Third Culture Talk Podcast
Conversations with people from living in cultures different than their original culture(s)
Third Culture Talk Podcast
Half Kenyan and German, Das Mutterland in Deutschland, Comedy from West Coast to East Coast w/ James Mwaura | Ep 76
Today I sit with James Mwaura. We talk about his upbringing in Bavaria part of Germany to Kenyan Father and German Mother. We also talk about his move to Georgia and living there with his Kenyan family.
He shares how it felt coming back to Germany for the first time in a while. We also talk about comedy, Germany and America.
Timestamps
(00:00) Back in Germany After 29 Years
(2:47) Experience in Berlin
(8:02) Bavarian German Mother and Kenyan Father
(10:41) Finding Out About a Half Brother
(13:33) Moving From Germany to USA
(17:31) Schools in the USA
(28:51) Differences in East Coast of America
(30:35) Growing Up With Kenyan Family
(37:04) German Mother, African Culture, USA
(41:10) Rediscovering German Identity
(42:26) Biracial and Identity
(48:37) Differences Between California and NYC
(51:02) Comedy in NYC
(51:43) Doing Comedy in Front of Older Black People
(57:57) Performing With David Arnold (RIP)
(1:01:19) Doing Comedy in NYC
(1:06:27) Moving From Brooklyn to Berlin
(1:13:16) Is NYC Worth It?
(1:23:00) Differences Between Berlin vs NYC
(1:30:48) Healthcare and Finance Between Germany and USA
(1:37:46) Impact of Coming Back to Germany After 29 Years
(1:45:05) Dating in Berlin vs NYC
(1:51:51) Advice to Younger Self
James' Socials
Instagram | Tiktok | Website
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Third Culture Talk Podcast is about people living in different cultures. Different than the culture they are from. Culture meaning, way of life, culture a person raised in, or place of birth. Guests ranges from third culture kids, artists, to comedians, to everyday people. We all are living in changing cultures and have a story to tell
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Music: "Chill Day" by Lakey Inspired
00;00;00;00 - 00;00;17;22
Unknown
So I really grew up with my my African side. I never really I've only hung out with my my German family like a few times. I hung out with my cousins. So my, my, my grandparents visited, the US when my sister was born in 2000. And then my cousins came and visited me in San Francisco in like 20, 2014.
00;00;17;22 - 00;00;38;00
Unknown
And then now that's like only in times of spent time with them. Welcome to the Third Culture Talk podcast. I'm your host. Nya Yeanafehn this podcast, we talk with people that are raised in a culture different than their parents, home culture or way of life or nationality. And now they're living in today's culture, which is vastly different than it is of our parents or even back in the day.
00;00;38;02 - 00;00;59;20
Unknown
So let's get in today's episode. What's going on, James, how are you doing? I'm pretty good, man. It's good to be here in Germany. Yeah. This is my first time back in Germany in 29 years, so I'm back, baby. You know what's what's good? So what's good? 29 I for some reason, that was sort of a 29 years.
00;00;59;20 - 00;01;23;26
Unknown
Yeah. 1995 wow. And how's it feel so far since you've been you've been here back in Germany? Yeah, man, it's been a kind of a trip. Yeah, because I'm just. I mean, I'm, I'm half German, right? So, you know, I guess this is home in a way. I mean, it is home because my my family lives here.
00;01;23;28 - 00;01;43;22
Unknown
But at the same time, I'm very much like a tourist. So it's been. Yeah, it's been interesting. It's been cool, though. I mean, it's been nice. Yeah, yeah, that's cool. I mean, you're in Berlin, so at least it's like a. Well, because when you first came to Germany for the first time in 29 years, was it Ingolstadt that you came to or was it, well, so I was born here.
00;01;43;24 - 00;02;08;25
Unknown
Yeah. Right. So yeah, I was born in Augsburg. And, and yeah, I lived here till I was four, and then we moved to the US. And then for a variety of reasons, I've not been able to come back. But, but yeah, I mean, I've, I've obviously been meaning to come, you know, my whole family lives in Bavaria.
00;02;08;27 - 00;02;32;11
Unknown
So it's been cool kicking it with my family, learning about my culture, I guess. I'm rocking the the artsy English merch right here. Oh, man, you repping hard? Shout out artsy. And, but that's cool. I mean, Berlin's a lot different than Bavaria. Yeah, ain't no black people in Bavaria.
00;02;32;14 - 00;02;50;01
Unknown
Ain't no. But yeah, that's what they always say about. So when you come to Germany that like, the south of Germany is completely different. Like Berlin is its own place. Yeah. In comparison. So, like you to know Germany, you have to travel, especially Bavaria, other places in Germany and stuff. Yeah. You know. Yeah. No, Berlin is its own.
00;02;50;02 - 00;03;07;29
Unknown
A whole different vibe. Yeah, I don't know. How would you describe it here? It's like it's pretty grungy, I guess. Grungy? Yeah. Grungy and freaky. Yeah. And freaky. Yeah. Oh, okay. Word. Yeah. I mean, you came during the wintertime, so things are kind of cool down in its own little corners. Yeah. Yeah. So you go to that corner.
00;03;08;03 - 00;03;27;27
Unknown
But summertime bro, it's like. Yeah. Just going down is going to man is going to wind down okay. You'd be here. Give it a couple more. You here for a couple more weeks. Right. I'm so I'm leaving on Monday, but I'm coming back. Really. And I. I'm definitely coming back, dude. No, I know I'm leaving on Monday to go back to Bavaria.
00;03;28;00 - 00;03;49;24
Unknown
But, who is the, bro? Who's the light skinned nigga with the freckles? With the freckles? Half Bulgarian, half black? Oh, yes. Dale. Dale. Yeah. He's cool as hell. He so he invited, I guess he's running a show on New Year's Eve. Yeah. Over where my show is. And, he said, if I want to come back, I can do it.
00;03;49;24 - 00;04;08;25
Unknown
So I think I'm gonna come back. Yeah. And also the Saturday show, too. I mean, I'll see what all the freaky shit's about, you know, it's. Yeah, it's, you know, you know, about Kit-Kat burg hein, and stuff like, What's that? Oh, okay. So you are really with the nice people of Germany. Okay. I don't know shit about.
00;04;08;25 - 00;04;26;27
Unknown
Yeah, I don't know anything. That was the first thing I was told to me when I got to Berlin. Like, it's basically a kink club where basically you go in there, and, I mean, it's not all about the kink, but as you might as well. Right? Yeah. You could basically go and have sex in it. Okay. And it's like, you know, people will be having like three Sims, four Sims, five Sims in there.
00;04;26;27 - 00;04;40;13
Unknown
They got a swing. Oh. Where like, people be like, you know, you go to the bar to get some beer, you look to your left. I getting a dicks of society, but. Oh where did. All right. Well, sorry. I just want a one beer. I'm beer. Yeah, I'm a bit. Yeah. And, you know, then, you know, I should have gone.
00;04;40;16 - 00;05;00;27
Unknown
And then I just say blowjob in German. I don't, I don't know, but probably something that sounds two. Probably something extremely long. Yeah. Yeah. Logical. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I think that gets wet via. Right. Right right right right. You're like, Jesus Christ, I just lost my boner to that. Yeah, but yeah. Now Berlin is a very freaky place.
00;05;00;29 - 00;05;16;03
Unknown
So have you been to the sex club? You know what, bro? I don't know. A lot of people have invited me now at this point. Like, I know people that have work that work there. So they gave me on the guest list. But I'm like, I don't because you have to mentally, if first of all, you have to wear the right attire.
00;05;16;03 - 00;05;34;08
Unknown
So you got to wear some type of like kink, we know. Yes or something and something with zippers. I'm not ready. My ego is not ready to, to put that. Like if I put that on and I walk past a mirror, I look at myself, my ancestors is. So yeah, I'm talking. I'm like, not I can't do this.
00;05;34;08 - 00;05;58;04
Unknown
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm in. I'm in this fucking white country, right, right. Kink garments for dressing like a gimp. I feel like the Germans are looking at me like, oh, I close the shots, you know, like, they'll be like, I'm the. I mean, it probably a lot of people in basically said, if you go, you buy, okay, they buy you, you just where do you go?
00;05;58;05 - 00;06;19;21
Unknown
Yeah. Okay. Let's be serious. What, what I look like the person that would not go. So if I was to go, right, do you be like, oh my. Oh yeah. Yeah. Come on. Like that. We this is the diversity we need. Come on. Right. Because yeah. Like I think in like people's heads, like, you know, people at sex clubs would be like, you know, would look more like you, but in reality, they probably look more like me.
00;06;19;21 - 00;06;46;13
Unknown
You know what I mean? Now. Yeah. I mean, I mean, you know, the little weird dudes over there. Yeah. I mean, you know, you got people that go like people that got regular jobs and shit and like, you know, so it's not like a thing where it's like, I think that's what you learn about Berlin, that the people that are into these things, that they're actually like, they're not this stereotypical, like how you would assume somebody like that type of like, you know, maybe the posture is a little weird or something, right?
00;06;46;14 - 00;07;01;20
Unknown
Is the. No. It's actually like people have full blown jobs or like bosses or managers and stuff that, you know, is kind of like an unwritten rule where if you see somebody from work in there, don't say it, don't say anything, you don't say shit. You just my Allah, we both in here. So first rule of sex club.
00;07;01;22 - 00;07;28;11
Unknown
Don't talk about sex club. Right. But people you know definitely still are pushing. So I mean it's there so weird. You know if you want to I know Mark Norman did it. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, I've heard rumors about the, about the, you know, the the freaky shit here, but, but, yeah, you know, have had shows every night, and I haven't, haven't had time to, to see what's up.
00;07;28;11 - 00;07;44;19
Unknown
I mean, I, I'm talking to someone on field, so maybe we'll, we'll see what's up. Are you on field in Berlin? I'm bro. Yeah. I mean, yeah, give it time. All right. Cool. That's actually who I was texting right before this, so. Oh, bro. But maybe today. Yeah, hopefully, you know, there you go. Inshallah, inshallah. You know?
00;07;44;20 - 00;08;08;06
Unknown
And so, now you you Berlin long enough. Okay. Yeah. Don't do the Arabic will get into you. That's dope. But, that Dina is, That Dina is hidden. Yeah, yeah, that dunya is hitting. But, to step back to what we talked about before that you have German, have, Kenyan have Kenyan. You have Kenyan. Right.
00;08;08;06 - 00;08;46;17
Unknown
So your father's Kenyan, your mother's German from the area that's from Bavaria. Boring to say. Yep. Not from Berlin. Nope. Not from a progressive, open minded part of Germany. Oh, wow. Yeah. No, her like, honestly, like, Going and seeing where my family is from has made it even more like it has made it even crazier that, like, my mom married like an African dude, you know, because, like, that's not like you don't even see any black people in ankle shot, let alone interracial relationships.
00;08;46;24 - 00;09;14;29
Unknown
And this is now this is 2024, right? So yeah, in the 80s, it's crazy. But but yeah, so she got married, so she didn't tell her parents she was getting married. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Because they would have not been down. And, and I see what I understand. Why why she did that. Mom. Good move.
00;09;15;01 - 00;09;34;20
Unknown
It's like, Well, actually, bad move. Because I don't know if the wedding ended up being good for anybody, but, or the marriage, but, But. Yeah. And again, yeah, it's a small. I mean, it's not that small, but it's like a, you know, it's like 100,000 person town. And in Bavaria, the main thing happening there's the Audi headquarters.
00;09;34;22 - 00;09;55;05
Unknown
Oh, shout out Audi. Actually, no free ads. Never mind. No free ads on know free as I mean Audi. Yeah. Oh, you in the content game for real? Yeah, yeah. But, and, yeah, my mom's family is just like a kind of a traditional Bavarian, little family. Like my my old man or I live in one house with my mom.
00;09;55;07 - 00;10;12;24
Unknown
And then right across the street is my aunt's house. So my so my grandparents had two kids, my my mom and my, my aunt and, and, yeah, my aunt and her husband, her husband, my uncle just lived right across the street. Oh, and then my cousin, like, so my aunt had two daughters. So I have two cousins.
00;10;13;01 - 00;10;32;13
Unknown
One cousin lives still in Ingolstadt, and then the other one lives in Munich, which is like, oh, like on I lives in Munich, you know. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So. But yeah, everyone's just down there. Wow. And then yeah, we were we and then. Yeah, my mom just said peace and then just lived in America for, I guess, 30 years.
00;10;32;20 - 00;10;53;25
Unknown
And then now she's just now she's just back. Wow. Yeah. I mean, so just coming from your angle, right. Like, coming back to this because, you know, you grew up, you grew up here in Germany too, you said for. Right. So I was for. Yeah. For. Right. And then you moved to, the States. Yeah. You move the states, both your you your you your mom and your father.
00;10;53;25 - 00;11;17;29
Unknown
Right? Yep. So my dad moved to the US first. I mean, my dad's always been on some some devious shit to me, to be honest. So, yeah, he has, he has. He also has two other kids that we like found out about, like, kind of recently, but, he actually has another half like it that we found out about hella recently.
00;11;18;02 - 00;11;39;00
Unknown
Yeah. That's kind of a fun story. I mean, so yeah, I'll just I guess I'll just tell what happened. So, about six months ago, another biracial dude who no one's ever seen before knocked on my woman's house. And then when my mom lives there, right, right. And and he's like, he's like, hey, I'm looking for Ben Warren.
00;11;39;02 - 00;12;07;25
Unknown
And then my mom's like, that's my ex-husband. And then he's like, oh, that's my dad. I'm looking for him. And she's like, wait, what? What? And his name is Benjamin. My dad's name is Ben. Oh, and he's straight up looks like him. Like he looks, he damn near looks more like him than I do. So they were like, we don't know where he is, but you can come, like, come in and have dinner with us.
00;12;07;27 - 00;12;25;26
Unknown
And then so, like, yeah, six months ago, I just get some pictures. My, my sister text them to me. She's like, yo, like, look at this shit. And it was just this like, yeah, this guy with my aunt and my, my grandpa. And then she's like, yo, that's like our brother. Wow. And that happened recently. This was this year.
00;12;25;26 - 00;12;44;00
Unknown
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow. He just showed up at the door. Just not not pulled up. Oh, he no phone call. No nothing. In person IRL. Wow. That is bull crazy right. Because usually starts with an email or text. Yeah. Hey. How you doing? Did you know today. Yeah. Yeah, I just knocked that I am yours. Yeah.
00;12;44;01 - 00;13;08;19
Unknown
I'm your half son. What? Basically, yeah. Wow. And then when I was in college, a a Kenyan dude named named Moses. I don't know, I should say his name or whatever. I'll say his name. DM's me on on Facebook, Facebook messenger. And he's, you know, his his screen name says Moses Mara. My last name is Mara.
00;13;08;26 - 00;13;29;06
Unknown
Yeah. And, he DM's me. He's like, what's up, bro? And I was like, what's up? He's like, know what's up, bro? He's like, yo, I'm your brother. And I was like, yo! I was like, yo, I'm in finals right now, dude. There's a lot like right now. Yeah, like family shit to decide, right? I'm taking.
00;13;29;08 - 00;14;02;16
Unknown
Yeah. So so that was the first one. So basically the timeline of events was that my dad had had a kid in Kenya. And then, you know, wasn't feeling it, I guess, and then went to Germany, had another kid, wasn't feeling that and then met my mom, had me. And then two years after I was born, he went to the US by himself, presumably probably to have more kids, if I were to guess.
00;14;02;19 - 00;14;21;02
Unknown
And then two years later, meet my mom, pull up. Okay. So so then we were kind of reunited in 95. And this is in these and, are you telling me this in the South, like in, we moved to Ohio first, Ohio, Ohio. So then my dad got a PhD was getting a PhD at the University of Dayton.
00;14;21;06 - 00;14;48;17
Unknown
Oh, nice. Yeah. And then after that was done, my mom enrolled in the University of Georgia for a masters. And then we all moved to Georgia. And then that's where I grew up. But then we had to move my senior year of high school to South Carolina, and she was awful. Oh, my. So, so I lived in Georgia for 12 years and then South Carolina for a year, and then I was in the Bay area for 14 years.
00;14;48;20 - 00;15;04;29
Unknown
Cause I went to school out there and then just stayed and then last year I moved to New York. So, and I mean, I've been around you've been around forever. I mean, South Carolina though, man. Say a good thing you got the hell out of that place. Sucks. Fuck South Carolina. Oh my God. I mean, aside from the beach, what the fuck?
00;15;04;29 - 00;15;25;12
Unknown
South Carolina? I'm gonna say that to the camera. Yeah, South Carolina. You guys are interesting fucks. Fuck Somerville high School, especially. There you go. Okay, we'll go a high school level. Except for one person. Except for the one person, which is, I guess you're my homie Lauren McCoy. There you go. Yeah, yeah. And for the McCoys, y'all y'all good out here in these, third culture talk series?
00;15;25;12 - 00;15;53;02
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. South Carolina, man, I just but Atlanta because Atlanta is black as hell. Atlanta. Yeah. So how is that because you grew up in Germany for a bit now. You went to Ohio. Ohio. Right. But you still had that German in you, I'm assuming. And then you came to Atlanta and which is black. And like, how was that with, you know, your situation, have German, have Kenyan.
00;15;53;03 - 00;16;12;01
Unknown
You probably have a, I'm assuming an accent, maybe a little bit of an accent. Yeah. There's there's home videos of me with, like, an accent. So to be clear, I grew up in Athens, Georgia. Athens. So Athens is like 45 minutes, like outside of Atlanta. Okay, okay. So it's probably like I would compare it to.
00;16;12;03 - 00;16;33;02
Unknown
I'm trying to think like maybe New New York and like and like Newark kind of, or I don't yeah. I don't know a good example, but it's also in Georgia, it's like shit as hell a spread out. So it's like, you know, I would say in both the Bay area in New York, like 45 minutes, you're just driving through the city or through cities.
00;16;33;10 - 00;16;56;11
Unknown
But in Georgia, it's like it's like Atlanta. You drive 45 minutes through like nothing. And then it's like Athens. So it's a little bit outside of that. But, Athens is like a college town. That's where the University of Georgia is. Oh, nice. So it's like a liberal. It's like a very, like, kind of progressive city or town, I guess, in Georgia.
00;16;56;14 - 00;17;09;20
Unknown
Anyway. Yeah. So no, no, no, but I spent a lot of time in Atlanta though. Yeah I mean that's good. Now thank you for clarifying that. Yeah. Because you know I think it's important why I know for me personally I hear Georgia, I'm thinking Atlanta, especially if I'm talking to a black person. Yeah. Like, oh, Ilana.
00;17;09;21 - 00;17;29;01
Unknown
Yeah. Clearly. Athens. If anything, that's probably like a nice little landing, like, place to land in Georgia based on the situation that was happening, because, I mean, yeah, Atlanta is like, I. Every time I go in there, I'm like, this is black Mecca, yo. I think, like you just. Yeah, you know, everything. Black on black, everything.
00;17;29;01 - 00;17;53;19
Unknown
Yeah. But, so. Yeah. So you live in Athens and stuff. And how was I? School for you? Like, what was it? You know, because you German then for sure. Yeah. I mean, it was interesting because me and my mom actually spoke German, like, all throughout my upbringing. So, like, she would pick me up from school and then, like, we'd be speaking German to each other.
00;17;53;21 - 00;18;14;19
Unknown
So then, you know, everyone was like, what the fuck's going on? You know what I mean? Because like, because, like, I don't know, like, yeah, I mean, I look, you know, the way I do, like, I think, I think you would expect me to maybe be speaking Spanish or something. German was like a whole people were like, what's going on?
00;18;14;22 - 00;18;35;03
Unknown
So yeah, it was interesting. I mean, for sure, like growing up as, like a chubby German speaking nerd in the South was was a trip. Yeah. And is in the South, too, because south is very, like, not open to that shit, especially around that time. So like in German, such a strong commanding feels like type of like wild language.
00;18;35;07 - 00;18;52;27
Unknown
Yeah. So when I don't I anytime I have German spoken to me, I don't know the words I'm. I mainly stand up and who am I. Yeah, yeah. With the left hand I'm. Yeah, yeah I don't know. What was that. Yeah. You know even the hello. Hello you by all those other. Yeah. German's a crazy language. Very crazy.
00;18;52;27 - 00;19;23;25
Unknown
Very commanding too. Very like. Oh you know, but I know grown up in a South German speaking German people here and and stuff. Yeah. So school must have been, I mean, because, you know, especially because you grew up there in the 90s and stuff, right, like. Yeah, whatever 2000 and early 2000, early 2000. Right. And around that time, that's still a time where like, things are not open, like cultural awareness was not as strong in America, maybe in some spots, like in New York, but like in the South, probably not really.
00;19;23;27 - 00;19;48;10
Unknown
Yeah. I mean. Yeah. I mean there was like a handful of, like, mixed kids, I guess, like, I'm trying to think. Like, not a lot, though. Like of just like black and white. I'm actually trying to think who are some mixed kids growing up? There's some light skinned kids. Yeah, I mean, you have you had already started, you know.
00;19;48;13 - 00;20;13;12
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. Especially in South you have that like. Yeah. That started. Yeah. That that had already caught on. Yeah. But yeah. I mean not a ton of mixed kids and like, I mean German and African, but definitely not, I mean, yeah, I have a joke. I mean, like, it's like I have jokes about it. It's like I've a joke.
00;20;13;12 - 00;20;32;19
Unknown
It's like I used to get beat up and called the N-word and beat them for using it. That's like, not necessarily completely true, but it's like, it's basically true, you know what I mean? So, but yeah, I mean, I was kind of a weird kid, like, I was a nerd. So I was like, I was like, in in the books, you know what I'm saying?
00;20;32;21 - 00;20;50;03
Unknown
What kind of nerd was you? So use, like, a smart nerd or use like a dumb nerd. Smart. Okay? I was like, sit down, nerd. Yeah, because I dumb nerd is that you're not good with the books. You just a nerd by classification, playing too many video games. Oh, not playing sports, just not just not getting pussy. I basically.
00;20;50;03 - 00;21;05;07
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, no, I was not at all, No. Yeah. So. But I was smart though. Okay. So that's a good type. And I had this I had accolades. Yeah. That's good I had them accolades. Yeah, I was a little nerdy, but I was more in video games. I could say a lot about Final Fantasy seven and.
00;21;05;07 - 00;21;28;08
Unknown
Yeah, yeah, but like linking to books and shit. I'm like the word. Yeah. No, I was, I was a smart nerd and but definitely kind of a weird kid. I mean, I was like, the thing is, though, like, Athens was pretty nerdy overall because there was so many people that worked for the university. And there was like a bunch of our parents.
00;21;28;08 - 00;21;46;02
Unknown
It was like a bunch of kids, of parents that worked at UGA. Oh, nice. So it was like we actually had a good like we had a terrible public school system, but we had very good. We had some very good teachers. This was also back in the I mean, I think people are still doing this, but like when they did like advanced classes, you know, like they like segregate you out.
00;21;46;07 - 00;22;11;04
Unknown
Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Because like, because Athens is pretty much like I would say our school is like maybe 50, 60% black. And a lot of the black kids were from like the hood, like it was like the projects. And there was fights every single like every single class change, like it was like, like our, our schools were pretty like pretty ghetto for the most part.
00;22;11;06 - 00;22;44;06
Unknown
But then they had this like advanced program, that like all the white kids and like me were in and like a couple other black kids, they were like the, you know, the good ones. But, but no. So, so so then we kind of got, like, a better school experience. Because then we, because, because there were some like good teachers in there and then like it was actually like, like when I moved to South Carolina, like that whole school was bad.
00;22;44;08 - 00;23;05;26
Unknown
But then in Athens there was like yeah, I had some very good teachers and I'm, I'm, you know, I think I'm very lucky to have had them nice. And I'm lucky for the, you know, Segarra it's like the fucking segregation practices of, of the Georgia public school system based on the intellect. Yeah. Because the other because the other classes were not good.
00;23;05;28 - 00;23;28;08
Unknown
Like I had this one biology teacher, his name was Mr. Matthews I think. At one point he was talking, we were talking about Aids and he, and he said that he said something like Africans get Aids because like when they, when people die like they don't like bury their bodies, they like parade them around the streets. He said something like he like people were saying some wild shit.
00;23;28;09 - 00;23;47;20
Unknown
Yeah. In the, in the Athens public school system. But that one guy who's pretty much like Africans get Aids because instead of burying their dead bodies, they like, kiss them and like parade them around the streets. And this was like being taught to the class. And for some reason, I have a feeling he said it with a tone that it kind of like, oh yeah, these Africans, they be.
00;23;47;20 - 00;24;11;07
Unknown
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. He wasn't like these Africans. He's like, yeah, these fucking, you know, it was like these, Africans. Yo, that dude was very like, yeah, yeah, it was, it was a different time that it was, you know, these are like the early 2000s. And then the times where, like, teachers had anger management issues and shit, you know.
00;24;11;09 - 00;24;29;15
Unknown
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Half my teachers, we had to call them coach because they coach something. You remember that? Yeah, bro. I used to have this football coach. Who? He was a history teacher, bro. If we ask him to me question, the more question you ask him about something, the more anger he'll get. Oh, he just want to, like, teach a lesson that you could tell he didn't want to do the job.
00;24;29;15 - 00;24;42;23
Unknown
He just want to coach football. But he was part of the gig that if you ask him specific question, he by. Yeah, just read the book and you're like, yeah, but in this book and you get angry and at some point you start ripping. You know, he was tried turning the page and he will rip it because he's, he was mad.
00;24;42;24 - 00;24;56;24
Unknown
Yeah. Or you be mad and you, you try to like smooth it out. You can tell he's trying like, you know, manage his anger, which is a class full of kids being like, I think this dude has some issues that he's working through in front of us. You know, I guess we should just not. He's like a big dude.
00;24;56;27 - 00;25;24;19
Unknown
Like a red faced white dude with glasses and but and then I like. Yeah. All right. Yeah. He's getting mad because you're asking him like academic questions. He's like right. But like why I coach the offensive line. Like I you know like I'm not supposed to be here. Yeah. Yeah I remember the. Yeah. Like three of my teachers one year were coach so-and-so.
00;25;24;21 - 00;25;40;15
Unknown
And it we just wanted to call it. It's like he's like, no, call me coach. Like coach, which at the time, I think my physics teacher, you had a physics teacher that was a coach as well. Physics teacher. My there was one year my physics teacher was coach something or no physical sciences. Oh, okay.
00;25;40;15 - 00;26;01;17
Unknown
Sixth grade. Damn, he was, Fuck. What was his name? He was the most country motherfucker to. Yeah. Getting taught physics in a country accent. You're like, I'm not learning. You know what I mean? The shit is wrong. This can't be right. Yeah. I never heard physics. Sitting is, All right. We got an incline plane. I was like, bro, I'm about,
00;26;01;19 - 00;26;22;08
Unknown
I'm about to fail. All right. Theory of relativity. Yeah. I don't know why you got the normal force. Well, I'm not going to fuck my cousin. All right, all right, all right, all right. Yeah, we're. We got two cousins that are relatives, and that's. It's got 23 chromosomes.
00;26;22;11 - 00;26;44;16
Unknown
Y'all do the math and let me know if you have any questions. Yeah, yeah. All right. The baby's going to have 24 chromosomes. But it's, it's all good. Yeah. But I got public school in the South. I mean, it was. Yeah, it was bad for the most part. Where'd you grow up?
00;26;44;20 - 00;27;01;07
Unknown
Yeah, me, I grew up in, Jersey. So in Jersey. Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah. So you're a East Coast kid. East coast kid. Yeah. You know, now where I grew up was, it was, it was, it was, I was around the border of, like, bad in a good neighborhood. So I was like, right there. So I was, like, technically in a good neighborhood.
00;27;01;07 - 00;27;16;21
Unknown
So I had, like, at least a buffer, right, of like. But if you go right about, like, literally a corner store, you go right around the corner is like, I'm done, kids. Wooden projects. Right? Okay. It was kind of like the the border right there. So the if you crossed it, you feel it immediately dam. And was it the black projects or other other.
00;27;16;25 - 00;27;37;00
Unknown
No. I mean master was very diverse like. Yeah. Like, I mean, yeah, like a Asian family that was there, you know, that kind of kept themselves but like a deep because, you know, it was. Well, yeah, it was what was, it was mostly black. It was mostly black or mostly, like, diverse. You know, it was people that just got off the bad part of the neighborhood and they was able to move there, but it was still there.
00;27;37;00 - 00;27;53;03
Unknown
Like, you still got the bike stolen. You still got jump. Yeah. You still got shot. That's pretty funny. You're in the transitionary neighborhood. Yeah, like the halfway house, bro, I was so we're trying to we're trying to make it. We're trying to make it, bro. It was to the point where half my street went to the girl's school, and after she went to that bad school.
00;27;53;03 - 00;28;13;09
Unknown
Okay. So like, literally if I move one house over, I was going to be in, like, the bad, like, you know, the gulag. Go, bro. Yeah. I'm talk I have cousins that went to that. But their high school bro I'm talking about like locked down fights, gangs, everything like you. Yeah it was fighting all the time. Yeah all the time.
00;28;13;11 - 00;28;35;17
Unknown
Because we didn't have like because like Athens I don't think we had like, gang activity like that, you know, it was just kids that like, fought and like, we're on some on some bullshit, you know? But it wasn't like. Because. Yeah, because growing up in, like, the city, like, that should sound scary. Yeah, bro. Because, like, kids were, like, in gangs, in gangs.
00;28;35;17 - 00;28;50;11
Unknown
And you get jumped into it, too. Yeah. You go to, like, you used to be a park that if you went to that park, you will become a gang member by force, right? You know, because I got jumped a couple times, but that was just because I was talking shit, you know, because I used to talk magic when I was a kid, but,
00;28;50;13 - 00;29;07;22
Unknown
But that sounds crazy. And as somebody who's new to the East Coast, like the East Coast is scary to me because there's all types of dangers looking. Why people that I don't know, I don't understand them. Yeah. You know what? You know what I mean? Like, like Italians, you know what I'm saying? Because like, in that, because in the South, it's just white people.
00;29;07;22 - 00;29;33;08
Unknown
It just like rednecks. Yeah. Like in, in and in California, white people are are soft. Right. You know, I'm saying like, there's no danger. There's no danger is white people on the West Coast. Yeah. Like like maybe like, you know, minorities, but like, white people are are spineless. And on the West Coast, but on the East coast, you, you meet these, like, scary looking white people that I'm like, I don't know what I'm, I'm working with here.
00;29;33;08 - 00;29;55;20
Unknown
Yeah. A lot of hands and stuff. Yeah. You know, like Polish people, right. You know what I mean? Right. Polish. They in Polish can. Yeah. Okay. Albanians that. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Any time that accent, that Eastern European accent, you know, sometime. That's terrible. Yeah, yeah. You got some Eastern European country that, like the, very outspoken, like, very like, you know, the anger can go, like, not.
00;29;55;23 - 00;30;11;22
Unknown
It's not even anger. It's just like, angry ish type of, like, communication. Yeah. Like, you know, you might say, hi. How are you doing? Yeah, I'm doing good. And his party sucks. You know what I like? That happened to me one time overall. Yeah, I was in. Oh, no. What happened bro? Was that a nice party? He was here in Berlin.
00;30;11;26 - 00;30;24;29
Unknown
Oh. We talk and I was like, hey, how you doing this night? He's like, he's like, I'm doing good. I'm just tired and it's Chinese fireworks. He's fucking fireworks, man. He keep on shooting. I'm like, bro, is New Year's Eve chill. This is what they're doing. What do you. But like bro, he got angry and then he just kind of like he's like, yeah man.
00;30;24;29 - 00;30;46;03
Unknown
So you know. But, man, what brought you here to Berlin? Yeah. That's terrifying. What? Just. But you know. But I don't know. You grew up in the you grew so it was your mom and your dad, but you still have family that you was connected to a bit. It was in the States. And African culture can be a little, you know, outwardly, like outward, outwardly.
00;30;46;05 - 00;31;09;20
Unknown
No, I won't say aggressive, but like loud. Oh for sure. Yeah. Comparison to German. Close to German. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. So a bunch. So I actually grew up with my Kenyan family, so like a lot of my. So my dad had, like, hella siblings. I don't know how many officially. I think like 7 or 8.
00;31;09;22 - 00;31;36;19
Unknown
And, four of them moved to the US and they all moved to Atlanta. Well, they all moved to either Atlanta or or Athens or, so and then they had kids. So like I had helot cousins. So like, I kind of grew up with my Kenyan family in Atlanta, like we because like, summers, I don't know how many summers this was in my head.
00;31;36;19 - 00;31;53;03
Unknown
It was like every summer, but it's probably like only like 3 or 4 or something. But like, me and my other cousin would get dropped off at my aunt's house and then just be there for like half the summer just chillin. And my aunt worked the, she was a nurse and she worked the night shift. Yeah. So she was.
00;31;53;03 - 00;32;19;17
Unknown
I work during the night and asleep during the day. So we were like, like, damn near unsupervised. Oh, we would just kick it. Yeah. And then, like, you know, every and again, I don't really I don't know how, how often this actually happened, but it was like every month there would be like these big, like family reunions or two, just like, like in my head those were all like aunties and uncles, but it was like half family, half just other Kenyans in Atlanta.
00;32;19;20 - 00;32;46;08
Unknown
And then there would just be these big Kenyan parties where yeah, like the adults would just get fucking wasted. And then all the kids, we would just like play video games and just like be like, do shit. Yeah. So yeah. So I really grew up with my, my African side and I never really I've only hung out with my, my German family like, a few times, like, like I hung out with my cousins.
00;32;46;08 - 00;33;07;23
Unknown
So my, my, my grandparents visited, the US when my sister was born in 2000. And then my cousins came and visited me in San Francisco in like 20, like 2014. And then now that's like the only times I've spent time with them. I'll see you more on the African side. Yeah. The Germans. Yeah.
00;33;07;26 - 00;33;23;28
Unknown
Which I mean, the Africa side is like, you know, tends to be strong, you know, just because they outwardly. Yeah. And their family connection dropping off the aunts place is very familial. Yeah. Yeah. You know, a lot of food, you know. Oh, a lot of food, a lot of praying. Yeah, bro. Those African prayers they had different.
00;33;24;00 - 00;33;42;18
Unknown
And it's so long. Long is a motherfucker long bro bro. We used to. Yeah we because like, everyone would make a plate and then we would start praying. And you know some of my auntie, my auntie would pray like, I mean, damn, sometimes she, she would bust out like damn near 20 or 30 minute prayers. And the food is cold by the time you finish.
00;33;42;22 - 00;34;02;12
Unknown
It's crazy. But you can't, you know, don't don't you dare take a bite before the prayers finished. If you go around the circle. Like pray for everybody. Like go like one by one. There's like about 40 people in the house, bro. And the thing is that. Yeah, I ain't going to lie, it'd be long, Bobby. Like, also at the same time, like, yo, how you have all these words because sometimes they eat it, they don't skip the step.
00;34;02;15 - 00;34;24;00
Unknown
Oh, you know. Yeah. They'd be having that prayer like as a monologue. Like. Yeah. Rehearsed. Yeah. Me like yo what the like how you, you're so detailed with the prayers and where it's going. And then this, you have a callback and everything like, yeah, yeah. The callbacks. I'm like, whoa, what's happening? Yo, lady, somebody recording this? Yeah. Because you're are.
00;34;24;00 - 00;34;47;02
Unknown
So are you. You're African too. Yeah. African too. Yeah. Where in Africa? Liberia. Liberia? Yes. Okay. It was like the first born in America. Out of all my family, where it's like I was literally the American boy. That's what's up. And yeah, all my family from, like, you came because you know what's funny about Liberia is Liberia is, you know, it's like when white people say, go back to Africa.
00;34;47;03 - 00;35;07;09
Unknown
Yeah. Liberians were like, bet. Yeah. Mean like that's because Liberians are came from America actually. Like, isn't that true. Yeah. Yeah. So I would say Liberia was a place in which the free slaves, came to. So first, a shareable island, which is awful, like Sierra Leone. And then from there, America came to Liberia. Okay. And that's where the government was set.
00;35;07;09 - 00;35;27;24
Unknown
But, and then and then you came back, you know, so it was like, yeah, it was like. Yeah. But also too Liberians had like indigenous cultures too. So like, that so that was actually something like in the past, I mean, still not now, but like definitely like I'll say up to the 80s where like you had like the, the call America Liberians, or the freed slaves.
00;35;27;24 - 00;35;55;28
Unknown
And he had like the indigenous and now they there was like some conflicts that was there. Okay. Because of like, you know, because I mean, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. It was that. So like, that was something. So, like, my family were more of an indigenous or so like that. And, do have family that's from like, you know, it was it's kind of interesting because it's like when, because of the power structures at the time, if you had like an American last name, like a Williams or Johnson or whatever, you just kind of put in a better life.
00;35;55;28 - 00;36;15;19
Unknown
So somebody was like, say my name. My last name, Williams. Now I like, you know, so is that. But, yeah, that, that, that history is pretty interesting. But yeah, I was the one born in America. And then anchor baby anchor. But yes. Yes. So like respect it was something where like, everything was, you know, just African in the house, like.
00;36;15;19 - 00;36;35;10
Unknown
Yeah. And like like even at the time I was born, my mom, my dad was still figuring shit out, like, still. And then I had cousins who came straight because they had, like, the Liberian civil War. Yeah. So then you had people straight from, like, the only one. No, many man I wish was no many Civil War one.
00;36;35;10 - 00;36;53;19
Unknown
Civil War. One. Yeah. 123. Yeah, yeah. But, they had multiple civil wars in that country, but yeah, they came over. So like just it was like constant, like that cousin thing. Yeah. Which is like always having all your cousins, they're going to your uncle's house who has kids and then y'all just running around loose and shit. Yeah.
00;36;53;19 - 00;37;20;23
Unknown
So I mean, this is crazy. So lose African kids. Really do be out there loser. So lose bro. Yeah, yeah, I mean, I I'm, I'm still curious about the, like, was your mom around? She was around, but she was like, I guess there just wasn't too much German influence like other than me speaking German, which I guess is a lot, but like, there wasn't that much German shit going down in my house.
00;37;20;23 - 00;37;40;26
Unknown
It was more like African American. Like it was kind of, you know, the vibe in our household was kind of like. It was more like just more. It was more just like regular American shit and like African, I would say. Because, yeah, we weren't doing too much because even, like, cooking, like, my mom would make too much German food.
00;37;40;26 - 00;38;01;13
Unknown
I mean, she would make, like, she gets, like, every once in a while. Yeah. She goes hard. Okay. Yeah. That's it. What was that again? It's noodles. Noodles? It's kind of like, trying to think what it would be like. It's like thick, like thick noodles. Thick noodles. Okay, you unhatched bachelor? No, I don't think so.
00;38;01;13 - 00;38;22;08
Unknown
It might be a Bavarian thing. The sounds I heard the the name of it. That's why I, I was like, But then I don't really know what it is. I've heard of it. This. Yeah. It's like dough. It's like these dough noodles. You make this dough and then you, like, squeeze it through like a, like a little thing with this crank, you know, you squeeze it through and.
00;38;22;10 - 00;38;40;13
Unknown
Oh, the little thing that squirts out. The little. The little noodles. Yeah. And you, I think you boil those, and then I think you eat them with, like, whatever you want. Yeah. Wow. You can just eat them just straight up with, like, butter. Yeah. And I think there's a spatula. It's like that's like our, like, mac and cheese.
00;38;40;15 - 00;39;04;23
Unknown
It's pretty good. It sounds I he's like, yeah. No, those are no disrespect, but, but yeah. So that's like we would have sometimes, sometimes she would make like, these like meat. German food is fucking weird, dude. You would just, like, be like a meat. Like like a big ass meatball. Yeah. You know, I'm talking about.
00;39;04;23 - 00;39;24;09
Unknown
It's like. Is it like how big? It's like. It's like a piece of sirloin that you like. Wrap up that you like, wrap into a ball and you like, tie with, like, strings and you put, like, mustard and shit inside of it. Well, mustard? Yeah, I think so. Whoa. That's. I could be wrong, but, I mean, already wrapping the sirloin in the store.
00;39;24;11 - 00;39;47;14
Unknown
That's like, what is it called, man? That's, No, like, flesh. I mean, flesh something. Yeah. Like the flesh. It's like something I own. I say meat in, I don't mean I say meat in, in German. Oh, find it right in the flesh is, ground flesh. Something like that. Hansen is a chicken.
00;39;47;16 - 00;40;14;16
Unknown
Onion? Yeah. And is, chicken. Oh. Or honey, flesh wound in flesh. So yeah. But for the most part we were eating more Kenyan food. So it was sometimes even my mom would be making Kenyan food. Wow. Because my dad would demand it. Shut up. My dad. That was funny because the next thing that was my come on my mouth, like, wow, that's all he did, man.
00;40;14;17 - 00;40;36;14
Unknown
Oh yeah. The African side. Yeah, yeah he would. So my so because he would make Kenyan food and then he taught my mom how to make like chapati which is like flat bread and like roti. Oh wow. Fire. Yeah. Very bro. And then ugali, which was like the it's like more of, like a starch. It would be kind of similar to like, you know.
00;40;36;14 - 00;40;48;25
Unknown
Fufu. Yeah. It's like it's, but it's like firmer than that. So it's like a kind of like a, it almost has a consistency of like.
00;40;48;27 - 00;41;02;26
Unknown
You know, like fuckin like tortilla but like the Spanish version. Like the thick one. Yeah. Very thick, kind of like that. And you eat it with stew and shit, right? You don't chew it right. You just like. No, you chew it. Are you sure? Okay. Yeah. You got to chew this stuff. Especially the way my mom would make it.
00;41;02;27 - 00;41;27;21
Unknown
No disrespect, but, but, so. Yeah. So we were eating more Kenyan food than German food. To be honest, dude, I'm not even tapped into, like, being German. Like, at all, Minus like speaking it. Yeah. So that's why. That's why this trip has been. That's why this, this journey, this this Kaiser, has been kind of a trip because it's like, I'm like, oh, shit, I'm German, you know what I mean?
00;41;27;21 - 00;41;45;19
Unknown
And I'm like, been learning, like, more about it. Yeah. Damn. I mean, because how how did you feel before coming here? Was you nervous? Was you like, I don't think I was nervous, but I was I was looking forward to it. I think I was most nervous about the speaking German because I've been trying to speak more German.
00;41;45;22 - 00;42;10;02
Unknown
And because I can understand German almost fluently, but it's like speaking it. That's like a whole different story. So I think I was nervous about having to speak German, but no, I think I was just excited really. But yeah, I've been learning like a lot about my family and like Bavarian culture as obviously I'm, I'm rocking the IRC merch right now.
00;42;10;03 - 00;42;34;20
Unknown
Nice. So yeah, I'm just trying to, I guess. Yeah, to an extent, kind of rediscover the my German identity. Yeah. Sort of. I mean, that's good though. I mean, because, you know, obviously that's, decent side of you and stuff. Yeah. You still have to you. Yeah. You know, also to because growing up in the States, I mean, it's such a clear cut thing between black and white, right?
00;42;34;22 - 00;42;57;24
Unknown
And, I'm assuming as biracial is kind of like you lean more to one side of the other. But then, you know, also to depend on who's in the house. Right. Like I'm a, you know, you more which is, you know, which side you can be more white, more black, black side whatever. But I'm assuming, you know, you growing up with mostly you know you can you side or something that was probably mostly black or African for the most part.
00;42;58;01 - 00;43;01;29
Unknown
Yeah. I mean.
00;43;02;01 - 00;43;27;09
Unknown
Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't say I identify as white at all at all. You know what I mean? Like like identify as black. But obviously there's like the German component to it. So, So, yeah, I mean, yeah, being biracial is interesting. Yeah, it is interesting. And I mean, especially when we have, like, strong culture, you know, I know you have a joke about it.
00;43;27;10 - 00;43;46;06
Unknown
Yeah. About like, you know, your mom coming from the source and your dad. Yeah. I mean, which is a funny joke because that is that is true. Like. Yeah. You know, African and German cultures are like, that's white and black with the capital and B and my dad's like, dark skin and my mom is like white. Yeah. So, so very stark.
00;43;46;06 - 00;44;13;13
Unknown
Like right. Different. Yeah. So I'm Dominican somehow, but, But, No. Yeah. It's crazy. I mean, yeah, I can't, you know, if you meet my German family and my Kenyan family, that's two very, very different cultures. Yeah. It's about as different of cultures is as it gets. So, so, yeah, it's a trip. I mean it's it's cool.
00;44;13;16 - 00;44;33;19
Unknown
Yeah. So kind of like a new invention a new invention. Yeah. Like a new, a new type of person I guess. I mean so where do you wait, do you stay out here in Berlin more. I'm sure there's some. Yeah. Oh man. I got some African German mixes out here. Our like, you know what? Yeah, that's something I learned as I've been living here longer than you'd be like.
00;44;33;22 - 00;44;51;02
Unknown
Because, a lot of pre, not pre, but countries that used to be communist or so I guess East Germany and other those like one of a few places you can go to because of, you know, communism. So you had like, you know, Congo is a big one. Yeah, homeboy, we were just talking about them.
00;44;51;04 - 00;45;11;29
Unknown
Oh, yeah. They all right? Yeah. Couple Gary and half Congolese. That's a that's a mix. That's a crazy mix. Yeah. And like, you see, it mixes out here. I mean, mostly German, so like. Yeah, just someone I know, once you get some food, like half, I think Congolese and then half German. And another girl, she was like half Congolese, half Turkish, you know, like.
00;45;12;04 - 00;45;22;21
Unknown
Or one of my friends, Norman and the Congo ran through Germany, I mean, Hahahahahahahaha.
00;45;22;23 - 00;45;41;03
Unknown
Congo's a big place, man. Makes it so you gotta escape. Yeah. Make life somewhere else, you know? Yeah. Or have fun. One life to live, right? You know, so I can go to Deutschland. Let's go, let's go. Yeah. You know, Tall Helga or whatever. Here's a question. Yeah? Is it always white? Is it always like the the the man is African.
00;45;41;03 - 00;45;59;12
Unknown
Is that usually the case? I think so. If I was to if I was to look at the few people that I know. Yeah, yeah. That's interesting. It is pretty interesting. I mean, being a black dude in Germany is something. Let me put it that way. Yeah. Even now, like, I mean, because it's just a it's like that.
00;45;59;12 - 00;46;20;00
Unknown
It's like the opposite is so opposite, I guess. Yeah. That is like, you know, maybe that this is speaking from my experience in terms of like, you know, other people that I know. And then also to like myself in terms of like perception and things. Right. Yeah. But yeah, usually the dude that's African I mean, you guys, some women too as well, but me is mostly the dude.
00;46;20;08 - 00;46;36;26
Unknown
Yeah. That is and you do see a lot of mixes out here. But then also you do see some of those same shit where it's like, you know, father has the kid with the woman and that father's out, and then, you know, nice like that. Yeah. Yeah, it's kind of like, dig in the bin while we're out.
00;46;37;01 - 00;46;55;08
Unknown
Yes, I have boy, stereotypes is happening. Yeah. Let's reverse this, you know man. Right. But but black men don't cheat. Let's let's. Yeah. Of course. Obviously, if they do not, let's set the record straight on them. Yeah. They're leaving to, you know, create a new thing for the woman to get to at the end of the. I don't exactly know.
00;46;55;13 - 00;47;15;01
Unknown
They're helping. They're helping. Yeah. You know you won't understand it right away. Right. It's a bigger plan. Yeah. Yeah. There you go. And if it doesn't come back, that's for character development. Which is which is which is which is helping and just as important. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And like, look, most African people trying to build a house back home.
00;47;15;01 - 00;47;37;14
Unknown
Right. Exactly. Building a house for you to come back to. So eventually. Eventually. Yeah. You know, it's been ten years. Still ground level. There's no roof. But just wait, just wait, just wait. You know, the rainy season knock the walls down. And the rainy season. Yeah. So, you know, you gotta rebuild. It'll be there. Yeah. Yeah. Being black.
00;47;37;14 - 00;47;54;14
Unknown
Yeah. Well. So how long have you been here in Berlin? I've been here for a year. Some change now. So let's say you came straight from the East Coast. Straight from straight. Straight from New York. So I was living in New York City for, for about like ten years or so. Dem so I was living there and I, of course, I visited and stuff when I was like younger and stuff right there, but I was living in New York.
00;47;54;14 - 00;48;11;10
Unknown
In Brooklyn. Where in Brooklyn? Best. Oh, yeah, I live in Bed-Stuy. Really? Wait, when did you move to here? I moved here last year. September. I moved to Bed-Stuy last year. September. Oh, shit. So we straight up. Yeah. We'll swap. Yeah. Let dry off. Like the C stop. Ralph Avenue, like, not too far.
00;48;11;14 - 00;48;29;11
Unknown
Okay. Right now, not too far from tiny cupboard, basically. Damn, bro, I moved, I saw I live on the no strand G stop. Oh, okay. So. Yeah, you right on the edge of that. And, by the pool. Nice. What day in September? Day in September. Actually, August. August 30th 30th, okay, I believe. Yeah. Yeah, I got there September 4th.
00;48;29;11 - 00;48;47;03
Unknown
Wow. So we just like, barely didn't, like, missed each other. And that's the first place you move to a New York? Yeah. How was it for you moving, like, from California to New York? From Oakland? Oakland. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So I lived in the last three years in the Bay. I lived in Oakland. Okay. Okay.
00;48;47;03 - 00;49;07;18
Unknown
Oakland. I was like a I was like a San Francisco. Oh, you little rough. Yeah. Oh, no. Yeah. Shit is popping off in Oakland. But I love Oakland. Oakland is my favorite place I've lived so far. I mean, Brooklyn's getting up there. Brooklyn probably second, but, Yeah, I Oakland to Brooklyn, I mean, I think the biggest.
00;49;07;21 - 00;49;26;08
Unknown
So I picked Bed-Stuy because I wanted, like something similar to Oakland, which was like, I don't want to live in like the the I don't need to ever live in the city again. Like, I'm 33. Like I'm getting old, sort of. But like, I like some peace and quiet. So I wanted to live in Brooklyn over Manhattan.
00;49;26;12 - 00;49;49;17
Unknown
Yeah. And then I also wanted to live, like, with as many black people as possible. And then, you know, per music, I was like, oh, Bed-Stuy has black people in it, and it still does to an extent. Yeah. You know, so and that side beautiful to like the brownstones and like the trees and shit. Very nice.
00;49;49;19 - 00;50;05;05
Unknown
So yeah, like, when I was looking for a place, I was like, I really want to live. And that's fine. We found an apartment. I think the biggest change was just the density. Because the Bay area, like, there's a lot of people, but the. It's pretty spread out, like California general. It's like pretty spread out, right?
00;50;05;06 - 00;50;26;27
Unknown
Even like LA, like, everything is kind of two stories. You know, people are driving everywhere. And then even in Brooklyn, like, everyone's just, like on top of each other. Yeah. And just that kind of the constant chaos of New York was hard to not hard to, but it was like an adjustment, like 24 hours a day, you know, like seven days a week.
00;50;26;27 - 00;50;45;26
Unknown
Yeah. But I love I mean, I like that style a lot. That's dope man. Yeah. I feel like I still haven't, like, really experienced it to its full extent. Oh, yeah. Because I've only been there a year and like, with comedy, like, I'm always just in other parts of the city. But I love coming back to that style.
00;50;45;26 - 00;51;02;05
Unknown
It's like nice and quiet. Especially around the area, you, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Like the area I was at, I was like right, like east, East New York and Brownsville was not too far so that, you know, like, so you're in kind of in the corner of it. Yeah. Like literally right. Broadway Junction going to like walk there.
00;51;02;05 - 00;51;17;10
Unknown
Where were you by Daily Press. Yes. Were they doing shows already? Yeah, they're doing shows. Areas and and Malik. No. You know I left by the time they're doing that. They used to do open mics that were during the open mics was still dope. Oh or like very. They used to have it on Tuesdays. Yeah. I think and that was good.
00;51;17;16 - 00;51;32;25
Unknown
Where it was just far. It was just far out because it's like, all right, if you have some that tiny cupboard or something. Yeah. They fucking go all the way there. It's like, you ever know this place called essence? Bro. Okay. And I think it's still open, but man used to have these shows or these mikes.
00;51;32;27 - 00;51;55;03
Unknown
One of the roughest rooms. Oh, yeah. Bro, I mean, you go in there and you had a fight, bro. Yeah. Old school Brooklyn. Like from that side, bro. In there. I'm. I'm gonna just be completely honest. Anytime I do a show and I see that it's a majority old black people, I'm like, I'm finna bomb, bro. Like like that.
00;51;55;04 - 00;52;17;11
Unknown
Like, sometimes like, past a certain age. Like of black folks. Like my little sarcastic shit. Dude, it don't fly with them, bro. You know what I mean? I get up there, I, I'm talking about, like, I'm biracial, like, my dad's black, my mom's regular. They're like, what the like I think, yo, I was actually opening for my girl Jasmine w in, in Harlem.
00;52;17;12 - 00;52;38;14
Unknown
That hasn't w okay, she's l.a comic shout to Jasmine. And, I haven't. Sometimes I open with this joke that just goes, I had a gay thought, and it's usually a crazy, like, I like opening it with it because it's. People are just like, what the like what? Like it gets people's attention right away. Yeah.
00;52;38;16 - 00;53;00;21
Unknown
But yeah, in Harlem, all aunties, it was literally 100% aunties. And then one older black dude in like, you know, the, you know, the age of black people where they're wearing the, the fully matching fit like the, like the, the shirt and the pants and the shoes and the hats all the same color. So I go up there, I'm like, I had a gay thought recently.
00;53;00;21 - 00;53;21;14
Unknown
He just goes, what? And I was like, oh yeah, I'm bout to bomb. And then I bombed. Yeah, yeah, it's Harlem Nights, too. It was, yeah, it was, it wasn't Harlem Nights, but it was. It was called It's Comedy in Harlem. So it's close to that. Okay. Yeah. Oh. Nice, bro. Yeah. 100 like 1/25. That used to be a spa, bro.
00;53;21;14 - 00;53;36;07
Unknown
Where the even a mix? Yeah. Me a shout out to Rashad Bashir, man. Oh yeah. Shout out Rashad. Yeah. Rashad funny dude. He's he's a he's the perfect for that room. Yeah. But it's like one of the things where like the room is already kind of rough because you have the just the clientele, the people in there is already that.
00;53;36;12 - 00;53;53;07
Unknown
But then also Rashad is so good. Yeah. He sets the bar high. Yeah. Like what? The energy, the everything, the snap and the call. And he's so black too. It's like, yeah, he from that neighborhood. So he just knows all. So New York and then you can you know then you come up my podcast comes up there. Yeah.
00;53;53;07 - 00;54;12;19
Unknown
You try to do your material. You're working. Yeah. Yeah. It's kind of like I don't know, you know. Yeah, maybe. And then it's like, nah, they're like nah. Yeah or something. Oh no. It's this thing where black people look at you when you try to be funny. You're not, is it? Bro is distinctly a New York City black people thing.
00;54;12;23 - 00;54;29;23
Unknown
Oh, my God, they be looking at you. But it'd be looking at you kind of like. Damn, he thought that was funny. Oh, like. No. Yeah, it's the kind of shit that makes you think you, like, think about quitting comedy. You know what I'm saying? Because the thing that pisses me off kind of, is that sometimes they prefer, like, a white ass dude.
00;54;29;23 - 00;54;49;28
Unknown
Over, like, over like a corny black dude. You know what I'm saying? Because they're like, it's kind of like, you know how, like, you do you watch basketball? A little bit. You know how, like, everybody loves, like a white basketball player? Yeah. Steve Nash yeah. Like. Oh, yeah, like like Austin Reeves and shit. Right? It's almost like if a white dude gets up there and is super white, they almost fuck with him because they're like, we like this.
00;54;49;28 - 00;55;13;24
Unknown
Like this white boy, you know, like like he he's like, you know, he's kind of like he's doing his own thing, right? But I feel like it's when, like, yeah, black people come up and they're just on some like weird and or corny shit. They're like, nope, not next. Hell not bro. You can lose them immediately. And the thing is, when you lose a black room like you ain't getting them back, or you got to, or you got to fight like hell.
00;55;13;27 - 00;55;32;02
Unknown
Yeah, yeah, I just sometimes I just don't have that in me, bro. I used to, I used to always. I don't have that in me. But yeah I know I'm over here trippin. Yeah, yeah. When did I have it. Yeah. Yeah, bro I, you know, Mo's bar and, like most bars in Brooklyn that they used to have a show on Mondays or something.
00;55;32;02 - 00;55;51;07
Unknown
Or MC on Mondays. Now, Mo's. Yeah, it's called, Mo's Bar and Grill. I think it's on. I forgot is on. No, it's right on. I forgot the street as on, but is is is majority black spot. It's like you go inside, you go up the stairs and there's a stage there, and the stage has, like a back drop of, like all these, like classic, like black albums.
00;55;51;12 - 00;56;14;11
Unknown
Okay. It's a very dope like room or whatever, but that's a tough room. And I used to co-host with, Dave Lester, you know, Dave Lester. Sounds familiar. Yeah. Very fair man. I mean, yeah, he's one of the OG dudes or whatever I used to co-host with him on some nights, and like, bro, that's one of the rough is like, I used to see people, like, kind of audibly be like, yo, I need to.
00;56;14;11 - 00;56;32;17
Unknown
I need to prepare myself. And he funny, like, they funny already and he be black people already funny or sometimes you you know, I mean because it's, it's one of those rooms where like you need to have like confidence. Not just confidence. Yeah. But we just don't we don't show confidence. That's that's when it be like, man, like, are you, are you usually like right, right, right.
00;56;32;17 - 00;56;51;24
Unknown
I ain't got anybody to show you. You ain't. You know, I mean, that type of shit. And I think that's what it is because like, I mean, I'm definitely confident stage, but I think the shtick is kind of like I have like an awkward shtick. Sort of like basically I think sometimes I'm, I'm pretending to be less confident, if that makes sense.
00;56;51;24 - 00;57;11;20
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. No. Exactly. And I don't think it's sometimes it just doesn't translate when it comes to older black folks. And like this is a I want to be clear that this is like, like a uncles and aunties problem. You know what I mean? Yeah, bro. Any time people are dressed like, especially if they're dressed up like like they paid money, like, yeah, bro, sometimes it gets it gets dicey.
00;57;11;20 - 00;57;31;16
Unknown
Yeah, bro, it can get a little different. I mean man at the toughest one two some time could be like the African crowd. Like a mostly African. Oh yeah. Yeah. Oh, bro I mean yeah I want to how to do this Mother's Day event. Yeah it was all African African aunties bruh. So like I'm terrified bro I was in there.
00;57;31;16 - 00;57;46;11
Unknown
I'm like bro, I had never had to remove like 80% of my whole because all my these African aunties don't give a damn. And I think they're going to probably go to hell if they did give a damn. Right? Right. So I'm like, all right, how to fuck? Yeah, you might get cursed, you know? Thank you. They cover my drink, guys.
00;57;46;11 - 00;58;06;14
Unknown
I might do some. I throw some something in it. Yeah, but yeah. No performing in front of, black people, as always. But when you man, when you kill though, bro, it's like it feels very good. Yeah. It's happened a couple times. I was opening for David Arnold recipes. Oh. Did. Yeah, I actually opened for him the weekend before he died.
00;58;06;14 - 00;58;27;01
Unknown
It was actually a trip. What? Yeah, I was opening for him at Cobb's in in San Francisco. Yeah, it was actually crazy. And he was hella cool. Like, we got each other information. His cousin was his manager. I think he had some other family members in the green. Or, like, it was like an all family affair.
00;58;27;03 - 00;58;50;03
Unknown
Didn't drank, didn't smoke. Just a charcuterie. He was, like, working out, like, every single day. And, and it was actually crazy because, like, I posted him on my, my grid and then it was like on a Wednesday. And I remember getting a DM from someone's like, yo, you heard about David? And I thought it was a I assumed he had just released a special or like, I was like at work.
00;58;50;05 - 00;59;06;21
Unknown
And I remember, like, seeing one text being like, you heard about David and I like didn't like, respond. And then I went to a show and I saw that you heard about David. I was like, what? There were like, he died. I was like, I was like, no. I was like, that's not true. Like, I literally was working with him on Sunday and this was on a Wednesday.
00;59;06;24 - 00;59;25;10
Unknown
But yeah, so that was crazy. Oh, bro. Recipes. Yeah. And I do a book with me on his hell, man. And he was in great shape too. That was a crazy thing. Is he died of, like, a heart attack artist. He was like 50. He looked in incredible shape. Like. Like I was looking at him being like, damn, I need to get my shit together.
00;59;25;17 - 00;59;44;17
Unknown
That's scary. Bruh. I mean, cool, yeah, I mean, I don't know, but, like, just from his social media, his stand up, his his his method. And so, you know, from when he's going to the Comedy Store and we use like, you know, all these like his, his, his whole trajectory was like, oh my God, he, he wrote cartoons and stuff.
00;59;44;17 - 01;00;11;27
Unknown
He's a good writer. He was like a, like a industry guy. That I was excited to be connected with. I mean, right, but God had other God had other ideas, I guess. But, but his crowd is also old, right? And I remember opening for him first night. I go up there. My name is James.
01;00;11;27 - 01;00;39;25
Unknown
I'm biracial, my dad's black, my mom's regular. I hear all black women go, As I get I'm finna bomb. And I did, but night two, we got him back, you know. Oh. And yeah. Oh black people not approving of you said that just be like, all right. Like it hurt. They just because. No because usually if you if a joke doesn't work, you just hear silence.
01;00;39;26 - 01;01;00;06
Unknown
Yeah, but, a no to it. Like, people can not be silent on something they didn't know. People answer no. Well you didn't when you didn't ask a question, hurts. Even in silence. Be loud. Even though the way they look like. Yeah. Just the look that you get, the bro, the look be the one. It's not like I don't get you saying.
01;01;00;06 - 01;01;17;03
Unknown
It's kind of like, bro. Yeah, I should wack, but I even say it. Yeah. Saying it is like looking at you like you are wack. Yeah. He's like bro, this is the first fucking joke in like, 30s. Like what? Right. You know what I mean? Like, know this ain't land. Let me go. Let me get you on the next one.
01;01;17;06 - 01;01;36;06
Unknown
So how long, how long you been doing comedy? Yeah. We talking about, like, maybe eight years or eight years. Okay. I just hate yours. Yeah. Sorry. In New York City, in New York. So were you performing for a lot of white people? Not really actually. It was like more of a mix. And then over time it started being more black people because.
01;01;36;06 - 01;01;55;25
Unknown
Oh really? Yeah. Because then I started working with, Dave Lester and I still going to Harlem Nights or whatever. Oh, okay. So, like, it was just one of those things where it just start happening to him. Who was, They always have to do that. They they got the, the something sugar brown sugar at, in Harlem.
01;01;55;28 - 01;02;15;00
Unknown
I'm, I'm skipping on the name a completely, but not at first. It was like, kind of like a mix, like, you know, I would go to a creek in a cave and, like, you know, these mice, QED, Broadway, all these stuff. But then over time, it became more like, you know, more, more black. I would say, okay, because I'm, like, firmly.
01;02;15;02 - 01;02;38;17
Unknown
Entrenched in the more cracker scene of the of the New York, of the more of the honky scene in, in Brooklyn. And it sucks because, like, the same thing happened in San Francisco where it's like, you just perform in all these white rooms, and I feel like your jokes like, like like a cater to them, you know what I'm saying?
01;02;38;19 - 01;02;52;16
Unknown
So then you get, you find yourself in a black room and you're you're in trouble. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, sometimes I look at my set because every time I have to perform for a room full of black people, I look at my set and I'm like, none of this shit is going to work, you know what I mean?
01;02;52;16 - 01;03;13;09
Unknown
But like, but then I feel like once you start performing for more black rooms, like, you know, the material kind of follows. Yeah. See what I'm saying? And also your awareness too, of, like, what? You know, like, for example, the biggest one always, no matter what, if a black man says especially dark skinned black man, said he at any point dated a white woman.
01;03;13;09 - 01;03;31;15
Unknown
You said it out loud, bro. I mean media silence. Really, bro? And I'm talking about every bro. It would be to the point where the comedian would say all the all black comedians will know what's about to happen before it happens in the audience. You like, nigga wise, you. Oh, you better really land this shit. Yo, don't be so many laughing about.
01;03;31;15 - 01;03;47;19
Unknown
Haha yeah, yeah I would. You mean would you right? Yeah, I bro, I was in one man. I had this one joke about like, I want I went to therapy because I was stressed out of a girl and I was and the joke was around like, me, I had the wrong trauma for this therapy because she was a black woman, was a therapist, was stressing over a white girl.
01;03;47;20 - 01;04;03;02
Unknown
Yeah. And where I said it and I'm wearing one of my friends. She black, right? She's like, what the fuck? Oh, my. Yeah, that's what my therapist said. She's like, what the fuck? You know? But yeah, well you know it. But like just that message alone being like, what the. You know what I mean? Like I'm like a aunt.
01;04;03;02 - 01;04;18;27
Unknown
It's like, yo, what the fuck? Yeah. Or silence or I'm like, I'm where I said, you know, one of my exes, somewhere I was, they had a joke about me holding hands with her in a majority black area. And, best I was like that. Everyone was like, oh, this is like, yo, what? This is like, yo, you brave is how I was like, yeah.
01;04;18;27 - 01;04;40;16
Unknown
I was like, yeah, you know, but I had a joke to. Right? But you then you find that shit, are you black all. If you mention something about white women in good earnest, right. You are going to be a media like, yo. What the. You know what's funny, though, is, an angle that I've been taking recently with my comedy is interracial marriage is wrong.
01;04;40;19 - 01;05;00;23
Unknown
Because I think it is, so usually. So it was funny, an angle I found I worked for a room full of black men was like, because I was talking about Drake and how, like, black people always make fun of biracial people. But I was like, but if you think about it, y'all are making us. You know what I mean?
01;05;00;26 - 01;05;18;10
Unknown
Someone's fucking these white women. Somebody, you know what's going on. Yeah. And then and then I'm assuming like in and in the, in the crowd there was a white a black dude with because like, because I was like, you know, black people think biracial people are corny. He goes facts and he's sitting there with a white woman. So it was, it was that was like a lay up.
01;05;18;10 - 01;05;34;02
Unknown
Black if you will be so is is in so many tough positions because like from his soul he's like fat. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's like you're the problem sir. He's. I'm sorry baby. You know, I just had to say that. Yeah, yeah. Cuz my ass is talking through my body, right? I ain't saying it was my, you know.
01;05;34;05 - 01;05;53;01
Unknown
Yeah. But, Yeah. Okay. Get some water real quick. Yeah. I'm gonna. I want to keep going. I just need some water. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No problem. Yeah. There's a cup right there on the top there or whatever. Yeah, yeah. Things should be a glass there. So. Yeah. So I ain't offer you any water?
01;05;53;04 - 01;06;18;10
Unknown
No. This here, here are circles. We talk comedy. We always offer a guest water. This is just a slip. All right, so if anyone's hearing this right now, just know that, there's water that's always served our guests. I am not a bad person. I'm not an anarchist. I'm just trying to do the good job here at Third Culture talk comedy.
01;06;18;13 - 01;06;34;03
Unknown
But. All right. Some water. I hit the vape. Here you go. Back in business. Back. All right. Back in. Yeah. You know, but so you move from. That's crazy, man. So I moved from California. That's how you move from beside Germany. Yeah. And, crazy way too, bro. So. Yeah. So tell me about that. Yeah, bro. So. Okay.
01;06;34;06 - 01;06;50;00
Unknown
I guess, the first time I came to Berlin was like last year, back in April or so, like, around that time, it was me and a friend of mine. His name is Alexander Payne. Alex Payne. And we were doing, like, a little, you know, small tour thing where we're just, like, going to different cities doing comedy.
01;06;50;00 - 01;07;07;19
Unknown
Yeah. And stuff. Berlin was one of the places, and then we went back to Paris. So we went to Paris, Netherlands and stuff, and then he went to the UK and I came back to Berlin. And like during the times of me being here in Berlin performing, it was like a lot of spots, as you've probably been experiencing, like you just able to get up a lot more.
01;07;07;22 - 01;07;26;26
Unknown
Yeah. So getting up a lot more. And then, I was getting a good reception out here and then, one, one day is these two comedians. It was like, hey, so when are you going to move here? Yeah, I was here for like 2 or 3 weeks, like I had a flight to go back, but I kept on pushing it for it could be like mainly stay another week because me first or you need to do it because this has happened.
01;07;26;26 - 01;07;40;00
Unknown
I was like, fuck. So I was like building a life here. And the two, these two comedians was like, hey, so when are you going to move here? I'm like, we talking about moving here? I ain't got no I don't even know how to even move. What? Yeah. And it was like, yeah, you can actually move here if you get the artist visa.
01;07;40;00 - 01;07;53;19
Unknown
So if you have artists and you can explain how you can make income from your art. Yeah. You actually get a visa here in Berlin. I was like, oh shit. So they gave me all the details and I just put that thought in my mind. Then another comedian, she actually gave me the G moved here. Her name is Tara.
01;07;53;26 - 01;08;09;17
Unknown
She moved here from America here. And she's a comedian as well. And she gave me all the step by step details, like a. Yeah, if you go here at this time on this website, you can refresh a couple times. You going to find a link to go get an interview for an artist visa. I was like, you know what?
01;08;09;20 - 01;08;22;27
Unknown
Fucking let me go ahead and do it. Yeah. Then, when I came back, it was just kind of a feeling of like, you know, I came back to New York, you know, you have all the fun traveling. Yeah. These places then go back to New York. And now I'm back in these rusty basements for men and shit.
01;08;22;27 - 01;08;43;00
Unknown
I'm like, man, yo, like, I should probably just do it. Yeah. You know, I mean, so I literally between May and August, I basically was selling everything in New York City. Yeah, I let go of everything. Yeah. Basically even my, you know, I had a good apartment, actually. My landlord, he's like, yeah. You sure you want to do this?
01;08;43;00 - 01;09;01;16
Unknown
Yeah. He's like, this is a good situation out here. I was like, fuck it. So sold everything, put everything into a on suitcase and a book bag. Yeah. And then just moved out here to Berlin Downs. Sleep on my friend's couch to Deutschland. Deutschland? Yeah. Berlin. And, yeah, figuring shit out was able to get the artist visa and then.
01;09;01;16 - 01;09;17;12
Unknown
Yeah, that's crazy, man. Yeah. And then how was that first like week here and because do you know German I don't but here Berlin you can get it, get it, get it, get it. Yeah. Yeah. There's people who deliver ten years plus and I'll speak any German. Okay. So you can like, really get by. I mean, you know, you can do that but different.
01;09;17;12 - 01;09;38;02
Unknown
You do consumption for like the, the, the first, the first nichts when my, my, German. My days. Yeah. My is next year. Good. Next. Okay. You know, I'm, I'm learning Dutch. Yeah, yeah. Ambition. Yeah. Ambition. It's a hard ass language, dude. It's hard. It's a crazy language. Yeah. As somebody.
01;09;38;02 - 01;09;53;25
Unknown
Because, like, I used to speak it, and I like I don't anymore because I should. It's hard. Hard? I mean, like, I can speak it to where I can order stuff in German. Yeah. So if I go into a restaurant, I can, like, order something like in German, I'd be like, you know, like, I can do that, but they better not ask any follow up questions.
01;09;53;25 - 01;10;12;01
Unknown
Yeah. If they do, I'm like, you know, my pronunciation is not as bad. So like, that's something that actually puts me in a weird position to where people think I can speak German. Yeah, but my pronunciation is like, pretty, though. It's pretty decent. Yeah. But then when they ask me additional questions, that's why I'm like, yeah.
01;10;12;01 - 01;10;27;11
Unknown
I'm like, yo, I know I'm asking you open ended question. Like, yeah, what do you think about this food? I'm like, it's good. Why is it good? You know. Yeah. Yeah. Now I can understand though, if somebody say like I'm, I'm at a grocery store and I say, hey, do you have any cash?
01;10;27;11 - 01;10;49;04
Unknown
We're running out of cash or something. Yeah. German I can like okay. Bargo quickly. Yeah. Something. Okay. You know, something like Mr. Lang, you know, like I'm. I know these words, I can answer. Yeah. So that's where I'm at right now. Word. No, it's a hard language, dude. Hard because, like, Spanish, like, I feel like Spanish because I took Spanish in high school.
01;10;49;06 - 01;11;12;22
Unknown
And Spanish is a lot easier because I don't know about the other languages. They are German, like, just grammatically. And the fact that there's the three genders, like because like at the end of because even when I'm like starting to really like cook, like I'll forget what gender a chair is, you know what I mean? Yeah. I think it's still I could be wrong.
01;11;12;25 - 01;11;28;28
Unknown
Who knows? Del and dos, like, they always fucked me up because, like, yeah, you know what I mean, right? I mean, is it a it or a he. Yeah. Or she, you know, is that chair a knit or a he like I don't know I don't know I think it's destiny. You don't want to miss gender a store right I stool I don't know.
01;11;28;29 - 01;11;47;15
Unknown
Yeah. You know you might be I ended up on the blogs man. You might. Yeah. You know, miss interest or a shout out to Germany first. You know, they were first on the non-binary shit. They they got very. They say he she they, Yeah. Very progressive country displays. Yeah, yeah, I won't go that far, but,
01;11;47;18 - 01;12;04;13
Unknown
Yeah. You ever been down in the south of Germany? Yeah. I was like, And you just started doing stand up right away. Obviously you're on the visa. Yeah, yeah. So I was doing stand up already, like, when I came here originally in April. Yeah. Like, so I, I was already traveling. People were like, hey, let us know when you come back less and when you come back.
01;12;04;13 - 01;12;20;19
Unknown
And so there's already some connections there. So by the time I came here, bro, I was like, I think I only stayed here one move here to Berlin. I was only here for a couple weeks. Then I got flown out to Estonia and I was doing comedy there. Estonia? Yeah. Estonia. Yeah. Some guy from Estonia saw me out in Paris and it was me and Alex.
01;12;20;19 - 01;12;36;09
Unknown
And we did good. Have like a few of the mics and he's like, hey, man, you ever. Next time you out of Europe, let me know. And, we'll set something up in Estonia. I was kind of like my, I guess. Yeah. I've never been to Estonia. What's that about? Yeah, I came here now where he's talking about it, and then he was like, yeah, man, for real.
01;12;36;09 - 01;12;53;14
Unknown
Like, you know, I'll, I'll pay for the housing, the food and everything. Yeah, just come here, do your thing. And yeah, I was out there for like a week in like a week and some change, I think. Yeah. Estonia with us. What's up? Sandwiches is like one of, like the top comedians in Estonia. Yeah. Sonia's speaking comedy.
01;12;53;19 - 01;13;11;24
Unknown
Yeah. Well, I was like seven specials or some shit. And like, in the streets, we were like, yeah, center. Yeah. What's going on? You know, like he's. Yeah. So like those connections. Yeah. Then like, you know, so like. Yeah, immediately it was like standup comedy. Like I actually kind of like like very like heavy like. Yeah. It was like top in.
01;13;11;26 - 01;13;37;23
Unknown
Yeah. Like I'm. Oh, I'm traveling in Luxembourg doing comedy. Oh, I'm traveling Netherlands doing comedy, bro. Part of me like, because again, this is my first time in Europe in a basically forever. Yeah. Part of me is thinking about staying out here for longer or just coming here a lot more often. Because the question that I, that I genuinely ask myself sometimes about New York and this is both for living there and doing comedy there is like, is it worth it?
01;13;37;26 - 01;14;06;17
Unknown
You know what I mean? I was thinking about it. It's like living in New York, like it's kind of sometimes it's like when when someone, like takes you, it's like when you're at the club, you know, and then about 1 a.m., it hits you. It's like, am I having fun or is this wack as fuck like that? Or having to bro, like if someone takes you out because I don't go to the club, but like, sometimes, like I'm taken there and then at like 1:00 am, I'm like, is this fun?
01;14;06;19 - 01;14;27;10
Unknown
Or is this is just, just wack and expensive? Because sometimes we in New York because because New York, sometimes it is fun. And then other times I'm like damn. Like I'm really not getting because it's hard to get stage time there. And it's not like it's not like the people that are getting stage time over, you are better than you.
01;14;27;12 - 01;14;50;13
Unknown
I'ma just keep it about like there is just like some white boys. It's just a lot of white activities over there. And like the extent to which you have to like, suck dick over there to get stage time. It's crazy man. So it's like, it's not that you're not getting stage time because you're not good enough. It's you're not getting stage time just because people aren't giving it to you.
01;14;50;15 - 01;15;06;21
Unknown
And obviously with time, like if you kill for, you know, over and over and over and over and over again, like, you see it kind of slowly start to build up. But it's like for me, it's been like a year of, like really hitting the ground over there. And I'm it feels like I'm just now starting to like get booked.
01;15;06;23 - 01;15;23;01
Unknown
And anytime I travel to a different city like here in Berlin and I've been here for four days, I've done like eight shows like all eight have been good. So now I'm like, damn, is it worth it. Like is it worth it. Like what I'm doing? Like, is it worth it? You know what I mean? Yeah. And I don't know the answer to that.
01;15;23;04 - 01;15;45;23
Unknown
Yeah. It's something that a lot of friends that I have as well, that travel outside, especially outside of the states or, you know, mostly New York City like and have performed in other places. They ask that question a lot because it has since been the harder I've heard to get stage time so hard, I guess is, you know, also like a lot of comedians there as well, from what I've heard from other people, so many comedians.
01;15;45;25 - 01;16;09;25
Unknown
Yeah. It's like, like I heard is even crazier because, like, you know, when I started, it was, I guess when you start in New York City is more difficult because just people seeing you start out, so you're bombing, people saw you as suck. Yeah, yeah. So it that just stays in people's minds. Whereas if you came from the outside in like I know some people that did very good in their hometown, came into New York City and just exploded because they just knew how they knew the game.
01;16;09;28 - 01;16;24;07
Unknown
They were very good. They had good jokes already. They started already. So they just you know what I mean, Mike, which is Kilcoo and and you know, of course people are like, oh my. Yeah, be on my show now. Yeah. And then doing good at shows, I just snowball it and, and then I get to the showcase and they just know how to for sure.
01;16;24;09 - 01;16;44;25
Unknown
You know how to finesse it. Like. Yeah, I mean I kind of came in maybe maybe not like arrogant like, I wouldn't say arrogant, but like, I, I was treating Mike's like Mike's like when I got there. I also when I moved to New York, I was in a bit of a place where I was just tired on my set or like, tired of my act.
01;16;44;28 - 01;17;02;02
Unknown
And I was also, when I moved to New York, I was going and headlining a lot in other cities. So when you're doing an hour, like you kind of are doing all your you're doing like all your material. And it was, it was like to a point where I was like, I was like looking at my materials like, I'm tired of this shit.
01;17;02;02 - 01;17;14;00
Unknown
So I was like, basically like when I got there, I was trying to work on like a bunch of new stuff. And then of course, I wasn't, you know, I was, but I'm okay. Like, it, like, don't happen, like, you know, you're going to bomb. And then I realized, like, three months in, I was like, oh, shit.
01;17;14;00 - 01;17;28;25
Unknown
Like, people probably think I suck, you know, I mean. And it was maybe like 3 or 4 months in when I started to realize like, okay, I need to like kill every single time. But then it's like also like as a comedian, like, do I want to be going to open mics and doing my best jokes?
01;17;28;25 - 01;17;42;14
Unknown
Like, that's not that's not what an open mic is for. But it's like, that's the only way to get booked in New York. Like, it kind of sucks, you know what I'm saying? You know what I mean? Yeah. And then it's like. And then for the last, like even here in, in Germany, I think I've, I've been doing comedy here for three days.
01;17;42;16 - 01;17;59;06
Unknown
I already have like 3 or 4 new jokes. Because I was like, because there because I feel, I feel like a little bit less pressure. And I also have new shit to talk about, you know what I mean? Yeah. But it's like, I don't know, like New York is I feel like it's a hard for for where I am in my career.
01;17;59;06 - 01;18;17;10
Unknown
And I could just be bitching. I could just be bitching and moaning. But it's like, for where I am in my career, it's a hard place to, like, continue to get better as a comedian and continue to get more booked in New York because of the pressure to, like, kill every single time. Yeah, and like you don't have the room to experiment as much.
01;18;17;13 - 01;18;39;28
Unknown
But I think the answer to that is just to have your own room, which I need, that I need to get. Yeah. New York has this thing as well of like give it makes you more risk averse to like starting your own thing. I don't know what it is, but like because even, friends that we all started comedy around the same time in New York and stuff like, we see, like the new class now or people that are starting now, they're just doing their own shit, like immediately.
01;18;40;02 - 01;18;58;07
Unknown
Like they got their own room that should be popping off and everything. And we're just looking back like, why? Why would you even do that? Like, it's the best cause. So my whole comedy career, like I've had at least one weekly show, except for now, it's kind of. Except for now. And that's what really makes you better, because it's your own stage time.
01;18;58;07 - 01;19;12;11
Unknown
First of all, you you don't feel any pressure to do any, any type of thing, right? Because there's your show, you know what I mean? And then especially if you get regulars, like you see someone coming three weeks in a row, you're like, oh, damn, I can't do the same. Yeah, I can't do the same shit again.
01;19;12;17 - 01;19;35;14
Unknown
So it pushes you to write more material. And then you being able to book people like you get in people's good graces, you know, they book you that type of shit. Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, I would recommend to any comic that isn't famous and even those ones probably. I mean, I'm not going to give you all advice, but it's like having having your own room, like especially a weekly is really, really good for your, your comedy.
01;19;35;18 - 01;19;53;24
Unknown
Very. Because then you can just too, you know, you can do all those things I was talking about, like, you can, like, work on new jokes, work on crowd work, get clips. But yeah, New York is New York is hard, dude. New York is, man. It's way harder than I thought it was going to be. Yeah, bro.
01;19;53;26 - 01;20;15;25
Unknown
I knew it was going to be hard. I didn't realize it was going to be so difficult. At least you started out like bro, to be honest, bro, like starting in New York and like, living, like, I just thought this was life. So not even know like that was that was always something where you perform like, I don't know, you perform in the South or something and you like, yo, I don't know this, this many people like you, you know, I like bro more than, like 20 people.
01;20;15;25 - 01;20;34;15
Unknown
That was like a dream, right, Damon? A dream. You just even fathom it. It was just like you just in, like, I just want just people that are not comics here. Because most of your time is, like, in front of other, you know, them open mics and shit. You paying for it. So that was like good time and like to even start doing like a 15 minute was like a big deal.
01;20;34;15 - 01;20;58;22
Unknown
Like you're like, oh yeah. You're like, oh yeah, man, what? What the fuck am I going a 15 minute like, well, okay. Like I need to really. And you know, since I was in a bar of like three people, but you're like, yo, I need these three people doing something like. And it's crazy because New York, like, I remember my first like six months there, like, I would be leaving the city to do an hour and then I would be in the city doing three minute sets maximum, you know what I mean?
01;20;58;25 - 01;21;18;15
Unknown
And I'd be trying to work on new material, but it's like your jokes get so short and also New York is so punchy. Yeah, which is cool, I will say. I will say New York has pushed pushed me to be a much better joke writer, or at least more like quick, more succinct. Yeah. Because in the Bay area, like, you get so much state, like even open mic sets for like six minutes.
01;21;18;15 - 01;21;43;19
Unknown
Wow. So you get kind of into this, like longer, like, I like playing with, like maybe more silence than most people. Like even my opener, like, the first laugh is like a minute in. Yeah. And it's a big laugh, but it's a minute in, you know what I mean? Right. And then in New York, it's like it's like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, like for seconds you're laughing or you're like, they laughs or whatever.
01;21;43;22 - 01;22;06;12
Unknown
So but yeah, it's crazy how short the sets are. And then two, how rare it is to get like, yeah, 15 minutes or whatever. Yeah, bro. Army, you got to fight. You got to do like all these games and everything. You got to be selected. You know, it's like, it's like a thing that you just have to deal with and, you know, usually, you know, he's open it for fucking Dave Arnold.
01;22;06;12 - 01;22;27;12
Unknown
Oh, that. I saw how that, you know, you know, you come into this open for Josh Johnson to. Okay I've open for Jeff Jeff asthma and then I. Yeah you get to, crawl and then you get to New York and then. Yeah. Like, bro, how could you not have this feeling? You know me because these are fucking, like, funny as people that are, like, doing great.
01;22;27;15 - 01;22;47;03
Unknown
And then now it's like, you know, and then New York has. And then the mix in New York can be depressing, you know. Oh my God, you just in there, you just kind of like, yo, what the fuck is. Oh yeah. I kind of feels like your, like, rotting a little bit like. Yeah. Because. Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah.
01;22;47;05 - 01;23;06;28
Unknown
It kind of, you know, you know what I will compare it to, to not be as depressing what it feels like. It's like you are a good you are a really good college basketball player. And now this is your first year in the NBA. And you're not starting, like you are like the man. Yeah. And in your high school, like middle school, high school and college.
01;23;06;28 - 01;23;41;07
Unknown
Yeah. All at, you know, All-American, All-American, NCAA champion. And then it's like your first year in the NBA. Like you're you're sitting on the bench. And I've been me like, three minute play time and yeah, you're like, what the fuck? You know? But, but then you're in the NBA though, because then because the thing is in New York, like the like, I mean, I'm pretty committed to making it, making a work because once you're getting booked and once you're booked and busy in New York, like you, it's not that you've made it, but like, you're now in like, the big leagues.
01;23;41;07 - 01;24;14;21
Unknown
You know what I'm saying? But then I guess a counterpoint to that is like, is that really necessary? Like, as a comedian, like, is like, I think with social media starting to shift to where, like, you can kind of you can kind of be established wherever as long as you have an audience and you got a good following, like, I mean, you know, so you have that and just leveraging that, like, I mean, Dan Porcello, him and I, we started around the same time he came out here and I actually was opening for him and just seeing his reach for his amount of followers that he has the following that he has
01;24;14;21 - 01;24;33;01
Unknown
and like how extends out here to Europe. I was just like because we were talking again. We started in New York the same time ish. It was like, bro, like what? What was he doing in New York? Like, yeah bro, like you. We in Madrid. Barcelona. So that show, you know what I mean? Like it's kind of like this is this is actually very dope.
01;24;33;02 - 01;24;49;17
Unknown
Yeah. This is this shit don't be telling you about. Right. You know, so, I think it's always a good question to ask, like, what are you looking for out of this comedy thing? Because if not, then you. It's so easy to get swept in the. Yeah. You know, here and, and here and then try to be doing to kind of get lost in this ass a little bit.
01;24;49;18 - 01;25;13;04
Unknown
Oh my God, bro. Yeah. I think at the end of the day, like I'm, I'm just also very competitive. So it's like on a competitive level I'm like I need to like I need to make this happen. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Like I want to be the best comedian, in New York, you know, and that's like a project that's like a lifelong project that I mean, shit, bro, that's that's much needed.
01;25;13;04 - 01;25;37;24
Unknown
But it's expensive to, New York City is expensive. It's. Yeah, it's cheap here in Berlin, bro? Compared to New York. Yes. Like, I got a beer the other day was €2. I was like €2. And I tipped her €1 and she looked at me like I was Jesus. You know, I was bro. Yeah. The fact that you can tip people with a coin here, if you if you tip somebody with a coin in New York, they would slap you for real around the bar, come over and smack the shit.
01;25;37;24 - 01;25;53;04
Unknown
Yeah. Will you throw someone a two year old coin here? They're like donkey, you know? Yeah. They're like, oh my gosh. He's like, oh, what the what did I just do? Yeah. God, I didn't know how it is. Power in my pocket literally. Oh yeah. So cheap here. My like I mean cheap in comparison in New York City.
01;25;53;07 - 01;26;13;09
Unknown
I mean obviously like half the price in New York at at least. At least. Yeah. And it's very Berlin has this thing. I mean, it's a socialist country. Germany. Right. So like very about the society and like having prices control in a way where people can still live a good life, but not nationally socialist. Nah, nah I don't yeah.
01;26;13;10 - 01;26;31;28
Unknown
They actually let me take a step back. This is what's been said to me. Yeah. Here in Berlin. I'm just fucking around. Yeah. Everywhere I was, I don't know, I don't know. Yeah. I'm still a year in, but from what I've noticed from New York City to here, is that people are really on the collected, collectivism of, like, certain things right now.
01;26;32;00 - 01;26;49;15
Unknown
Rather than individual, like, okay, you know, if you have a beer bottle, you return a beer bottle here, you can get, like a Euro back or something like that. Yeah. But you put most you put it near the trash cans to help the homeless people. Damn. They can like, you know, so it's like literally a thing where, like, people have bags for, like, probably $20 worth.
01;26;49;17 - 01;27;04;13
Unknown
But on the side of the curb or underneath a German dome to help out and even have it on the bottle to, on the label, like, hey, put this near the trash. Yeah, so you can help somebody in need that. That's what's up, man. So it's like, let's actually take care of our poor people. Yeah. What a novel concept.
01;27;04;13 - 01;27;28;21
Unknown
I know, so crazy, right? Yeah, yeah. Wow. I wonder why so peaceful here. Yeah. Germany has learned, far ways. Yeah. Even those little things, it's like, why can't we do that in America? You know what I mean? Like, I feel like sometimes you got to leave America to, like, see how silly some, some of the shit is because it's like, why is it so difficult for us to recycle or like or like help homeless people, right.
01;27;28;23 - 01;27;52;23
Unknown
Like we can obviously we fucking can, dude, I saw it. I saw a fucking, meme the other day, so I don't know. This is how I get my news. The the billionaires of just so New York has a bunch of billionaires living in it, right? Yeah, like in the hundreds, I think. If not, yeah, I think in the hundreds, the the net worth of just the billionaires I live in New York is $12 trillion.
01;27;52;25 - 01;28;19;01
Unknown
What, bro, that is fucking crazy. I need it here. Let me, let me let me make sure. That's right. Yeah, yeah. No, no it's either it's in the trillions though. Hold up. Wow. That is a lot of money billionaires. Oh. Yeah. That's the thing to see. It's like the money is so extreme. The the disparity between rich and poor is like, so great here in Berlin.
01;28;19;01 - 01;28;47;13
Unknown
You don't really feel that. But like in the US, it's always made out to be this like impossible problem to like, Do anything. Yeah. A good. And it's like, it's really not, it's really not. There is, it is, it is. Okay. Sorry. It's three, 3 trillion, but still a trillion. The billionaires of New York are worth $3 trillion.
01;28;47;13 - 01;29;14;26
Unknown
So it's like it's really not rocket science. Like. Like if you, if you gave, you know, like like the money exists to provide people with things like health care and, and housing, you know what I mean? Like it's like the money is there. It just that we don't believe in that. Yeah. It's the mentality. Shout out Luigi that, shout out Luigi.
01;29;14;27 - 01;29;32;20
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. Luigi m friend of the podcast friend a friend, yeah, a friend, you know, depending on which side. Yeah, you should get them on. Get them on jail call. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, collect call from Luigi. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Press one to accept that. Yeah. Like. Hey, Luigi, how you doing? Hey, man. Yeah. How's things in?
01;29;32;22 - 01;29;50;28
Unknown
I mean, okay, it's a very bad, Oh, my God, he just reverting to his actual Italian. Oh, yeah. Oh, my God, this is the. You know, this is the personality I need. Did I get touched? The jail? Oh, God. I hit it. I'm a hit with daddy, I hit it. Don't touch Italian men with this type of accent in jail.
01;29;51;01 - 01;30;17;08
Unknown
He just say it. So do you go to, like, Ivy League school? What happened? Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, even with the UnitedHealthCare CEO people, you know the guy, right? Get off and, you know, or on a lifetime. Yeah. And the disparities are so great. Whereas here, I mean, it is starting I mean, you do see some symptoms of it a bit, but like, not as much because like, the thing here in Germany is they get tax a lot the more you make.
01;30;17;08 - 01;30;43;16
Unknown
Yeah. Like literally you making as much you it will basically reduce you to like what somebody will make it like 50 or something thousand. So you can make like hundreds of thousands and some tax is going to cut that shit in like half. Yeah. So it's like you paying into the social system, so to speak. So it's kind of like already enforces this thing in your mind of like, okay, the public health care and like okay, like pensions and like, you know, paying for unemployment.
01;30;43;16 - 01;31;03;09
Unknown
Yeah. And all this other stuff. Yeah. So, yeah, it is a little bit different. But the thing is, in America, it's like most people are, are like damn near on the brink of poverty, you know what I mean? Like, yeah. Like, I think in, in the Bay area, it was like. The median income is like 140,000 or something.
01;31;03;11 - 01;31;24;28
Unknown
I could be wrong about this. People can check this, but like, it's like the median income is something crazy and still a significant percentage of people claim to be living paycheck to paycheck. You know what I mean? So it's like all of these arguments about like, the more you tax people like, the less hard they're going to work or like whatever, you know, it's going to stifle innovation and shit.
01;31;25;01 - 01;31;47;26
Unknown
Everybody's broke in America. And then the rich people are wildly, wildly rich, wild, rich. So because in the US, like, I feel like when you're broke, you don't have health like being broke is like is like disastrous in the in the United States. Like no healthcare or no good health care. You know, if anything happens to you again, you get sick.
01;31;47;28 - 01;32;18;03
Unknown
Your insurance companies going to deny your claim like we're talking about catastrophic like, like outcomes, right? Whereas here you might not, you know, you might make 50,000 a year instead of 80,000 after taxes. But it's like, I feel like you can probably sleep better at night. It's knowing that, like, if I get hit by a, you know, not a train, but like a bus, if I get hit by a car, like I'm still going to be able to fucking live in my apartment, right?
01;32;18;03 - 01;32;41;02
Unknown
And like, it's going to be like the cost of is not going to be detrimental to your whole existence. Like, you know, your pain. So system is going to be reasonable for sure. Yeah. And and to what to your point in America is, is like so the the gap is the one that I felt after being away from New York City and coming back like bro within a couple of days as while staying in New York, I was living, I was staying with my friend in Williamsburg, bro.
01;32;41;02 - 01;32;53;23
Unknown
And my mind, I was like, I need make more money. So yeah, that's what we started. It just started kind of, I'm like, I need to because I just need because it was just the wealth. You just saw wealth in your face in ways that used like, okay, here's a clear place. Where does it cost a lot of money?
01;32;53;26 - 01;33;15;11
Unknown
I ain't got it in like, it looks nice right there. It's got like window shopping a bit. Yeah, but like the windows are kind of like almost a disrespectful reflection of something you can, like, look like. What the fuck? Like, yeah. It's not even me like in this reflection, right, right, right. Like in some other shit. But it's like, so is in a nice place and like, yeah, the disparities are so great, man.
01;33;15;11 - 01;33;36;07
Unknown
You you fucking look at tall buildings you like that cost a million fucking dollars per square inch or something. Yeah, yeah. And then, you know, you're looking at it like, I can't even afford a burrito right now. Right? I mean, dude, I think most comics in New York, if they got hit by a bus like it's. Or if they broke their leg, all right, they're cooked.
01;33;36;07 - 01;33;55;09
Unknown
Yeah, it's a wrap. Flipped over and cooked both sides. Yeah, yeah. At least here they got, like, a, a social health care system for artists. Those guys stepped it into it. Wow. So like, literally said, okay, you're a standup artist, okay? A standup comedian, like the money you make from that, you got to take some of that and put that in.
01;33;55;09 - 01;34;13;09
Unknown
But for that you get like, health coverage. So even that it's kind of like I pay into a pension and then I'll coverage for being a standup comedian. That's crazy, that's crazy. A pension is nuts. Nuts bro. And so when you retire there's you have a retirement. Yes of a comedy all for comedy. If I'm making income from that and you know I mean that.
01;34;13;10 - 01;34;35;02
Unknown
Yeah. That's crazy. It's wild bro. And even, like, having a, bro, I'm here in a visa because I prove as a standup comedian I can do something from that. Yeah. So, like, even from our country or our city being like, yes, we stamping you, you can live here for this many years for you being basically a, I mean, as a comedian, producer and author as wow, that's cool man.
01;34;35;02 - 01;34;55;11
Unknown
Because my, my mom was asking me the other day about retirement, she was like, so are you saving for retirement? I was like, oh, I was like, what? She's like because because, you know, she's thinking my retirement because she's like 58. And then my aunt just retired, and then my uncle just retired. Right. Oh, well. And then she was asking me, she was like, so like, what's your plan for retirement?
01;34;55;11 - 01;35;25;16
Unknown
I was like, I didn't think about it. I was like, mom, I'm a comedian. Like, don't think that far. Like, either I'm going to die. Or or I won't. That's as far as I've gotten. But like, die or be Ron White and still, performing until, like, I'm 80, right? Right, right. I'm either going to die of an of some sort of overdose or I'm going to get famous and then, or something else, you know, that's as far as I've gotten.
01;35;25;16 - 01;35;45;25
Unknown
But famous is the retirement plan is like, if I'm not famous and making discussing this amount of money that I'm just as that. Yeah. Or or I'll just die then, you know. Yeah, yeah. If I'm, if I'm still 65 and broke, I'll just kill myself. So you said age. That's my retirement. That's what I'm going to do instead of retiring.
01;35;45;25 - 01;36;03;11
Unknown
Yeah. I'm here or not. That's the American retirement plan. Just if you reach 65 and you can't work anymore, just kill yourself. Yeah. It's like, yeah, why wait for a fall to end me? Let me see. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Do something about it. There's not going to be Social Security by then. Yeah, right. The Social Security running out.
01;36;03;13 - 01;36;17;23
Unknown
We're not going to have shit, bro. It's a mess. I don't even know. Yeah, I mean, you shoot me into space. Just shoot me into space. So that'll be it. Probably an ocean. Oh, yeah. You know, just get a rocking. It's like a IV, like freeze me or some shit and just shoot me and just see what happens.
01;36;17;26 - 01;36;35;27
Unknown
I've freezing it. Just give me like that. I like the, you know, like, give me some, like, some sort of, like, nourishment. Yeah. Put me to sleep and just shoot me into space. There you go. And then, you know, to put a camera on you, just like, you know, say like, hey, what? The first person on. Yeah. You know, on them, you know, on and on on whatever planet.
01;36;36;01 - 01;36;54;03
Unknown
Yeah. Is you kind of like, comatose. Yeah. It's like orbiting, like. Yeah. Two, 2% HP. Just like. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's still a person. I mean, he has some blood right there. Right. For a person in outer space living. Yeah. I kind of like this idea, just like there should be an option if you're.
01;36;54;07 - 01;37;12;19
Unknown
If you run out of money that you should just have a chance to be shot into space just as a. Yeah, just use my body. As for space exploration, yeah, yeah. You know, just give me the IVs. Keep me at a 5%. Hope they can pay you for, like, you know, they can, like, get the data back. You know, it's like, see if it's a if, like, whatever.
01;37;12;19 - 01;37;33;23
Unknown
Send me to Mars or whatever. Yeah. Post my body on Instagram Stories. Fuck it, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. Just got you guys. You basically in, funeral attire, but he's still alive. Just like with a suit on, kind of like. Right? Right. Exactly. He's still alive. So, blankie boy, he blinked within a 30 minutes. That was, you know, on his Instagram Live.
01;37;33;24 - 01;38;05;26
Unknown
Yeah, that's I lose, but. All right, so I got some questions to ask you. Okay. So this two one is so, you know, you're here now, what has been like so far, like, the biggest impact of your travel here to Germany in a while? Biggest impact that you felt like the one that you like. Wow. This trip to Germany has made me feel or has whatever to your life.
01;38;05;28 - 01;38;35;20
Unknown
I remember when I was a my, my grandparents house and they were showing me pictures of like their grandparents and shit. You know, and they were like they're like you know so and so it was like fought in the war. I was like, shit, I'm white. Haha. I was like, fuck! Like I've been, you know, I've been I've been sort of denying it.
01;38;35;22 - 01;38;56;04
Unknown
But like, the truth is the, the truth is right here, dude. Like I'm unfortunately like I am, I am white, and that was kind of a bummer. It's like, oh, boy. Wow. This is, interesting. Yeah. Like, when I'm with, like, my family, like, it's it's like all of us, and they're all speaking because they speak Bavaria.
01;38;56;06 - 01;39;23;04
Unknown
They speak Bavarian, too. It's not even just German. British. Which is like, you know, like the southern. Kind of like the more country dialect. Yeah, it kind of hit me. I was like, oh, shit, you know, like or I yeah, these people are white like white white, white, white white. Yeah. And at a 23 me my whole 50% of me is Bavarian.
01;39;23;11 - 01;39;49;02
Unknown
Wow. Like my, my black side is like, I'm only. So I thought I was fully half Kikuyu, which is like my tribe. It's only 25%. It's like the other 25% is spread across Africa. Oh, wow. But my white side is 100% of it is Bavarian. And that's like my that's like, that's my people. So yeah, that was just kind of like I was like, oh, shit.
01;39;49;02 - 01;40;20;26
Unknown
Okay. This is. Yeah, these are, you know, this is my culture. Yeah. Which is kind of a trip. Yeah, I'll say another one. Was that. Yeah. I mean, I, I think I've never truly. So I haven't been able again for various reasons, I've been able to, like, leave America until now. And I've kind of always known New York and San Francisco, like, I've never or LA, like, those are the only three places I've ever kind of considered living.
01;40;20;28 - 01;40;44;04
Unknown
And I think this is kind of open my mind to living other places. Because just like New York is just so expensive, like the amount of money you have to make to just, like, live comfortably there and not be broke and to fucking pay for these dates. And then, that's a whole different question. I was going to ask you about that, bro, but like, oh, they didn't hear different.
01;40;44;05 - 01;41;08;27
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. I mean, just the amount of money you have to make to live, live comfortably as a single man in New York. It's too much, bro. It's too much, bro. I wasn't hanging out with a girl here in in Germany. Her her beer was €3. She was like, I'll PayPal you. I was, I was like, you got it?
01;41;09;00 - 01;41;40;28
Unknown
I was like, first of all, thank you. First of all, wow. Right? I was like, damn, y'all exist. She was like, no, no, no, I'll pay. But I was like, no, no, no, I got your €3 beer, you know? You know what I mean? Yeah. But in New York, in New York. Yeah. You know, you know, the bill, the bill, the bill comes out and yeah, you're like, it's like 60 and 80 before the overrides, bro.
01;41;40;28 - 01;42;05;12
Unknown
It's too much, man. So yeah, I feel like. But the point I was trying to make is that I feel like being in Germany, first of all, because my family is here. So I have a place to stay and. And shit. And. Yeah, it's just like the stage time. Like the people. It's kind of opened my mind to, like, do I really need to, like, live in New York?
01;42;05;15 - 01;42;25;01
Unknown
And again, like, comedically, like I do want to make it work there. But I'm not as married to it as I was before. Since coming out here, since coming here. So just being in Germany and then like, and then thinking like, dude, I want to go to I want to go to the UK, like I want to go to Top Secret in London.
01;42;25;04 - 01;42;49;03
Unknown
Like I want to go do comedy in Spain, you know, like, I forget who it was. Michelle Wolf has something on. Yeah, it was Muslim who runs on Mars. Moroccan dude. Oh, and, Madrid. Madrid, a comedy lab. No, no, no. Who runs the show? Mars? Yeah. Younis. He was telling me about doing shows in Barcelona.
01;42;49;06 - 01;43;11;07
Unknown
I was talking to another comic who said he was. He was heading to, Austin said, saying. Yeah, he said he's going to Austria. Vienna. I was like, damn, bro. There's probably there's hella shows out here. And the thing is, Europe is small. Like Europe is like like from from Portugal to Poland. Like that's like from like damn near Texas to, to the east coast.
01;43;11;07 - 01;43;31;02
Unknown
You know, it's like, not that far. So, so, yeah, I've been thinking about, like, maybe spending a lot more time out here because I have a German passport. Well, yeah, I mean, whenever you ready? I have a German passport and, EU. And I'm not really doing, like, other than comedy. I'm not doing much in New York.
01;43;31;04 - 01;43;53;14
Unknown
I'm. Yeah. So. Yeah, bro, I mean, you know, that's I mean, you got the you got the possibility on your hands right there to go wherever you want to go. And then obviously you have people here. I think that's the thing about Europe too, that especially with art, that people are very open to, like also helping you out, which in the States is not really as much, is sometimes very gatekeeping.
01;43;53;16 - 01;44;07;13
Unknown
So like somebody will tell you like, oh, you go to this venue, this venue is great to go over here. Yeah, I'll connect you with somebody, do your own show like, yeah. You know, and sometimes so giving like Unisys shout out to Yunus I do. I met him in Paris and I was like, hey, I'm coming out to Berlin.
01;44;07;13 - 01;44;19;02
Unknown
And he was like, yeah, man, let me know you can sleep on my couch. I just met the dude. Yeah. And like, he let me sit on a couch like three weeks, bro. That's what's up. And I was like, yo, can I pay you? No, no, no, don't worry about it. I'm like, okay, not like this. Here's a big house.
01;44;19;02 - 01;44;33;15
Unknown
Two. It's not a small one. He's like, bro, this is like, can I please. He's like, no, no, no, no bro, I do. He helped me get my visa here. That's what's up. Yeah. He's even he's hella cool. Like we we just kicked it for a little bit. Yeah. He's he's a very cool, very cool man. Oh, dude.
01;44;33;16 - 01;44;47;14
Unknown
I met him one time in Paris, and he was like, yo, when you come out to Berlin, let me know. And I was like, hey, man, coming out there, he's like, yo, bro, if you want to stay on my couch, stay as long as possible. Yeah. Like I'm like, bro, like, you don't really know me. Like, yeah.
01;44;47;16 - 01;45;15;04
Unknown
I mean, all right. And then I'm able to meet like. Like I gotta do something, and he's like, nah, don't worry about it, man. He's like, it's cool even translating everything in German for my visa process. I'm like, bro, I this is at 9 a.m. to like, yo bro, thank you. So yeah, it's out here. Bro, as soon as I learned it cost €2 to go on a date with a bad bitch.
01;45;15;07 - 01;45;36;04
Unknown
He was like, I. I need to use this passport. I was like, I'm so like, fuck a blue passport. Now I got this right. Got. Yeah. There's one 1/100 of the price of New York. That alone is a motivation. Yeah, yeah. Are you single? Yes. So, what's like, how's dating and stuff? They didn't. Yeah. Dating is interesting here.
01;45;36;06 - 01;45;53;14
Unknown
I haven't been dating much, guys. I've been busy with the podcast and everything, but, when I first came here, it was for one is just. It is very like the monetary aspect is not there. So like, I mean, clearly because the two, you know, Euro beers and stuff, but nothing too is that I guess the expectations are not as high.
01;45;53;16 - 01;46;14;15
Unknown
Not in a bad way or whatever, but in the sense of just like they're more about you or whatever, and you know how interesting you are or like you just about you, rather than like how much money you got or like what kind of. So yes, I still kind of matters, but like, you can go to a park literally, or walk as a date or like sometime here and people go to like the old city or like, the corner stores of the delis.
01;46;14;15 - 01;46;29;08
Unknown
Yeah. I just grab a beer outside and just have a date there. Well, that being like a thing. So you just, you know, coming from New York, I don't know about you, but not. I mean, you use, like you looking for a, like, a nice lounge, a place to really impressed a girl, for sure. Certain part of town, you know what I mean?
01;46;29;08 - 01;46;50;07
Unknown
So you really thinking about, like, the logistics of, like, how is this going to be a dope time for her. Right. And where it doesn't make me look like a broke person or. And for sure. But here it doesn't matter because everything is so reasonably priced. I mean, yeah reasonably priced. Yeah. And the women here fine. But then don't be having the same standards as you find in New York City.
01;46;50;07 - 01;47;07;26
Unknown
Right. It's just really about you. But like for real though, I'm not like saying it but be like, oh, but for real though, I'm out at PayPal, you €2 and you be like, whoa, look on pay. Like in theory I've heard this, but like, well, you bought a PayPal. Me I was flabbergasted, bro. You like because you know everything that can exist.
01;47;07;28 - 01;47;27;11
Unknown
I did not know that existed. No. Yeah. So the dating here is in Berlin. It sounds better. Berlin has. It has its downsides though. Yeah. Because it's it's they're all white basically. I know you guys know you got some black people here. Okay. Yeah, but that was a surprising thing. Berlin has some black people here. Yeah, they got some black women are fine here.
01;47;27;11 - 01;47;46;14
Unknown
Two. Oh damn. So like. Yeah that that that is a big part of Berlin that is like black or like, like, you know, you got, Arabic culture here, you got Turkish, you got like, you know, Eastern European, you got like, you know, Spanish. Yeah. These people from Brazil, from South America, you know, from Central America.
01;47;46;16 - 01;48;15;09
Unknown
So it's like Berlin is very diverse, like you're having flashbacks. It. Is a Berlin China. Yeah. Ecuador. You know what I mean. You go Chile. But now dating here is is is cool so far I would say. But I would say for other people and what I've heard, especially when you start really like, I just haven't really gone into the dating act like fully is that you do find a lot of polyamory.
01;48;15;09 - 01;48;31;08
Unknown
It's like no, that's like a, that's like a cliche. So we have that too. Yeah. But it's not a cliche in New York, like New York is kind of like a thing where you kind of know in a year like that can happen first date. Right. Being like, oh, are you gonna put like, polyamory or like that? Like, oh, like what?
01;48;31;09 - 01;48;50;15
Unknown
Like I don't even know your name. Like. Yeah. So that but yeah, dating here is definitely, I think in greater Europe. And then obviously if you are American to, if you, if you American do it as a different different dynamic type of vibe to it. Yeah. Yeah. Could you because again you you you playing dating hardmode in the UK.
01;48;50;18 - 01;49;08;21
Unknown
So you just know how to court women differently for sure. We out here like you know even even you saying like yo I'll pay for you like that. That alone girl like whoa, what are you about to pay for me? Like for me while I'm going on a days, I just pay like I just might, that's what. Yeah, but over here they're like, whoa, you're like up Venmo, you know, like not what not.
01;49;08;25 - 01;49;23;24
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. No I did, but no, no for real. You know no girl I'm for real because I don't know life otherwise. Like. Right. You trying to okeydoke. Me like nah I'm right, I'll pay. I'm a provider. Yeah. Let me let it be known. Right. But, like, tell your friends. Yeah. Please tell your friends if this doesn't work out, tell your friends.
01;49;23;24 - 01;49;45;14
Unknown
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that doesn't work, you know? Yeah. That sounds pretty cool. Yeah. So, you guys have a good time? I where word you already on that? Yeah. Because dating in New York is also. It's also terrible. I was honestly in bed yesterday. I, I it took me forever to fall asleep last night and I was I was like, do I like New York?
01;49;45;14 - 01;49;59;01
Unknown
I was like because because when people ask me it's like, How's New York? I'm like, it's great, you know, like that. But it's like it's like been programed into me. Yeah. It's like, I feel like the like The Manchurian Candidate, you know what I mean? I was like, I love it, you know? It's like, oh, I was like all that.
01;49;59;04 - 01;50;22;11
Unknown
And then I was thinking about it like. So it's literally, I mean, it's more than twice the price. It's it's probably three times the price of here. Yeah. Because, because like I, I talk to people there, I'm like, how much is your one bedroom flat. They're like €1,000. I'm like, this would cost $3,000 in New York. Yeah. No washer in the washer at that.
01;50;22;12 - 01;50;45;18
Unknown
Yeah. Oh, no, they don't have dryers here, which is kind of fun. Yeah. You gotta hang everything on a rack that's ghetto. But, It's energy efficient. Okay? It's for the environment, right? Yeah. Whatever. So it's it's three times the price. It's the stage. Time is worse.
01;50;45;20 - 01;51;04;12
Unknown
I don't know, I'm such a hater. But the thing is, like, again, if when things happen there, it's like you're a New York comic that, like. That's cool. You know, but, but I've been thinking about maybe splitting time. It's like. I mean, I'm definitely gonna come back to Germany more. I think I'm going to be spending a lot more time in Berlin.
01;51;04;12 - 01;51;29;26
Unknown
From what it looks like. Bro, that's what I want to do. But I've been kind of thinking about. I think back to your, like, original, original question. Being here is opened my mind a little bit to, like, not just living in San Francisco, New York or Los Angeles. So I think when you're in America, you're like, if you're trying to get like, famous, there's only like so many places that that could really happen.
01;51;29;28 - 01;51;48;21
Unknown
Again, not counting the social media, like shift, but I don't think you got to spend all your time there. And I think you can travel for and do other stuff. Yeah, especially with the following. You got mad. You could do it. I know people that have a following, like around yours or more so. And they are doing great.
01;51;48;21 - 01;52;10;29
Unknown
Oh, yeah. So you can do it. Yeah. One like one last question I want to ask you. So you've been to a lot of different cultural changes, right? Like from German culture to American culture, Kenyan culture, African culture, like so many different cultures. Right? Even like the West coast. East coast. Right. That's its own different cultures. So what's what's the number one advice you give to a younger self?
01;52;11;01 - 01;52;15;21
Unknown
If you had the chance?
01;52;15;23 - 01;52;20;20
Unknown
It's a good question.
01;52;26;19 - 01;52;35;19
Unknown
Probably. That's a good question. To my younger self.
01;52;35;21 - 01;53;04;24
Unknown
Yeah, probably. Just maybe, like, take more risks, like be. I really wish I would have started comedy earlier. I started when I was 25, just kind of late because now I'm 33, getting old, but I've only been doing eight years. Yeah, I don't know. I feel like the U.S, at least the way was structured for me, was very much like, you got to go to college, you got to get a job, got to get the apartment.
01;53;04;26 - 01;53;38;02
Unknown
Like, you know, like I've had 2 or 3 year relationships already. I lived with both of them, like on some, like, domestic shit. Obviously didn't work out. Yeah, I don't know. I just wish I would have, like, done more, like, just kind of not necessarily, like, followed all the rules, but like, followed my maybe my passions earlier and then even in the way that I do stand up like be more willing to bomb and be more willing to like, take just bigger and bigger risks.
01;53;38;04 - 01;53;53;18
Unknown
Because I feel like there's, I mean, I'm the oldest sibling and like, again, for a while, like my family situation was very crazy to where, like, my mom was here I was in the United States. Like, I couldn't like, we couldn't see each other and shit. So I feel like I was always kind of like playing things a little bit safe.
01;53;53;18 - 01;54;17;19
Unknown
Like I was very risk averse. You know, I was working in tech full time until, like, very recently. And yeah, maybe not just, like living life to the fullest because, yeah. Because at the end of the day, like. You know, if you crash out, you crash out like, I don't know, just figure it out. Like, be a bit more willing to, like, just completely crash out.
01;54;17;21 - 01;54;39;18
Unknown
Cause that sounds crazy, but it's like, just, like, let that be in play. Yeah, you know what I mean? Do some wild or shit. I'm not saying, like, do irresponsible stuff like, get like, do drugs and, you know, drive drunk and stuff. But yeah, like quit it. You know, if you don't like a job, quit it.
01;54;39;20 - 01;55;04;01
Unknown
If you have a new crazy idea for a job, do it. You know, if there's a girl you like, go ask her out immediately. Don't, like, talk to her. Vermont or, you know, whatever. Or just kind of. Just send it more. Yeah, because I feel like I'm kind of catching up on that, and it's like I'm too old to be doing some of that shit.
01;55;04;04 - 01;55;18;15
Unknown
I mean, when you live in New York City, if you underneath. If you're under 60 years old, bro. Yeah, yeah, New York City, you'll be you'll be moving around you and then 3:00 in the morning. But how old are you? I'm 55. You by your what? Yeah, but you got to go get some pussy, like get sleepy.
01;55;18;15 - 01;55;33;05
Unknown
How are you? Not sleep. Yeah, yeah yeah yeah. No, because I feel because I also feel like being a comedian kind of turns you into, like, a perpetual, like child. A little bit. Just not. Not just because of the lifestyle, but I feel like even my job is, is to joke around, like, it's like, funny, you know what I mean?
01;55;33;05 - 01;55;53;19
Unknown
Like a bunch of my friends I went to school with, like, I have one group chat, one is, one's been working in tech for the whole time, so he's, like, high up. One's a doctor and one's a lawyer, so, like, one's a trial lawyer. One is a surgeon, or like, he's a doctor. And then the other one is like a senior director or like a director at a tech company.
01;55;53;20 - 01;56;17;22
Unknown
Wow. And they two of them are married. One of them has two kids. Two of them own houses. This other dude is rich, and I'm like, I have a I'm living in a I'm living with a roommate with two cats, and I'm telling jokes at open mics. So it's like, I'm like a kid, basically, you know what I mean?
01;56;17;22 - 01;56;39;04
Unknown
And I feel like, yeah, I don't know, I feel like I'm. I'm 33. Like, I still I feel like I'm still living like a 20, you know, five year old, I forgot where I was going with this, but, Oh, I think what I was saying was like, maybe because I think I'm. I think I'm still getting out some of my 20s, like in my 30s, you know what I mean?
01;56;39;06 - 01;57;03;04
Unknown
So I wish I would have maybe done, like, started this whole thing a little bit earlier. Yeah. So then by now, like, I'm 33, like, I'm like, my hair's turning gray. Things will be like a, like, further along and like what I actually want to do versus like, the shit that I was doing before, which, which I just was doing because I felt like I had to write stuck in the American type of system, like, you know, going to school, work and everything.
01;57;03;04 - 01;57;33;15
Unknown
But I know I, I really like that, though, in terms of like, you know, taking those chances early. And I think, you know, there's always a, a what if or I wish I could early and stuff, but, I think even with you making this travel now and also performing and even having these thoughts as well, I mean, you know, and then really considering those thoughts of like, you know, maybe traveling more and going to London and going to other places that that in itself is you breaking out and really living life on the edge.
01;57;33;15 - 01;57;48;19
Unknown
Because as a comedian, especially going to New York City to even think about doing that, that's, as a person who's starting New York City and doing it. You. Yeah. Like, I, I hate that fears about like, oh, my damn. Am I losing something now nears. Yeah. They want to visit. I was kind of like, let me know.
01;57;48;25 - 01;58;13;20
Unknown
Yeah. Is it. They actually do be. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So no for sure. Like. Yeah, I like that living life more on the edge like. Because again like, America makes it hard to take risks because it's like everything is so expensive. I've also, like, chosen the two most expensive cities in America to live in. But it's like everything's so expensive that you need to be making money constantly to, like, survive.
01;58;13;22 - 01;58;29;24
Unknown
And then I think being here has made me realize it's like there's other places to go. Like, you don't have to be like, I don't have to be in New York. Like, I want to be there, but I don't have to be. Maybe that's maybe that's the takeaway is that, like I've now, I choose to be into New York, but it's like I'm not trapped there, you know what I mean?
01;58;29;27 - 01;58;47;26
Unknown
Like if, like, worst case, I can just always fucking live in English. That you ain't got a German passport, bro. That means a lot. Yeah, because, like, the idea of, like, moving to Ingolstadt. Like, it used to be so insane. Like, I mean, I would never live there. Live there, but it's like there's options, like, I can do whatever I want, you know what I mean?
01;58;47;28 - 01;58;58;08
Unknown
Yeah. The next time I spend $150 on a date and she don't text back, I'm coming back to Germany. Hahaha.
01;58;58;10 - 01;59;16;07
Unknown
Oh I'm out that bitch. Damn, that's a bar right there. Well. Yo, James, thank you very much for doing this, bro. Absolutely, bro. Thank you very much, man. It's been real. Yeah, it's very dope time, man. And, guys, thank you for listening to and or watching the Third Culture Talk podcast. I'm your boy Nya Yeanafehn and I'll see you guys in the next one.
01;59;16;10 - 01;59;17;01
Unknown
Peace.
