Chicago Comedy, Craft, And Culture w/LEON ROGERS

Ever learned the biggest lesson of your career in the most painful way? That’s where our time with Leon Rogers begins—fresh off the House of Blues stage, chasing a photo with James Brown, and colliding with a master’s strict pre-show ritual. The sting turned into a rule that now guides his entire approach: respect the craft, respect the prep, respect the room.

From there we open the hood on comedy’s engine. Leon breaks down set etiquette in plain terms—why you don’t interrupt a performer getting in the zone, how green rooms should actually work, and what separates clean, nimble crowdwork from reckless chaos. We get honest about joke theft, too. Leon draws a crisp boundary between influence and copying, explains how big-platform specials can eclipse a new comic’s original premise, and why writers can be essential at scale without erasing a headliner’s voice. If you’ve wondered how Kevin Hart, late-night hosts, or touring veterans keep the jokes coming, this is the clearest look you’ll hear.

We also go deep on Chicago’s superpower: range. D-Ray to Lil Rel, Corey Holcomb to Deon Cole, Craig Robinson to B. Cole—different cadences, different POVs, same city. Leon names the small rooms that shape big careers, calls on audiences to show up before TV does, and spotlights local activism that’s rebuilding blocks and opening doors. This conversation is layered, funny, and useful—part origin story, part playbook, part love letter to a city that keeps producing singular voices.

Join us to hear how a backstage misstep became a lifelong principle, what it really means to protect your point of view, and why supporting grassroots shows might be the best entertainment investment you’ll make all year. If this resonated, follow, share with a friend, and drop a review with your favorite Chicago room we should visit next.

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Transcript

Welcomes, Banter, And Leon’s Intro

T.L. Williams - Intro 0:00

The auxiliary. You cannot talk to me if you are not looking for the auxiliary.

Tommie B. 0:05

Good day, people. I'm your host, Tommie B. I'm your host, Liz Toussaint. And I'm Super Producer Toxic. And this is the Auxiliary Podcast.

Liz 0:14

Was that good for you?

Toxic 0:15

I like that. Okay, yeah.

Liz 0:18

So welcome to the Auxiliary Podcast where we are passionate about all things Chicago, legacy, and our culture.

Toxic 0:25

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. He's starting already. Look.

Liz 0:28

Wait, listen. Listen, I'm not thinking about the guest on today because this person I have so much respect for, but I'm also highly aware of their talent.

Tommie B. 0:41

Okay.

Liz 0:42

And their talent is expansive. Their talent is versatile and it's natural. So even in spaces where he should be quiet, his faces will cause people to be distracted. But it's not going to happen today.

Tommie B. 1:01

Absolutely.

Liz 1:02

Because I'm going to give this intro. Speak on it. I'm going to introduce you all to the man who is destined to be a legend. He's actually the destined legend. And I believe he already reached his destiny. Y'all give it up for Leon Rogers.

Leon Rogers 1:17

Yay! Hello, Mr. Leon. I'm Leon Rogers. Okay, Stitch. That was the longest, most AI created intro ever. Hi, I'm Tommy. Hi, I'm Liv. And hi, I'm Toxic. And we are the Auxiliary Podcast. You niggas are celebrating. It's a good time. We're trying to be. Did y'all work on that? Like, did y'all rehearse that? Or that just came right in the middle of the day?

Tommie B. 1:53

Number one, trying to be professional for you, bro. I'm just saying, I'm a comedian, bro.

Leon Rogers 1:58

When are your comedians professional?

Tommie B. 1:59

So here's what I want to know.

Leon Rogers 2:02

Here's what I want to know. In that intro, who is the Diana Ross? Who is the Beyonce? Let me guess.

Liz 2:10

You go ahead. Tommy is definitely Beyonce and Diana Ross.

Tommie B. 2:17

Why would we do that? And why would you pick me for that?

Leon Rogers 2:22

Wait on. Wait, Melanie. Wait, hold on. Heaven, heaven. It's getting heaven. You know what, girl? I'm not saying nothing else disappointment. Heaven, heaven. I'm not saying another word. Oh man.

Liz 2:41

Oh my god.

Leon Rogers 2:43

We here. Let's have some fun. I almost wanted to come in on the tail end of that when y'all did that at Withal. Auxiliary podcast. I was like, with me. Why did you do that? She already was like she was thrown off, bro. With me. With me. Yeah, good. Make that a little bit. Y'all, yeah. That was robotic as hell. That was robotic as hell. Hello. I am Tommy. And I am Liz. He the only nigga with that. Yeah, it's Liz.

Toxic 3:15

Super producer Toxic. Choxic.

Liz 3:20

Okay, guys. Okay, good. Do you see what we've been dealing with? I've been trying to be professional.

Toxic 3:26

No more intro. No more intro.

Liz 3:30

Show me your boy Tommy May. He's alive. That is totally me.

Leon Rogers 3:35

It's terrible. Because that ain't gonna come in.

Liz 3:37

That's me. Hi, I'm he has too something. That's me. Anyway. You wanna try it again? No, I don't. I want to talk. I want to talk about I want to understand where Leon from. Hell no. Leon. Yes, ma'am. What's your street cred? What you mean, street guy? Where you from? Gangsta got an emergency.

Tommie B. 3:57

What set you claim? What set you claim?

Toxic 4:01

They'll see this shit and be like, hey man, hey, yeah, what? That's what you own. Listen, man.

Liz 4:07

Listen, this is

Chicago Roots And School Days

Liz 4:08

Chicago. So we gotta know.

Leon Rogers 4:10

Born on 64th and Loomis, moved to 98th and Loomis, spent the majority of my life over there, ended out in Cal Park late in my teen years. And uh, so I'm originally from, I always claimed Washington Heights, 98th and Loomis. Okay.

Tommie B. 4:24

What school did you go to?

Leon Rogers 4:25

9817 South Loomis. So I went to St. Margaret of Scotland as a child, grammar school, went to Quigley South my first two years. Quigley. St. Rita, you're welcome. You guys couldn't afford a building. Y'all had to take over Quigley South's old building because Archdiocese shut us down. That's neither here nor there. And then uh because uh I had a problem with getting the class on time, because my parents decided to move to Cal Park. I ended up going to Eisenhower, ended up graduating from out there. But I'm still a Spartan at heart.

Toxic 4:53

So now I'm gonna ask you a question. How the hell you moved from 64th in Lumens to 98th in Lumens, what you went down the old way to do it.

Leon Rogers 5:00

Well, toxic trying to find another. Well, toxic, uh, my daddy wasn't thoroughly employed like that, so he tried to get us out of the hood to further into a better hood. But the lumens is what I'm talking about. And I was, I was, I was wrapped in swaddling clothes. I was a baby. I didn't really understand. Didn't have any baby Jesus at the time. I didn't have any choice. By the time I moved to 98, the Luminous, and I was old enough to start using crayons and pencils and express myself, this is where I understood why I left. But yeah, you know.

Toxic 5:33

So it wasn't nothing, it wasn't nothing about the street. That's what happened, Toxic.

Leon Rogers 5:37

Yeah, it was just what it's that's just what with vouchers took us. Okay. That's what Section 8 vouchers took us. Okay.

Liz 5:46

Okay, okay. So for the people who don't know who Leon Rogers is, can you tell us how you got started in comedy? Like what year was it, what area was it, who were you around?

Leon Rogers 5:56

I got started in comedy on a dare. I was in the military, uh,

How Comedy Started In The Military

Leon Rogers 6:00

stationed at Forsill, Oklahoma, Lawton, Oklahoma. Shout out to my sergeant, uh, to still good friend and a mentor of mine today, Sergeant Coleman. We were all out, I never forget we went to go see Michael Coyer. He was at this club called Night Tracks during the show, and this is coming off of his little Venice Beach thing, so he's doing like a tour. And I see him, and I'm just like, man, that looks so fun. And all my buddies was like, Clever, you should do comedy, because I was my little knickknack. They was like, Clever, you should do comedy, dog. This you right here, man. You don't need to be here, you need to do comedy. So my goofy ass is gonna run up to Michael Coyer and was like, hey, Mr. Koya, great show. And I was like, hey, man, I'm gonna do comedy like you one day. And Michael Collyer, I'll never forget, looked at me and said, nigga, don't tell me, do it. And walk out. Fast forward, I get out of the I get out of the military, I go home, start doing open mics and stuff at uh All Jokes Aside. Shout out to Mary Lindsay. One of the first people to give me my chance to go on stage, Damon Williams, one of the first people to host when I went on stage. And it just started rolling from there. You know what I'm saying? And what's crazy, full circle, I get put on a show with Michael Coya. And this is what I mean about genuine people. I go, hey, Mike, I don't know if you remember me, this gonna sound crazy, but you did a show in Lawton, Oklahoma. He said, at the little, little, little place out there, yeah, I remember that little hole in the wall. And I was like, yeah, and I saw you and you made me want to do comedy. He said, Oh, you the little boy I told you to get the fuck on and gone and do it, right? He remembered that shit. You remember that shit. And that's why Michael Cora is one of my one of my GOATs to this day. Like a good dude, genuine people. So you meet genuine people in the game. And I that always stuck with me that out of all that, he's been toured everywhere. He remembered that little moment. Right. That little crazy ass moment. You know what I'm saying? I don't know if he remembered because he shit on me, but regardless, he remembers it.

Liz 7:56

So that's dope. That's dope. So from there, you ended up performing for plea with people like James Brown.

Leon Rogers 8:07

Uh my uh 96. It's probably like my first, first or second year in comedy, because I started basically in '96 when I got out the military.

Liz 8:17

Wait, so in your second year of comedy, you was opening for James Brown?

Leon Rogers 8:20

It wasn't like that. So what happened was this is what I mean about when I always try to tell young people that I mentor or talk to, networking is a thing. And how you treat people and how you talk to people is a thing. You may not be the best at what you're doing right now, but because of your relationships that you have with people, they'll put you in positions to win. So I'm not gonna say I was the funniest comic in Chicago. I have I was on a little hot street doing my thing. I was new and fresh on the scene. And uh, shout out to Doc, who used to be security at the House of Blues. He was the head of security. And Doc just gravitated to me, you know, like he liked me. He was like, man, I like you, dog. You're gonna be all right. And he called me out the blue and was like, yo, can you get down here tonight

Opening For James Brown And The Lesson Learned

Leon Rogers 9:05

by like 6 o'clock, 6:30? I was like, Yeah, what's going on, Doc? He said, Man, they need an opener. I said, For who? I'm thinking he's finna say a little comedy show. He said, James Brown. I said, What? Yes, and I want you. I already pissed you. I told him I'm calling nephew, I got you. And I'm gonna put a little money in your pocket. I was like, word. I said, but hey, can I, you know, can I bring my dad? Because James Brown is my father's favorite musician of all time.

Toxic 9:33

Just just tell me this. Is this the story? This is the famous story that I heard about you and James Brown. Yes. Okay, it was kind of like a good thing. This is the funniest shit I've ever heard in my life.

Leon Rogers 9:45

This is a benchmark in my life.

Tommie B. 9:47

Continue.

Leon Rogers 9:51

It is kind of when you hear this story. So he was like, hell yeah. He said, not only can't you bring your dad, we're gonna give you one of the opera boxes off to the left so you can bring like 10, 11 people. I'm like, man, I called my mom. I said, don't tell dad, just tell him we're going to the house of blues tonight to see me perform. She's like, cool. He called a couple of his buddies and they wives, like my uncle, my godparents, stuff like that, people I done all my life. We get to, we get to the house of blues, we gotta get there early, because I'm going up first, literally. Like it's people walking in. I'm warming up the crowd. And my father said, They said, James Brown supposed to be here tonight. Now, mind you, my dad is going through his cancer battle. Right. Like, you know what I'm saying? Little did we know, like, you know, he's going through his cancer battle. We would lose him years later, but he's on oxygen and all that stuff. And uh, he was like, James Brown supposed to be here? I was like, Yeah, dad, and I'm opening for him. He was like, man, like, so the look. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Man, boy, you know, prior to go down there, do the show before James Brown came out, kill it. Bill Murray in the building, Jim Belushi in the building, Dan Aykroyd, Crystal Hair Vodka was one of the sponsors. Okay. Remember the coming to scroll bottle. That's Dan Aykroyd's company. Okay. People know that. Black, white going crazy. Great job, great job, Leon. And mind you, at this time, I probably only had like 25, 30 minutes. Gotcha. And I only had to do 15, so I was good. Then my little Jordan Wall and all that. As I'm coming off stage, immediately James Brown band starts playing. They start playing Funky Good Time. Do, do, do, do, do, do.

Toxic 11:28

So he's getting ready. Yeah. As soon as you're stepping off. As soon as I step up, as soon as I say that's my time.

Leon Rogers 11:34

He's getting ready. The light started flashing they playing.

Toxic 11:37

I'm walking. Wait, wait, before you finish, when you heard funky good time playing while you was walking off, what was that? What was what was you feeling?

Leon Rogers 11:45

I was, I was, it was euphoric because the way I ended my show and they went into the music, it was like that shit was playing. Okay, okay. And the crowd going crazy, like, oh, you know, it could have been going burning crazy because James Brown was about to come out. It mattered to me, it felt like I felt like hey, thank you, that's my time. Music and roll credits. But as I'm coming out stage, James Brown, his manager, and the little guy that be like, there are seven different wonders of the world. Yeah, the one that's out. He shakes my hand because he's going out to grab the mic to talk shit. Manager shake my hand. James Brown shake my hand. He's like, man, good job. I was like, I don't know what the fuck you said. Man, good job is not my thing. All right. Appreciate it. So I'm so geeked to get upstairs because I just want to know what my dad because that's my best friend. And I said, shit, I forgot to take a picture. So back then, these wasn't popping. Right. Now I had the big ass had the digital camera joint, the little Sony Mega Pix digital joint. Yeah. So I'm like, shit, let me go take a picture. So I turned back around. Security is like, you good? You got the laminate on, because you know, black folks, we get a laminate. Yeah. That means we can walk anywhere. Anywhere we want to go. Yeah, everywhere. Nigga didn't stop me. The laminate is an access card, everything. Everything. White house, whatever. I got that, man. I got the thing. Security beating your ass all the way out the door. So I walk back in. James Brown's got his back to me, and he just danced and his band, they still playing the same song. Now you know in the House of Blues, on those little, those little orchestra, those opera box people. Yeah. If you're sitting in the ones right to the right, you can see behind stage. So I walk up, James Brown is just, he just, he watching his band. A crowd can't see James Brown. Exactly. He just watching his band. I walk up, I tap him on the shoulder, Brown. Fuck it. And he turns and looks like it. I say, hey, Mr. Brown, I just did the show. You know, I and I was wondering, I'm stuttering, man, because it's fucking James Brown. Can I get a picture with you, you know, from my father? He got cancer, you know, I don't know how long you his favorite artist. He's like, Now, son, why would you come over here and buy the nigga with definition and just gonna try to get ready? Ain't said this shit loud enough when a nigga that was playing bass was. I heard it. You know, fucked up. He's talking about the intro. Thought he was supposed to go into another song. James and then James went back. Crazy. James went back because when the bass players stopped me, he was like, Mr. James and that's $25. And I was like, I didn't know he really did that. So now it makes sense. You ever see the movie? Yes, you ever see the movie, what was the movie that Chad with Boseman did? Chad with Bozeman did. Yeah, get on up. Get on up. That's a real thing. James makes sure his band is in pocket. Well, when he comes out, they play for 25 to 30 minutes before he gets out there. Wow. To make sure they in the pocket on whatever they're doing. That's why they play that song for so long. Gotcha. So they like insyncopated. They in the pocket.

Liz 15:06

That makes sense.

Leon Rogers 15:07

So I turn. So you done fucked up his vibe is what you're talking about. This nigga just destroyed me. I'm hurt. Like part of me want to slap the shit out of him. Like, oh man, who the fuck you talking to? That's funny. But it's the godfather of so everybody. Everybody in the house and blues will be mine. Everybody. Fam. Yeah, they're all there for him. The old ass white lady backup singers in the. No, no, listen. So I'm coming out. Bay's Brown probably strong and man, country strong.

Tommie B. 15:37

Not country strong. Because he got on the cat suit that's a little bit more.

Leon Rogers 15:40

Well, he got on the joint. Okay. He had the cat suit that came all the way down to the navel. So he's ready for war. He got on a v-neck cat suit that goes to the belly button. No chest hit, chest hit.

Toxic 15:52

Oh, some real shit that he had it on. Yes. The man said he's out. He had the jacket.

Leon Rogers 15:58

You see the v-neck cat suit that go down to the belly button? Bro, he had the jacket over it, but it was V-neck cat suit. So he said, So as I'm walking off, man, you ever wanted to cry, but you hold the tears like they write down your eye. But if you blink, they come and hold my eyes like this, because it's tears in it. The manager saw what happened. He was like, don't worry about it, Leon. We'll get a picture after the show. I'm like, nope, fuck. Still keeping the eyes on the bottom. Fuck that bitch. And fuck him. Jackie Wilson was better. I'm hurt.

Tommie B. 16:38

It's fucking James, bro.

Leon Rogers 16:40

I had a stuff. I go up and get worried, bro. I go upstairs. I go upstairs to the little orchestra pit thing. To your family, yeah. Everybody, like my auntie, my godparents, my cousin Deanna. Shout out to my cousin Deanna. They just all in there. All the ladies clapping, the guys clapping too. You know what I'm saying? My father just giving me the look of death. And I'm like, why? Because he's behind the pit. Because he saw what happened. But I'm thinking my father looking at me like what we own. You know what I'm saying? I'll go down there and check this mom. Oh, not what we own. Yeah, I think my daddy like what we own. Nobody holler at my son like that. Now, my wife at the time, we weren't married, we were dating. She's on the floor laughing like that. Because she saw it too. Got it. So my mama was like, you know, mamas, you know what's something wrong with your baby. So even at that point. But the fact that wifey is laughing at you is fucking hilarious. Going nuts. It'd be your own people. It'd be your own people. Everybody else is congratulatory. And my dad is Darth Vader. Right. Because he's on Oxygen. Right, right. He's looking at me, G, and I'm just like, but I'm thinking he owns some. Yeah. Right. My mama said, What's wrong? Leon, before I say anything, my father pulls this tube out his nose. I tell you what the fuck is wrong. Your son don't know how to sit his little dumb ass down somewhere after he do a show. You saw you did the show. You did good, but no, you just gotta go back and get a picture. I was like, Dad, I was trying to get it. Don't tell you trying to get no picture for me. I ain't had you get no goddamn picture. You done offended the son. It's up here. It's up here, Lee. It's up here. You always gotta get somebody gotta pat you on your goddamn. No. So now I'm now I'm just you done offended this man's mind. I'm just gone, man. I'm just sitting here like the tears done dried up. I'm just depressed now. My wife is laughing, hitting me on the shoulder, like, yo, James Brown custom. So you you know he was like, everybody know James Brown listened to his band before he goes out. Then everybody knows once once they hear my dad speak, his male homies that he worked with was in the army with, like my uncles, godparents. They was like, Hey, Leon, that's right. He does listen to us, right? You gotta know that when you go out there. You're gonna be an entertainer. So I'm like, what the fuck, bro? You gotta know your shit. There's a shit on me on there. Fuck all y'all. Y'all ain't here because of me. Right. You free low son of a man. I'm putting cases on all you're that was the worst and the best night of my life. Right. My dad was, he ended up enjoying himself, man, and he stayed with us for about three, four more years later before we lost to lung cancer. But dog, every anytime after that, when that story would come up, my father was like, but what did you learn? Huh?

Liz 19:42

Right.

Leon Rogers 19:43

Stick my ass down. What did you learn? You missed the picture? You missed the motherfucker. Let that let that shit go. My father was like, man, he said everything except I'm finna die. Right. And you out here fucking with my favorite artist. I'm dying.

Toxic 19:59

But what's really what it was. What's dope about that shit is that you have that story.

Leon Rogers 20:06

Oh, and then you know, you know, James Brown died like two years after that, right before Christmas. Really? So I just like, damn, the last image you got with me is that. I didn't even get to come back and see him later. It's like, hey, Mr. Brown, you know I'm sorry. No, sorry, yeah. Well, you didn't give no closure. No closure. She just sustained. Jazz Brown fussed you out and died. Like, if they ever talk about Chicago, hey James, what was it like when you perform in uh little boy? When I dare follow the bottom nigga with a fucking new show. That's a lot of things. I'm ready to perform, man.

Toxic 20:47

Fuck this man's, fuck this whole vibe, dog. But that shit probably would have scared the fuck out of me. James Brown looking at me with a smile, goddamn and saying the shit he said to you. He turned and looked at me like, and he still, but you let me know he's gonna be.

Leon Rogers 21:02

Yeah, he's still in tune as a musician. Right. And he was like Yeah, right. Mind you, I'm trying not to look at the niggas' cleavage. Because you got, like I said, cats are according to his name.

Toxic 21:14

You got a naval V neck.

Leon Rogers 21:16

Old man in shape. You bother me over here with that bullshit. You see, I'm trying to get ready for my show. Why would you bother me with that bullshit? That's crazy. The picture I want to get from my dad. That's that's that's that man done passed away, and that's the last thought. That's his last thought of me. Not that he's thinking of Leon, but like that's his last thought. What if he flashbacks to that show? He's like, yeah, that was a show of the boy and a flip. So so speaking of. So you never got a picture? No! The only picture, the only picture I got is the ones that my parents took from the stage, and that's not me and James.

Toxic 21:56

Management told you you was gonna he was gonna hook it up.

Liz 22:00

But he already said, man, fuck the man.

Leon Rogers 22:02

Fuck that picture. You ain't even want no more picture. I fight this old motherfucker and get him in the room where ain't nobody, just me and him. I take that chance. But then after dad shit over, it's kind of like, well, how you look trying to fight him? Nah, your father say you home. Wife going crazy. To this day, when you start. That's me and her. I would have been with her. Anybody out there see Nicole Rogers, talented makeup artist, if you ever on set with her, just say, hey, James Brown and your husband. And she's not gonna be able to get no work done.

Toxic 22:33

She laughed. I would have been right with her going nuts.

T.L. Williams - Intro 22:39

It's the auxiliary. It's the auxiliary.

Liz 22:44

Do you think that for comedians that are coming up now or wanting to get into comedy, that it's really about just having the experiences and learning as you go? Or is there a way to do it?

Leon Rogers 22:55

It is, but there's also, uh as far as being musicians, you guys are working in the musician game. There's set etiquette, there's a thing called set etiquette. Okay. What I learned from that was etiquette. Gotcha. Never fuck with somebody when they're gonna be able to do that. Interrupt somebody when they're in their mood. Yep. Everybody has their own

Set Etiquette And Learning The Craft

Leon Rogers 23:10

way that they get ready to do that. Comedians got that? Comedians. Say a little prayer. You know what I'm saying? You know, hey, pops, if you're looking over me, I'm about to go out here and do this. Because every show. Uh so somebody fucked that. Like, you know what I'm saying? I'm pretty sure, like, you, a dude that's playing drums, he wants to get in his space. He might, or God that's playing the horn. Like, remember, I always go back to that movie uh what Denzel Watson was a trumpet player bleach. Uh uh, what was that? Uh what movie was better blues. And remember before the show, he's he's he's getting in his zone, getting in his vibe. It's no different from a basketball player warming up. Yeah. Steph Curry gotta hit four threes from the side before the game. Or he might be off. Right. So you learn set etiquette. And then you also learn, like, you know, sometimes it's good for new comics, I say, to just sit and watch. Watch the masterclass that somebody puts on. Like if I go sit and I watch a Cat Williams, just gonna sit and watch. I watch a Corey Oakham, I watch a D-Ray Davis, even at the stage I am now. Yeah, it's a masterclass being taught. There's certain ways, subtleties. Damon Williams, I'm watching him work a room, work a crowd. You know what I'm saying? And people don't even know the first five, six, seven minutes of some of these guys' acts is not even jokes that they've written down. It's crowdwork. But because it's so smooth, yeah, and that's what makes people think they can do comedy. When you got people like that, and I'm gonna say, I can I can do that. Well, when you get up there, you see what do you what do you how do you pivot when something goes wrong? So I tell new comics, especially when we do our open mic night. Shout out to Donski, eight years running. Don Sky, we haven't Donski on soon. Bartendors, man, uh uh promote promoter legend out here. Um, I tell comics, they get mad sometimes, so new comics I have their name on the list. But then I'll have Damon Williams, uh Mark Simmons, I'll have B Cole. They'll walk in the building, they'll ask for time. So I bump the new comics. Got it. They get in their feelings. I said, hey, listen, I'm gonna be honest with you. Is it fucked up? Yes. I said, but how about sitting and watching and learning instead of being upset that you got bumped? I get it. You came from so-and-so-and-so, and you signed the list, and now you're not gonna. You don't think we went through that? Right. It's this is a fraternity and this is part of the pledge of process. Or if you feel that strongly about it, start your own. Start your own shit. But let me tell you something. You're not ready to have your own room yet. And when it's getting critiqued and it's getting shut down, you're gonna do one of two things. You're gonna fold under the pressure or you're gonna start doing other niggas shit. That's gonna get back. Yeah. It's gonna get back to the body. Well, we see we see that.

Toxic 26:11

That's gonna get back. We see that the way that's the same thing.

Liz 26:13

So speaking of doing other nigga shit.

Leon Rogers 26:16

Yeah.

Liz 26:17

Back in the day, I remember a video that I saw.

Leon Rogers 26:21

I know what you I know what video you're talking about. We was at Giovanni's.

Liz 26:24

At Giovanni's, and Dion was doing a documentary.

Leon Rogers 26:28

Yep.

Liz 26:29

And did that documentary ever come out?

Leon Rogers 26:32

Nah, I don't think it ever came out. I think it's I think if you go on YouTube or something, you might be able to see something about it, but I don't think the video ever came out. Uh, I don't think it ever came out like professionally edited. It was just some stuff like how now you be recording to get content or whatever.

Liz 26:47

Heard, heard. But that video was hilarious because I'm gonna let you tell the story. I'm not gonna say the other comic's name. Okay, you gotta say the name. You're gonna, we're not gonna think.

Leon Rogers 27:07

About when was this?

Liz 27:08

Like, was this after he became? No, this was before.

Leon Rogers 27:10

Oh, this was before. This was way before. This is way before. This is this fat Deion. Okay. Okay, gotcha.

Tommie B. 27:16

Okay, gotcha. Fat Dion and Skinny Lee. Okay, wow.

Leon Rogers 27:20

All right. So we was all younger the game. Shout out to Deion Cole and don't talk shit. But Deion Cole is talking, he's interviewing the comic that just came off stage, and he says, you know how Dion talks, he's like, So, what do you think about comedians that uh steal jokes? So the comedian said, Oh man, they the worst. They should be beheaded. Like they should be allowed to be in the game. Yeah, I was like, uh-uh. So, what you think we should do about you? You just did my job. So all you hear is this commotion in the background. We had this place called Giovanni, and they had a window where they took your orders that went right into the kitchen. I crawled through that window and went in the kitchen and started throwing flour everywhere because it was just so fucking funny. Because even the guy that owned the place, Jay was back. Shout out to Jay, he back there laughing because it was so sweet. I DI did it. He was like,

Joke Theft, Writers, And Credit

Leon Rogers 28:20

How do you feel about it? Yeah, he got the dude went on a ramp, like they should think it should be cut off, they should head on a pipe. But what do you think we should do about jokes? But my man was like, he said, What? What joke should I do with their DI and hit him with the joke? He's like, that's not the same thing. He said, Yeah, it is. I mean, meanwhile, I'm in the back covered in flowers. So it's set etiquette, learning how to act. Listen, I want to say this to young columns out there. I don't care how cool you think you are with the headliner, somebody that's on the show, the green room is for the headliner. It's not for you and your friends. Don't be bringing nobody back there. If a headliner is gracious enough to say, hey, you can come in and hang out, hang out for a minute and go back outside. That's their space to get ready. Don't sit in there and you ain't on the show. That's real shit. And bother them. Because that's their space. I done seen comics go into a green room, order shit for them and their day. Because, of course, you know everything that comes to green room. Yeah. Yeah. Order shit for them and their date. And then the comics with green room is like, who the fuck order terry out with? Who ordered lobster tail?

Toxic 29:33

Like, what the fuck is going on? What the fuck is going on?

Leon Rogers 29:36

Right. Because the club ain't answering no questions. Yeah. You with the team. Stop doing that, y'all. Like, set etiquette, man. Leave comments alone before they go out. Stop taking everything personal. There's a uh there's a pledging process to it, dog. We all went through it, man. I ain't been out in LA. D-Ray had a show, like his night, Leon, I got you. Fucking Chris Rock walk in. Oh, wow. Was I upset? Yeah, because I traveled all the way to LA to do this show, bro. I get it. It's Chris. The fact that I'm able to sit there, ringside, and watch him get out. And then when he comes off, dap him up, couldn't interact with him. That's the thing. Bill Bellamy just walked in, he wants to do 20 minutes. Cool. But Bill be like, hey man, y'all keep working. We walk the bam. The next thing you know, you build a relationship with Bill Bellamy. And he gets to see you do something eventually. And some older comics like to come in and watch new comics, Bill. Yeah, yeah. For whatever reason. Maybe it's just Steel shit. I don't know.

Liz 30:40

Speaking of the Steeler, I want to ask specifically, there was a video with Cat Williams side by side with Sedge Entertainer. And I know that Chicago comedians are extremely talented. And you had mentioned before that you could be having a conversation about the same subject matter, but the different perspectives on the subject matter is what makes it different.

Leon Rogers 31:03

Absolutely.

Liz 31:04

Do you think that, or based on how, first of all, did you see that Cat Williams said to be entertainer? So when you saw it, did you see said take Kat's bit, or did Cedric do a variation of the same situation?

Leon Rogers 31:22

So that's what I like to do. First of all, let me say I have respect for both of those artists. Kat is a genius. And said was very intrical in my career. But you'll never hear me say anything bad about it. With that being said, I liken it like this. Everybody out here, uh, baby mama is a thing. Right? You got a baby mama, I got a baby mama. That's a thing. Right. To have a child out of wedlock, not married to the woman, that is the mother of your child, that is your baby mama. How do you perceive your baby mama and what baby mamas do? Some baby mamas do the same shit. Do the same shit. Right. But if your story about it is this, now here's the problem, here's the thing with cat, my cat shit was kind of, it was validated because just because you changed the vehicle, got it, the premise was still the same. Premise. Like Cat's premise was I'm in my car, my low rider, I'm bouncing doing my thing. He was a spaceship. So it's like, eh. Got it. It's like ding ding ding did a ding ding. Ding ding ding ding did a ding ding. And then mine went.

Tommie B. 32:40

Ding. Ding ding ding.

Leon Rogers 32:44

Without any disrespect. No, it's the perfect way to explain that shit. Cat used to be cat in the hat. Right. Cat's always been funny, but but that that goes to my point, though. It's like you have big name comics that'll sit in the back of the room and see a kid open mic, and the kid'll have a concept for a joke that'll be crazy. And then you'll see it on TV from another one. Then that kid'll come do it somewhere, and then our public will be like, he's like, He's biting. Right. Yep. Well, we know, no, that's his joke. But whoever, and this is a fucked up rule, but whoever gets it on TV first, that's who created it. Oh, I can't.

Toxic 33:29

Even if it's in the club.

Leon Rogers 33:30

It ain't like music. Y'all can write it, you can write a hit record and go get it. Go get a trade. Go get it. You can do a beat. Yeah. As we seen with like uh Pharrell and what Pharrell and them went through, like, well, that shit didn't sound like that shit to me, but the judge said, no, that's close to us. Pay them people their money. Yeah. Jokes, you can't do that.

Toxic 33:52

Yeah.

Leon Rogers 33:53

So if it's so if you think of a big name comedian and he comes and see Lil Jojo do his this joke in the club, then this big name comedian, this superstar comedian, goes on TV and puts it in a special. That joke is his. Unfortunately, it's so fucked out.

Toxic 34:10

It's common jokes that y'all tell that everybody likes to make it like regular shit that's just like. It's stock jokes.

Leon Rogers 34:15

Absolutely, it's stock jokes. And like I say, uh, Michael Cora is the king of that. You know what I'm saying? It's stock jokes, but how many superstar comedians you know are fueled and ran off stock jokes? Got it. The reason why they stars is because of their peel, their perspective and their point of view. Like Cat Williams' point of view is not like anyone else. Right. Corey Holcomb's point of view is not like anyone else. It might be in a genre. Yeah. So like you might say, if you sometimes have you ever seen a show, I put it like this. Like I said, I go back to music because that's what you guys do. Have you ever been on a show where like musically this shit don't line up? Yeah. I got this person here who sings about this, and I got this person there who's not a balladier, more so of a this, and then I got this person here, headliner, whose energy is so low down, by the time this shit is over, we don't know how he's gonna do. Right. So imagine the same thing about comedy. Like, does a show flow to you? Like, if you said Corey Ocumbe, TK Kirkland, and my man, uh, rest in peace, who died, uh Pat in New York. Got it. They're all three on the show you like this show fit. It's gonna be wild, it's gonna be outrageous, it's gonna be dark. Yeah, women shit. Right. Show flows, right? Right. Now who goes last, that's some other shit. But if you got like Corey Holcomb, and then you got a female comic on that's part of the feminist movement, like you're like, this shit doesn't go. It don't match, right? The energy is just gonna be crazy off. Oh, you know what I'm saying? Or you got 16 yelling comics, yeah, and then the last comic that comes out is somebody like a Deion Laid Back, does it flow? Right. So, you know, that it's the same thing in our world, you know what I'm saying? You you get you get comics on shows that not really, so that's why when I say when you look at tours, look and see how they set up. You know what I'm saying? You're not gonna have a bunch of high-energy people and then put uh the slow guy getting the show out. Right. That's crazy. So, but but that joke shit, like that, I done seen comics get punched in the face, but like I said, when somebody big time steal your joke, what can you do? Joe Rogan addressed that. I don't know if you ever see that clip where Carlos Menecia was on stage. Joe Rogan went up and was like, yo, you be taking these motherfuckers' jokes and doing them, and they they defenseless because you're who you are. Yep, I seen that. And socially, they can't compete with you. Right. But we, the comics, we know you taking they shit. Right. But still, we ain't got all of us combined, probably got 300,000 followers. You got 2.8 million by yourself.

Toxic 37:11

Right. So, what does that do like in the community for a comic that's big like that when he does that type of shit? How do it hurt him? It don't affect them. No, I don't.

Leon Rogers 37:21

I mean, do it make y'all lose respect for it? Yeah, absolutely. Okay, okay, okay. Absolutely, absolutely. Now, I will say this. Sometimes you might give uh a big name comic a pass, like when they have writers writing for them.

Toxic 37:34

Yeah, that's what I was going to say. Okay, got it.

Leon Rogers 37:37

Got it. You know what I'm saying? Then they come bring this to him, like, yo, check out this concept. What you think about that? Might give him a little pass on that. Because he didn't know that it was something. He must know it was somebody else. Right. But, but if that said comic, once he heard that that was somebody else's shit, and he stopped doing it, the respect level would go high. Okay, gotcha. But if he keeps doing the shit, and now you know, you officially don't know this, that's little man joke from from Wichita, Kansas. Yeah. Yeah. That your guy's sat in there, right, and they put a little Diddy remix on it. Right. Like, you know, we call that remixing. So it's like the the best comedians are storytellers, guys. If you go, like I'm just saying, if you go look, like, if you go look at the Dave Chappelles, if you go look at the Cat Williams, the perspectives are so crazy on shit that you know. They take

Chicago’s Distinct Comedy Voices

Leon Rogers 38:30

you on a journey. Yeah. Yeah. You know, the Tony Woods of the game, Tony Schofields, you look and see, so that's the toughest part, because everybody has an opinion and everybody has a perspective. But when you start dabbling on topics that everybody talks about, you run that risk of stepping on doing the same thing. And so, but if you speak from your experiences, you tell your stories, how can somebody say you still?

Toxic 38:57

Yeah, it's almost like I manage a lot of producers, right? So it's almost like I can't uh micromanage every beat that they have, you know what I'm saying, to know if a motherfucker done got it from somewhere else or some shit like that. You feel me? Toxic is the thing.

Leon Rogers 39:13

It's about being influenced. Yeah, he's about being influenced and copying. Yeah, yeah. There, there's yeah, I can listen to somebody's song and be like, oh, he's influenced by Stevie Wonder. He's influenced by his production style, is influenced by Quincy Jones. Yeah. Oh, he's he's his influence. Oh, as a hip hop producer, he's influenced by Jay Diller. You can tell an influence. Right. Even as a comedian, I am influenced by certain people. You might hear that in my delivery. You might see that in uh Damon Williams, I'm influenced by him, Dick Gregory, um, Tony Schofield is writing, is amazing. George Wilburne is one of the people that taught me to not give a fuck. Love George. Does not care. Your mama could be dying of cancer right in front of him because he's gonna have a cancer joke. You don't go there. Corey Hope.

Liz 40:00

He's gonna do it.

Leon Rogers 40:01

Corey Hope and feel it fearless. So there's influence, there's bits and pieces you take. You can take that. Like when I first started doing comedy, I had to carve my own identity because people was calling me Lil Damon.

Tommie B. 40:11

Oh, God.

Leon Rogers 40:12

I hated that, but Damon was my mentor. I went on the road with him, I hosted when he wasn't there, so I watched him, so I had to keep that vibe, but be me. But be you at the same time, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. So as a comic coming in, you're gonna get compared to somebody because you've been watching these people. But the thing is, you don't want to be them. You want to create your own lane. Got it. But you still have some of the. I mean, you've got to be. It's the same way in music. Yeah, no musician don't tell me that Marvin Gay is not an influence. Exactly. Or Steve. And then we might see it in something. Maybe maybe you want to put the little red hat on your head. I don't know. But we're gonna see some elements of it, but you're not trying to copy this man.

Toxic 40:57

You're trying to try to be. But the crazy part about it, I know this ain't the whole subject you're talking about, but the crazy part about Marvin Gaye that I found out, everybody done really copied this man. Like the whole motherfucker, you from Maxwell to you can go all the way back and see that Marvin Gaye is one of the most.

Leon Rogers 41:15

I got one even better, and I say this all the time, but they all have their unique spin. Exactly. My man, uh Charlie Wilson, Aaron Hall, R. Kelly. Nice. That is a perfect example of how influence, but they are three different totally same. Charlie Wilson probably influenced Aaron Hall, Aaron Hall and Rob. They are. But they are three different styles of singers with an influence from my man, the original OG with that voice. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So it's like, you know, or like somebody like a Larry Blackman, who didn't from these singer from Cam. Would you call him an exemplary balladier? Absolutely not. But there's somebody that took that flavor and flipped it around. Somebody that took Morris Day flavor. He's not no kind of, he ain't doing no runs, but somebody took, I could say Bruno Martin looked at a looked at a Morris Day and said, oh, I can be a coon. I'm gonna grab some of that shit. Yeah, absolutely. The influence. Yeah, absolutely trying to be him.

Toxic 42:28

Yeah.

Leon Rogers 42:29

So but I always use the uh the Aaron Hall, R. Kelly, Charlie Wilson. That's dope, yeah. If you look at that coaching treat, you can see.

Toxic 42:37

That is, that's some real dope with it. Because that's a that's a whole thing that was from Charlie Wilson. You know what I'm saying?

Leon Rogers 42:43

We all know you can look at James Brown, Michael Jackson, from Michael Jackson. You just a bunch of my friends, everybody who's trying to be Michael. Exactly. Nobody.

Toxic 42:56

Yeah. But you see the influence except Rico. But James Brown, who you say? Shout out to my man Rico. He's stupid. Rico a long time.

Liz 43:07

Rico's been Michael Jackson for a long time.

Toxic 43:08

Well, we're talking about that. It's a bunch of them. It ain't just a big thing. Shout out to Rico from the west side of Chicago. He won. It's turned gray. It's crazy.

Leon Rogers 43:20

I think true story, me and Tony Schofield walking downtown, and we just see, we just seen the street out of the dude. We get up on it. I was like, Rico, nigga. He's like, what's up, Leon? Hey guys. I'm like, stop talking like that.

Toxic 43:38

Like, nigga, you got a real job. But you know what? But he it's over with now. That's who he is now. Yeah, it's over with. Yeah. It's over with. He still kill it though.

T.L. Williams - Intro 43:49

He kills it, for sure.

Leon Rogers 43:56

If you're a great comic, somebody steals from you, you can write. Something else. Because they eventually they're gonna run out. They're gonna run out. They're gonna run out. You ever use writers? No. I'm not that busy to have to get writers. Okay. And I and I have I don't dis I don't So you don't you don't shame it because you feel at a certain level. When does Kevin Hart got a chance to sit down and write? That's what I was getting at. The man got commercials. He's in movies. And I don't think people understand when you're the lead of a movie, memorizing, running line, everything wanna be great. So that's a lot of work to do. Then you still got this. Then you're still on tour. So yes, he's got a team of writers that understands how he thinks. He's running the business. He might have a topic, he might say, hey, hey, hey, uh, I need to. I went into ATT the other day and they tried to sell me phones for my family. That shit was just amazing to me. He might throw that out there and then the writers.

Toxic 44:49

Because they tapped into him.

Leon Rogers 44:52

You really think Conan O'Brien, all these people with late night talk shows are writing fucking that many jokes every day. No.

Liz 44:58

But didn't Deion write the fucking thing. That's what Dion.

Leon Rogers 45:00

That's my point. My point is, you doing a five-minute, five to six minute monologue at the beginning of each show every day. You think Jimmy Fallon has time to sit and write that much shit. He got 10 dudes in a room. They take a joke from each one of them. Nope, that ain't shit. Gotcha. That ain't shit. Like that one. That ain't shit. Like that one. This happens every day. Yeah, yeah. And Dion Cole, I remember he was talking about that. He said it's one of the most defeating things ever. You writing some shit. And you just get it shut down until you get the. But then two days later, you slide that same shit in there. Oh, yeah, we like this.

Audience Support And Grassroots Scenes

Leon Rogers 45:35

Gotcha. Gotcha. So I so I get it. Got him. But you got guys like Dave Shapel, where he's not in a lot of movies, he's not in movies. He's a stand-up comedian. That's what he do. Like, Kengy Murphy got tired to sit up and write jokes. Right.

Tommie B. 45:52

Interesting.

Leon Rogers 45:53

You know what I'm saying? Just Chris Rock. I'm pretty sure he knows how to write up Chris Rock because he's not in a lot of shit. Right. He's doing the focus is on one thing. So, but when you get to a level and you're doing a lot of things.

Toxic 46:05

And it's almost like Chris Rock, the way he tells jokes, he has to be involved in his, in his, in his shit. You know what I'm saying?

Leon Rogers 46:12

To me. Oh, for sure. So, I mean, yeah, never, never. Just like I, I don't have a problem with rappers having ghostwriters. You know what I'm saying? Nope. I do have a problem, though, saying that's the same thing. I knew you were the best. I do have a problem with you saying you're the best.

Toxic 46:26

Oh, yeah, now that's crazy to me anyway, because you can't be the best at somebody else writing your lyrics. You feel me?

Leon Rogers 46:32

Right, you're a performer. Yeah, if you just say hey. This motherfucker wrote me some hot shit, and I made it hot with my vocals, cool. But don't tell me you're the coldest that ever do it. Hey, you got motherfuckers writing for you. You're not. So that's how You're not.

Toxic 46:47

And just and um, before we get into the I'm so shy segments, um there's a lot of different comedians from outside of the city, outside of Chicago, that talks about Chicago that says that Chicago has one of the most diverse comedian groups. They say it's no one comedian in Chicago to say. That sounds the same.

Leon Rogers 47:13

Nope. You agree with that? 100%. Okay. We were talking about this the other day, man. I can go to certain cities, right? And I know what I'm gonna hear come out of comics about. Really? I already know. You know where it's going. Know where it's going. Because of the environment. Okay. I ain't mad at you. You you talk about what you're around. But Chicago, I can have six different comics talk about gangster disciples, and each perspective is so unique and crazy, or not at all. Just look at just look at what I like to call a big five right now that's doing their thing after the scene at Chicago comic. D-Ray don't sound like Lil'Rail. Nope. Lil'Rail don't sound like Corey Holcomb. Nope. Corey Holcomb does not sound like Deion Cole. Nope. Deion Cole does not sound like Craig Robinson. Nope. And vice versa, all that. Five right there. That's just five. Right, that's just five.

Tommie B. 48:10

B.

Leon Rogers 48:10

Cole don't sound like Tony Schofield. David Williams don't sound like George Wilburne. George Wilburne don't sound like Leon Rice. And who's the new one that's getting pub right there? Oh, Mojo. Mojo Brooks don't sound like just niche. Yep. Uncle Hank don't sound like Mojo Brooks. Tierra don't sound like my cousin Tierra don't sound like, you know what I'm saying? That's crazy. Yep. You're right. It's so.

Toxic 48:32

In other words, Chicago is the shit we've been trying to tell you, motherfuckers, that this is what we do.

Leon Rogers 48:37

This is why I get so mad at our audiences that don't come out and check out these people while they're on the grass level. Gotcha. They wait till they blow up and then they be like, ah, and then it's a good idea.

Liz 48:47

Why do you think that is, though? Because that is a thing that happens in Chicago. We know who the people are because we're in the communities. But the audience of Chicago, the consumer of Chicago, has no idea who is being cultivated on their land.

Leon Rogers 49:04

I think, I think it's I think social media plays a part. I think uh celebrity and ego plays a part. You know what I'm saying? Okay. For example, and I'm gonna I'm gonna use you for an example. I've known you forever. And anytime I would see somebody come up, no di no disrespect to uh Beyoncé, but like when everybody was like, oh my God, yeah. At the first words that came out of my mouth, motherfucker, I know somebody that was doing that shit eight years ago. 20.

Toxic 49:41

Yeah.

Leon Rogers 49:42

Playing a good job, talking shit, and it was called Country Soul. Right. And they looking at me like I'm crazy. Then I'll pull out flyers out. We was on shows together. I was like, dude, what the fuck is wrong with y'all? But this is what I mean, because you didn't come out and see you at grassroots, see you at grassroots, see Sandy Red at grassroots. Facts. Now no sense you get on the voice. Oh, and then everybody, exactly. Stop it. Right. These people been nice. Maurice Mahomes. He just nice.

Toxic 50:13

He just talked called while we was up here, too.

Leon Rogers 50:16

I used shouldn't be, and it's irritating because we got superstars. Like I said, New Year's Eve. There's no reason that a show, Damon Williams, me, Dion Cole, T. Ray Davis, Lil'Ray, and Corey Hope shouldn't be able to sell out every crowd. Absolutely. All Chicago. Not at all. You ain't gotta call the Chicago Kings or nothing. Yeah, just we know what it is. All Shy City. We know what it is. That show should sell out every time. No, we will have to go fucking crazy with promotion and try to get people to come out. But then I could say David Williams and DC Young. Right. Take a show loud. Yeah. Two, three minutes. But you know, I don't know. I I hate to fuss at our audiences, but sometimes it gets a little bit more.

Liz 51:11

It's a disconnect.

Leon Rogers 51:12

It's a little disheartening that we gotta actually be put on TV and make it for you to say, hey, I love this dude. When this man has been grinding for years on the circuit. Go out and see. I'm telling y'all, man, go out and see these people when they throwing shows. Why J Ivan? J Ivan got three crazy crazy. Yeah. And motherfuckers still don't know who he is. Yep. Malik Youssef is nominated for one this year. Emrail Green, Cubs and Ammo, nominated for one. Nice. Funny ass comedian. Yep. She nominated. Red Song. Red Storm. All these people have been on death, poetry jam, and all that. But now you see him and be like, oh my God. Right. Did you see Malik Youssef? The man didn't work. What do we do in Chicago? I will say that about other cities. You go down south, New Orleans, Atlanta, they support their local rooms. And I'm not saying this just because I have a room with Dodski that we've been doing for eight years. Yeah. We don't make no money. It's not about making money for us. It's about giving young comics a platform to perform, unless Superstar Comics come in. No, I'm just playing. I'm just saying, like, uh, it's just so disheartening, man, as an artist. You get so frustrated. Or sometimes in my room, people just be talking and I'll be like, hey man. If your little cousin was up here talking about the 30 shot and rapping and shit, y'all want everybody to shut the fuck up and listen to you. Pay attention, yeah. Whether you think they're funny or not is not the issue. These people up here working for free, trying to entertain you and trying to hone their craft. Yep. Now, if you think you better than what's going on up here, then you can take your $10 and leave. We don't need it. Right. You know what I'm saying? Or people get comfortable. Like, I think Chicago audiences get spoiled. I could go see Tommy do his thing. I could go see Tata do a beat. I can see Liz go perform anytime. I could catch her at one of these spots. So now you're not. You know, they just take your shit for granted.

Toxic 53:27

You ain't amped up about it, ain't really.

Leon Rogers 53:29

You see what I'm saying? So scarcity is a thing, too. That is a thing. Yeah, for sure. See somebody that's doing something. There's no reason there should not be an all-female tour coming out of Chicago. Oh, absolutely. Corey Bell just needs Erica Clark, Tierra, my cousin Tierra. And then you want to put a old school legend on that like a Sonia D or a Diane Corter. Yep. That show will do fucking numbers. There's no reason that show can't be at the Airy Crown. Right.

Liz 54:00

Now is that a Don't forget about Kelly Howard.

Leon Rogers 54:02

Another one. It's so many. No, but it's that's not a slight.

Toxic 54:08

Is that a Chicago promoter thing? Like, what is what is that? Who it's a Chicago thing, because the promoter's not gonna touch it if the people don't fuck with it. If the people don't fuck with it, gotcha.

Leon Rogers 54:17

There's no reason that all-woman show couldn't be at the Chicago theater and sell out tickets. Because them dogs on that show. Absolutely. Nisha dog. 100%. Dogs. Erica Clark is a dog, and you've never heard Erica Clark. Dogs. Ain't she Mr.

Liz 54:32

T Daughter?

Leon Rogers 54:33

Yes, Mo Good, Mo good. Hilarious. There's so many, there's so much talent out here, but yeah.

Liz 54:40

Because you're probably saying to yourself, well, I ain't never heard of these people before. And I ain't never seen

I’m So Chi Segments: Picks And Favorites

Liz 54:45

this before. And I don't know who these people are. And maybe because you've never heard of them before, is the reason that you they pass your mind. What's gonna get your attention? Help us understand it so that we can become a better community.

Leon Rogers 54:58

And how about to go outside? Do some different shit. Stop going to the same. I get it. I got my look, look, shout out to Francis.

Liz 55:08

Francis Cocktail Line.

Leon Rogers 55:09

That's my watering hole. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Shout out the exclusive poor. That's my watering hole. But mix it up.

Tommie B. 55:18

Yeah.

Leon Rogers 55:19

Step outside your comfort zone one time and go see something. I remember the first time I ever saw, um, I forget the name of this band, but it's a lot of horns. It's a bunch of them. Um Zajay. Zajay. Yep. Exactly. Because my man with the little hat.

Liz 55:33

Shout out to Marshall. Yeah, yeah.

Leon Rogers 55:38

I remember the first time I just said, Yo, this shit look interesting. Let me go see it. I was like, oh, these boys cold. Get down. I'm like, they from here? Yeah. Yeah. Damn. That kind of turned me on into going to see live music. Yeah. You ain't always gotta go turn up, go culture. Yeah. Go culture yourself, man. Just go see some different shit. And if it's terrible, you can always walk out on it, like I do movies. Yeah. I sit down and I give it an hour.

Toxic 56:05

Yeah, if you ain't fucking with it. Yep. So would you like to shout out some of the people for them to let them know? Because a lot of them probably don't know a lot of these.

Leon Rogers 56:12

It's too many to name, but I'm telling you, places where you can go see these people. Right, okay. Right? So Justinisha has a room on Tuesday night, SL wine bar, that's out in Lansing. I have my Wednesday night bartend doors. Uh you got my man Stick holding down riddles now. He's doing his thing on the weekend. Uh uh Uncle Hank and them got touch of the past out west. If you can go out, if you're out west. And then of course. And leave the guns at the crib. You got to laugh. And that's another thing. We don't have no problems at our womb. Right. No, you got to be an evil motherfucker to come send some shit up to where people want to laugh. We want to laugh. You have got to be one miserable son of a bitch. Yeah. I get it at a rap concert, baby. These niggas rapping about the trap and all that. You fired up. But a nigga is cracking jokes. And I tell comments at my show, don't fuck with my audience. Audience, don't fuck with my comments. But at the same time, has to be a respect factor. You sitting right in front, running your mouth. Yeah. I can't expect them not to say nothing too. Exactly.

Toxic 57:16

What went on with you when the when the um, who was that the motherfucker ran up on the stage and and uh and and did something to before? Oh me? No, no, I'm talking about like one of the one of the Who was that?

Liz 57:27

He got the they grabbed the microphone pole and this was here?

Leon Rogers 57:31

Steve Brown, RM Steve Brown out of Alabama. Okay. Was talking, shot a shot at somebody in the audience, dude didn't take two county to it. Tough guy ran up on stage, and I tell people about that shit too. I say, just cuz motherfuckers up here cracking jokes, right? Don't mean they ain't from the same place. Right. You might get fucked up running. Some of these comics, since they know and they like some of these comics take juice. I know comics, I know a comic, I won't say his name because I don't want to give away a secret. But it's like highly trained in Taekwondo, and you're gonna run up on stage on him and get the dog spit kicked out your ass. It's a it's a I won't say his name because I want him to have that element of surprise. I want him to have an element of surprise. Yeah, because people think just because you crack jokes, especially the tough guys, hey tough guys.

Liz 58:27

You got to have a mic.

Leon Rogers 58:28

Yeah, yeah, bring the mic back. I'm gonna project. Okay. Tough guys, stop coming to comedy shows and being that ass. If you don't want to go, don't go. If your girl making you go, get a new girl. But don't come into a room full of energy that's happy and go lucky, and you just want to be a hard ass. Right. And then when somebody says something to you, because you're sitting in the front row with your arms folded, frowned up, and then you hit them with this shit is always fun of me. Man, gone with that shit, man. Yo, man, don't nobody know you, nigga. You not important. Get the fuck out of here. But you right in front of my face. Right. Like, fuck this. Right. And sit in the back, nigga. Like, yeah. Facts. Go sit in the back. Why ain't gotta look at you. I want people that's gold engaged. But you come through the door. I'm not talking about the people where you just think somebody's not funny. Right. And they're not having a good night. I'm talking about motherfuckers who literally come to a comedy show hellbent on not being entertaining. You know what's miserable motherfuckers out there like that. And that'd be that be when I host a show, I'll be like, I don't give a fuck. You ain't gotta laugh at me. You could think I ain't shit. But my brothers and sisters that's coming up here working hard for free. Yeah, show them some. At least fuck sure. Listen. I'm just asking you for three minutes ain't no time. Right. Yeah. To not talk about a bitch y'all know that's with y'all. Right. Y'all done seen each other all day. Y'all want to get in the comedy club though.

Liz 59:54

And have a conversation.

Leon Rogers 59:55

And I ain't gonna lie, women are the worst. I'm sorry. They either fucking.

Liz 59:58

Bessie if we ain't seen each other in a long time.

Leon Rogers 1:00:00

Oh my God. It's like, shut the fuck up. Bitches right up front with that shit. Go sit in the back. But then you're wrong. You're wrong. You're wrong when you say something crazy to them. But I'm like, you literally talking about um, what's that stuff they get where they where they put the wig on and it's the split in the front? Yeah. Not the split in the front. I don't know what they call it, but you're talking about that shit right while this person is trying to tell a joke. Maybe if you listen, you'd find the joke funny because you missed half of the setup by the time you got to the punchline. You know what I'm saying? And I get it, everybody ain't funny all the time. That's what open mics are for. But at the same time, when you add another fucking hurdle, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I say, imagine being at a musician show and you got a fucking kazoo, and every time he tried to sing, you like on a pick up the p send. This motherfucker singing training my life. And you and you think it's funny.

Toxic 1:01:10

Fuck it, I'm definitely gonna think it's funny.

Leon Rogers 1:01:19

You destroyed the show.

Toxic 1:01:27

We know you got places to be. We want to get rid of it. I know where to be, but y'all just kicking me out before the new.

Leon Rogers 1:01:34

See, I shouldn't have said that shit in the beginning. See, number one, he ain't even here yet.

Liz 1:01:38

American. Why you talking about?

Leon Rogers 1:01:41

But he's coming. We gotta get Leon out of here and we're gonna be able to do that.

Toxic 1:01:44

No, this is not what's happening. This is the biggest celebrity. Don't listen to that shit. He's that that's a lie, ladies and gentlemen. Give me the solo shot right at the one-on-one.

Liz 1:01:55

Give me the one-on-one.

Toxic 1:01:56

That's a bold face lie, ladies and gentlemen. But this is the I'm so shy segment that we're gonna present you with. The first segment, we argued about this before because we talked about this, but we call what we call it here is the listening party. You and um uh what's my bro name that you do uh GCI with? Um Zach Boog. Zach Boog. You and Zach Boog did uh uh a segment on the show. See, he stole your shit. Yeah, I stole your shit. He was inspired inspired by it. I'm letting you know. I'm uninspired. I stole it.

Leon Rogers 1:02:40

I stole it. We probably stole it. All bullshit aside. Okay, you know what? I'm glad you hold on, real quick. That's another perfect example. They wanted us to do the birthday song. And we was like, Oh, the birthday on that letter. Oh, gotcha. That's Mike Love and the dears. They wrote that, they produced that. Oh, and they want y'all to do it. They wanted us to do it. And I was like, no, we'll come up with something. We're not gonna do that. Gotcha. That's their claim, that's their legend. Gotcha. And I like, even if they gave us the okay to do it, me as an artist, I feel a way to do it. Yeah, this is the Mike Love and the deeds. Absolutely. Yeah, shout out to camera guys.

Liz 1:03:22

Can you open the door?

Leon Rogers 1:03:24

Oh shit. Okay. Wrap it up. He is that's so easy. He's here. Oh shit.

Toxic 1:03:31

Okay, so I feel for three minutes. The I'm so s the I'm so shy segment. This first segment we're gonna hit you with is called the listening party. Okay. So the listening party, you get to choose an artist, any artist, dead or alive, right? They're gonna be the host. You get to choose who that artist is, where you attend, where they're hosting the live listening party. Who are you choosing? Before I said the purple.

Leon Rogers 1:04:00

Prince. Yep. I won't change that.

Toxic 1:04:02

Well, these things change depending on the time.

Leon Rogers 1:04:04

I want to change it. Who are you going with? It would be Luther Campbell, Luke Skywalker, Uncle Luke. Really? That party is gonna be fun.

Toxic 1:04:14

Oh, you ain't like that. You know what?

Leon Rogers 1:04:16

No. And we didn't tell you. It will be a buffet of ass.

Toxic 1:04:21

We didn't tell you we were not going there. I'm going. I gotta go. I'm not going. I gotta go.

Leon Rogers 1:04:27

In this scenario, I'm not married, right? Exactly. This is Oh, you're not married in the case. No, I'm not married in this scenario. This is a fake make-believe scenario. I'm not married. So, yes, Uncle Luke, Luke Skywalker previewing his new album.

Toxic 1:04:41

Very good. I'm going crazy. That's amazing. That's fucking amazing. You know what? I'm gonna tell you this. If yeah, if before it was Prince, if I wasn't in shit or nothing like that, going to a Luke party. That's where we going.

Leon Rogers 1:04:58

Before I said Prince, because of you know the artistic, and I know Prince has some bad ones there too. Yeah, but you know, it might be, they might be all in the hemp.

Toxic 1:05:06

Yeah. Luke's gonna say, hey, we all take care of my guys. Take care, my guys. Go forth. I checked out. That's absolutely right. But you say witches, I'm with you on it. Prince chicks gonna be at the end. Yeah, Prince, they're gonna be.

Leon Rogers 1:05:23

Prince's gonna be like, come follow me, and all of them are gonna be agreed, me know. We're gonna hear some music, but Prince's gonna be like, all of you are must sit next to me. I'm with him on that. Who was that?

Toxic 1:05:32

Prince walked in, goddammit, and it seemed like he was floating on air. That was Charlie Murphy. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, but Luke's gonna be like, absolutely.

Leon Rogers 1:05:40

Get over there. Give him some bird up that bird, do that, bro.

Toxic 1:05:47

All right, so we got Luke. Going Luke. Now, next segment. Go ahead. The big back segment. All right. It's a two part question because we need to know. We need to know your favorite, your favorite Chicago. Chicago meal and your favorite Chicago junk food type like candy, chips, you know what I'm saying? That type of thing. So what's the meal first? So my favorite Chicago meal. You can't get nowhere else but Chicago. Oh. Home of the Hoagie.

Leon Rogers 1:06:18

Home of the Hoagie. Okay.

Chicago Mount Rushmore Of Comedy

Leon Rogers 1:06:20

That's the first. Nobody's sweet home. Boy. Them fries, get that little sauce on them fries. You get giant fries. No. I just get the sweet steak, then I get a side out of sweet. On the fries. Oh, yes. No, no, that's Italian dip beat. That's Italian dip beef. I don't get that. I don't do the beef. That's sweet. Home of the hoagie. You ever been there, boy? Home of the hoagie. It's not in a nice area of town, but you'll sit out there and wait for that guy to do that.

Toxic 1:06:44

Well, most of most of the good shit ain't in a nice part stuff. So you gotta go with somebody that knows shit. Home of the hoagie. Now the second part is the junk food. What you going with? That you can't get away. I know you can't tell this by this immaculate body, but I'm not really a junk food. You're not a junk food person. So no chips, like we we talking about Boston baked beans or like the hot chicken sticks, Mike and I.

Leon Rogers 1:07:08

Mike and Ice would be my go-to. Okay. Mike and I's would be my go-to. Or if I had to go chips, I don't even know if they make it anymore, but uh, but I wish I could find it. Better made popcorn. Remember better-made popcorn cake white bag. Yeah. I think I want to say it was from Detroit. Better made popcorn and a Tahitian tree. You know exactly what you're talking about.

Liz 1:07:29

Definitely a Tahitian tree.

Leon Rogers 1:07:31

My second go-to food, if I can't get the home of the OG, boy, wings it is. Wings it is. Do you get the garlic? Brown naked with garlic curry. They let me get a third season on. I get garlic curry and ginger. I go to the one and ask them so much, he'd be like, my bread.

Toxic 1:07:50

You're only supposed to get two. Yeah. So you go to the one that's by the riddles. I go to garlic, curry, garlic curry, and ginger, nigga. Nigga. And I get a naked no bread. Right now when I'm I love a naked wing. I go with the fish because I'm off of the chickens. Oh, they got fish there, too? They got fish there too. Yes. I ain't on the chickens, but I go with fish. Okay, now the next one, your chicken.

Leon Rogers 1:08:13

Let me tell you something. If they get rid of the chicken, you want to start a race war, we want stars to kick some shit off with me, eliminate chicken and steak. Because let me tell you something. The chicken is the most worthless animal. It don't do shit. It don't fly. It was put here by God to be seasoned to perfection. Really? Roasted baked fries. Okay. What part of a chicken don't taste good? Yeah, it does. Mine is the feet and shit. I'm not, I'm not talking to you weirdos and necks. But goddamn it, breast.

Toxic 1:08:42

Sky's the best, though. Hey, but I'm gonna tell you something. Okay, all right. Wait, I know, but the beef, the beef is the motherfucker killer. I don't give a fuck about the beef. The beef ain't the beef, you can get rid of the beef. Yeah, all right, Dr. CB.

Leon Rogers 1:08:54

Give me a goddamn steak. You a lot? Give me a good ass porter out, New York strip. I ain't gotta eat it every day, but once mom, and some garlic butter on that.

Liz 1:09:05

How often do you clean your colon?

Leon Rogers 1:09:06

Huh? I do every day.

Liz 1:09:09

No, I said clean your colon. Do you do anything intentionally?

Leon Rogers 1:09:14

I take colon broom, all that. Shout out to my man, uh, shout out to my man Willie Lynch. Man, be sending me the herbs. He say, Leon, when you take this, stay home. Facts. Yo, is Willie the the poet? Willie Lynch, a comedian. A comedian, right? Right, right. St. Louis cut a seat road, but he got Osai and Botanical.

Liz 1:09:36

Well, he gave you some Cascara Sagrata.

Leon Rogers 1:09:38

I don't know what the shit was. I know I stay home. Okay. There would have been a problem.

Toxic 1:09:42

Okay, the next segment, ladies and gentlemen, is the Chicago Mount Rushmore. Now, I want these to be all comedians, Chicago comedians. So choose your Chicago Mount Rushmore of Chicago. That's only four. That's only four. Yep. Bernie Matt Dow. Bernie Matt, gotta be on. Number one, right? Gotta be on.

Leon Rogers 1:10:00

Well, no Pacific order. No, no. No order. Bernie Mack. See, I want to say, but he's not from the born and raised. But he he made his legacy. His legacy was established here, but he wasn't born. He could be born, raised, or born and raised. Well, then I gotta go Bernie Mack. I gotta go uh Dick Gregory. Okay. Because he was the first Playboy hotel. He was a staple here. Yep. Brad Fox. Red. Wait a minute. Red Fox hit from here. That's what I'm saying. Not born here. Okay, okay, damn. He went to high school.

Toxic 1:10:44

I didn't know that shit.

Leon Rogers 1:10:44

Went to high school. My fourth one, because he on fire right now. Who that? Dion Cole. Dion Cole. He's on fire right now, man. That's my boy. But Madness is a great series. Check him out in that. Yep. What about the new series, Joe? Yep. The average Joe. They film fire right now, right? But he's doing his thing. So I forgot to put him up there right now. You know what I'm saying? That could change. But them first three, you know, burning.

Toxic 1:11:14

The burning. Automatic. Okay, so the next one is uh is a let me vent segment. So let me vent allows you to express your frustrations. Well, you kind of already did that, but uh you express your frustrations or praises about the city. Well, so we got some of the frustrations about the Chicago scene and what's happening. Give us some like praises. What do you think we're doing good? Like, what's good that's coming out of the city?

Leon Rogers 1:11:42

Um the activism side. I know a lot of people who, once again, don't get their props for all of the activism work that they do. Absolutely. Shout out to Sister Africa. Absolutely. Shout out to uh uh uh uh what's the queen

Community Work, Activism, And Shoutouts

Leon Rogers 1:12:00

name? Interruptors. She had the interrupters, uh the doctor, Jeff Ford's daughter. She's doing her thing crazy. My man Jay Moore, my man John. I know, yep. I used to be with the Bulls, he's out there, something good in Inglewood, Corey from Inglewood Branded, my man Corey Gilkey from Leaders. These guys are trying to buy blocks and return cities into livable places. Sure. A Shabutt. Inglewood branded. They do the Inglewood Fest and all the raise kids. Yep. Corey just bought half a block. He's finna uh put stores up, opening up jobs for people, you know, just all of those right there. I think Chicago doesn't get it get enough about being at the forefront or the movement of getting black people involved and active.

Toxic 1:12:50

The last part of our segment is the if you were me segment, my brother. So, um, in your field, just like we're sitting down interviewing you because we believe you are an icon, a legend in this game, who would you recommend that we sit down with just like you and interview and get some jewels and um be able to give them their flowers?

Liz 1:13:15

Who do you want to hear from?

Toxic 1:13:17

Or that. Right.

Leon Rogers 1:13:20

Only one. For me, and no, no disrespect to anybody else because I love all my George Daniels dog. George Daniels. I just think that would be a fucking phenomenal. Like, when you think about it, here's somebody else. That history is different. Rub elbows with Quincy Jones. Everybody. Everybody left. Yep, everybody. Most people don't know Quincy Jones is from here.

Toxic 1:13:43

See what I'm saying? Minnie Ripperton. Yep. Like. Okay, so with that, with you giving us the person, what you have to do by answering that is help us to get them on here. Oh, that's true. So you gotta reach out and and make the mask. Excellent. That's the name I couldn't think of.

Leon Rogers 1:14:02

Amina. Amina Mass. Okay. Amina. Shout out to Amina.

Toxic 1:14:06

But yeah, you gotta uh you gotta help us get George on here then since you uh you mentioned him.

Leon Rogers 1:14:10

So uh that's not a problem. I would give George a car. I definitely will have the have him love and come here as soon as we work out the 20% agent fee.

Toxic 1:14:19

All right. I didn't know that was. I didn't know that was coming, but all right. Yeah, I got it. All right, no budget. Well, we appreciate the time and uh you've been a great guest for us today. No, you gonna pay me, don't you? Like we said, you've been a great guest today, and I'm gonna do it. Listen, we supposed to be brothers. Yeah, we're the Chicago shit. See, this is that Chicago shit.

Leon Rogers 1:14:47

We are supposed to be brothers, but I'm only child. Never funny. Never had to deal with it. You don't even know what that culture is. When I woke up, I was like, nobody else is. This is outrageous. I don't have to share about the scenario with nobody. Outrageous.

Tommie B. 1:15:07

Hell no.

Liz 1:15:08

All right, guys. So on today's episode of the Auxiliary Podcast with Leon Rogers, what we learned. And Liz.

Leon Rogers 1:15:17

And yo, it's your man. Super producible.

Toxic 1:15:21

Extraordinary.

Liz 1:15:22

Extraordinary. Listen, what we learned today is that when you're starting out in anything, it's cool to sit back, watch, and learn. And I really appreciate that word because a lot of times when you're coming up, you want to do it fast. But the truth is you really do need to learn what you're doing to.

Leon Rogers 1:15:43

Well, you don't know every damn thing. Just because you did a couple of shows, just because you got two million followers, that don't mean you know the game. That just means you have a strong social media follower. Because I've seen people with three, four million followers get out on that stage. And after the first three minutes, when that shit wears off, it started getting hot. You gotta play football now.

Toxic 1:16:02

Right. It's third and eight. Yeah. And we just want to say, bro, too, like, we really appreciate you in the Chicago culture, man, and the remarkable things that you have done, all of your accomplishments, man, and you've been a staple here for a long period. You are the voice of Chicago, man. Absolutely. And we want you just to keep going on, bro, making history and creating that inspiration for us, man.

Leon Rogers 1:16:25

I never, I never look at it like that because, you know, what I'm doing. But when

Closing Reflections And Flowers

Leon Rogers 1:16:30

you had, like, I had a guy come up to me the other day, who was at Orlando Square Mall, and he's like, yo, man, you got me through grammar school, high school, college, wow. And my master's, and saying, this was my wife, she's from Michigan. She don't know, but like I grew up listening to you and these are my daughters. Wow. I was happy to hear that, but at the same time, I was like, fuck. Damn.

Liz 1:16:55

But it's been, but I started I started radio in 2001. I remember when the call came through, everybody was talking. Leon got the job. We was very excited.

Leon Rogers 1:17:06

I've been blessed to have been at iHeart now, going on ATV. That's dope, bro. So it's like, you know, I watch people's kids grow up and shit. Like, damn. Yeah. But, you know, I'm blessed to be a part of when you, or hopefully, when people talk about radio and entertainment in Chicago, you know. They gotta say, not to talk my shit.

Liz 1:17:28

Talk about it.

Leon Rogers 1:17:28

Because I don't believe in that.

Liz 1:17:30

Well, that's why I've always we here to talk your shit.

Leon Rogers 1:17:32

But I've always said that when it comes down to it, uh, you talk about comedy, you talk about radio, you talk about TV. If you want, if you don't want to, if if you don't mention me in any one of those, you just don't like me. And that's I'm okay. And I'm okay with that. Because I know, goddammit, when it comes to being funny, my peers think I'm funny. I'm respected by them. I know when it comes to doing radio, my peers understand how long I've been in this game of longevity. And they, and even when I throw my hat in the DJing game, I got sensei, her brother, one of my senseis, would be like, Yeah, I put my student up against you, motherfuckers. So that's all I want. Shout out to DJ Mustafa brought to the show. It's just about saying, All right, I recognize what you're doing, and I see you was you was good at it.

Liz 1:18:21

Facts. So on today, the Auxiliary Podcast is giving our flowers to Leon Rogers because that's what we do, and that's why we're here, because we want to have real conversations with real people from the realness of Chicago that's doing their thing, and we appreciate you. And we definitely do.

Toxic 1:18:42

I I guess it depending on how you look at it.

Liz 1:18:45

We're gonna go now. So we'll see you guys later.

Leon Rogers 1:18:48

I am um I am once George just hit me. Okay.

Liz 1:18:52

Good clothing, good clothing, why he's not paying attention. We can do clothes, it has something to do with them.

Toxic 1:19:00

It has something to do with check. What? George. Uh check. George. Here we go. Don't worry about it.

Leon Rogers 1:19:06

Don't worry about it. The nigga ain't texting nothing. He ain't texting nothing. The nigga with the glasses said they not paying.

Liz 1:19:14

The nigga with the glasses.

Toxic 1:19:15

Well, ladies and gentlemen, once again, I'm your host, Tommy V.

Liz 1:19:19

I'm your host, Liz Tucson. And I'm super producer toxic.

Toxic 1:19:23

And you have just been plugged in to get auxiliary podcasts. Thank you, motherfucker, nigga. Get your ass off.

Tommie B. 1:19:31

Bye.