KEL MITCHELL

Actor/Comedian/Author, Kel Mitchell, talks booking 'All That' and meeting Kenan Thompson, the inception of 'Kenan & Kel' show, advice from Will Smith & Jamie Foxx, film roles he turned down, the future of 'Good Burger', writing his latest book 'Prank Day', his rap career, and more.

Hosted by @RealLondonBrown, @JustinHires, @BTKingsley

YouTube (Full Episodes): @KillinItPod

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TikTok: @KillinItPod

Facebook: Killin It

Website: KillinItPod.com

Executive Produced by London Brown, Justin Hires, BT Kingsley

Engineer: Aaron Brungardt 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Like, do you feel like you turned down anything? You like, dang, I I probably could have did that or should have done.

SPEAKER_04 0:05

Recently, the homie uh uh from Three Strikes, that boo you did strike. Right. So from Three Strikes, uh, I had got offered three strikes. Yeah, so I had got offered three strikes too. And he said, yo, we're gonna do part two. And I jumped in there and was like, oh yeah, because I was supposed to I was supposed to be in the original, that would be super cool. You know what I mean? I'm just saying that in the comments, and everybody was like, oh yeah, right, kill. What would you have did, good bugger? And I was like, okay. And he was amazing. He should have got it. What's another one? Say the last dance. That was another one. Come on, now that's the one.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

What's the name? What's it? Rename Magic. What's the name? Sean Patrick.

SPEAKER_03 0:39

The Belgian Paul Paul Michael Michael. No, so it's like Sean Patrick James, man. Sean Patrick Thomas.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Why did you turn down say the last dance? It's a wow. It's a wow stuff.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

All right, uh, tell me we ready, Jay. Come on.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

Get off of me. Get off of me. I'm good. I'm ready. All right.

SPEAKER_03 1:17

That's staying in there. The fight for the mic. What up, y'all? Welcome to another episode of Kill It It, man. I'm one of your hosts. I go by that name, B.T. Kingsley. London Brown. Justin Hyatt. And man. Come on. Look at us, man. Come on, man. Another amazing episode set up for you today. I am beyond excited, man. This dude is my friend. I have toured with this brother. I have admired him from afar before I knew him. A legend. I said what I said. Argue with your mama. Who?

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Good burger. You're gonna argue with who?

SPEAKER_03 1:57

Oh, that. As they argue with their mama, dude. Don't argue with me. Don't argue with me. So much to talk about. I'm very, very excited. We are very, very excited. Y'all make some noise right now for Kill Mitch!

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Full hairline. Full hairline. Living legend, mama. Yeah, man. You a living legend. Thank you, brother. I appreciate that. Man, Kelly living legend. My wife don't get excited about nobody. I said, we're gonna have a killer show. She was like, Kelly. She's been kind of the hell you got going on around here. But yes, Kel will be on. Kell will be here. Let's go. Let's go.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Shout out to Kell, man. Happy to be here, man. Yeah, y'all know y'all family, man. Let me explain, let me explain my connection also with Kel, man. Kel and I are are part of uh an organization called NCRF, Natural College Resources Foundation. Okay. And in addition to the influence that he's had that he has had with the TV stuff, putting the energy and the money behind the influence, my my guy, man, um puts his money in into making sure that y young people as well as myself get into HBCUs, man. And that's important. Because again, he's from Chicago. Chatel, baby. Come on, Chatel. Let's go, come on. And as opposed to just again, as opposed to just being a face of influence, putting the money behind what he's about. And I I'm I'm I'm proud because I was able to meet him through that organization. And my my bro is, man, I want to tell you the young people they get excited quoting his movie quotables. But helping young people get into college, man, that's important, man. So I want to say maj Let me just come on, man. Man, shout out to Kell, man. Make sure helping young people.

SPEAKER_04 3:53

How'd you get involved with that? Shout out to the founder, uh, Teresa Price. Yeah. She's been doing amazing things uh within the community for years. Uh the Black College Expo is where they give scholarships on the spot. You know what I mean? Scholarships on the spot. And then they also uh tons of resources and information of you know how to get in college, you know, uh what you need to have, you know. Uh and I just saw her heart uh for every student and every family. I mean, some of the kids that she helps, they're the first ones to go to college in their family, you know what I mean? Thanks. And so the opportunities that she provides is just uh super amazing, man. And she's been doing it for years. My wife went to one of the college expos well a long time ago when she was young. Yeah. And so we were doing um the backhouse party, which was in uh Compton, California. So I was giving back, so I saw, you know, remember the uh the jerk movement? Yeah, absolutely. All right, so during the jerk movement, uh everybody was online, it was on YouTube, and they was doing, you know, jerking and stuff like that with the dance. But then I was like, yo, they need a platform to dance. And so uh we got like a place for them to come and we shot it like a TV show, and it was like once a month, everybody came through and they dance battle, they get some money. Oh, yeah. It was super cool, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:09

Wait, was that the basis of the TV show?

SPEAKER_04 5:12

Uh huh. No, that was uh I was on a show called Dance 360. I love that show.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Man, we watched that in college. From school, from class, in the dorm. Tad to get mad, tap to get mad, head to head, then they take head to head or something.

SPEAKER_04 5:29

That's what you can do to take the time. What, man? And we wanted to. And I was like, because I come from dance culture, yeah, uh, you know, I danced in in Chicago too, as well. And so I was just like, yo, let me do this in Los Angeles for the community. And it was just a live show. And I mean, we went from, I want to say the first one, it was like maybe 40 kids, and then it ended up to being like 500 kids. Like coming in and out, like Storm DeBard. She she used to be there. Uh, shout out to Storm. We were so proud of her, and just amazing artists that were performed, that we were doing that. And while we were doing that, I also met Teresa Price as well uh through that process. And uh yeah, man, and she uh I started just hosting the College Expo step shows, doing that, and then also being an ambassador for uh National College. Well, let me explain what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

As an ambassador, let me explain. Yeah, what's double about this organization?

SPEAKER_06 6:20

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

Shout out to a shout out to Dr. Teresa Price. Yes. Basically, for you guys, because I'm a part of it as well, but for you guys, for Justin and BT, we are ambassadors for an organization that helps students get into black colleges. HBC, you're gonna be a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

I graduated from one too, quite a lot.

SPEAKER_01 6:38

Come on, man! Shout out, come on, man. I went to a couple of parties at a few.

SPEAKER_03 6:43

Hey, shout out a pair of you, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 6:46

Hey, you was there. So, what's dope, what's dope about that is just um is Kel being an ambassador, meaning we don't get paid to do this. It's just my my brother showing up and his influence and his finances being able to just say, hey, yo, I'm gonna give financially to help students get into the HBCUs. So we get, like I said, we give scholarships on the spot. So sometimes it might be just the move-in fees. And you need that. Yeah, you need that, man. All of them, yo-yo, shout out to Da Vinci, shout out to Dr. Teresa Price. The whole fam. The whole fam, man. So, man, it is dope that uh because and what I will say is that for you, knowing you, like, we was talking about this the other day, uh, outside in in the alley, we were leaving another interview, how nostalgic that is. Like, people really, kids have grown up with you and understand your whole they've been following you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which is which is dope, man.

SPEAKER_03 7:48

So is I mean, on that note, we gotta talk about this journey. Um, so I I wanna start all that. We uh if we want to start on your mind. I don't want to start on all that. So uh in when this conversation of these uh sketch shows come up, I feel like it's left out of the conversation way too often to see this much talent and this and especially coming from this age group, it has never it was never duplicated. Um what was that journey like being on that that show at that age building out this what ended up being this iconic status? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:30

But when you in the mix, you just working and excited and like Bro, I mean we we we we first have to start on the south side of Chicago. You know what I mean? That's that's where it started at. Um I wasn't one of those like um uh star kids, like the kids like my parents were like, oh, you I'm trying to get you on TV. Right. It was more of like, I want a positive outlet for you. Because my my mom, uh she she's retired right now, but retired teacher. My dad's a retired psychologist. So education was very important to them. You know what I mean? So it was very important. And so their whole thing is idol mind is the devil's workshop, so you gotta be doing something. So they I did everything, man. I did karate, music, everything. They were trying to figure out what would stick because I had friends on the Up and Up, but then I also had friends that weren't. You know what I mean? So they Right. So the whole thing was like, look, which way you gonna go? So um acting was the one that just like really hit. I it was a community theater called ETA uh Creative Arts Foundation uh in um Chicago on the South Side. And I went there, we used to go see plays there. I went there and I was like, yo, this is okay, this is what I need to be doing. Like I did like a summer course and I started doing theater, and I did uh plays there, and then I started doing plays in downtown Chicago, like Victory Gardens, Goodman Theater, stuff like that. Got an agent, right? Started going on different auditions, then um a nationwide search came along as far as like for all that. And this was like, you know, it's not like now. This was like American Auto, like they was going from city to city to city looking for the funniest kids. You know what I mean? Now at this time I had been acting for a while already in theater, um, you know, known and doing that. And so, like, when this came along, it was like, alright, bet, this is gonna be crazy. But I was also in high school at this point. You know what I mean? So I was in high school at this point, and you know, I was testing all this stuff like that. And I remember I was going to audition and my pops, he knows Chicago, you know what I mean? So he was like, I got I got a ticket to audition. Don't even worry about it. I get you there. You're gonna be there on time. I know all the back roads, and we was late. God damn late. Man, and uh I remember getting in there and they was backing up. They was packing up the boxes, like bop, bop, bop. I was like, oh yo, I was definitely. Yo, they was done. I was like, I'm definitely not getting this. I was late, late. Yeah, we was late, late. We was late, late. And so late. And I had I, you know, I had tests on the mind and all this stuff like that. But I got in there and they said a monologue, and we want you to do impersonations. So I was like, all right, bet. So I got in there and I never forget my monologue. But when I was in there, I forgot my monologue, right? Because I had like my teachers, all that stuff on my phone. And they was like Do it now. Yeah, and I was like, oh shoot. They was like, hey yo, you want to walk outside, take a second, go back in. I was like, bet. Went outside, took a second, came back in. It was like, let's start with impersonations first. So I was like, bet. They thought that I was gonna be doing impersonations of people on TV that I saw and you know, comedians that were legends at that time. Nah, I was like, I'm doing people I seen on the L in Chicago, I'm doing my teachers. Everything, everything was birthed in there. Like my Coach Cretan was birthed in there, Ed, everybody was birthed in there because I did all these different voices that were like original to them, and they fallen on the floor, right? It was just like, and it was just like a cool moment because I'm like, this is the point. At this point, I was like, I want to say four, fourteen. Wow. Might have been like 14, 14, 14. By the time 15, because I was like sophomore. Locked in. Oh, sophomore in high school. And so I did that. Hold on, real quick.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

Do you remember what you said as Ed or what you said as Coach Cretan in that audition?

SPEAKER_04 12:04

I know it was something with as far as Ed, because we used to watch like Saved by the Bell and all them shows, and we just imagining like if Zach Morris. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:14

We all know Zach Morris. Okay, go ahead.

SPEAKER_04 12:16

And imagining if they were like in Chicago, you know what I mean? Like, well, what are you doing? I'm like sure you're high. Like I was just talking like a surfer dude in the hood. Yeah. You know what I mean? And then when I was doing all the old folks, like the uncles and stuff like that, like, you know, maybe it's a clavius, like, oh yeah, kick it. That was just like my uncles. You know what I mean? I was like, what you dumb about that, boy? You better go and hit that shit up, buddy. What you dumb about that? Like, I was doing all the voice, and I was just just hitting it, hitting, hitting, hitting. And I had a coach in high school that was really, really mean.

SPEAKER_06 12:43

And he used to be like, shut your butt up, can you sit down on the woman talking about?

SPEAKER_04 12:47

You know, Coach Creek. So doing all these different like voices back to back to back, then they were like, do the monologue, kill the monologue. A week went by, you know how that go. You know what I mean? I'm like, oh, I'm like, okay, back to, you know, back to Chicago, go to high school, go to college, do theater. You know what I'm saying? Do my thing. I was chilling. You know what I mean? But then we got the phone call. My mom was like, I remember it was a night, she got the call. She's like, What? What not? Los Angeles, we gotta do what? And it was the next round of auditions. Oh, wow. And I've we had to fly to LA. And when we flew to LA, you're talking about every funny kid from everywhere. You know what I mean? North Carolina, New York, you know what I'm saying? All over the place. And they was coming with it, uh, but got in that joint. You know what I mean? Just battle it all out. And uh, yeah, man.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Amazing. Now then I want to go into the origin story. I know you probably tired of this. I know you're tired of it. But uh, but we need but our platform, we need to hear that origin story of you linking up with Keenan.

SPEAKER_04 13:47

Okay, so how that started was uh for some reason when we did the pilot, they staggered everybody coming down to the lobby to meet everybody at the right. So it was kind of like we were at the Peabody Hotel in Florida. And if you ever been in Peabody Hotel in Orlando, it was like the elevator comes right in the middle of the lobby, and it's a bunch of ducks that just be going around. I don't know if it's still there, but it's that's what happened. So they staggered our call time, so everybody would come out. So I would just be looking at the elevator, like, okay, I ain't gonna hang with that kid. Don't really like that kid. Okay, I don't know, maybe. And then Katie comes down and he had just did Mighty Ducks. So he came out and he on the skates, and he got the Mighty Duck, Mighty Ducks jacket and all that stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

Like off the elevator.

SPEAKER_04 14:31

Off the elevator. Like it's like star. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, I'm here. Like, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 14:36

Doing the knuckle puff or whatever.

SPEAKER_04 14:37

And I was like, okay, I'm gonna hang with that kid. I hadn't even seen the movie yet, but I was just like, oh, this kid is hilarious, you know what I mean? And uh, and we we was black, we was two black kids. Yeah, and so we just it was relatable. And they are extra point. Yeah, and my mom, our moms are real cool, uh, about the same size, cool, and they they enjoy each other. And he's from Atlanta, you know what I mean? So it was like similar, similar lifestyles as far as like how we grew up and um how the show started, as far as like, you know, like King of the Kale, that's what you mean.

SPEAKER_02 15:06

Like how that I want to know how y'all just met in the first place.

SPEAKER_04 15:10

Yeah, well, that was the first meet. Okay. That was the first meet, and then after that, it was kind of like you just see this moment. I mean, as far as what the producers were doing, I saw what they were doing. You know, as far as like the writing and seeing like which kid works better in which sketch together, which one is gonna have their own sketches, you know what I mean? Like, because you're just trying to see, like, well, you know, who are we writing for? What could this work for? And they put me and Keenan together because I had already had my characters that I was doing and killing with, and then he had his characters, but then they decided, okay, let's put them together in one. And they put Mavis and Clavis, they put us in that. And when we introduced TLC, and we did the old man, and he had old man, I had old man, and we was back and forth, and everybody kind of saw it. Like it was like slow motion. Like every I like we was hitting every joke in ad-libbing and improving, like writing those like uh seats that you see on all that with the kids when we were doing that, and everybody was just like, hey yo. Then from there, we just kept how did that feel for you?

SPEAKER_01 16:08

The fact that you got the the chemistry just can kind of connected the way that it did. How did it feel with you at that age? Uh did you did you feel that it was something special? Or were you just like, hey, I'm just working? How did it how did that feel?

SPEAKER_04 16:22

I mean, we knew this was something special to to at that age. At that age to grab a hold of. I mean, just the show in general. You know what I mean? You're seeing musical guests that, you know, you're talking about just four months before this happened, I'm walking down the street in my Walkman, listening to the TLC, and now they're sitting here doing the theme song and I'm introducing them. You know what I mean? So you you gotta realize you gotta realize, like, oh man, this is a special moment. And then being in theater and acting, it's those moments of like, you know, when you get a scene partner or a person that you're acting with in the cast, and it's those moments. Like, I I got the homies that I remember where like we would kill on stage, it was that same type of feel. It's and it was you know what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_03 17:06

You know what it you know what's beautiful about it? It's like for y'all to be two young black kids on this show and to be able to embrace it and let everything beautiful come out of it as opposed to uh in fighting, being like this could have gone another way. It could have been competitive and he's trying to take my shot. It's like, but no, two good actors, two hilarious people were bouncing off each other. You you lobbed for me, I lied.

SPEAKER_02 17:32

For you, it's like that's hold on, I don't mean to cut in, but that is something I wanted to ask is during that audition process, you didn't see him as competition? Was there any type of like I gotta I ca you don't think they go hire two black dudes. You couldn't possibly think that.

SPEAKER_04 17:49

Now here's the thing, how this happened. Um when we had the second round of auditions, because we all auditioned our own cities, and then we had a second round of auditions, the only person that I saw at the LA audition was Lori Beth.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_04 18:03

I saw Lori Beth because it was this huge line, and everybody was just going in and doing their thing. And Keenan was like last picked. He was the last one. And so like he went in and met with producers, and he thought he already had the role. Yeah, he was coming off a mic. Somebody was coming off of Mighty Duck. And so he did that. So then they did have him auditioning and he ended up getting it. So I really did not meet dude until actually at the hotel, at the Peabody Hotel. Yeah, when everybody was like, okay, now we're about to all go to set, and you meeting everybody for the first time, all these kids. So it was like really for all of us, it was a big surprise. The only person that I knew knew was Josh Server because we grew up in Chicago together. You got it, not in the same hood.

SPEAKER_03 18:44

He was on that second. All right, my bad. What up, man? It's your boy B.T. King's the man. Killing their pod is here. Been a great time, man. Subscribe to the page. You here? Press that button. So, and now the the reason you get it is comparative to any of the other shows that existed is because of the not only what's created on the show, but it's the spin-off. Yeah. Because The Good Burger, Keenan and Kell, all these things that happen from that show, that transition industry-wise has to be crazy. Because because Keenan and Kell is after all that. Yeah. Exactly. So how how is that conversation? How are we how how is like that transition from leaving you know this iconic show and and doing this? Man, it was crazy.

SPEAKER_04 19:35

So, okay, so this is how it started. All that is taking off. Like it, you know, it it's it's killing everybody, every artist wants to be on the show. I think for every music artist, it was kind of like Soul Train at the time, and then of course, you know, uh Saturday Live, Living Color, or some of that, but then it was us, you know. And we had everybody, like Usher right in the beginning when you get it started. Everybody. And what was crazy about it was that the show was killing, Goodberg was killing all the characters, and then you would go hiatus every season. One hiatus, they was like, hey yo, you and Keenan, y'all stay here. Never forget this. They took it, we got a meeting. And they took our parents, and we were all in the meeting, it was just me and Keenan, and they were like, You gonna stay here? And we're like, oh shoot, we in trouble, because we was the troublemakers on the set. Like, we were always doing something on set. So we thought like, oh shoot, we done did something, we in trouble. And because, you know, they closed the door, hey, hey. And so when they told us, they was like, hey, look, you're gonna have your own show. And it's gonna be like, you know, Fresh Prince Bella and Martin, and you get to play play yourselves. And so we had that meeting, and we were like, they were like, but you can't tell nobody. They was like, don't tell the other the cast members. How long did you buy?

SPEAKER_01 20:43

Hold that information.

SPEAKER_04 20:45

Man, through the whole hiatus. Woo! Yeah, because it was almost like How many months? It was like, I want to say three. Wow. Like three months. Yes, yeah. And we had to hold that, but you know, it was easy because they all went home to the other, you know, cities and we just stayed, and then we did uh there wasn't no social media back then.

SPEAKER_02 21:02

Nothing. Yeah, you know, when you used to see your friends during the summertime, you just ain't see them. You just ain't see them, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_04 21:09

Right. And uh, which made it definitely easy, and we shot that, and that was just like, because I mean, you know, I grew up, I love Martin and you know at all those shows, and so it was like kind of cool to like be ourselves and play those characters, and then it became a thing where uh because Kim Bass was the creator of that show, who's also the creator of Sister Sister. So you can kind of see the parallels like when you start checking it out. And I want to shout out that brother because a lot of times they talk about the other producers, but it's like, y'all man, it was African-American brother that created Keenan and Kale. So give him his props. Right. You know what I mean? So yeah, so uh his name Kim, huh? Kim Bass. I always thought it was a female, yeah. Right, when you see it at the end, yeah. Yeah, man. Shout out to Kim Bass.

SPEAKER_03 21:48

That's two, but those are that's two huge hits. Did did Kim do smart guy also? I don't know if he did smart guy. Okay, but I mean, but even if not, it is you establish smart guy. Yeah. Yeah, that's beautiful.

SPEAKER_04 22:04

Spinning off from there, it was crazy because at some point then it was like we were doing all that Keeny the Cal that Keenan the Cal just back to back to back to back. You know what I mean? And it was it was cool. Like we were out there in Florida just killing it.

SPEAKER_03 22:15

How did the other cast feel after they found out?

SPEAKER_06 22:19

Oh right, man.

SPEAKER_04 22:28

They can have I mean and in and to go, like, even still, bro, like to go back, because I know you were like, no competition and things like that. I mean, it was you're talking about all these funny kids, and it's like when we had uh table reads, that's when the producers just kind of looking like in the beginning. And so they and and they if you didn't kill it in the table reading, they they would switch it and say, such and such is playing this character. You're not playing this character in the first thing. So it was a lot of like, you know, like they were playing chess, and it was like a lot of people like, oh man, I ain't got the character, oh man, Kale got a keen and got it, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 23:07

So I don't know and I don't think I'm perceiving it as in no competition. I'm saying this could have you take these kind of situations, yeah, you take a bunch of talented uh kids, artists, creatives, you put them all in the space. Right. Okay, boom. There's gonna be some connectivity and some synergy between certain people, and there's gonna be some more competitive energy, right? Yeah. The fact that y'all found the synergy as the two black kids on the show, you know what I mean? That's what's oh wow, and the machine also was like, I mean, they kind of got me. I mean it's kind of obvious. They got this thing, you know what I mean? Not no dis to anybody else on the show. Of course, nothing. But Ken McKell is Ken and Kell. You know what I'm saying? It's like, it was like, and and you are your own entity, and kill and and Keenan is his own entity. So it was like, that is that's beautiful, bro. That's like and it's rare.

SPEAKER_04 24:00

And shout out to the entire cast. Like, we're all still cool right now. Dope. And then like he, because even Lori Beth, I remember in the beginning, uh, I had vital information. That was supposed to be mine. And then she ended up getting vital information, which is like great, because I nah. Because you cannot see it without Lori Beth, bro. Like, Lori, that is that is her sketch, like straight up and down. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 24:21

Yeah, I wanted to know when you was doing all that in Keenan Nikel, was there ever a point where you like took it for granted? Like didn't really understand the magnitude of being on two shows like that at such a young age.

SPEAKER_04 24:34

I think it's like it was such like a um a dream, you know what I mean? Like to be that young and it move. Like, because you're talking about like first I'm you know, I'm south side of Chicago, I'm doing theater as a positive outlet, and then I started modeling, so I tell people I'm model first.

SPEAKER_02 24:55

I did too. I got a deal too, like kids, like kids' clothes or stuff like that.

SPEAKER_04 24:59

Yeah, yeah, because my my first gig, uh my first modeling gig, which I bought, it was uh Captain Crutch. I was on the back of Captain Crutchberry's box, which was dope. So I was on the back of that joint. Uh and so that's that that counts, that kelps. And then acting, you know what I mean, and then acting as well, and then having this show to take off. It wasn't like, oh, you got on a TV show and it did all right, and then it was all it was like, no, this is a TV show, and it's like you're on fire out of here. Right. And it's like it's out of here. And it's like, and then to have another show right after that also take off. So it was like we all of us, I mean, we still talk about this to this day, we were just kind of going on a ride, like, man, this is crazy. But my thing was, uh, which always is to be 110. You know what I mean? To give my all within my characters and whatever I was doing, and to give my all. And within doing that, I think it was, you know, you start to how can I explain it? Where um I was just super focused on like this is gonna be funny. And mom Dukes was like, hey, we can go back home. You know what I'm saying? At any point, you got crazy, we can go back home. You don't like it here, you can go back home. You know what I'm saying? So it was always the thought of like, dang, we go back home. So let me uh let me make sure I snap.

SPEAKER_01 26:13

Where does come from, bro? Like, like you you're from Chicago. Yeah, you you grow up and you you're you're going to school. When where does the entertainment bug? When does that happen? When did you say, oh, you know what? I I think I'm gonna do this, I want to do this artistic thing. Where does that come from?

SPEAKER_04 26:29

So I was um a bit of a class clown. So I did a lot of that in class and I got in trouble a lot because of the fact that I wanted to perform in class. Um, and then what happened was that I started performing in church. I was always loud, Ramp Bucks just have a lot of energy. Um, but I think when my parents really saw it was that I think it was we were in DC and I did Michael Jackson on stage in DC. Like they did, it was just a band. They was just like a band was like and they were like, that little kid right there. Come on on the stage. And I just got up there and just, I mean, killed it. And they was like, yo. What did you do? You sing, you dance? I was doing all the dance moves, every every Michael dance move I could possibly do. I just did it. How they call you up?

SPEAKER_05 27:14

They were like, hey, right there, right there.

SPEAKER_06 27:16

Come on up.

SPEAKER_05 27:19

I knew that.

SPEAKER_04 27:20

Little makeshift you know. And they just was like, I mean, you know, my older sister was like, man, Kel just, wow, like I was fearless, like all the time, just performing for everybody. Uh, and that didn't like go like sparking their head, yeah. It was just like, Kyle, wow, he just, he just wow. And now the one where then that from there to that was when I played MC Hammer. Now, we had a play at school where it was, it was like they were like, we want to do like a black history month.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

How old are you?

SPEAKER_04 27:47

Uh I'm in eighth grade. Okay. So this is my eighth grade. So they're like, we want to do a black history month thing. These are the teachers. And so they put every every black person in this thing, and they were like, y'all gonna play everybody. Right? So I was Martin Luther King and MC Hammer in the same way. So I'm Martin Luther King, and it was something like the teacher had put together where I get on the phone and tell every tell the kids my dream, the dream. So I get on the phone and I did the whole speech, you know, Martin Luther King's speech, right?

SPEAKER_01 28:15

On the phone. On the phone.

SPEAKER_04 28:16

And then later, it was like this whole thing, and then at the end it was like Hammer, because I was the, you know, I was killing around that time. Right. And it was too legit to quit. And I was the kid that was Rambux just always getting in trouble at the school. So the teachers was already like, ah, we don't know. We won't care to do too legit to quit. And you know what I did say. And it was a Christian school, right? So it was a whole thing of like, you know, DemCammer got the pumps. You know what I mean? I'm gonna do it, I gotta do it all out, right? So I I had, I want to say, 10 girls, all the girls, because some of the girls didn't hadn't didn't know what they were gonna do in the play.

SPEAKER_01 28:49

Wait, wait, you got the girls that backup dances. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 28:52

Because you know, Hammer had like 10 or 15 people. He had bones and everybody. So I put everybody behind me. I was like, and I they learned the dance moves. Um, you probably heard me talk about this on my set before. Yeah, but yeah, but but we all did that and on stage, and I'm doing it, and I got the girls behind me, and I did the pumps. On the stage, I got in trouble. And the teachers was like, hey, yo, you can't do too legit for the family tonight for the family show. And I was like, no, I want to do it for the family show. And so uh I had to go talk to the teachers in the teachers' lounge and you know, apologize and change the move and all that stuff like that. But when I did it though, bro, that's when everybody saw because I really thought I was hammering. I had the you know, the parts in my hair, I had the sunglasses, I did full commitment, and they were like, okay, this kid got it. And then they started putting me in the plays at the theater, and I started doing that.

SPEAKER_03 29:45

Yeah. Okay, so this is uh we're sheesh. We I'll I'm in rhythm, but there's two things, and I do not let these things get skipped over.

SPEAKER_00 29:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 29:57

Hammer.

SPEAKER_00 29:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:58

Michael Jackson.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 30:00

What is your relationship with music? Because two things that I know for sure. One, you dropped music not too long ago.

SPEAKER_01 30:05

Not too long.

SPEAKER_03 30:06

You dropped you dropped music like two years ago. Come on, Kel. Come on, Kel. We're gonna talk doing my thing. Because I'm a I'm a I'm an immature fan. I'll be like, and this is uh this is a moment, the black and white video. Yeah, you're doing my thing. Yeah, this is a huge moment. Yeah. How does how does that come how does that happen? How does how does doing my thing happen? Okay, oh god, so how to watch my watch me do my thing. Yeah, how I want to know your relationship with music, and I want to know doing my thing.

SPEAKER_04 30:36

Okay, and doing my thing. Well, relationship with music, uh, that was first, bro. Like uh my parents played everything. You know, they ran into the parliament and we we grew up in Chicago. So, you know, uh we loved every type of music, jazz, hip-hop, you know, I heard it all. You know what I mean? Sounds of blackness, everything. And I and you know, around that time when I was a kid, you're talking about 90, 91, 92, 93, that was another bad creation. That was crisscrossed, that was all this. So I was dressed like all them kids, you know what I mean? And my older sister, she looked like salt and pepper in all of them. Like she would dress and all the all the stuff and was super cool, all her friends were cool, they do every dance move, you know, and they would have basement parties at at my house.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

How much older is she than you?

SPEAKER_04 31:20

My sister is uh six years older than me. Okay, and so she used to have like so she's big sis for real, and she used to have parties, and all the high school kids would come over and they doing all the dance moves, and then you know, I'd be at the top of the stairs, like, you know, trying to learn it, come down in my pajamas, and then I'm doing it too. Yeah, they're doing the moves, you know what I mean? And so uh definitely into that. Love music, love to dance. And so dance is very big uh in my household. And when I was in theater, I learned everything, Catherine Dunham uh technique as far as like you know, African dance, uh jazz, hip-hop, tap. I did it all. You know what I mean? Gregory Hines, I loved all those guys. And so um, when the opportunity came up, um oh wait, no, let me let me go back. Do my music because I'm also a b-boy. So uh shout out to Mortem Masters of Cry Line. Like we did the cry, I did the spray and all that stuff. Graffiti and all of it. All the graffiti, breakdancing, DJ, DJM, we did it all. We had a whole crew, and uh, we created the group Aftermath, which was like our group. Uh shout out to the Dwight and Fred, my homies. This was before after Dr. Dre. This is before now let me tell you that stuff. Yeah. This is before Dr. Dre. Okay. We had the name first. And it's documented that we had the name first. But what ended up happening was in my mind at the time, because I wanted when he gives on, I was on TV, right? Yeah. And so my time we were trying to get on at that time. And I was like, man, I can't do that. That's Dre. And then trying to get on, and then he could. So I was like, then we're gonna switch in. And we changed our name to After Math, which was M-A-F-T. And then we try to make it deep. Minds after future thought. And we try to make it deep. Now that being a businessman now, being a businessman, I'm thinking about, oh my God, I could have held it. Well, yeah, yeah, I could have held it. Make them buy it from me. Yeah, make them buy it from me. Like being a businessman, you know, this is what you do. That's how you really kill it. But, you know, hey, it's all right. It's all good. So it's all good. It's all good. But um, yeah, man, so to go back, um, definitely in the music, hip-hop was my thing, you know, battling, breakdancing, uh, you know, riding a train and doing all the things, you know what I mean? And so when Watch Me Do My Thing came along, they already knew that I was, you know, rapping and I had a crew. They already knew that. And we performed on the first season of all that too, as well. And so uh when we performed, and that's been viral on that too, because of stuff I was talking about. I remember seeing that episode of the I was like, he rapped too.

SPEAKER_03 33:47

He rapped too. You lived out like every creative kid's dreams, you lived them out in front of us, and we all rooted for you. Yeah. So it's like if you were also a class player, it was like, yeah, man, like yeah. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 34:03

Because you look at it like they did used to call me kale when I was in school. Come on, somebody. That's right up.

SPEAKER_04 34:08

Oh, man, you look at Kid and Play, like these were the guys I was looking up to. Kidd and Play, MC Hammer, they would go from making, you know, uh hip-hop songs to making movies. You know what I'm saying? And stuff like that. So I was like, oh, okay, well, let's do it too. I can do the same thing. And I was doing that at the time. And when Watch Me Do My Thing came along, I remember uh Ed was taking over. And let me explain this because a lot of people, because it's a long history of like my journey on TV. And so people mix up Watch Me Do My Thing with Good Burger, the movie. It is not part of Good Burger the movie. It's not on the soundtrack. No, it's not part of that. This was on the All That and More soundtrack, which was like our like first and second season of all that, right? So this was at the beginning of all that. So you had Aliyah on there, you had Brandy on the album, and then they had the title song, which was Watch Me Do My Thing. And that's what it was. They had the title song in there. And so uh we ended up on the Billboard charts, and they were like, yo, you're gonna do a record with Immature. I'm like, what? Immature was the dopest band that was out at that time, Kid Band. They were selling out arenas. And I remember I was like, yo, I was so excited. I was writing the rap. I was writing it.

SPEAKER_03 35:16

So you knew at the exception of the song that you was gonna be on it.

SPEAKER_04 35:19

Yeah, I knew I was gonna be on it. Yeah, so here's so here it goes. So uh it was Chris Stokes and Immature, they had already been on the show.

SPEAKER_06 35:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 35:26

And so it was kind of like they were like, yo, you come work. And I'm like, oh, this is gonna be crazy. So then uh one of the producers was like, all right, I'm gonna pick you up, take you over there, take you to the studio. Bet. He was like, just write the record. Here's the beat. So I heard the beat, and I'm like, I'm used to this. This is what we used to do it all the time anyway. So I'm just I'm writing the rhyme, I'm going hard, I'm writing it. I'm like, oh, this is gonna be crazy. I'm in the car, oh, this is gonna be crazy. We go down, we're driving down Hollywood Boulevard, going down there, and it's like we get to the studio, bro, and they like, yeah, you gotta do it his head.

SPEAKER_02 35:54

And I'm like, record's crazy. Hold on a second. Hold on a second, I gotta rap his head.

SPEAKER_04 36:00

And they was like, Yeah, you gotta rap his head. I was like, man, it's gonna be spitting then. So I went and like, you know, fixed it up a little bit, and I and it was the craziest moment though, bro, because like like I said, like, you know, being in the shot, and then now it's like this is a second season and all that, and it's like it's crazy because now I'm rapping and I'm in the booth, and you know, it's really like you see the booth is open and you just see immature and they back there, like they got the hair, the hair is long. You see Romeo with the blonde hair, he over there. And it was like, it was crazy. And I remember uh Marcus threw in a line because he said he loved the way Ed said, because they were fans of all that. So he was like, I love when Ed was like cuckoo cache and like uh around. He's like, Can you throw that in somehow? And I'm not gonna tell him no. Like, this is their record.

SPEAKER_01 36:49

This is the book at the time.

SPEAKER_04 36:51

Yeah, so I was like, so Ed was like cuckoo cache, what you wanna do? And then I just made it work. And then the eruption of the mother's but the record took off, man, and I toured with them a little bit, like going around with. And you said to do it live? Oh, yeah. I didn't do it live. We performed on Soul Train with it. You know what I mean? That was crazy. We performed on like uh the Sprite Knight. Remember Sprite Knight? Yeah, we did Sprite Knight. Uh we did a whole bunch of places. But what was cool is that shout out to Dave Scott, rest in peace. You know, Dave Scott, I mean that's amazing choreography, right?

SPEAKER_02 37:26

The movie. Shout out to Dave Scott. See, I mean, I'm standing behind the whole movie.

SPEAKER_04 37:33

It's crazy how it connects, bro. Straight up. Shout out to this code. It's like, as you know, amazing. Amazing. Absolutely. When he choreographed the music video, because that was big for me too. The music video was these cats, they like Michael Jackson and all that. They're getting all the moves. Dave got them going, right? And I remember Millennium uh dance studio. Yeah, uh, I met with him first before the guys got there, and he was just like, I'm gonna teach you the moves anyway, because I think I might put you in the music video and you're gonna be dancing. Obviously, that didn't happen. That didn't happen. But I ended up learning the entire choreography for it because they wanted, they didn't know if they wanted Ed to get down up in there.

SPEAKER_03 38:08

But you still, but but knowing the if knowing that probably is why you're so in sync on the video. Because you know, you already know where y'all finna be. I know it live, I know exactly what y'all finna hit right and the beat drop there. You're gonna do that move right there. Like you already know everything. So, okay, yeah, watch me do my thing happens. Now, years later, what brings you back to music?

SPEAKER_04 38:27

What brought me back to music, man?

SPEAKER_03 38:29

For bless mode.

SPEAKER_04 38:30

Uh, for blessed mode. So I I feel like music is is like it's it's supposed, man. It's like, you know, if you you want to get really deep, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, when you when you worship, when you rush your heavenly father and all this different thing, like the way music makes you feel. You know what I mean? It's beautiful. So uh for me, it was around the uh pandemic, right? Like around the pandemic, I was doing Bless Mode, I wrote Blessed Mode, and I was like, I want to do a devotional book. And I want people to be able to tap in with our Heavenly Father and then have a Bible verse, hear a story about um, hear a story about me and how it connects with the Bible verse, and then afterwards I have them do something. So uh within that they could do some burpees or work out or something like that, or forgive somebody, you know. And so we got I called it blessed mode, because you know, when you get ready, you get in a certain mode. You know what I mean? So the whole thing is are you ready spiritually though? So getting in blessed mode, right? So as I'm doing this, um another thing that was very important to me when I work out, I would listen to you know Christian hip hop music. So I was always listening to Christian hip-hop music and I would listen to uh EDM music and different music, and I was like, where does that spiritual foundation come from?

SPEAKER_01 39:34

As you is as it's being um as a underlying motivation for how you're moving, where does that come from?

SPEAKER_04 39:42

Man, well, um I grew up in a church. So and I always say uh church or hip-hop saved my life, like growing up in Chicago. You know what I mean? That's just it is what it is. You know what I mean? Because I I chose the hip hop life and then I also chose uh church and being in church and my grandfather was a pastor as well. And so it was like super cool just to be going to church and and and and be there every Sunday, but then also there's a difference between knowing Christ and then having a relationship with Christ. You know what I mean? So over the years learning that. And so when I did the the music, it was like this music needs to have, I mean, this book needs to have music with it. And so uh I was like, well what is what is that? And I was like, and on every page I want to have like music with it, give some type of song, and then also shed a light on Christian hip hop too as well. And so uh I did Bless Mode with the record, and uh and it took off. And yeah, it was crazy, it was crazy. And then we also did the trailer because I was like, I'm gonna do a book trailer because I was like, I seen authors do book trailers, but then I was like, let me do a book trailer that actually look like a movie. And so like so I hooked up, right? I hooked up with my homie uh Irvin Lambert. Shout out to Irvin. Shout out to Irvin. Uh Irvin's amazing, you know, uh director, and see what he does with CGI is crazy. And uh I just like turned everything I was saying within the book into like this amazing like trailer that just like took off.

SPEAKER_03 41:03

I I rem the the reason uh Bless Bowl sticks out for me is because I know you so much better by that point. So it's like so many things are happening in this. One, I know, watch me do my thing. Yeah, I know you love Jesus, yeah, and I know you're strong as hell. Like, like I tried to work out with Kill Winter, let me tell you something. We go to it. Oh, we got it.

SPEAKER_06 41:26

No, no, tell us about it. I did one rap.

SPEAKER_03 41:30

I said, are you crazy? Because some people are working out for a look or uh a style, and it's that also, but some workouts just make you strong as hell. Why are you so damn strong? Are you so strong?

SPEAKER_02 41:43

Yeah, like why you look at me to do that?

SPEAKER_03 41:44

Why are you so damn strong? Like, I mean, like I just yesterday I saw you doing um the push-ups on the V-bar, this challenge. Yeah. So the V bar that you pull for they put it on the ground and do push-ups on the bar while it's T-turning, like this. You gotta balance, you gotta balance, you gotta balance it. Kill doing pull-ups, but he's doing the full, he this dude on the pull-up bar. Doing the hand standing. He's going above the bar. Yeah, and then leveling out. What are we doing? You guys, what are we doing? I can do I can do one of these barely. What when when did the fitness thing happen?

SPEAKER_00 42:16

Oh, hold on, okay.

SPEAKER_02 42:22

Strong. Yeah, I get it. I want to know when it comes to religion, like Christianity, has there ever been like any roles or parts that you chose not to do or auditions or anything like that because of your faith? But that's a better question. I I know. They're both good.

SPEAKER_01 42:43

But they don't work together.

SPEAKER_04 42:44

I think, I think um in the beginning, like, okay, so there was a point where I was just like, nah, you know, like when I was like, I don't want to say super Christian, but it was like in the beginning, like, when you really feel like um, hey man, you know, you got no bad cheese. You know, you're grabbing everybody, you're grabbing everybody, and it was certain roles where I just was like, no, I don't want to take it, I don't want to do it. And I remember talking to uh an actor, and they were just like, hey man, like it's the it's the story, because he's a believer in in Christ too. So it's like, what is the the outcome of the actor? Like what I mean, of the character. What happens to the character? What is the story being told? Think about it in that way. So then that helped me to be like, oh, okay. Yeah, if you're telling a story and there's a a beautiful outcome at the end of it, or it's just something learned through it, just like how Jesus used parables. You know what I mean? To help people understand, then you could play these these certain roles. And so for me now, it that opened up so much, and I started to play all these different roles. But in the beginning, I was I like I was like, No, I ain't doing that.

SPEAKER_02 43:51

Yeah, yeah. And do you feel like that ever like impeded, or you feel like what's meant for you is meant for you? Like, do you feel like you turned down anything? You're like, dang, I I probably Could have done that or should have done that?

SPEAKER_04 44:02

I turned down some stuff that had nothing to do with uh on the on the on the on the Christ side. Oh, okay. Before that. You know what I mean? And I turned out that I have been like, dang, I should have. I should have done. I should have done that role. What's one? Okay, so recently, recently the homie was like, uh, and it's funny because it's it's it's how people, you know, view you. You know what I mean? Because they were like, because the homie uh uh from Three Strikes, right? That boy did strikes. Right. So from Three Strikes, uh, I had got offered three strikes, right? I had offered three strikes. Yeah, so I had got offered three strikes too. So I was just like, and the people was like, and I and he said, yo, we gonna do part two. And I jumped in there and was like, oh yeah, because I was supposed to I was supposed to be in the original, that would be super cool. You know what I mean? I'm just saying that in the comments because that's the homie. And I'm like, oh, that would be super dope to do that. And everybody was like, oh, yeah, right, Kale. You ain't you ain't no you would have never been. What would you've done, good burger? And I was like, okay. I was like, okay. Uh another one would be uh, and he was amazing in it. He should have got it. Another one was um, what was another one? Say the last dance. That was another one. Come on, what's the name?

SPEAKER_01 45:09

What's it? Rename Magic, what's the name? Sean Patrick.

SPEAKER_03 45:14

The Belgian, Paul, Paul, Michael, Michael. No, so it's like Sean Patrick James James. This is the second podcast when he done came up.

SPEAKER_02 45:19

Yeah. Sean Patrick Thomas.

SPEAKER_04 45:23

Shut up, because we ended up doing uh a film called Honey Jupiter together, uh, which was amazing. Amazing.

SPEAKER_02 45:28

So why did you turn down say the last day? It's a wild. It's a while, it's a wild stuff. Hold on, I got one last question. One last question. Yeah. For now. Um Good Burger. Good burger. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:50

Classic.

SPEAKER_02 45:51

Oh, yeah, classic. Thank you. Classic, man. I mean, even the sequel was great. Yeah. The sequel lived, man, the sequel lived up to the hype, bro. So, Good Burger, I wanted to know, has anybody ever approached, and I know Nickelodeon probably owns it, but has anybody ever approached you about opening like a Good Burger restaurant or doing a TV series?

SPEAKER_04 46:10

Yeah, so um, and this is another thing people know, because you know, on the business side of things. So, um, with Good Burger, it was a thing of like, man, knowing that everywhere I go, people are gonna say, Welcome to Good Burger. It's gonna come up, or they associate me with burgers, right? So uh my homeboy uh Derek Berry, uh, who I partnered with, he works for bucket listers. Um, we decided to do back in, I want to say 2019, like when I was on Dancing with the Stars, around that time, we opened up a pop-up. So we opened up the pop-up for a Good Burger pop-up. And it took off. Like it was it was bananas. Like I mean, the burger, yeah, you went. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, the burgers were crazy, and it was like uh an immersive experience. So when you walked in, every employee was like, Welcome to Good Burger, I'm the Good Burger, and then you had like an all that station and a Good Burger station, and you orange soda, of course, and everything. You know, the shirt it was an experience. He had done the Say by the Bell experience, and me and my wife went there, and we were like, I was like, yo, we need to do like a Good Burger one. And so we ended up doing a Good Burger one. Um, from that, I wanted to do the pop-up first because I know how hard it is, you know, owning restaurants and doing that type of stuff like that. So that was open for a while, and then the pandemic hit, and then we had to shut down because we were gonna take it from city to city. Everybody wanted us to bring it back. So now recently, uh, I did uh Kell's Burger Fest, which was like crazy. We our first one was in Brooklyn, and I mean we sold out.

SPEAKER_01 47:39

It was bananas. I partnered. Where about in Brooklyn?

SPEAKER_04 47:42

We partnered with uh bucket listers, bucket with bucket listers. Where are we? Uh Williamsburg. We're in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And so uh, and it was crazy uh outside, and it was also uh Caribbean Fest going on at the same time. So we thought like, oh no, we are we gonna do good. I mean, the place, God like blessed it, bro. It was like it was a crowd. We had three sessions, it was crowd every time, all sold out. Um we're gonna start taking that around, doing that from city to city. Um and it was just amazing, man. You know what I mean? And it was it was cool to um put on a festival like that and have people have nostalgia and things like that. I don't know if we would do a restaurant just because of like the the licensing that goes on with all of that, as far as like with Good Burger, Nickelodeon, Viacom and the whole, you know, gambit.

SPEAKER_02 48:29

So they didn't trip they didn't triple by the pop-up, the good burger pop-up? Like nobody we'll let it slice in.

SPEAKER_04 48:35

So with the pop-up, so with the pop-up, I had to, we had to partner with Nickelodeon for the pop-up. And from doing that business deal, that's why I did Kale's Burger Fest by myself.

SPEAKER_02 48:46

But no TV series. No.

SPEAKER_04 48:48

Yeah, no, no, we did Kale's Burger Fest.

SPEAKER_02 48:50

But I'm saying nobody ever approached you by doing a Good Burger TV series.

SPEAKER_04 48:52

Oh, a Good Burger TV series? Uh oh yeah, people will approach all the time. Like uh at Nickel at Nickelodeon, we've been talking about um doing something like a series or a show or something like that, but I really feel like uh animated would be crazier. Oh you know, that's my personal opinion. Because you know, we obviously did Good Burger 2. Right. Because when all the approach about the series was going on, then Keenan and I was like, yo, let's do let's do Good Burger the movie. Right so we did Good Burger the Movie, produced that. Um in 20 uh 16, no, 2017. It's a lot in 2017, we had brought all that back. You know what I mean? And then I had played it on there, and then also in part we brought we did part two two years ago, which was crazy.

SPEAKER_03 49:33

Yeah. The uh dancing with the stars. Talk to me. That's it's right in alignment with everything else. Yeah. Dancing to be born, the the training. Yeah. So when this call happens, uh how do I it I I don't want to say resurgence, but I remember you taking time off from the business. Just like taking some step back, handling some business, spending some money, having some fun, having some downtime. Yeah, it's like because you've been you was going back and forth working so much. Um when this when this show happens, uh, what do you what was the experience like? What was the training like? Yeah. Was it was it they say it's very intensive.

SPEAKER_04 50:10

It's very intense. Uh we had rehearsals where it was eight hours a day. Um shout out to Whitney, uh amazing. Whitney's amazing. She just won this season.

SPEAKER_03 50:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 50:21

Um, and we were running her up. You know what I mean? Um, but eight hours, I mean, I like I said, I was a dancer. So I knew how to pick it up, you know. But you're talking about the walls.

SPEAKER_03 50:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 50:32

You know, uh, I knew how to do the Lindy Hop because I've done some stuff, you know, with that and jazz and stuff like that. But, you know, uh, you know, the the walls and saucer and all these different things that I had to learn like quickly. And you had to learn it professionally enough in a week. Because, you know, we started, we get it on Monday, and then there was showtime. You know what I mean? On the weekend, and it was like you had a showtime. So it was just a beautiful like uh experience. Like, I mean, as far as like um being uncomfortable, but in a good way, you know what I'm saying? Where you gotta you gotta share everything you were thinking about and just be out there in whatever type of clothes they got on you, whatever type of thing, you know, and give the best show that you can. And it made me, yeah, be free, bro. And it just made me uh an even better performer because uh similar to stand up. Like, you know what I mean? Where it's like you just uh any advice is like you're gonna have to just get up there.

SPEAKER_06 51:24

Right.

SPEAKER_04 51:25

You know what I mean? At the end of the day, that's the one. Like, you can't just be, I mean, I'm gonna be funny. I'm gonna be you're gonna find out. You're gonna get up there. And then you learn the you know, the the parts of you know the structure of it. But I'm saying, you know what I mean, you gotta get up there. You know what I mean? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:39

Um you mentioned the uh you when you were we was talking about blessed boat, you mentioned the book. Yeah. How we get here? Okay. Frank Day is out. This is our first gift ever on the show. They all just set a standard. We expect gifts from here on out. Come on, man. This is not no, uh, this is not uh, you hear that? Yeah. That's hardback. You hit me back. That's hardback.

SPEAKER_02 52:02

That ain't cheap. Now all I gotta do is learn how to read.

SPEAKER_01 52:06

Two-time Emmy Award nominated actor, producer, comedian, author, and youth pastor. Yeah, man. Shot Ellen from Chicago. Come on, man. Shot.

SPEAKER_04 52:16

Tell me about uh tell us about prank day. Um prank day, man. So uh I had this idea where what if a kid does pranks on April Fool's Day, but then on the next day, all the pranks come true. So now it's a race against time, it's all these things are happening, he doesn't know why. There's an actual refrigerator running through the streets. You can see that. And he gotta get his friends to help him out because there's certain things he said about certain people that are about to happen. So he tries to get in front of it to try to stop it. Oh dope. Um, but then there's one prank that he did that could change his entire life forever that he gotta stop, you know, from happening. So you gotta read the book to figure out uh what that is. But I love action adventures, um, and I love writing too, as well. And I think uh our writing muscle started a lot, like with, well, for me, um, started a lot with me being frustrated at one point with the industry. Yeah. Where it was almost like, oh man, and then I remember I saw um uh Marlon Waines and uh at a restaurant, and he just decided to give me this advice. He said, yo, if they don't want to give you the role, you write the role.

SPEAKER_01 53:27

Shout out to Marlon Waines for the right.

SPEAKER_04 53:28

I said, I said, oh. And then I just started writing, writing, right, writing, writing, writing all the time. And then uh, and then Will Smith was other advice. Will Smith he started giving me books on what to read to get script structure out and how to get the structure right. And that was on a set of uh Hancock, on a set of handcot. And it was just like to be, it was super cool, huh?

SPEAKER_01 53:52

Why were you there on the Okay?

SPEAKER_04 53:53

So his uh Chico, y'all know Chico being right. Yeah, so me and me and him were putting together like this script, and Will knew about it. And he was just like, yo, y'all come to set. Just come back. It was a while ago then. Yeah. And he was like, yo, y'all come down to set, and y'all be there. And we it was when he was jumping off the building. So it was like we ended up. LA EN U. And so he was like, then he brought me over there and he was like, and I was right, I was the one writing it. So he was just like, let me give you some advice. You know, you get this and you get this, and and I was just like, oh man, this is this is cool. Thanks, Will Smith. Thank you, Will Smith. But we I've known him, you know what I mean, because he's been on all that and other shows like that and things like that. But it's dope when, you know, you have uh fellow actors and and people that give you advice, like Jamie Foxx. He gave me advice where he said uh on a set of uh Rachel's where he was like, yo, hey James.

SPEAKER_01 54:40

Well, wait, why were you even there?

SPEAKER_04 54:43

You come everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 54:46

You're in incredible places. Why are you there? How did you end up there?

SPEAKER_04 54:50

Come on. Well, I was there for that one because I was speaking at a school and the guy that we were working with was also working with Jamie. I also used to work with uh Marcus King, who also worked with Jamie Foxx as well. And so uh, and Jamie used to, he was always good for giving advice all the time. And he used to get me multiple ones. Um and one I wish I would have listened to earlier. But but the but the one. Give us that game. Okay, bro. So the game on the one that he gave me that I wish I was like, I wish I would have asked more questions at the time. But Mystery Man was coming out, and so it was the uh film I was in with Ben Stiller, Jenny Garoflo. And so um, and he said, told me at the time, he was like, when you got one that's about to come out, that's cooking, make sure you got another one in the chamber, another film. So start like as soon as you book one and you're filming, make sure you start getting that other one and start filming that one and have the other one. And I realized when Mystery Man went up against uh Sixth Sense. Because we were coming, we had our date and Universal decided that they were gonna move the date, but they had no idea that Sixth Sense had that date because it was like an independent, it was like no one knew that that film was gonna do what it was gonna do because of the amazing ending that it was. So they felt like, oh, we got this crazy cast, there's no way that Sixth Sense is gonna and Sixth Sense just said, Hell yeah! Yeah, Six Sense, it was crazy, but I mean, shout out to Mystery Man, where it still became a cult classic. You know what I mean afterwards. But um, just understanding, you know, that's what and what specifically was the advice that Will gave?

SPEAKER_02 56:29

I don't know, I might have missed it if you said it, but what was his specific advice?

SPEAKER_04 56:33

His was on writing. Like he just gave me different books of how to read and how to um uh define a character and how to write a character for it. Sadie Cap. Yeah, Sadie Cap was one of the books as well. Uh Story was the other book. Yeah. And Story is an amazing book. It's a very thick book, but if you can get through it, which I did, uh it'll really tell you how to connect the story the right way.

SPEAKER_02 56:57

Are you still trying to because I like Dance Food. That was Dance Food, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I wrote that. You wrote that story, did you direct it too?

SPEAKER_04 57:05

Cedric directed that. Cedric directed that. That's a great story.

SPEAKER_02 57:07

Yeah, go for it. Well, yeah, bro.

SPEAKER_04 57:10

So, like I said, hear these stories. Like I said, like I said, uh, you know, writing, I think, is the most amazing thing. Like when you hear stories about Stallone and writing Rocky and all those different things. And I feel like that's when when you're at a state where it's just like, I'm gonna create. You know what I mean? That's that's the best stuff, man. Like, I I've never been the type of person where I don't like the whole, like, I'm gonna wait to the phone call. Right, right. Pump that, man. Like, go, go create it, go get your people together, go film it.

SPEAKER_01 57:37

You know what I mean? Not to cut you off, man. It's so interesting. Of all the guest stuff we've had on here, everyone seems to be champion the same idea of like the go get it, man. I got like everyone who's been in that seat from the A Fions, from the Kevin on stage, yeah. You can't wait. To the CPs. Everybody's been saying, go make it happen. Facts. This is dope, man. Go ahead, go ahead. Facts.

SPEAKER_04 58:06

So with that one, um, Cedric, I remember I was I was taking the script around, and it was a wild story because it was about a guy that could only fight when music was playing. Back to dancing. Right. Absolutely. Back to music. Taggy man. Taggy man. What was important to me, I was also uh uh uh footwork music uh in Chicago, you know, that's where you footwork. So I was I was into that too. So this was a uh the story was about uh, you know, uh a juker that you know did does juke dancing in Chicago. And uh he knows karate, he learns karate. And he can only fight what music is playing, though. And he meets the sensei, who A Fion actually played. A Fion played the Sensei, which is and did an amazing job. Never did it. Uh and I remember giving the script to Cedric, and he was like, and at the time, which was dope, Cedric was like, I want to do, I want to direct. And I haven't had a chance to direct yet, and this is what I want to do. So this was his first directing job. And at the time, he was just shooting Cadillac Records at the time. Yeah, so it was super dope. Like he's doing Cadillac Records, but at the same time, he's flying back and forth and he's shooting, uh directing this for us. And it was super cool to be like working with him and you know, from Steve Harvey's show. We this is big bro anyway. You know what I mean? So it was just super awesome for him to give me that Ali Oop and put amazing comedians in it. Like we had some amazing comedians uh that was in there, bro. So it was great. Well, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:28

Hold on, I want to know what you learned from making a film independently, because I think where we at now in business, like a lot of people trying to start making their own TV shows, their own films. Was there anything you learned from that process?

SPEAKER_04 59:40

I did. So within that, it was just like we did the film, finished it, and then we had to go pitch it around, obviously. But because it was through Cedric's uh production team, he had to make the decisions as far as like what streaming platform it was gonna go on, you know, at the time. Um, what I did start to understand was, which was great because it gave me a lot of advice on you know how to get to the streaming platforms, where to take it to. But for me, uh, because there were some other ones I would have probably took it to, you know what I mean? Cedric was like not Netflix. Well no, at the time, it wasn't even Netflix wasn't even like popping like that at the time. At that time, Netflix was the DVDs, like the yeah, yeah, so we were at the right at the at the turn of it all, you know what I mean? But um, it was a learning experience. It was definitely a learning experience, and now I understand as far as like film it all, get it done, um, and then as far as like the streaming platforms that you do go to, um be careful about which one you rock with. You know what I mean? But which which streaming platform you go to?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:52

I've always wanted to ask you this. Yeah. What you've played so many roles, so many different characters. Do you have a role in mind that would that you know would fit all the different facets of you that you would love to play? Ooh. A role that I would you can dance, music, and be hilarious and be strong as hell, all in the leading guys.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:16

All incorporate everything. That's hilarious. You know, I yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:20

I'm trying to take an orange soda out of this, you break your hands.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:25

You gotta do a character just called Strong Nigga. There's one soda. There's one about a uh a legendary uh scientist. Uh and I'm not gonna say what that movie is, you know, uh African American scientist. Okay. That I want to do the film for. I want to do a story. Um he knows who he is when when this happens. You know what I mean? But I don't want to tell nobody because I don't want nobody to be like, right on. But you do have it in mind. Yeah, I do have it in mind. That's gonna be a dope role because I do want to show uh my dramatic side, because I do have a dramatic side too as well. And that's the thing too. I think um in the beginning, it was kind of like I played so many different characters, it was kind of hard to like kind of pigeon me, hope pigeonhole me as like, oh, Ed from Good Burger. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, and because a lot of like, you know, child stars, they get into that where it's like uh like with Jaleel, everybody was like, Urco, Arco, Urco, Urgo. He's like, man, I don't want to talk about no Arco. And so like I totally get it, you know what I mean? But for me, I had played so many different characters, but now it's where the new generation is trying, you know, starting to discover all that in these different other shows. And with Good Burger 2 coming out, it's like it, it it it it it it it it it it it it and I'm like okay. You know what I mean? And their kids are like introducing them to the other characters that I play. But um I I just finished the thriller. I got two thrillers that are coming out. Come on, so I'm excited. Wait, hold on. I'm excited. Hold on, Kel.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:54

Wait on the show, Kel. Because not to cut you off, because you're killing it, Kel. Come on, Kel. Two thrillers, come on, man. That's good. Killing it, man.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:03

Yeah, so uh me and uh actually me and Josh Server, we got one uh that we did together, uh, and it's a thriller. Um and it's called Heading East, and it's deep. It's like, you know, it has a um get out type of feel to it.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:16

Um psychological and then it's a psychological thriller.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:19

I love psychological thrillers, and uh people are gonna be super excited to see my character, Nat. Um I also have a film, um, and I can't give too much about what happens in this film, but it's so it's so good. But uh it's with me, Kevin Hart, Drewski, Casanat. Uh, he showed the sizzle with me. Yeah, okay. So yeah, yeah. So I'm in that film as well.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:39

You do you do you do you ever feel underrated as a comedic actor? Or do you feel like you like I got you? Yeah, you Kale Mitchell. Yeah, I got you. You care, you Kale Mitchell, like are they still making you, I'm sure you audition for stuff, I'm guessing. But do you ever be like, I'm I'm Kale, bro? Like what?

SPEAKER_04 1:04:00

I think I think here's the thing. It's like I like, I've always been a competitive person. And so, and that goes into the fitness part of it too. But I like this uh spar of the journey of it, of being in the industry. Because one thing I do know is that no one can take uh the talent that you have, and that's the thing, as long as you stay in it, you stay healthy, you stay creative, you stay learning and continue to learn, it's always like every j every now and then, because it's always funny to me, they're like, man, what kill that? But uh and boom, right? Something comes out.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:37

And it's just like, oh yeah, what killing that joint, killing that, killing that kill that's right. That's outside.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:42

And that's even that's been a game, that's been a thing for me. Like, I like doing my my wife's like, you really usually you like you mysterious to the people. But I like I like the whole like that that style of of of doing that, where like just when you want to count me out, and then it's like boom, here we go.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:02

Uh so there's another book.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:06

Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:07

That's what there's another book before this.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:10

So we got Prank Day and then Bless Mo. Bless Mo is. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:14

So the journey of Bless Mo, uh I know that you uh London touched on it a little bit. Yeah. Was that always present, or did you feel like you reconnected at some point in time to your uh religious, to uh how much you You love the Lord.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:31

I didn't love the Lord. You love the Lord. Yeah, man. I feel like there was a time when I didn't want to be here on on earth. You know what I mean? And so with that, with that being said, there's so many people that um are choosing that route. And for me, and where my heart is, is that when life changed around for me, you know what I mean? And um the Lord was always there, it was him that did it. Because when I realized his love and how he feels about me, and that made me go, okay. I want other people to know about this love that God gives. And you're beautifully and wonderfully made by God. And don't let something that happened in your life or generational things that happened or whatever. You're not defined by that. You know what I mean? You can change. You can uh be you can have the strength and be who you want to be and do the things that you want to do. Don't go into your cause it's brain right here, man. It's like a drive. It'll hold everything. And the enemy is just trying to keep making you think like, oh man, well, you ain't gonna do that. You ain't gonna do it. Just like what you were saying, where like the underrated. But if I get into how you know people feel about me, you know what I mean? Or what they may think, like the fans, like, or someone that's not a fan of how they, well, you should be doing this, because this did it, this, it be this. And it's almost like, nah, but do what in your heart, you know what I'm saying? Like what you really feel. Do that thing that is in your heart and like never never stop. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03 1:06:56

You thought I wasn't gonna get an answer to it because I asked why he was so damn strong. The Lord said strength.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:02

He never left the dip back to that.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:04

You thought I wasn't gonna get no answer. Just as high as I got an answer. Yes. My bad, brother, my bad. The Lord told him that you can have all the strength. He said, strength.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:18

Well, and people were like croaking, man. Like, also, too, like, people have you you gotta take care of your physical self. Like, especially like, you know, I I'm 47. You know what I'm saying? So the thing about it is that That's crazy because I'm only 32. Yeah, and I I tell people I never uh say old. I don't say like 47 years old. Oh, you know, as you notice, I said 47. And and the thing about it is because we don't it's all about how you view yourself, you know what I'm saying? Like I don't feel like I'm super old or anything like that. You know what I mean? Like you gotta tell yourself that, and uh, I'm all about physical health, spiritual health, and your mental is important.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:55

So I say if you had a 20-second call, right? Okay, if you had a 20-second call to your young self or to your future self, wow, what would you say to that person?

SPEAKER_04 1:08:12

A 20-second call to my young young self and future self?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:15

20 second call, either to your old self or to your future self, what would you say? Which which one would you call?

SPEAKER_04 1:08:22

Ooh, um to probably dang it, man. You know what's crazy though? Because I get those questions a lot, right? Those type of questions, like, would you talk to and the thing about it is like I'm a big fan of uh Back to the Future. Oh yeah. Right? And so, and I talk about this in in bless mode, actually, because we do, people do a lot of it in their mental, where it's just like if I could just go back and I could tell myself it changed this, but the thing about it is that if you go back, you're gonna change something in the time continuum. You know what I'm saying? You're gonna change something now. And the thing about it, like everything I went through, suicidal, uh divorce at a young age, uh uh drinking, smoking, all the things, people doing me wrong, contract, all these different things, right? It made me the man I am today. You know what I mean? And so it's like when you get over those barriers and you get over those things, and then now you become the man that you are today, then you know you get the uh all the blessings that I'm looking around now that I'm looking around and that I'm seeing. You know what I mean? Where like the everyone has a fa a smile on their face, the family has a smile on their face, my wife's happy, everybody's happy, you know what I'm saying? So it's just these beautiful things of and who you are. And when you look back, you go, man. You know what I'm saying? Like the the story of it all to get to where you are now, that's the that's the fire that should give it to you. And if the Lord did it once, he'd do it again, as far as like the the uh boundaries that you could go to and the the uh things in your life that you can get to, like in like in Last Dragon. You know what I mean? You got the glow. You got the glow. Beautiful You got that glow. Like Leroy was always the master. You know, plain and simple, he was always the master. He was looking for it, but he it was inside you. It was inside you. You see what I'm saying? So it's what's inside you, and then my future self is like inside you.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:19

That's where the strength begins. They was dropping bars inside you.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:23

But it's like, and when you look at like to talk to reach.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:30

It's a sacrifice, it takes hard work, it's a way of love, it's a sacrifice.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:37

This life is a sacrifice, bro. And so I I embrace it all the good and the bad. And that's why when uh and you know, as a believer in faith, you gotta love God through the bad times and the hard times, the ups and the downs, find uh the joy in everything. You know what I mean? And and me and my wife, shout out to Asia. I mean, you know, you know Asia. We always talk about let's cruise, bro. Let's cruise. You know, and with within saying that, it's just like just cruise. Like, don't take it overboard. Like, even in Hollywood, like, with with thinking about Hollywood, I mean, you know, you, right? You all this different stuff. Just like being in Hollywood, someone told me recently at a party that I was at, and they were like, uh, Hollywood is like finding out when Santa Claus isn't real. Like when you find out Santa Claus isn't real, that's the you see how your head went like this? So, yeah, and that's when you know people are green when they're just like, oh, this is gonna happen, and this is gonna happen, and this is gonna happen, and this is gonna happen, and this is gonna happen because you're on this show. No, like you know what I mean. When you see what's behind, yeah and you're really in this thing for a few years, it is like when finding out Santa Claus isn't real. When was that moment? No, I mean I'm gonna let you finish. But when you find out Santa Claus isn't real and you start seeing the machines that are behind it all, then you have to decide to yourself what type of machine are you gonna be? What type of build what type of building stone are you gonna grow on, and what type of team are you gonna have? And so for me, I had to hire and fire a lot of times. I had to find the right team, and now the team that I have now, they know what I stand on. They know like what we need to do, what all these different things, and it's beautiful, and everybody's working at the same time. And that and that's the thing. Like everybody's working and in in and and tap in with your team. Because a lot of times, a lot of actors, they ain't tapping in with their team. Yeah, they just go, but why you ain't doing what you're supposed to do? And they don't realize, like, well, they got families and they got other clients.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:25

50 other clients.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:26

50 other clients. And so you gotta remind them, like, what because you you're the it you are your job. You know what I mean? You're the brand. You're the so you need to know what your brand is and and know what it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:38

You know what I mean? What do you wish you knew about entertainment before you got into it? Like, what's what's some game, like, what's some information you wish you would have known before really diving into it?

SPEAKER_04 1:12:51

Um, some game that I wish I would have known, man. Um well definitely with the one I told you about, like having that other one ready. Like never, never get it. Yeah, why you got the momentum, never get comfortable. You know what I'm saying? Never get comfortable. Uh the other one is it takes a team. It takes an entire team. Because like, especially when you get into it young and then it stops, then it's kind of like, and then you the people that you thought were like, oh, this is my big brother, this is family. Like, the but no, these are producers, writers, executive producers. You know what I mean? And then you call them, like, hey man, what's happening? The phones don't, it ain't the same. So then, and and then what I would tell to that young man that goes through that, that's when you don't allow frustration in the jump in. You have to understand that this is this is a job. So the thing about it is when I when we uh produced um the reboot of all that, right? When we came back and it was all these new kids, they were sitting in the uh the table read, and I knew that it was gonna be the same thing where they could just tell the kids, yeah, yeah, I'm on the show. Hey, let's fight the show, and you go, you know, all the fun and yeah, skip it, skip it. And I was like, tell these kids the real deal, Holyfield. Like walking there, get excited. Like, I'm excited for y'all. I this is great. We we saw your digital tape, forgot the part. Then I said, but never forget who you are. This role in this TV show is not the thing that defines you. And I told them that straight up before they started shooting. I said, This is not the thing that defines you. You're going to work and you also gonna have a long life because life is long. You have a long life. So you some of y'all might want to continue to keep active, and some of you might not. But just know this is a uh a stepping stone to the other jobs that you are going to do. So understand that this is a job first, and understand that God has blessed you with a talent, and this isn't the thing that defines your talent. Your talent is still in you. So when this stops, you're gonna take it to the next thing, you're gonna take it to the next thing, take it to the next thing, understand it. And so that way it's no competition, but I didn't want competition between the kids. I didn't want them to feel like that. I want them to understand it's a job and y'all working as a machine like Voltron, y'all working together. Anything. Yeah, yeah. And I had my uh, and then after that, I had my parents fly out because I said, I want the parents to talk to the parents. Because a lot of time the parents are agreeing within this too. They're learning along the way. So I was like, y'all come and talk. And I remember uh being there, and the producers told me, man, that was such an amazing thing to do because you saw parents coming out crying.

SPEAKER_06 1:15:26

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:26

Crying, talking to my parents. They were crying because it was questions that they had. A lot of time the parents don't get to talk to anybody. He's like, you just money. Yeah, what I do.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:35

I've been working, I've been working at my job for 20 years, and he's been funny than me.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:40

My son ain't strong like you.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:43

When he's gonna get strong like you, we're gonna get the muscles. He gotta get the muscles. Uh well, it wasn't actually that conversation. Before you go, this is my last one. Yeah. Not even so much a com a question, but bro, I love, we, we, I love that you found your light from from the after with all the stuff that you've been through, with this uh cr this amazing journey, when I meet you, bro, you are you know people like this. You meet them and they're just they're just warm and open and vulnerable, and it's like a light that pours out of you. It's like, oh man, kill us here, man. Everything's gonna be alright. That's what's up. No, bro, that's beautiful that you that you have that. Thank you, bro.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:26

I'm looking at you like, man, God has his hand on you. Absolutely. That's how so I'm looking at you just like, man, it's amazing. It's amazing that we're here. It really is. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:34

So you I I I because you touched on it, it could have gone all kinds of ways, you know what I'm saying? So it's beautiful to have that, bro.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:41

Man, it's people, like I said, it's people ain't here. Like it's it's actors that y'all know of that was friends of mine that aren't here. You know what I mean? So it's it's it's beautiful to just to wake up every morning and be the reason why somebody smiles today. It's the reason why we meet up meet all each other. Y'all, I mean, y'all help me. Like, even like I've never gotten to a point where I go, I just know everything. You know what I mean? Like, you always be a sponge. Like, even when I started when I was doing stand-up.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:02

Both of y'all.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:03

Both of y'all was very instrumental in helping me through that. You know what I'm saying? So I think that's a that's another one, too. Like, ego is a big thing. You know what I mean? That could destroy a lot. And I just think in relationships like that, you have to have a good relationship with everyone and know that you're meeting everybody for a reason. We all got children, man. So it is what it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:23

How does your wife play a role in How does your wife play a role as far as your your ability to be optimistic?

SPEAKER_04 1:17:34

Bro, that is my Asian's my best friend, man. Shout out to Asian. Yeah, oh, Asian's amazing. That's my Asian, we love you. That's my sister's name. Oh, really? I just agree with people, man. Man, uh, my best friend, um, encouragement, um, knowing that we're doing this together within everything. You know what I mean? Uh, prayer partner, you know what I mean. We know that it's it's spiritual warfare, we're in this together. You know, we're one, you know what I mean? And to really understand that and and be thankful for that, it's awesome, bro. Like, I'm so very thankful for my wife. You know, she's my gift from God, like for real, for real.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:10

Wonderful, man.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:10

You know what I mean? And it's like when you are praying for that, because you know, I've been in, you know, been in the industry for years and in and out of relationships and all that kind of stuff. And it's so like when you go, like, okay, work on yourself. When you start to work on yourself, which I did, and then the Lord sends you a queen and goes, okay, now you ready. Now you ready. And I think that's within every season. You know what I mean? Like now you're ready to do what you're supposed to do. Because I got my queen with me too, as well. You know what I mean? And so uh it's just been beautiful. And I love I love the fact that, you know, she's from Gardena, California. Okay, shout out to Gardena. You gotta be the real LA, you know what I'm saying? The other side of the freeway, you know what I mean? She understands all the Chicago in you. Yeah, she understands the Chicago in me and the real in me. And, you know, shout out to uh, you know, that side of LA. I love it. And uh, yeah, man, she's gonna tell you that real.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:59

Um, um, I get you. Yeah. What's something small that she does that you didn't realize means so much to you? Something what? Something small that you didn't realize means so much to you.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:09

She does nothing small.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:10

Ooh, okay. Bro, everything is big. Talk about it. Shout out to you.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:13

Every every every every everything is big. Just just uh her getting up and smiling at me, you know what I mean? In the morning. In the morning. That's that's that's that's right. You know, when she when she when she gets up, it's hey, the angels up, everybody up, we up. You know what I'm saying? So that's what's beautiful, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:30

That's imagine when my wife wake up, I'm like, can you go back to sleep? If you can do us all a favor, take your ass back to sleep. But hey man, whatever. We two different people. We got a game on this show. We ain't done yet again. Shut up, listen. I'm sorry. Shut up, kill me. We ain't done it we're gonna be killing this.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:57

Shut up.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:57

That's funny, that's funny. Hey man, we got a game on this show. We call it we call it kill it or let live. Okay, kill it or let live. I'm gonna throw out a topic and you're gonna say whether we should kill it, you're not messing with it, or let it live. It's all good. Oh, shoot. Okay. Okay, kill it or let live.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:14

Buckle up.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:16

Oh, you tell you buckle up. I tailored this summer, chill. No, he's a nice Christian man. I just go hard, go hard. Kill it or let live. Your lady passing gas at the dinner table. Passing gas at the dinner table? Um let live. No, what do we mean? Do I get up or I let her know what's happening? Kill it, like you're not cool with that or let it live. You okay with those fumes? Oh, we're gonna let it live.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:40

Because it has happened. It has happened.

unknown 1:20:44

It has happened.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:45

I know, if you know your wife, you know the smell of her, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, you know, you know it instantly. And I've we've been somewhere, and vice versa. We've been somewhere at a party or something like that, and then I go, did you just she's like Did you say something about it? One time I had to take it because we we we like, okay, look at it. We love we let it, you know, we let a cook and go to different restaurants and and stuff like that. It was some place we went to and it just, hey, it didn't agree with her. And so we we were at a spot, we were at a spot and we talk, we were talking to the people, and it went off, and I was I smell it in the air, and it smelled. I don't know. I don't want baby girl to get to the smoke. So you can come up that smoke, and I'm just looking at them like, well, you know, hey, come on, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:41

Hey, it's all good. Okay, all right. Yeah. Being the star of any movie and television show you want to be the star of for the rest of your life. Rest of your life. For the rest of your life, anyway. For the rest of any move, any movies, any TV shows, you could be the star where you had the pick of the litter, but you must participate in a ditty party. I hate this phase. I hate this phrase.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:09

Kel.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:10

He told you. Every movie. I'm talking about Star Wars movie.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:17

I can be the star in any movie, but I have to go to a ditty movie. You have to participate. You need to. Oh, I just goin'. I have to participate. What did I just kill in the what? What is killing or let live? Let live is, I'm cool with it. No, I gotta kill it. I can't be no positive act. Can't be no positive. Can't be no positive. Can it be no positive?

SPEAKER_05 1:22:37

Can it be no positive? Can it be no positive?

SPEAKER_02 1:22:43

Okay. Okay, kill it or let live. Letting your lady go on vacation with her friends, but she tells you she's not taking her cell phone.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:54

Wow. She's not taking her cell phone?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:57

Not taking the cell phone. Kell, what are you gonna do? I'm gonna tell you she didn't.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:01

She didn't forget it. She didn't forget it. She didn't forget it. She told you. Just so you don't know. I'm not taking my phone. Just so you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:07

Right here on the dining room. Now, the reason, is there a reason for not for the phone? Hey, no, we're gonna do it.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:14

We're gonna do it. She's leaving. She didn't forget it.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:20

She didn't forget it. She's telling you, I'm leaving with the cell phone. Luggage in hand. She likes the cell phone stand.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:25

Well, I trust her, ain't nothing gonna go down. Okay. But here's the thing. You the hotel. I need to know the hotel. Okay. And then it has to be check-ins with the concierge, because I know she's going somewhere nice. It gotta be with the concierge at a certain time. You're gonna have to check in to check, see how the kids doing. We got babies. That's what I'm saying. We gotta see how the baby's doing. I gotta baby do you know. You gotta see how the baby's doing.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:47

Yeah, I gotta go to the kids.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:50

Why do she say they don't got no they don't got no telephones? They got no telephones in Jamaica.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:54

We can't do it. And not because the reason, not because there's any wild reasons like it's happening. It's just something can happen with the kids.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:04

Something can happen with the kids.

SPEAKER_04 1:24:05

Kill it or let live.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:06

I don't know if I can't do it. What are we gonna kill it? We gotta kill it because the kids. The kids. We gotta kill it because of the kids of the kids.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:14

I gotta call you, baby. We gotta call you, baby. Alright. When the kids hit the head or something. Kill it or let live. Playing Madea's best friend in the upcoming Madea Goes to Space movie, but you gotta wear a dress.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:29

Madea goes to Space movie. 2025. Madea goes to Space 2025.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:36

Tomorrow. Tomorrow. And you do a Madea, but you would have been a little bit more. You book tomorrow. You book tomorrow. They're sending the first class flight tickets. You number two on the car sheet. Madea. Oh, number two on the car shoot.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:51

Number two on the book. He raised the stakes Netflix is Aaron on the street. Shout out to Netflix. We love Netflix. We love Netflix, but you got, but you got to wear that dress. I gots to wear that dress. Number two. Number two on the case.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:09

It's not you like how I flip it. See, you gotta talk about the thing. It don't technically the fabric. It's not a sundress. We talk about sundress for warm moments. Sundress? No, I can't do it. Gotta kill it. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:24

Gotta kill it. No sundress. I got two months. Okay, okay. Okay, okay, go. Kill it or let live. People who live in apartments that have ring cameras. Do y'all see this? This shit be pissing me off. I don't know what I see this.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:40

Kill it or let live. Kill it or let live. Oh, just in general. Yeah, just in general. Are you supported? You support it or you don't support it.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:46

People that live in apartments that have ring cameras on their own. If you got, if you have, if you like I'll explain it.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:52

If you got like a penthouse like in New York and it's kind of big, you know what I mean? Or Chicago, you you got about five rooms, you know what I mean? It's everywhere, you know. One though, five rooms. Yeah, one door. Five rooms. Something might happen. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 1:26:07

Okay. Ring camp. Yeah. You letting me. Recamp. Recamp. Okay. But not inside, though. You can't. So you're gonna let that live. Can all you can do. All right, last one. Hmm. Some apologies. Too simple. Go crazy. This is all good. Go crazy. Okay. I can make a little crazy one. I can't do it. I can't do it. Kill it a little bit. I'm gonna do that. I can't do that. I can do that again. I'm gonna kill it a little bit. I do got a little restraint. I know y'all think I'm gonna done it. All right, killin' a little. You get to experience time travel. You get to experience time travel for the for the first time. And you're also known as the inventor of time travel. But the only place you can't explore is slavery.

SPEAKER_06 1:27:18

What?

SPEAKER_02 1:27:19

Are you going back? You're going back. You're never gonna be back.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:23

I'm not going back. You don't even want to see that. I gotta understand. I don't want to see that. You don't want to go back to the mutual slavery?

SPEAKER_05 1:27:31

No. I don't want to see that. Nah. Part four? No.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:41

Shout out to them nice clean chosen because. Okay, but come on, man. I think you do with the money green title. I want a little more diligent than I see. You air just I see the lineup. I appreciate the line. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03 1:27:55

You know what I'm saying? I don't like what's going on. Um that was funny. I went back and forth with a lot of different um with a lot of different top fives, man. Um we do a top five. Yeah, because I had I had top five schedules. I had top five orange sodas. I was like, he'd probably be, I said he'd probably be in a soda deal. Yeah, I was like, okay, you can even talk sodas like that. Um Chicago actors. Or comics. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:28

That's a lot of that.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:29

Top five, though?

SPEAKER_04 1:28:30

That's gonna get me in trouble, bro.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:32

That's my family.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:33

That's my family. That's a lot of people, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:37

That's gonna be family. I love them, man. I gotta bet where do you how do you order the sketch shows? The what? The sketchos. All the sketchos that have existed, because I feel like all that should be highly ranked. Okay. So it's top five sketchos.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:53

Yeah, so top five. Top five sketch shows. Is there five sketch is there five.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:57

Absolutely. Oh, you could rank them. Absolutely. Are there five we got we got Saturday Night Live? Okay. We got In Living Color. Okay. We got all that. Mad TV, Mad TV. We got Mad G V. Correct. We got Kill. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:10

Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. So top five with Sketch Show? Yeah, man. Oh snap. That's gangster. I never got that one. Hey, man. Yeah. That's a good one. That's gangster. Okay, top five. Uh, okay. Um, we're gonna go. Oh, we're just gonna go.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:25

No, S S and L. No, I got it. I got it. Okay, you got it.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:28

I got it, I got it. So we're going from one, number one, my number all the way down?

SPEAKER_03 1:29:33

Yeah. You can just name the five or you can order them.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:36

Oh, okay, all right. Bet. So Inlivic Color. Mm-hmm. That's definitely the color. Uh all that? All that. I agree with it. Because we don't get mentioned in this schedule area. We should be mentioned. I agree. Uh SNL. Gotta do that. Gotta do that. Uh uh Okay. I'm gonna go even further. Um the Oh man.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:03

I know exactly who you're thinking about too.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:05

Uh uh Richard Pryor.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:06

Yep, that was just for the say that. Oh, the Richard Pryor.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:09

It had a show, a live show. And uh, and then also, I'm also gonna go uh Sammy Davis Jr. Ooh, at a uh, he had a night, um like a vaudeville. Yeah, like a variety, like variety. Variety type of job. But nope, not Sammy. Because uh I love Sammy's great work, but I'm gonna go with uh Carol Burnett.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:30

Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Carol Burnett. Yeah, yeah. Carol Burnett. Definitely the first Carol Burnett mentioned on this show.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:38

Because I mean it was a boss, though. Like, I mean, like, and I love, love the work. I got to meet uh uh Carol Burnett and Tracy Ollman. They uh gave me an award uh back in the day when they had the K Boys Awards. And I I won, you know, uh, and that was just like a big moment for me that they presented it in everything.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:59

What word what award was it?

SPEAKER_04 1:31:01

It was for uh best male actor for uh, and it was for the Kenyon Kale show. It was sitcom. Best male actor in sitcom. Dope, dope, and there was a lot of cats that was mad at it. Yeah, male. It was all grown. It was all grown folks in there. Well observed, but me and Kitty were just little kids. Final question, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:20

Yeah, talk to me. You're killing it uh in what is it, what is the You can have it exactly how you want it. Career-wise. Okay. What does it look like? What is killing it at this variation look like for you? Is it movies, is it TV, behind the screen, on screen, is it five movies a year, three shows? Like what is it, what does it look like?

SPEAKER_04 1:31:44

What you're talking about, like in a uh fantasy thinking of world or something like that. No, just you manifesting.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:50

Me manifesting? Yeah, you're manifesting it. This is this is how your 2026 slate is gonna go. Got four dramatic roles, two biopics. Like, what does it look like?

SPEAKER_04 1:32:00

Oh, what it look like. Okay, because see, I'm so we believe in the room. Yeah, no, no. I'm the type of brother where I'm so like um where you're at, like there's different seasons.

SPEAKER_06 1:32:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:12

And I think that people have to understand, um, I cause I can't, I my mind don't work like that. Mobile work in a way of like, I'm gonna just I'm gonna get it. You know what I mean? Like, continue to stay killing it and learn from every season. Because that's the thing, because the thing is that you can't control what's happening on the outside and the way the business changes and the way the business switches, it's a thing where you have to change uh spiritual adjustability and also uh business adjustability. Yes. Learning how to do that. Because there's so many people that get stuck in their old ways that they don't know how to continue to work within this business because like, oh man, I should have. And it's like, no, learn of what's going on now. You know what I mean? Learn from what the influencers are doing and all this different thing like that. I just went to a uh a red carpet and they was like actor and influencer. Kale Mitchell. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, and I was like, oh, okay, because I understand brand deals and doing the different things of that way of being an influencer as well. So just the way things change, man. I know that didn't answer your question at all. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:20

Kelch, man. Uh make sure y'all pick up Kale's book, Prank Day. Prank Day. Uh man, we appreciate you. What's your socials where they can find you?

SPEAKER_04 1:33:29

Thank you, man. Uh, at IMKEL Mitchell. Uh, you can check me out on Instagram uh and see all the crazy workouts, uh, see the films that's coming out. Uh, yeah, just Instagram, because you know, we used to do the dot com, but that's just, you know, Kel Mitchell.com. Google me, baby. Google Tiada Taylor say.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:46

Hey, man, uh, appreciate y'all watching. Subscribe, like, comment, let us know your favorite moments from this episode. Um, continue to uh tap in with the culture with us. You know what I'm saying? We've been your host, Justin Hyas. London Brown. B.T. Kingsley. And the one and only Kale Mitchell Gobba.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:04

For the culture, can you give us, man? Welcome to the go. Can you give us one of those welcome to the ghost? For the culture, Kingsman.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:12

Welcome to killin' it. For the homies, let's go, man. Uh, welcome, uh, welcome to killin' it. Okay. I'm ready, be ready. I'm ready, be ready, we're ready. Okay, these are my guys, man. They're doing a great show, you know. Uh, it's called killin' it, and then you gotta kill it, you know what I mean? So, welcome to killin' it, home of the killing it, uh, where you just keep killing it. Killing it.