut
everybody around you does it you no
longer think this is weird this is a
dope you just say no my level because
everybody’s afraid to talk to the guy
that’s considered to be the guy and then
when something happens to the guy
everybody jumps at the opportunity to go
oh he’s always been crazy mother crazy
he just felt that what he was doing was
okay cuz nobody ever said anything mMmmm
that’s why I say keep your circle tight
because your circle or the people that
should say hey man you don’t go take
your dumb ass decide to put on a shirt
you ain’t going out there with no damn
jeans and no shirt and a scarf why not
this is my new look no not on my watch
you look stupid
no man not accepted or you got to give
us a real reason why doesn’t make sense
and my reason
it makes sense and they may go I get it
I like why he’s doing it it’s art he’s
trying to do something don’t promote go
we rollin with you or are you doing an
experiment to see how many people don’t
say something you got to do something to
make me understand where you are
mentally so I know you okay but at least
we had a conversation about it how many
people choose not to have a conversation
most that’s the problem society as these
it gets right there that’s a gym that I
leave you with that you’re thinking
about for a long time that’s the biggest
problem with society and then when
things blow up especially in today’s
time scariest thing is we’re living in
the time of the power of the opinion
it’s cool to have an opinion I feel I
think you know what they’re doing I tell
you what it’s cool those opinions
because of the internet drive the
trailer so true of conversation every
opinion drives the traffic in
conversation when you feed that monster
that monster only gets bigger it’s not
that you can do nothing you can do the
best defense for that monster is to not
even get into it at all shit Bobby
because that’s all that’s in that world
because from the outside somebody thinks
well Kevin’s best friends with everybody
in Hollywood and they hang out together
cuz you’re on the outside you know it’s
like oh my gosh he must go to you know
hang out would Duane Johnson all the
time him an ice cube or probably playing
three and three in the back you know in
their house and they’re you know he’s
doing laps with Leo and they’re swimming
and seeing who’s fast
they must be kicking at 24/7 together
and party I am I’m a hundred percent in
my house man I’m with my kids house kids
when you when you read that me I’ve
always been that way but now it’s just
it’s even more it’s it’s times thirty
and I do have great relationships in
Hollywood would you say heaven and
Hendrix changed a lot of perspectives
like this yes yes could you like the age
where she really talks my conversation
with my daughter of real conversations
man this this little girl is the best
thing in my life but it’s not afraid to
tell her father how she feels when you
start to see that when you realize that
the Internet is that big that your kids
see everything
there is no escaping there is no wiggle
room not you 12 or 13 throw teenager low
teenager daddy’s girls talk to you Oh
hundred percent you gotta listen to her
getting little seven-year-old some
general otherwise Oh 13 Wolf Wolf
you just wait this way man you just wait
all those emotions gonna come to you and
it’s the best thing in the world because
they identify with your level of love
there will never be a level of love this
accept it if it’s not on par with what
you’re giving that’s the best thing you
know Steve Aoki right so Steve man yeah
he’s a good guy so Steve six weeks Mario
would you say six weeks were with Steve
and so so Steve story in your story are
very close I don’t know if you know this
whole story I guess identicals me watch
his documentary like his there’s a
documentary on Netflix about Steve it’s
sick
I haven’t seen is that more oh my god if
you get a chance to watch this it is a
sick documentary on who his dad is and
what is that bit okay like you’re
sitting you’re watching see I had no
clue who this guy was
it is amazing on how much of the turmoil
even Tony Robbins right Tony Robbins you
look at the story with his mom and dad
it is amazing that the highest driven
ambitious cycle obsessive guys that make
it to the not in one person that point
one it is point zero zero zero one
percent MJ you know it’s from you to
read about him in this book do you get a
strange operating in every one of them
has one side where there’s a lot of love
and one side where there’s a lot of
issues mhm
and it seems like that combination turn
is for a great man huge combust you know
an explosion and the great among beings
to say I’m gonna go out there and do
something about that this doesn’t mean
everybody’s gonna do because maybe your
brother was a different story but for
someone like you you’re gonna perform at
the level that you performed so final
stuff before we wrap up you want to be a
billion about 45 years old you got so
many things going on right now with your
businesses and you know the question I
would have for you is what I’m noticing
is obviously on Instagram you’re big you
got nearly 60 million followers you’re
big on Twitter you’re probably more
active Instagram than
Twitter although you are very active on
Twitter tell me tell me and I want to
hear it from your view not what we read
about on social media with everybody
saying how do you view YouTube and where
do you foresee YouTube going and let me
preface why I’m asking this question the
reason why I’m asking this question is
the following reason
I see Will Smith coming up he just went
on Instagram six months ago whenever the
timeline was I see him coming up on
YouTube and is doing his blogs and all
this other stuff and he said YouTube is
allowing me to stop be in Will Smith he
says for so long I had to be Will Smith
I no longer wanna be Will Smith that you
think of the Will Smith I just want to
be will I just wanna be Who I am right
on YouTube eastern sea in a yourself
with a laugh out loud Network and the
stuff you do is out of control I mean
that’s the control segment that upset
babe look at what look at what this guy
just said is the fun hilarious right how
do you view you in your world what does
you took to you you know what man you
you have to give credit to where it’s
due I mean look YouTube has been around
for a long time in the digital space
they’re a monster they’ve ever been a
monster and financially they had all the
money in the world to try to compete on
the level with these other content
creators you’re a poser who lose even
Netflix to a certain degree but Netflix
just took off and went into another
space Netflix is in another atmosphere
right now but YouTube has the
relationships within the talent has the
reach within their you know consumer to
to go out and get the stars of today to
come on our platform and be creative
you’re seeing Will Smith through it
you’re seeing myself do it with what to
fit you’re seeing
me with my little talk show that they
called his balls there they figured out
that people love to watch content on
demand you want it now you want it all
right now so the days of TV with a time
attached to it are over it’s gone I want
to watch it maybe when I wake up at 9:00
a.m. or maybe at 3:00 a.m.
YouTube has ever been that search engine
for you but now they’re putting a TV
perspective behind it so so because you
haven’t been on it for a while you just
got on it less than a year maybe a year
and a half yes and then doing Johnson
got on it as well so he got on it as
well about the same time so it sounds
like you guys are probably communicating
saying maybe we got a I don’t know if it
is or not you just want to know like you
know you don’t want to be the people
that lose momentum not momentum you just
don’t want to lose touch with with your
fan base you know but you could do that
with a Facebook or Instagram or not the
same winner see people think they’re all
the same than not I’m with you I’m
trying to agree because I think the
audience in YouTube is if there’s people
that follow you on Instagram that don’t
follow you on YouTube there’s people are
following you too
Facebook is a completely one thing was
it just to think for you to say we
better pay attention to YouTube this
thing could be a network and we got is
that kind of what happened we said we
got to get way attention to it all it’s
important for me as a CEO as a brand to
have relationships with them all but
YouTube takes more work than Instagram
does and you’re putting more work into
YouTube Instagram or Twitter but
Instagram isn’t produced content like
YouTube is Instagram is you being
yourself showing you all aspects of you
have used to short YouTube is now
allowing you to go and create premium
content so if you have ideas for
television shows the talk shows for
comedy documentaries if you got sketch
ideas yeah different things
YouTube is allowing people to take
budgets and put those things together
it’s the same thing that I’m doing with
the laugh-out-loud network which is why
I partner with YouTube to do what v to
do coldest balls because if I can have
my laugh out loud Network gain exposure
by teaming up with you – you’ve been
taking some of their can
to bring eyeballs to me into what I’m
doing it’ll help me grow and return I
let them get me as a star on their
platform in coldest balls are sponsored
by Old Spice and the other one is
sponsored by lyft and everything –
sponsored by somebody yes it’s also
business for you there also I need to
check for wrong and by the way on
coldest balls I will say this year I
don’t think anybody did a more honest
interview with Lavar ball than what you
talk I’m telling you right now I’m
telling you right now – see I don’t
think people realize that yeah you want
to really and the way you did it was
through comedy becoming but you ask the
three question that knows no yeah you
actually ask the question so if you
haven’t seen it you just got to go go
watch that boy first are you gonna laugh
are you gonna see how he puts the
questions about the relationship with
Lonzo and how you ask the questions
about you know who you were and you
can’t even talk about highlights
highlights or Nana you really address
some things with him so that’s why you
know when we first started we sat down I
said there’s comedians you have to be
very smart to be a comedian because your
brain has to go a million miles an hour
and then you have to be able to control
it as well I think you from the outside
well you know I’ve not hung out with you
we don’t have a 10 20 year relationship
together you come across as a guy that
excuse me that’s very intuitive that’s
also a guy that’s aware like you know on
that side and then you understand the
human nature side look nice screwed up
I’ve got to come out all those things
together I think that’s a rare
combination to obtain maybe that’s what
why you’re doing what you’re doing right
now in the world and so with the fact
that you know we’re gonna have you you
know a couple fun stuff I’m curious
about on your Mount Rushmore of
comedians who do you have up to who your
for Mount Rushmore comedians and you
have in your opinion prior Murphy
Chapelle and I would say Rock and if I
could take me out of it because I always
love to just throw myself in there
because you have to see yourself what’s
the great to be the great
I put George Carlin in there as well so
Cosby’s not in there Cosby here’s the
thing Cosby on a performing side with a
craft and as a comedian is a hundred
percent one of the best ever do it
he doesn’t surpass the
Rock Chappell Murphy Pryor stage for me
I’m a storyteller which is why I’m a fan
of Cosby got it and he’s great at that
but I think those guys are just
different monsters when it comes to
stand-up comedy I mean they all have a
unique unique moment in in the world of
comedy Pryor broke the mold for raunchy
comedy Pryor made it really cool to be
honest the term comedic rockstar that I
use now that comes from Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy was the first rock and roll
like star to tell jokes with the
microphone huge crowds large crowds I
got it I got no shirt on this is me this
is me but y’all coming out to an event
people dressing up to go see Eddie
Murphy outside of Eddie Murphy’s
Chappell Chappell getting a 50 man
dollar offer probably from Comedy
Central yeah unheard of from the sketch
comedy show success that’s that’s
groundbreaking that’s unreal and what he
did Chris Rock Chris Rock as a writer as
a director as a producer as a comedian
going on special number for a guy who
toured the globe and made it cool to go
to South Africa made it cool to go to
Dubai made it cool to go to all these
other places that people weren’t going
to Drock was the one that was going over
there making me go oh my god I gotta get
there
when you say Colin Colin did ten
specials people don’t even know that Tim
Tim has done something else by the way
he’s amazing this stuff is something
amazing so as a student of it you know
there’s so many names that I wish that I
could name I mean I’m huge
Martin Lawrence Bill Cosby to keep your
car you are Robin Williams fan Robin
Williams when the greatest ever do it
Steve Martin right behind them I mean
Martin you can I can be here all day
that’s your goal okay your your Mount
Rushmore those are once you put up there
very cool so look you know every time
you know I when we were meeting us I got
to get this guy gift and one by the way
the book we got the book we’ll do this
at the answer some of the guys we can
get that as well so I know you’re
running
be a billionaire okay and I think you’re
well on track with what you’re doing to
be there and uh you know so I said look
I don’t know if you’re a reader or not
I’ve read 1,500 business books oh wow
and I said I got if I can give a couple
books that have been the most
influential to me in business but what
we’re doing
I got it whether you read it or not
you’re busy I don’t know if you’re gonna
read it or not so one really one of them
is blue ocean strategy
okay and blue ocean strategy I think
this will help out with what you’re
trying to do with business because this
tells you that most people are in a
business with a red ocean that sharks
are eating each other and everyone’s
trying to steal from each other he gives
the formula on how to have a blue ocean
where you’re going in the market where
you don’t need to steal from anybody
Wow you create a whole new market that’s
that book and then the other one is not
only what I’ve read it but I’m going to
have a broken down a sus love the book
when I talk to you to see you I look
forward to it that’s it and that’s a
promise I look forward to promise this
one priority playing and then this one
Valeo you mentioned a few things in the
interview when he said the taxes all
this other stuff so kind of give you a
backstory on the Raiders book principles
he’s the founder of Bridgewater house
okay the seventeen billion dollar guy
okay and he wrote this book for three
different types of readers he’s out of
New York he’s a beast he’s a guy that I
think it would really I mean Gates looks
at him as a mentor really high end
people would look at him as a mentor he
wrote the book for three different types
of people one guy that’s gonna read the
entire book and that’s not most people
the other guy that wants to go to the
most important page and then somebody
that wants to read the outline I think
this is a book that you’ll go to an
outline and say this is a section I need
to read fantastic principles on how to
run a company in a business okay so the
fact that you want to go on down to
preneur side I think you can also this
book I’m gonna tell you something joy it
man I’m gonna tell you something before
we wrap up man I like the fact that it
was a conversation I’m bigging one
conversation and I think you get a lot
from people in having conversations we
weren’t supposed to be here for an hour
or whatever and you get lost in time
when you’re actually having a great
conversation how long have we been
together is it an hour
our hour and a half this thing went for
it I want audiences hold a great kana my
gosh and that’s what that’s what I like
the buddies have you are a very special
guy man let me know yeah I’ve been a fan
but it’s a whole different level so his
book his book I can’t make this stuff up
good gift okay his book here’s what
we’re gonna do this is what we’re gonna
do that I’m gonna give he’s gonna sign
we got four of them here this is what
you got to do when this comes up this
interview comes out you got to go by the
book on Amazon you got to post it on
Twitter tag me in him that you bought it
we’re gonna pick three of you that buy
it and we’re gonna sign sign sign sign
copies to you on three people so you
gotta tag me in him maybe he’ll like one
of them that you want he’ll pick and
choose who it is he’ll let me know we’ll
send three signed copies to you but you
got to go on Amazon we’ll put the link
on the bottom or you put a bitly link
below so they can go pick that up signed
copy three people will be chosen by he
and I and we’ll send that over to you
again brother thank you so much you say thank you this is a good time this is
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