Killin It
Comedians London Brown, Justin Hires, & BT Kingsley converse with top people in entertainment and culture that are killing it in their life and career.
Killin It
BRIAN HOOKS
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Actor/Filmmaker, Brian Hooks, talks about making millions of dollars from producing low budget independent films, acting in hood classics 'Phat Beach', '3 Strikes', and 'Soul Plane', working with Kevin Hart, and more.
Hosted by @RealLondonBrown, @JustinHires, @BTKingsley
YouTube (Full Episodes): @KillinItPod
YouTube (Clips): @KillinItPodClips
Instagram: @KillinItPod
TikTok: @KillinItPod
Facebook: Killin It
Website: KillinItPod.com
Executive Produced by London Brown, Justin Hires, BT Kingsley
Engineer: Aaron Brungardt
This small independent distributor took the film, put it out, and made eight hundred thousand dollars. So from that thirteen thousand dollars turned into eight hundred thousand dollars, and we was like, oh Hold on real quick, in case I missed it.
SPEAKER_04They put it out on DVD or to the theaters. DVD. DVD and they made $800,000. All right, continue. I'm missing it. So so you know early. I know, right?
SPEAKER_03So we had sort of accidentally on purpose stumbled into this space to where we can make these small independent films, made a ton of money, and we did nothing to lose for like a hundred thousand. The romantic comedy that went on to make four million, then they stopped reporting to us. They said, oh you know what I mean? Then they stopped telling us.
SPEAKER_04Welcome to another episode of Killin' It Man with your host, Justin Hyatt. London Brown, BT Kingsley. And man, I'm super excited about our guest today, man. This is somebody that I grew up watching on TV. He's still young though.
SPEAKER_03But I'm old.
SPEAKER_0130, 36, everybody don't killin' it. Everybody 36.
SPEAKER_04Running place between the ages of 30 and 40, 30. Exactly. But I gotta list off some of his credits because he actually got credits. You know, everybody knows the number ones be having credits. People got followers. You got followers. You got credits. Okay. Three strikes. Food's goal, fat beach, high school. I used to love that movie. I saw that in the theaters. The TV show Eve, Bluesworth, Moe Show, the Parkers, Adam Eve. Give it up for the woman number. What's happening, man?
SPEAKER_03Man, I can't call it, man. Just trying to stay busy, keep it moving, and catch up with y'all, you know?
SPEAKER_04You know what? So for I realized I don't know nothing about you. And I didn't look you up either. Because I didn't want to. I wanted this to be a true experience. So where where you from originally?
SPEAKER_03Bakersfield, California. Born and raised. Small little country town, about an hour and a half north of LA, but more an extension of the Bay as far as the ways and the people, man. So I was born and raised there, man, and uh came out here for uh college, Cal State Northridge. What'd you make? Back in the day, I was an agent in math to be a teacher. But I was running around trying to get my feet wet outside of school. And then through the drama log, which is now uh backstage west or whatever, I got uh submitted myself for Fat Beach. Six auditions later, I got Fat Beach, and you know, and then it just started to go.
SPEAKER_04So wait a minute, wait a minute. I was gonna ask you about that, because when I was going through your credits, I'm like, it looked like he booked Fat Beach like straight out the gate.
SPEAKER_03That was my first movie, first role ever, dog. That's crazy.
SPEAKER_04And when you said Dramalogue, what is that?
SPEAKER_03Was that a It's Backstage West now, but it was Dramalog. It was a look just like Backstage West. You go into 7 Eleven, you get it. They have like independent films, short films, student films, and you said submit yourself. And so I submitted myself to Fat Beach, went, read like six, seven times Doug Ellen, who created uh Entourage. You know what I mean? He wrote and directed uh Fat Beach and you know, and that was that. Yeah, man.
SPEAKER_04That's crazy. Yeah. I got one more. Hold on. How did so the movie was always intended to go to the theaters?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And so they just had an open casting call for Well, no, I don't I don't think they knew where it was gonna end up.
SPEAKER_03Okay. No, they just because you know they didn't have you know a huge budget. They was just shooting for the fence, but the movie came out, it was a beach movie, you know, it was girls, it was craziness.
SPEAKER_00So, you know, and then it was a what was your theater experience before then?
SPEAKER_03Were you had you done some plays or something? I hadn't done. I w I was just keeping a class at school. So after I had my math classes, I was um taking theater classes in school, took a class or two outside of school, but it was just running and hustling and gunning, man. Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_02I know I'm up. So I uh I feel like we had Brandon T. Jackson on, and there was a part that I regretted after he left. Brandon T. Jackson is the logic and theory behind a lot of people that moved to LA, like, oh yeah, I'm a I'm a comedian. Be like, I'm gonna get on stage, and then I'm they're gonna see me, and then I'm gonna be a star. And it only kind of worked for him. Right? He he's the he's the story. I will not do this with you. Yeah. You went in, you had this role, you live in very rare fight air. I've had this conversation a couple times. We sat up and tried to count how many black male uh people have held that slot. So, like, okay, so Eddie comes out and he has this slot. It's like the it's like the Eddie fast talking, hilarious comic relief kind of thing, and you are one of few who has done it, excelled in it, and it is not a long list. I have tried to count. I'm saying like high level.
SPEAKER_04I tried my shit. I canceled doing the commercial, bro.
SPEAKER_02I'm talking, I'm talking but I'm talking specifically like on film, it's like 48 hours, money talks. It's like these two people are kind of running this film, and this guy, he every time we come to him, he got a kill. You own Fat Peach Killing. How is the response after you do a movie like that? Because I know I have a feeling that everybody had to go, wait, what the fuck was that? Yeah. Who is he?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Yeah. What is the response after? It was it was it was big, you know, because again, it was just uh it was a little engine that could. You know what I mean? It was just a small movie, you know, with Brian Hooks. Nobody knew who that was. Huggy, they knew from Lean O Me Juice, they didn't know who Doug was at the time. And so we just made this, you know, this beach movie, this sort of common age space beach movie. And then it came out, it went um, I think we we did like, I don't know, like a few million dollars, a couple, three million dollars on the box office. It was a small release, and then it went on DVD and went eight bananas. And made millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars. And so it was everywhere. And I think you know, fat beach is something that just lives because to this day, you know what I mean? Like, yo, you know what I mean? Yo, we used to watch that, we weren't supposed to be watching that like. You know what I mean? People expect me to show up with like before Bill Bell knew how to be a player, it was it was Fat Beach. That's made me to this day. I remember I went to Detroit for a show and it was the comic there. And when I didn't show up with a harem of I think I ruined his life. He seemed so depressed. He thought it was gonna be bitch and beach balls following me around, you know what I mean? So it was just it was just big, man. But as you know, I'm an independent dude. I was never really part of the, you know what I mean, any circles or anything like that. Um, but luckily I submitted my foundation and independent filmmaking to where I could keep moving and pushing along. It was never really waiting on anyone. You know what I mean? I jumped in and did the studio thing when you know when it made sense and when it wasn't, I was over here building this foundation for my film.
SPEAKER_04What gave you that mindset to do that? Because see, I know I got friends who they're still kind of stuck in the Hollywood system. I'm like, man, you gotta go and create your own shit and stop waiting around for Hollywood to give you these opportunities. So what happened or what was your mindset that got you to be like, I'm not waiting on Hollywood, I'm finna get it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was sort of accidentally on purpose. Like I had a buddy Barry Bowles who was in the film school at C Sun, and I was asking. He did nothing to lose, right? Yep, yep. And then we uh we were sort of cool, and then long story short, he was like, I'm doing this film, you know what you think, let's do it. Um I put in a little money. He had won some money from gambling, from uh basketball games, and it was the the budget was like $13,000. There's a movie called Q, and when we finished, it was absolutely horrible. I mean, the shit was horrible, but it was 90 minutes and it was coming off the hills of Fat Beach. So Xenon, this small independent distributor, took the film, put it out, and made $800,000. So from that $13,000 turned into $800,000, and we was like, oh shit.
SPEAKER_04Like, so hold on, real quick, in case I missed it. They put it out on DVD or to the theater. DVD. DVD, and they made $800,000. All right, continue. I'm missing it so you know early. I know, right?
SPEAKER_03So we had sort of accidentally on purpose stumbled into this space to where we could make these small independent films, made a shit ton of money, and we did nothing to lose for like a hundred thousand, the romantic comedy that went on to make four million, then they stopped reporting to us. They said, oh shit, you know what I mean? Then they stopped telling us.
SPEAKER_04And so at that time, like the studio distributor that we through, yeah, that we went through.
SPEAKER_03Um, but we were making a ton of fucking money on these independent films, which, you know, it wasn't sexy at the time. You know, them people like it was either the studio or why are you doing it? You know what I mean? But you flash forward to now, we're in such an independent time to where it's like, how could you not be doing it? You know what I mean? So it was sort of a blessing in disguise back then. It was like, damn, I gotta wear 10 hats to get these things done. And now flash forward, you know, I know I can make a movie with my eyes closed of quality of any fucking thing out there. So it was a blessing, and we in a super independent time right now to where you're saying you can't, you'll be waiting on them forever. You know what I mean? You don't even know the deals or whatever, you know, you in an audition and then made, you know, the night before at dude's house when they was partying, doing whatever they do, whatever they do, and you know what I mean. And you you you just in there wasting your motherfucking time. That's a fact. So you have to be building towards doing your own shit. And it's a super independent time to where it's cool now to do your own shit.
SPEAKER_00Low key, y'all was already ahead of the curve when you put it all in in perspective like that. Yeah. What are you are you guys still cool today?
SPEAKER_03Me and Barry?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Oh, hell yeah. Okay, cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Hold on, I wanted to know when you were doing like on your straight to DVD run as an actor in Hollywood, were you cool? Were you cool with that? Or was there a part of you that was like, Man, I wish I was in these movies.
SPEAKER_03No, when we were doing it at first, like I said, it was accidentally on purpose. Like we was trying to do something, but we didn't know the gravity of what it could be. But once we seen it, it made sense. So we kept turning it, and it was a way, again, to not just be waiting on them. Right. You know what I'm saying? So along the line, you always grind and to try to do the studio thing, which you know, Fools Go, High School High, and all them joints were, you know, a blessing. But, you know, as at some point I figured out, you know what, I'm getting more gratification off my, you know, the film we did for $150,000 than this $90 million budget for Fool's Go. I had a good time, it was cool, but I for me, it was more gratifying with those few people who were there because they love what they do or they believe in me. We made a cool film that random people come up and be like, yo, that one joint with the whoop whoop. And that shit filled me. Right. And so that was my foundation. And you know, and that's why you see uh, you know, a a lot of our talent talented folks who still waiting around. You know what I mean? Still waiting around. But I've always had that to lean back on and lean into um to sustain myself. You know what I mean? So if they don't ever do anything with me again, I'm always gonna be moving and grooving. And you gotta ask yourself what success is to you. You know what I mean? Because what they tell us is when you're on the billboard and such and such and them studio or whatever fool with you, then you made it. But you know, that's maybe if that's your goal. But there's a hundred other ways to be successful, you know what I mean? So if you can make a film when you want, how you want, with who you want, and make good money for that film, is that enough for you? You know what I'm saying? Right. Well, no, no, no, you're not gonna be on the billboards on sunset, you know what I mean? You're never gonna get an award, but you could do what you say you love, make a great living off of it, how you want, when you want, with who you want. Is that enough? For me, it's enough. Yeah, you know what I mean? Now I don't think you keep pushing, you can have drive and keep going, but you have to sort of figure out what success is for you. How the fuck you know when you get there? Nigga, you passed success a long time ago. They got you spinning thinking, you know what I mean? You dancing for motherfuckers, you know what I mean? And you already successful, be like, you know what I'm saying? But sometimes they make you feel like if this person or these people or that group don't say you're successful, then you're not successful. You know what I mean? You ever think of how the nigga just be making urban films and be making hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars, and then they be like, I gotta cross over. Nigga to what? Right. Right. Like, life is good, bro. You make you making more money than you can spend. You have an audience that loves you.
SPEAKER_00For real, for real.
SPEAKER_03Cross over, nigga, they need to cross over and come see you, where you at. Right. But that's just that mindset to where they trick you into thinking your success is not successful because you ain't defining shit for yourself.
SPEAKER_02And especially when you're talking art, because art is all perspective anyway. And and the there's like a a vacillating energy and perspective between what is a studio film, what is an independent film, especially nowadays, and for not for nothing, what's good or what's bad. Fat Beach is hilarious. Way better, way better, way better, thousands of times better, and thousands of times funnier and hits the mark better than quote unquote studio, da da da. And you've done that consistently. Being in that space and understanding like what that rhythm is and and when you got something good, and what is that like as a filmmaker? It's like, and and how far are you involved in the space? Because in my brain, this is outside looking in. Um, oh, snap, Brian Hooks is in the film, he's gonna deliver, and I feel like your input has to be all over it because it keeps being good. I was like, and yeah, see other independent. Yeah, yeah, yeah. LC Studio should not be that good, but it but whenever you're showing up, it's delivering. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03What what what is that? I think it's just like I said, I started a long time ago, and at a time when I was like, damn, I had to wear all these hats, and I thought it was a burden, um, flash forward to where I know the details of filmmaking. And I know that the little things when you're trying to make a film of quality and you try to make it feel like a big film, it's the small things that mean the most. And you know, most filmmakers um they're not educated on filmmaking or whatever it may be, they're looking for the big things. Oh, these are the big things, let's do this, and that's cool. But it's those small things that have you feeling like, you know, watching a film like you know what I mean? It was talking about, no, it was cool, it was cool, it was cool, but you know what I mean? And so it's just knowing those small things that people think are you don't necessarily need that sort of pull your film out of a space. And most people watching can't tell you exactly what it is to make it feel not quite whatever, because it's those little shits that you mention, like sound, color, and shit like that.
SPEAKER_04Yep. I was gonna say something, even my new for me is if you watching a movie and it's like a let's say a dinner, they're at a restaurant and a couple's arguing, but none of the background actors look at the couple that's arguing. They just feel like I'm like, in the real world, if somebody's arguing, you're gonna be like, what the fuck going on over there?
SPEAKER_03So it'd be even little shit like that. It's the small things you have to pay into pay attention to.
SPEAKER_00Yes, as a writer director, talking about as far as you mentioning all the different hats you wear, what exactly is the role of a producer?
SPEAKER_03I think the producer is is um it's just sort of like the quarterback of very I don't know what the deck might be, the quarterback, and the producer I I think was more so the coach. You know what I mean? And you sort of have to have your hand in everything, you know what I mean? From who's the talent to hiring the talent to the locations, it might be the GM. Yeah, it's a it's a you know what I mean, and to to the director and you know, and and how's he working, are they moving along? So you just have to sort of you're the manager of the whole thing, you know what I mean? And it helps to be um, you know, just have knowledge of what everyone is doing, you know what I mean, from the actors and and the cameraman and the lights and the location. You might have someone to do those specific things, probably not if you're doing a small independent film. So, but you have to know what they're doing and you have to manage and know, you know, what's up, you know what I mean? Because most people might miss details that cost you a whole day. You know what I mean? You show up to, you know, uh a restaurant where you don't work the deal and you got four hours to be, you know, in and out, and you show up there and you know, and the time is whatever, and you don't have no money to re-up for another day, nigga. I barely have the money for this day. Right. You know what I mean? So as a producer, you just kinda you have to have your hand in every single element to ensure that you're successful, and when you finish shooting whatever you, you know, plan to shoot, you have all that shit, and you're not needing to go back because that could be costly.
SPEAKER_00Everybody, stop what you're doing right now. Make sure you subscribe to Killin the Pie. Boom.
SPEAKER_04What's the toughest lesson you've had to learn about independent filmmaking?
SPEAKER_03It's it's every time, man. Every time you step, it's gonna be something. Yeah. You know that's so that's why when the shit hit, don't even trip. Just know that as much as you know, it's gonna be something. You know what I mean? So ain't no need at, oh man, or this and that. Just take a deep breath and say, okay, what are our options to fix it? A, B, and C, and choose the best case scenario. But I think you have to, um, I think some of the, you know, the biggest lessons I would say, um just make even talent, man. Like you have to, you know, you have to kind of know if you have, you know, because you know, as actors, you know, they show up to be, you know, get their ass kissed. You know what I'm saying? I want to be a celebrity. It's like, yeah, nigga, we don't, we, you know what I'm saying? Like, we we need you to change in the SUV. That's why we rented that SUV. Like, I could have just brought the camera. A fiance dealt with the same thing. Yeah, you know what I mean? So it's like, um, you know, you might be thinking, oh, I'm getting such and such, but such and such come and blow up the spot because they're not willing and don't understand it. Like, nah, it ain't that. So you have to be tell folks, even cast and crew, what it is and what it ain't, man. Like, I don't have a lot of money. This is what I'm paying. And a lot of times we want to get such and such, or we want to get this person so we promise them something that we don't have in hopes or expecting to have it by then. And you just gonna blow yourself up. So you gotta let people know what it is and what it ain't. We don't have this, we don't have this, we don't have this, we do have this, we do have this. And like I I let people know that like this is what it is, this is what it ain't. We're gonna make a dope ass movie. And we don't know if one mil one person's gonna see it or one billion people gonna see it, but it's gonna be some shit when they do say it. Yo, that was dope. That was dope. That's what I can promise you. Yeah, you know what I mean? And so you have to let people know what you're working with, what it is, what it and let them decide whether they want to come on or not. And I do that with my crew, you know what I mean? Like this is this is the rate for this, you know. So they can say, Oh, yeah, nah, I can't, I can't come from that. You know, I need to be free, and yeah, I can respect that. But if you do, nigga, approach it as if I'm paying you a million dollars a day. Or don't come. You know what I'm saying? Like don't don't come and give me a half ass effort, you know what I mean? And so people say, Okay, yeah, no, I'll rock with you. Or they say, Nah, I can't do that. You know what I mean? But That's to let them know what it is and what it ain't up front. So people don't get on the set and be surprised about, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_04I'm a big believer. If you can't handle the small shit, you can't handle the big stuff. And so I be seeing people, they be thinking like, oh, well, when I get on an ABC set, you know, I'm an actor. It's like, man, I'm a need to be able to get a big thing. You gotta deliver here first. And then get your ass on ABC set. Everybody ain't Brian Hooky right now.
SPEAKER_01Can't go from college to number one on the call shit. That'd not be happening, bro.
SPEAKER_02And even, but like even what you were saying, like, we've had this conversation before. It's like, uh, I won't say any streamer specifically, flicks. The something about sometimes when you're watching it, and like you said, it's like I'm watching this, and this thing has all the elements that I like. I love this actor, I love the genre. I can't put my finger on it. But it's a disconnect. I was like, why is this not uh who's it? Like the curl just ain't just curl all the way over. Curl it. I was like, and I want to love it. It's like it's right on the cusp.
SPEAKER_03It's like those little elements. Those little elements that you probably can't even identify to just be fucking with your ears, yeah. Fucking with what you're seeing, yeah, you know, and it's knowing those things.
SPEAKER_02So being in both spaces, because you were um you you've lived in in both worlds, the independent and the industry, uh speak to the creative control that you have and how how much range you have in in the two worlds. Because uh I'm gonna go out on limb and say you've it was some riffing, it was some improvness, you be all over these films. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think what um, you know, as far as range and control with um Laughing to the Bank, I made it with my my real brother and my real best friend and my real cousin who my best friend, and we just went out and did, you know what I mean, some shit that if they've ever had given me anything, they would have canceled me and took it back for that. Right, right, right. They gave me shit to take, right?
SPEAKER_04We need to cancel him. Oh, we ain't gave him shit.
SPEAKER_03Damn, you know, but it's just the ability to go out and really just do what you want. Because as soon as you go into a studio or something, or whomever, you have a dope. Niggas, the first thing he's gonna do is tell you why it ain't gonna work. You know, oh yeah, nah, what do you what do you mean, bro? Like, I've seen some of the shit y'all did, bro. Snock it off. You know what I'm saying? Like, and so they they just itching to tell you how and why it don't work. But y'all are talented. So when you come with something that you done thunk up, nine times out of ten, it's good. And they just don't see the vision, or they do see the vision, and as soon as you walk out the room, they're gonna figure out how to do it without you. It's either one or two things. We've heard that. It's it's either one or two things.
SPEAKER_00We've heard it, we've had that said several times with the guests that come on, and we talked about just early within the show, which is how a lot of times it feels like the industry has to catch up to the talent. Like the talent is already, people just are not getting it. And that's why also it seems like I think while uh most creators have I think that's why we're in the space of a lot of creative doing independent stuff because it's like you're waiting for people to get it, and I think creators are realizing like I don't think they gonna get it. Right. So now let's just um but what what what has um what job or experience do you feel has taught you the most about who you truly are?
SPEAKER_03I think um I think the Eve show, you know, it was a long run. Great job on there too many. Thank you, thank you. We were on there for like three or four years, and it was a it was a comfortable time financially with uh, you know, shit ton of money, and you just really got to settle in and look and see a bunch of different lenses from production to people to the reaction of people to you to to to talent. And I think that was just a time where it really allowed me to see things with my eyes wide open and see, you know, how great, you know, being in the studio, whatever system is, and also the cons of how it turns so quick and relying on them completely when you set yourself up for failure.
SPEAKER_04Um what do you mean by turn so quick? Like when the show get canceled?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, when the show get canceled, like with Eve, it was just oh, you know, Warner Brothers or whatever, you know, bought UPN or whoever the merger, and then it was like, oh, okay, well, we gotta do the new shows now. So it was not that the show wasn't good, it wasn't performing or any of that. It was just you know, we signed a new thing, so let's get rid of everything. So and I think it just taught me to always keep my eyes open, always stay planning, always stay moving, and it was just a lesson. When it's good, it's great, and plan for that, but don't assume that anything is gonna go on forever. Have a plan that allows you to sustain independent of anyone. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_04It's so fun, bruh. That final season, that last two seasons of MacGyver, they would basically they were underpaying me. You know what I'm saying? And season four, I was like, I gotta slap their head. Because I'm like, I know this show is gonna end. Yeah. And before this show ends, I need to stack some bread and invest in some real estate so I can always have some bread coming in if I'm not on a TV show. And that's exactly what I thought. Money. I want to hear shit and then they canceled our black ass. Give me your money and then I get the show. Yeah, but anyways, that's just like you know your point, because the shit will come to an end. And I think people be thinking when they get on these shows, this shit gonna last forever.
SPEAKER_03That's the assumption. You know what I mean? You just be so caught up, you don't think logically that at some point it has to end. What's the exit plan? You know what I mean? They'll cancel your shit whether you would have stuck them up or not. That's a freaking good thing you hit that ass. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_04You can't rub it.
SPEAKER_02Lap it in the back. On that, on that note though, on the the space of Eve, because it is this uh the industry space. I remember watching uh and I don't I don't know you at the time, but I remember I was sitting there and I remember they started doing a promo for the show. I was like Fat Beatle!
SPEAKER_05Fat Beatle! Fan Beach!
SPEAKER_02Fab Beach, TV, TV Like I remember that moment. How does that come along? Is it because of what you had created or is it just like an audition?
SPEAKER_03See, the thing for me is I was always a little too when they wanted a black person, they didn't really want a nigga. You know what I'm saying? And I had a nigger tendencies. Yeah. So Epps probably would have never got cast for a CBS, but Cube recognized that that's what the culture is about, a Mike Epps. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. He was in charge, so he recognized that. So I was very nigga-ish. You feel me? So when we when they say they want a black dude in a show, like, I mean, we don't want to black. Not that black.
SPEAKER_04Someone who's you see it on network, you see it on network TV.
SPEAKER_03No, no, they just want someone who's black, not blackish. You know what I'm saying? So when I would go in and do my thing, I was I'm fat beach. You feel me? Like niggas do job, you know what I mean? That's very, you know, big, and they never really, but I didn't know that at the time. So it was gonna take some shit to line up. It had to be some real niggas in the room for me to get it, a job. You feel me? Or else, you know, we want that water, we just want your skin to be black. You know what I mean? We don't want any kind of yeah, unless, and so with uh Meg, uh Troy Carter, Eve, like Troy Carter was a part of Troy Carter was the EP of Philly. You know, Eve and Philly. So they was new, then was niggas. Yeah, you know what I mean? So you know, he was funny, but it was, you know, he was, you know, it was it was maybe too, maybe too much, you know what I mean? And so, but they got it. You know what I mean? They got the they got the character and they got the funny, and you know, we read for casting and then producers and then networking. Y'all know how that TV shit go. You had to read for the for the executives, kids, you know, church people now come to my church and read for them. Sunday school, like and so, you know, finally they pulled the trigger, and you know, and it was um, and that was that, you know what I mean? But I think it was, you know, the the the black folks in the room who recognized that, you know what I'm saying? And then that's how Fat Beach got on TV. But every day, you know what I mean, that check hit. I felt like we were stealing my. I was like, nigga, we gonna get in trouble. Oh my god, I could make nine movies with that. And then I was just like, we finna get arrested. Any day they're gonna kick in this door, be like, get on the ground.
SPEAKER_04Like, you touched on something, I talked to my wife about this, which is you can't, they don't really want you too black. They don't want you to that's part of my problem. Yeah, I have the face of Martin, yeah, but my spirit is X. Right. And it looks like I got my social media, they was like, oh, this nigga. That's a fact. That's a real shit. My mama used to be like, you might want to pull nigga tone niggas because these people watch it. Seriously, man. If you look at network TV today, you don't see no real nah. You don't see, I don't care who's working. If it ain't a power show, if you not talk on some drug type shit.
SPEAKER_03A real, you know.
SPEAKER_04They don't have no regular, if you just a regular black nigga, you able to get hoes, you play basketball, you listen to hip hop music, you're not gonna be. The black people you see, they either go be, I'm gonna I'ma say it. I'ma say it. They want you as non-threatened as possible.
SPEAKER_03Exactly.
SPEAKER_04If you gotta lisp, that helps. That's number one. I'm going easy first. You're going easy. You gotta lift that notes. Number two, if you a nerd, if you come, if you consider yourself as a black nerd, you in there.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04If your girlfriend or wife happen to be white, you in there. Nigga, you work. An indigenous kind of indigenous, hey, you say what you want. So it's either that, it's either you gotta be on a power type show, so shit. Well, nigga, I'm five, six. Right. I'm not gonna be on no type of parent shit. Cause I'm not six four with nigga. You know what I'm saying? Anyways, I'm standing all of that and saying you brought something up, but I didn't want to kind of bypass that because that is where the industry at. Hold on, before you get to your shit. No, you're good. I do want to ask this question to to piggyback on all of that. Why don't you think the industry is not making the black sitcoms and things like that that they used to?
SPEAKER_03They don't want to. They never wanted to. Even back then, they didn't want to, but it's sometimes they get back into a corner to where it's a good PR look, or it's um beneficial because we got to kick start this network. They always kickstarted on black shows. Martin was on Fox, that was, you know what I mean, the small whatever. Once that blew up, they bailed on the black stuff. And then it was out of here. Martin, you and Gina. Yeah. Then it was uh UPN that built that up, bailed, you know what I mean. Then uh Warner Brothers built that up. They always springboard off of us. Tubi was a whole bunch of black shit, and you know, he he cashed and you know, went to the bank with that, and now they're gonna start filtering that shit out too. Now that Fox got it, everybody who started it is gone. So they just gonna weed that out as well. So that's what they do it because it makes great business sense. But there was an executive older white dude at a big company who just said, We we just don't like doing stuff with black people. And he struggled straight like that. And it was someone who, you know, you know, uh, you know, somebody you get a certain age and you know, a black older man say anything, older white dude just say what's the same. I'm taking a whole photo, yeah. I gotta take it around. We don't like you. We don't like you. And so they do it because, you know, like, oh shit, we done 20 white movies. We should we gotta do one. Yeah, so they don't appear racist. Right. So unless it's a PR thing, so they just don't care to. Sometimes it's just whatever, but if you go out there and you trailblaze and you know, you you know, you create waves, and you know, it's like, oh well shit, we gotta do two, and and then you get chosen, and so they tolerate it, but they just don't care to do it.
SPEAKER_02Which is crazy because it speaks to you know, something deep rooted because that don't even make sense business wise.
SPEAKER_03No, financially, he admitted that financially. It would make more sense. It always makes money, but we just don't like to work with it.
SPEAKER_02I talked to uh uh uh a comedy club owner and he was like, there's not any really there's no middle white acts. Either you're or you're you're not there yet. And it was like for he was like black comedy and black funny keeps my club open. He was like, he was like, without the big black headliners coming, it doesn't there is not a uh if DL's not here or said, it's like it's like you talking some of the top tier comedians that have ever lived. He was like, there's not a white counterpart to this. Right. He's uh and and if there was, there's nowhere near enough. I know that the if you look at any comedy club in the world, that's how it is. So it's like I I'm saying that to say if a studio head understood that when you're talking funny, it ain't gonna you ain't gonna get too far away from us. Yeah. We that's a space we dominate. We dominate kind of all the spaces. Yeah. But y'all know that this one is is our so to not do the situational comedies with us when you look at the greatest situational comedies, that just look at the top of the list. So they don't care. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03They're not like, oh yeah, we forgot. They just don't care. It's you know what I mean. This is fucked up. You know what I mean? But it's what it is. They're not confused, they don't like, oh, we didn't see these numbers. They know the numbers, they know all that. It just they don't care. So you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02So you're so fat beach happens, uh the there's a we somebody not paying attention would see Fat Beach and be like, oh, that was this beautiful moment. But then there's three strikes. You did it, you did it again. Like you, like you did this, you did this. You you kept delivering every time I saw you on screen, you was killing.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, cool. Quality, like you said, like the Q is like some might be here or there, but hey, hey, hey, hey. That brother's gonna deliver.
SPEAKER_04Now Kale, Kale, Kale did the show. We're about to drop that episode. He said he was originally offered that role. Which one? Three strikes. Kale? Kale said that.
SPEAKER_03He said he knew. No, Kale, it was down to me and Kale for Eve. Maybe that's what he was talking about. It was down to me and him. Yeah. We tested, it was us two. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was down to me and him for Eve. And he may have read for three strikes. I don't know. Dude, I don't know. When it comes to um Yeah.
SPEAKER_00What you tell me? We gotta talk about three strikes. Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I just want to know, just like uh delivering in that space when this when this when this another another hit, what is the feel at that point in time? Once that comes out and people are like, ooh, we're here again.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, I think for I think um that's when you you have to have a publicist is important. It's is important more important than a manager and an agent. You have to have people saying, hey, please look at him. You gotta look at him, look at him, look at him. You have to have that. Now with social media, you can kind of do that yourself if you stay active. And I and with that, and it's what I didn't know at the time is it's really they don't give a shit about that. You you're going to be hot depending on again, if you're in those circles or not. I don't give a fuck how talented you are, whatever. If you're in our circle, we're going to push you. If you're not, we're not. You know what I mean? Unless you have like, you know, again, you have somebody like a cube or, you know, like a 50 or something who has their own lane and who's fooling with you. Back then, as far as the studios and shit like that, it was it was their circles. And not, and it didn't really matter what, you know, the streets thought was hot or what we thought were hot, it did not matter. I've never been in those circles. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't party, I don't pretend to like to do shit that I don't actually like to do. So you feel me? You know what I mean? So if if I'm not willing to do that, and again, you know, you can't be in a room full of niggas doing crack and you sitting over there in the corner not doing it, you like, oh, that nigga gonna tell. Yeah, they'll trust. We will. Yeah. And I say, like, we all in here naked and he not, like, he's gonna tell on us.
SPEAKER_04You know the one dressed at the Diddy party.
SPEAKER_03So and at the end of the day, like they keep coming to offering the Jeep. No. You sure? You sure you know, and so they hire, but then that's it's fucked up. But that's the reality. Yeah, if I was doing something and they said, and it was out of U3, and we said we three niggas, and they gave me four groups of three, you three and three others that I didn't know. I'm fucking with y'all. Why? Because I know y'all. Yeah, you know, is that bad? I don't fucking know, but I know them. I don't know them. Yeah. So when I wasn't in the circle of whatever they was doing, and they picking, they didn't pick me. Right. Feel me? So is it fucked up? Maybe, but people go like, nah, we were naked doing drugs together. I'm hiring them. You know what I'm saying? Like, is Trixie Market available? This is my guy. You don't know this. So a lot of that shit didn't have to do with your talent or what niggas in the hood thought of the film or the numbers or any of that. You know, which we're seeing now with all this shit that's coming out. It's like, hey, wait a minute. You mean I didn't have a chance? So it's like, you know, it is, it is what it is, and they're not always about who's the best person in the room. That is Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I wanted to say that that black fame don't necessarily translate to white crossover. And I say that to mean because that's kind of what you were saying. It's like, yeah, I did three strikes, but I wasn't in them circles. So we cared about three strikes. Right, absolutely. But them people over in that other circle, that was like to them, that's just a black movie. I would just call it spade a spade. I heard Tracy Ellis Ross say, after girlfriends, mind you, girlfriends went, what, five, six seasons? Yeah, for sure. She still had to audition. She she said it was no offers coming in after girlfriends. Yeah. And I think the audition for Blackish came up. I don't know if it was Blackish particular, if in particular, or a different audition, but she said they wanted her to come in and audition. And she was like, I'm not going in and audition. And her agent said, She was like, I just did fucking girlfriends for six seasons. They don't fucking know me. Right, you know if you want me. You know if you want me. And her agent said, listen, it was either her agent or one of her homegirls was like, listen, either you go go in and audition and get this role, or it's gonna be some new person fresh off the bus, go go in and audition and get this role. I think she was talking about blackish. So she went ahead and auditioned and booked blackish. But I said all of that to say all that black success that she had garnered didn't mean shit when it came to ABC.
SPEAKER_00That's why, you know, uh that's what I'm also I've thought I had this conversation before, which is like the people. People that in our culture that we deem is is up there. I mean, of course you got we know the Don the Denzel Don Cheetos for Word of then another thing. But I still feel like I still feel like the cast like how other groups look at like a Matt Damon is how black people look at like a Lorenz Tate. And it's a cast with like bona fide, certified resumes. That's that's what it is. And it's just interesting that the the world we live in. Exactly. But into that, and what he was talking about, how we were able to appreciate Three Strikes, I think that's one of those things that we appreciate about what you do. And that's why we still like Martin, because we haven't seen any niggas for real. Like Martin is like cold, like unfiltered. I mean, of course, even with the cursing, that might have been the only thing that that might have been taken out. But all outside of that, we still saw us when we, when we, when, you know, and that's why what makes three strikes so cool, which is even though other people didn't get it, you know, some things aren't for people to get. Right. But I think we understood just, you know, uh that performance. So not to be verbose about that, but within that performance, what is it that you think you do or what's your approach to show up as you do? Like uh when we, at least when I look at Three Starts, I'm not looking at, and it's not negative, I'm not looking I'm not looking at an actor, I'm looking at somebody I know. Right. One of my neighbors is this is and it's just it's kind of interesting because we're like a we're like a you know, the camera and how it's shot, we just feel like we feel like we're watching from behind the bushes and seeing this adventure. Y'all part of it.
SPEAKER_05Come over to the queen. You're just gonna come right over here. What was that process, bro?
SPEAKER_03I think one, you gotta shout out to DJ Pooh because he has he just has uh organic hood voice. You feel me?
SPEAKER_00Oh, he wrote that joint.
SPEAKER_03DJ Pooh wrote that and directed it. Nice and so he has a very organic voice, sensibility, and understanding of the hood. And I think with me, I don't try to be funny, right? I stick, I I play everything real. It's the it's the kind of shit that's not funny when you in it, but like in a year from now or two years when you with the homies and they didn't remember that time, nigga, shot you with the foot. But in two years when you cool, it's funny. And so I never with the character Rob reach for anything, like the circumstance and the situation, it wasn't really funny. But because it wasn't true, yeah, it was funny, you know what I mean? And so it's staying real in those moments and making sure never to push the funny, like you can find the angle that's the most funniest, but you never reached or, you know, Rob never really told a joke. You feel me? Like it was just all within the range of the shit that was going on.
SPEAKER_04Reacting to the bullshit that's happening.
SPEAKER_03Right. Yeah, we we felt you were scared. We felt all the stuff. Yeah, you know what it is. It was a strike punk, it was scared, but I never, like, oh, if I say this right here, I never went outside of that. And I think that's what people love. Like, yo, this thing is, you know what I'm saying? And that's why you felt like, you like you say you wasn't watching the actor, you was just watching and involved in the shit. And I think it was that combination that made it, you know, why why it shit has legs and people love it so much. For sure.
SPEAKER_04Were you an EP on that? Three strikes, no? No, no. Because I was trying to figure out like, why isn't it available on a tubi or something like that?
SPEAKER_03If you had MGM owned it and then it came back, so now, you know, nobody has it. So going back and forth with pool and we trying to figure out the best case scenario. Get that release, yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Man, we don't never get to ask this kind of shit, bro. Do you feel like you? Okay, so okay. I'm outside looking in. Uh I decide I'm doing entertainment sophomore year high school. I was like, I don't know what I want to do. I know I want to do what Eddie Murphy's doing. All right, cool, Eddie's Eddie, da da da da. And then what happens is as you're in this business and you really get into the thick of it, you start seeing the good guys win. So it's like certain things just like kind of set off like tones for you. It's like it's a competition show you thought was some bullshit, and then you see somebody where you're like, hey man, that's a real nigga. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, you made a a legacy and a career. I don't know if you noticed it that Brian Hooks, but when motherfuckers is talking, you are the king of independent film. Do you feel that? Like, do you do you understand, like, like do you not do you understand, do you feel it? Do you feel that the trailblazing that you did in being a precursor to everything that we're seeing now and cutting through all the malarkey and all the they not fucking with you? Hey man, fuck them. Shit, I don't give a damn about that shit. You did it. You know what I'm saying? Because when I see you ain't never mummy, you don't look struggling, you'll seem bitter, you always seem good.
SPEAKER_03So I was like, do you feel that? I think um I don't walk around with it like well, you know I did, you know. You know what I mean? Because I'm always busy doing what I'm doing, but I I do understand that we, you know, was doing it first. You know what I'm saying? And um there's a lot of people who doing it now, trying to do it now. Big people who came and you want to pick my brain, and how do you do this and how do you do that? Huge people. You know what I mean? And um, and so, you know, I bless them. I you know, I ain't never, you know, JK keeping it. You know, yeah, here's who it is, X, Y, Z. And uh they go cool cool and they go off and um and they do it. So so I do, I do understand that. You know what I mean? That you know what I mean? We we were doing it at a time when nobody knew how or what or when. And again, like I say, it was sort of accidentally on purpose because I didn't even know what it was setting me up for. But I think it was the freedom. Like you say, you you know, you see a nigga, you say cool, you know what I mean? I can do it all right. And it was just because all those jewels I was giving back then that I maybe didn't even know the magnitude um that allowed me to be cool and okay, independent if anybody else ever fools with me again.
SPEAKER_02I think for I think for you, I think from the other people that we've seen from their perspective, if the producer of you isn't always in the forefront and it's led by the talent. So it's like we know Robert Townsend as a producer or corrector or the Wans or whoever it might be is like, oh, they created this thing. For you, it's like you created this thing almost in front of the lens. It was like, no, if we attach Brian, it's gonna all go it's gonna all work out. Yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? So it's like maybe that's like the the the flip of of how it is, but bro, hey man, you be killer. Thank you, bro.
SPEAKER_04I wanted to know how difficult is it to get financing for independent film.
SPEAKER_03I've found that every time that I've gotten financing, it's because I started with my own money. Um it's just something about when you tell, you know, and and then for me that's just how it is. I'm always willing to put up my own money. And so when people see that, I think it it it puts them in a different mindset to where they want to be a part of it more. So when I'm talking to them about if they want to put something up, it's not dependent upon whether you do or don't, nigga. You know, it's it's I'm doing it, right? And so, and and I think they feel that like it's not if you say no, it's not ha it's happening, it would be dope if you could be a part of it. And I think that's the difference, you know what I mean? But when you sitting there cold is doable, just like I need you for this to be, it's a very hard pitch, people don't understand it, and it's muddied up because the people who came before you or who they knew, you know, were shady and fucked it off, so now you know they feel, you know, they're uncertain about it. Um but for me, it was all I was always had my own funds in it, and it was gonna get done regardless that people want to step up and be a part of it.
SPEAKER_02What's the percent? Like how much do you, if the you have a budget in your mind and you say, hey, listen, I'm putting up this much, what percent, maybe not in totality, because you might end up adding some more in as it's growing, but in those first initial conversations, how much do you offer them? Yeah, do you want to get like 10, 20, 15?
SPEAKER_03I think I think what's a a safe space until you get in is like the um finance side can be 40% of the pie or fifty percent of the pie. You guys are gonna, you know, and so if somebody put if if the budget is a hundred dollars, you know, and you know, they put in ten dollars, then they own what is that, five percent of fifty percent, and so on.
SPEAKER_02But I'm saying, how much do you when you are saying I come in with my own money? You're coming in with fifty dollars.
SPEAKER_03I usually come in, you know, knowing that I could do the whole thing myself. Got it, gotta gotta. You know what I'm saying? Um or at least knowing that I can get to post. You feel me?
SPEAKER_04If somebody was trying to make because I'm I'm actually about to embark on this for the first time, like independent, like making my own film. So that's why I'm like really interested in this. How much money do you think someone would need to make a film right now? Like a quality, good sound, visually it looks good, you know, to make an individual.
SPEAKER_03For me, it's harder because people assume that I have all this money, so they're less willing to, you know, now it's like, you know, we don't have a budget. You got something, right? You got something. We got something, huh? You know. So um, but you never don't spend over a hundred thousand. Okay. Because I'm certain, you know, with all the whatever, you can get that back. Worst case scenario. Right. So don't spend over a hundred. And if you can get it done with friends, family, favors, all the shit happened in this one house, and it's my cousin's house. That's what I'm working on. You know what I mean? You feel me? Then, you know, don't go over fifty, and then you're gonna win. You know what I mean? So I I would say try to figure out you know, you might have a concept that this is a concept, let's be dope. Okay, well, it's your first one. Let's figure out a more simple concept. Save that one, find something that we know that we could do for 50 grand, friends, family, and we all gonna come and you got the cast and you know, and everybody, and knock it out for that. The quality, call me, let me, I let you know what you're supposed to be doing, what you ain't supposed to be doing, so on and so forth, and make a solid film. Go out, flip that, you know, you're gonna learn a whole bunch of shit, and uh you be on your way. But I would just say if it's your first one, you know, see how yeah, because with technology and shit like that, yeah, it's it's that's realistic. Right.
SPEAKER_00That sounds that sounds real. That's why when I think of, as you're going through, only thing that's flashing is I'm thinking about Friday. I'm like, yeah, they was one house kind of on the block. They didn't go nowhere. Small cast, boom, boom.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, one like liquor store. They didn't go nowhere. Yeah, they didn't go nowhere. That's it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. You know what I mean? So the whole thing on on the on one street.
SPEAKER_04No, that's what I've been the idea that I came up with because I had another film, but it was gonna cost five million to make. Yeah, that was a different one first. And so I was like, nah, let me go find something, one a house, one location. So I came up with that idea, and so now I've been watching a bunch of films with like one location, you know what I'm saying? Shit that happened in one day, like house party and just shit like that. And yeah, man. When you Oh, hold on, hold on. This is my my final question on this, though. When you say a hundred thousand, that's it, you said that's including post or that's not including. Including post. Including including post, okay.
SPEAKER_03Even with the 50, try to do it and you know, post me and you have to, you know, find the the homie who's dope, editing to y'all can sit in there and bang it out and say, hey, I'm gonna give you something when we make something. You know what I mean? And he can add it on his time. You know what I mean? You can't even.
SPEAKER_04You got four weeks. No money, nigga.
SPEAKER_02Give me some more time. But they say you you only get two of the three. Either it's gonna be cheap, it's gonna be good, or it's gonna be fast. You don't get you don't get all three. Yeah. You get you get you get two of the three. Yeah, you get two of the three if you know in a in a positive way. You make a movie, you put the money up, you're in the post, you're looking at the edits, you're looking at the re-edits. You don't like what's happening, then what? Do you still believe in putting it out? Do you believe in uh it like should do you hold this? Does it do more harm than good? You know, then what?
SPEAKER_03Well, it's never it's never gonna be perfect for 50, because you you're always gonna have to compromise. Every fucking time I shoot something, and it's hard, I gotta compromise or not do something, or make, you know what I mean? Like I just did the lake house, the the house I wanted versus the one I shot at. You know what I mean? It took, you know, I'm still talking about it, obviously. You know what I mean? And you know, the house we had is dope, but it's not what you thought up, so that's hard. You know what I mean? But you gotta get over that. You know what I mean? You you'll do the five million when when you do the five million, but until then, we gotta be executing and make a shit happen. And if we wait in on ideal circumstances, ideal whatever, then the shit'll never get done. Yeah, that's true. I shot a film. Okay.
SPEAKER_02A feature.
SPEAKER_03Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_02Wait, so you shot a mean like. You directed it? You like your thing? I didn't direct it years ago. No, no, no. I'm in it. I I paid for it. Gotcha.
SPEAKER_01This is years ago, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, this is, yeah, you already know. Because I called this. He said no.
SPEAKER_01Good choice. This is years ago. This is years ago, but uh that's again.
SPEAKER_02No, but I I shot it, and then after the people involved were in such different spaces career-wise, where I was like, well, I don't even, even myself, I was like, I don't know if this helps now. It's like, because I didn't even post wasn't even, yeah, I didn't even consider a post. I had shot and went, and man, it came down to two posts at 80 hours. People was like, you want me to do eight off? What? It was like, yeah, man, listen, man, just you know, trust me on this. It's like, and I went through the truck and I watched it on, just say it on your iPhone. Yeah, it was like, yeah, no, no, no, no, mid of the pandemic, it was like, you do you have a podcast mic? And went and cleaned and I watched, and I watched, and I was like, I don't know how good this does. So it was like, you're on this, you're on network right now. Yeah. And I'm a, you know what I'm saying? Like, I don't want to do that to us. I don't know. But it's like at some point in time, I'll drop it, but it won't, I wanted to be in the yeah, you know, it's like you got all this stuff and then wait, wait, what's this?
SPEAKER_04It's gonna be a ha ha drop. Meaning you have to also be at a certain level when it's like, man, look at this bullshit we did back in the day. Yeah, and this is the versus like, this is the my movie.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah. You guys, I know you've been waiting.
SPEAKER_03I don't know how to marketing that's all like I think that's what I was asking. So you're saying if you shot some more stuff, you can make it better, or you just saying it's not no more.
SPEAKER_02I don't need that flat top no more.
SPEAKER_03But how how how how good is it from one to ten? Two. I haven't seen it.
SPEAKER_01Be honest. Okay, look, I got it. I've got five and six, five, six. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So so like so look, this is how uh assess a comedy. If if a and and if you say something is a hilarious movie, in reality, when I go through and I count out the moments, there's really only five to seven hilarious moments, unless you're talking like coming to America, those things like, or you're talking like a sploof mood to be like, don't be a menace. Most of the movies that we revere, the the I mean the Friday, da da da. It's like you go Friday after next, it's like, no, okay, cool. Mike Epps uh comes in, it's the introduction of Mike, it's Pinky, it's the thing with the Latino people, it's blacks, it's just like, no, no. That's about it's it's about it's about six or seven of them in there. Oh no, we another time. Another time we will we'll do this again. So, so it's I got I got four strong. Yeah. Four, two of the possible first 15, 20 minutes.
SPEAKER_04Because it nowadays, if the first 15, 20 minutes ain't hitting, nobody's gonna get to the rest of that.
SPEAKER_02I mean, you know.
SPEAKER_04Okay, we don't have to keep talking about it.
SPEAKER_03You should just get it as tight as you think when it's tight, and then you just let some people who don't who are completely detached see it. Okay. And then they'll tell you. Brian Hooks is watching my movie. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Don't you send me that book? Give me homework.
SPEAKER_01See it, and I gotta drop off a DVD to you. Y'all got it.
SPEAKER_04Oh, y'all got it?
SPEAKER_02Oh, absolutely. Uh wait, wait. Absolutely. You know, you know me all the way up. Uh brother got the industry. I'm just going through my question uh independent. Uh, sold plan? Uh yeah, we say we got the talk sold planned.
SPEAKER_01Um uh that's a good one to go.
SPEAKER_04No, me, but I'm the king of wrapping it up. Yeah, looking at the clock.
SPEAKER_02So um I wanted to uh just uh uh being on that set and seeing what happened after. Um, because I I know I feel like you and Kevin might have had a different conversation. Like, brother, trust me, this is great for you. Did did you did you have any conversations post after the things that happened with that film?
SPEAKER_03Oh the uh you know, I I I didn't. I didn't. I think, you know, it was, you know, it was like, oh, black people shouldn't be doing that, and then the whole bootlegging thing. Like, you know, niggas in the hood that shot a part two to so black. Right this bootleg. It was like, we gonna make a part two. They had red carpet premiere in the hood for for sort of like doing a premiere in the barbershop. Yeah. Um, but it was, you know, I think, I think all that, that, that black noise, you know, it's either for you or it's not. You know what I mean? They had the airplanes and the naked guns and shit. That's spoofs. Yeah. They're funny, and it's poking up as you know, poking at stereotypes and crazy shit. That's what the tone of that film was. And our black folks should have left it alone and just turned it off if it wasn't for you. You know what I'm saying? So I think all that, oh, they such and such, and black people, it just it was what it was. You know what I mean? It's either for you or it's not. And then the whole bootlegging thing to where it was out, like for y'all to be talking, talking all that noise, y'all show bootleg the hell out of here. Yeah. So that that was crazy too. But you know, when we shot Fool's Go in Australia, you know, they knew me from or they knew me from Soul Plane. You know what I mean? People, you know, that shit was a big deal. So it traveled and it did well. It's just the the process got so fucked up, but everybody was on that. That shit was crazy.
SPEAKER_04Did you know Kevin was gonna become what he became when you was doing it? Or or did you just see him as like another comedian? Absolutely not. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Kevin crazy is yeah, it's just a short nigga with bad feet. And you know what I mean? But no, but but Kevin said, You nigga, you know I'm next. Yeah, you nigga knew. That nigga knowing that's all that counted. You feel me? Kevin was like, nigga, I'm next. We was over in Fool's Gall, you know, because um uh Cat Williams was supposed to be that character. But then that nigga walked to the airport with that gun. And so he couldn't get them to Australia. They're like, no, nigga, you can't go nowhere. Just sit tight.
SPEAKER_04Um, nigga, but I'm the only short nigga.
SPEAKER_03No, we got another one. We Kevin, Kevin got got off there and got off that plane. He said, B. I was so happy he walked to that airport. I needed this. Kev said B, nigga. He said they hit me for the audition. They rushing because they gotta like, yo, this thing can't come. Like, cause they was fighting, like Warner Brothers attorneys was trying to work it out, and then finally the state said, okay, yes. And then Australia's like, eh, hold on. Who are y'all trying to think of? And so they said CAG and go. So they scrambled. Wow. That nigga said, Man, B, I I rented a bunny because it was big bunnies. What's the character? This nigga rented a real rabbit. Scared as shit as the rabbit he said. He went in and he said, nigga, either it's gonna work. Or it's not or it's not gonna work. Both choices, yeah. He went in, had a whole fucking bunny nigga, and it probably almost killed getting it to the fucking audition. And you know, he was on the plane, you know. Wow. Great story. That's great, nigga. Yeah, that's phenomenal right there. I'm so happy when he walked in.
SPEAKER_02Uh this is my last one. Um, what's your relationship like with stand-up, man? I see you doing dates, man, you touring.
SPEAKER_03Man, I love I think it's the most challenging form of entertainment, hands down, that there is. Yeah. You know what I mean? Every audience, different personality. I'm talking from the seven to the ten o'clock. You know what I mean? Different personalities, and you have to adjust on the fly, man. So it's just a challenge, and I'm loving it. And I've been trying to make time to get out and go out, but I've been so busy with the movies. So this year I said I'm gonna press out some time to be able to do that, man. So I'm out there, you know, figuring it out and making it happen. And I'm loving it, dog.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you got dates on the books, baby.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I got some dates. Yeah, yeah. I ain't used to flying all around like that, but I'm figuring it out.
SPEAKER_04That'd be the one thing about standup is the travel. Yeah. I wish they had if we had some type of teleportation device. That'd be it.
SPEAKER_00Do the show and come home. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04We got a game on this show called Kill It or Let Live. All right, I'm gonna throw out a subject. You're gonna say, whether, you know, kill it, you're not messing with it, or let it live. It's all good. Okay. All right, kill it or let live. Responding to negative comments on social media.
SPEAKER_03It depends. Cause uh, you know, it it it depends on my mood. Okay, like like somebody somebody said some some some shit yesterday that I just I let it live. You know what I mean? I I I let it live, and then another nigga said some shit to I immediately because he ain't thinking I was gonna went on his page, I pulled pictures. Yeah, time? I had time today. I pulled pictures, so on and so forth. I went back, I said one thing. This nigga curled up in that corner like a motherfucking snail. Like, hey man, listen. I actually I'm a fan. Oh, yeah. Oh, they're always a fan. Like, nigga, say what's your chance the next time? So you know what I mean? Like they, you know, so it depends on my mood, man. Okay.
SPEAKER_04Kill it or let live. You get to Nah, I already know what you're gonna answer for that one. Kill it or let live. You have a hundred million followers on every platform, but you gotta participate in a Diddy party. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Hydra million. You gotta kill that?
SPEAKER_03Gotta kill them followers, man. Kill it.
SPEAKER_04All right. Kill it or let live. You're known as you, you, you are the richest man to ever live. More money than you could ever have. You can do anything you want to do with this money. But in order to acquire this money, you have to go back in time and be a slave for three days.
SPEAKER_03Oh, come on now. Send me to them fields. I'll be a cotton picking nigga, boy.
SPEAKER_05What? Send me to the fields, baby.
SPEAKER_03Two more days. Two more days. I can't wait to get back. I gotta go to the spot. Come on, man. I'm clicking on my feet. I'm getting thrown in the hole for a day. I know I only got two more. Come on, man.
SPEAKER_04Alright, this is the last one.
SPEAKER_03I'm singing spirituals, nigga. Come on now.
SPEAKER_04Alright, this is the last one. Kill it or let live. Having a threesome with your lady. Uh-huh. But the third person is a guy. Come on, man.
SPEAKER_02All right. I didn't want to miss this, Jay, so you gotta let me get this one off. Uh, working with legendary uh rappers, man. Uh you were in a major way. You got 40. 40. We got uh Snoop and Snow Play, you got Eve. Uh what was that like connection like, man? It's like working with these uh legendary MCs um in their acting forte.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was dope, man. It was dope because you know I'm a fan of all these things. You know what I'm saying? Like 40, that's my favorite rapper coming up from Bakersfield. Yeah, yeah. We in the film together, you know what I mean? I'm like, oh shit. Then we became good friends. We like family now. So that was dope. Then Snoop, he a legend. Snoop is on par with like a it's a legend. You know what I mean? You got Mickey Mouse, you got Snoop. Like some real shit. You know what I mean? Mickey Mouse at any corner of the world. Snoop is known in this nigga's at the Olympics. Yeah. He don't know half the sports they doing. Yeah, like they run it. They run it, cuz. You know what I'm saying? Like, there's legends. So it was it's all blessings, man. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's all blessings. All right, so uh uh this is I got it's keep three, cut five. These are underrated hood classics. So I'm gonna name my, I ain't gonna tell you what they is. I'm gonna name one. You get to keep it or cut it. Okay. Or keep it or kill it. Keep it or kill it, keep it, keep it to kill it. Keep it or kill it. Keep it or kill it. Keep it or kill it. But then I'm gonna just give you the next one. So if it's killed, it's gone. Okay. All right. All right. First one, paid in full. I'm gonna name eight of them. You're gonna name eight. You get to keep three. All right, we kill it. Gone, gone. Class Act. Oh, okay. All right, all right. Fear of a black hat.
SPEAKER_03We only got five more. Uh with your heart.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm about to say three strikes.
SPEAKER_02Keep that, man. Uh departments. Who? Departments. This is a new one that Tip did. Uh T.I. didn't have a lot of. Which one was that? It's a it's a brand new uh independent film that T.I. did with uh all the Atlanta rappers.
SPEAKER_04It's technically like a it was almost like a series almost, but I think they made it into a movie. Yeah. Keep talking. Keep going.
SPEAKER_02I seen it.
SPEAKER_03I got the hookup. I got the hookup, it was just so legendary. Keep it. Keep it. Okay. All right, all right.
SPEAKER_02Tales from the hood.
SPEAKER_03Keep that nigga.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. This is good now. All right. So we killed Peyton for the house. Got your boy David in there too. So we got the kid. We killed Class Act. We killed Fear of a Black Cat. We kept Three Strikes. We killed Departments. We kept, I got the hookup, and we kept Tales from the Hood. And the last kill is Fat Beach. That's crazy how you would do that. Fat Beach was last. Yeah, man. My last one, man. If you can uh you had this, you have this amazing career, man. Have you have this amazing career? You've produced a lot. You have been in front of the camera. Uh you're now doing stand up. What does it look like for you to be killing it in all facets career-wise? Uh is it touring? Is it uh special? Is it uh independent fool film? Is it is it industry? What what does that look like?
SPEAKER_03I think I think it's just you know, the indiv in independent film staying solid. You know what I mean? For me is everything, you know what I mean? And I think I think y'all we just have to start doing shit together, you know what I mean? Like these spots, like if we was all us four going out together, you know what I mean, what that look like. Yeah. You feel me? You know, is it less work, more money? Is it you know, a little less money, but less work, you know what I mean? What is the but what is the what is the reach feel like? What is the content we doing when we there for a whole weekend? You feel me? So and I think it's uh just building and doing shit together, man, which we gotta figure out, even with y'all films and stuff, you know what I'm saying? Doing that shit together. Yeah, and I'm here when I just making it pop, you know, making it pop, but just keeping everything moving, man. But it's the ability to for it to be independent and you get to do what you want, how you want, when you want. And the studio wanna play, that's great. You go and you do that, it's your shit, so you can pause it, go do what they're talking about and come back, man. So you keep all the independent film, the stand-up, and you know, of course, the social contact buzzing, and that's everything, though.
SPEAKER_04Let people know where they can find you at.
SPEAKER_03Uh, The Brian Hooks on all socials. The Brian Hooks, holler at me. I'll holler back. Hey, man. And you and any projects you want to? I got well, I got um one called a second time around. It's a romantic comedy that just dropped. That's um out on uh Google. You can go to my website, The Brian Hooks to see. I have one called The Proposition. It's super dope. It's a drama, it's super dope. So uh that'll be out later this year. And then I have one that's in the can right now called the Lake House romantic comedy. That's uh pretty pretty pretty cool and dope too. Are you starring in these or you are you behind the other? Yeah, starring, directing, producing all of them, and then uh about to do Adam and Eve uh part two. They want a part two to that. That was super dope. That shit went really well.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Do a part two to that, man. Keep the stand up and just, you know, stay stay pushing, man. Have you have you considered horror? Yeah. I did 75. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, I'm I've been thinking I want to do one. So y'all got a dope idea, man. Let's let's see what's up with it.
SPEAKER_04Man. Hey man, this has been one of my favorite episodes. I'm a nerd about filmmaking stuff. Uh hey, man, make sure y'all like, comment, subscribe, leave your favorite moments in the comment section. We we read and we appreciate it. And uh, yeah, man, we've been your host, Justin Holly's. Money Brown. BT Kings. And this has been the one and only, Brian Hook. Yeah, we got it, baby.
SPEAKER_02Let's go out to the lobby and get these hoes, Brian. We spat each other.