For 30 years, Shawty has graced many people with his jokes and made them laugh. The comedian continues putting smiles on people’s faces while telling jokes on the radio in the early morning on the “Yung Joc and the Streetz Morning Takeover” show. From going on stage every Tuesday for two years to celebrating three decades in the game, Shawty is a true comedy veteran.
When did you know you could be a comedian?
I just knew I could be a comedian. For probation, I had to work but I’m at home with my mom because I didn’t want to be in the street. I went and did brick mason for half a day and I couldn’t do it. It was bad… One day, me and my partner were riding down the street and we saw this [sign] that said, “Come show your comedy talent at the Budweiser comedy competition.” I’m 18 years old. I got my partner’s ID, went down there, and I didn’t get booed but they got real quiet. I was in Buckhead and they had never seen a little hood thing like me. I wasn’t deterred.
About three weeks later, I was getting my car washed and I asked some people what they were doing that night. They said, “We going over there to the hood club; they’re having a comedy night with Bruce Bruce.” I looked at my partner man and we said let’s go. I told myself, if they booed me I was going to throw this money at them and people weren’t even making it rain back then. This is in 1994. I went to school with all of those people too, and they started chanting, “Shawty.” I started swinging my leg from side to side. I walked out of there very confidently, and I stayed on stage every Tuesday for two years.
What’s the key to longevity in comedy?
Consistency and living young. I ride skateboards. I ride motorcycles. I build on motorcycles. I sow into the kids and I have a good heart. You can’t be in this for the wrong reasons. I’m in it for another reason. I had a car accident and broke my leg, broke my femur, cracked my hip, and I could have been taken out of here but God said, “No, Shawty. You’re here for a purpose. People scream your name, you don’t get all of this love for nothing.” My life is like a daredevil.
What advice would you give aspiring comedians?
Consistency. Every minute is lost; don’t procrastinate. Take advantage of the moment. Take advantage of the time. Closed mouths don’t get fed. Sit there and watch the opportunity go past you if you want to; you better say something. I have been on both ends of the stick. The comedy game is not the rap game. Keep your nose clean. They’ll snap your a– in a minute. Work as hard as you can. Build a website [to track] everything that you do; no matter how much money you get on TikTok or YouTube, somebody else is in control of that. Go ahead and bring everything back to the website so you keep every [dime].
When you dive off into the comedy game, and you do your comedy tour, go and get yourself one or two real comedians. Make sure they’re stand-up comedians, and you’ll be alright. Everybody, forget the haters. I don’t care who they are, forget them. Don’t worry about them, don’t give them your energy, don’t give them no commercials. Don’t put them on your page. Why would you put that hate on your page?
