1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: But if you look under any post, any joke where 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: I mentioned that I am Muslim, if you look under it, 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: you're going to see I'm called the N word A 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: good amount of times. You're going to see that someone 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,119 Speaker 1: is saying that I don't have any you know, it's like, 6 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: you know, they're going to judge me, like, oh, look 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: at her. I mean, it's the very reason why I 8 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: named my special hitch abs Off. It's the very reason 9 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: why I have to bring levity to That's the very 10 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: reason why I have to write jokes about it, you know, 11 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: I mean racism and sexism, like any prejudicem exists. 12 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 2: I know that everyone is arguably well aware of what's 13 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 2: happening in the Middle East, and I think that it 14 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 2: seemed pretty apropos and obviously serendipitous that I have comedian 15 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 2: Zaynab Johnson on the podcast today. She is a Muslim woman, 16 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 2: and we don't get into the particulars of the war. 17 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 2: We talk about her comedy special, but she does share 18 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 2: a perspective of that. If I am honest, I was 19 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 2: not aware of Welcome ze Nab Johnson to the podcast, y'all. 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 3: It's the greatest suspension entertainment cant nack you wud carry 21 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 3: Champion and Carrie Chappion is to be a champion, a champion, 22 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 3: and Carrie Chappion the girl Clay John Champion, and Carrie 23 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 3: Chappion and Carrie Sheppy the greatest susporsion entertainment. 24 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: Get Nick Ward Affirming. 25 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 2: That's the title of this podcast, Affirming with ze Nab Johnson. 26 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 2: Zay Nab is an actress, a comedian, and a beautiful. 27 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: Person inside and out. 28 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 2: And the reason why I use the word affirming is 29 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 2: because I remember za Nab when she was on her 30 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 2: come up, because I was on my come up, and 31 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: I would bump into her at the comedy store when 32 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: she would go up for sets just to try to, 33 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 2: you know, work on her craft. At the time, I 34 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: don't necessarily think she was acting, but I'm sure she 35 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 2: did a short here and there. She was just a 36 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 2: part of a group of us LA kids who were 37 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 2: trying to make it. In her quotes, clearly, in my profession, 38 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 2: I was trying to be the journalist that I ultimately became, 39 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 2: but I was working small markets, which would be the 40 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 2: equivalent of going up on a comedy stage here and there, 41 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 2: hoping to work on my craft. 42 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: My set. 43 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 2: You know, that's what the comedians say. And I would 44 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 2: see say Navin think gosh, she's so beautiful, Got, she's 45 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 2: so smart, Got, she's so funny. I can't wait to 46 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 2: see her pop. And over the years, I've watched her 47 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 2: good roles here and there, and for many people who 48 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 2: have just learned who she is, you might think, oh wow, 49 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 2: this is a new face on the scene. She's an 50 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 2: overnight success. But I can I can testify that it 51 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 2: was a good ten years ago where she and I 52 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 2: were splitting, you know, a chicken sandwich, and by that 53 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 2: I mean not making no money and trying to make 54 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 2: it not chicken per se. So when she comes on 55 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,399 Speaker 2: the podcast or when she gets booked on the podcast, 56 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 2: I'm really excited. I'm thinking to myself, I can't wait 57 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 2: to catch up with her. I hope she remembers me. 58 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 2: Of course she does, but you just never know. And 59 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 2: Zey Nab is a first. She just recently debuted her 60 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 2: very first one hour special, he Jabs Off, and that's 61 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 2: on October twenty four, so I can go get it now, 62 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: watch it now on Prime, Celebrate her now on Prime, 63 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 2: and you're going to want to hear about her journey. 64 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: I think it's interesting to hear about a woman, a 65 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 2: black Muslim woman, who grew up with twelve siblings, thirteen 66 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 2: in all, in Harlem, and how she found her way 67 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 2: to Los Angeles to make it in the big leagues. 68 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 2: Whatever that means, whether that be famous, whether that means 69 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 2: be a famous actress or a comedian. She moved here 70 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 2: in her early twenties to make it, and of course 71 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 2: she did. We talk about that, We talk about her 72 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 2: life as a black Muslim woman in this country. We 73 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 2: talk about her special which incorporates all of that. But 74 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 2: more importantly, we come together on a common goal, which 75 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 2: is the fact that looking at her and her success 76 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: and where she came from me visually seeing that is affirming. 77 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 2: Welcome Zanab Johnson to the podcast. Y'all Chapion and Carried chat. 78 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: Bey and and Carrie chat Be. 79 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 2: Zanab, this is a really beautiful this is a beautiful moment. 80 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 2: Not that not that I didn't think that you were 81 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 2: always as talented and you'd be doing all these things. 82 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 2: But by way of background, you and I were, We 83 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 2: were on our grind together in different roads. Right. I'm 84 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 2: trying to do my TV thing. You're doing the comedians, 85 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 2: and I'm always thinking. I was just like, ah, she's 86 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 2: just so beautiful. Why doesn't she model? I know people 87 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 2: tell you that all the time, right, I just yea, yeah, yeah, 88 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 2: that was a thing for a while and I was 89 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: just like, and you because you were so and still 90 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 2: are so beautiful. I know that people find it distracting, 91 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 2: but I just remember thinking when you would always perform, 92 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 2: when I was in the comedy store with you and 93 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 2: with it kindre my best friend and speaking perform I 94 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 2: always just like, she's so beautiful, She's so beautiful, and 95 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,239 Speaker 2: so here we are a beautiful moment. 96 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, the special Hijabs Off is on Prime. And 97 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 1: do I feel successful? Yeah, yeah, I'd say I feel successful. 98 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: I feel I feel like every day I am moving 99 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: forward and that in and of itself is a success. 100 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,479 Speaker 1: And then you have these wonderful like milestones, these things 101 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: that you set out to do, and then when you 102 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: do them and you release them to the world, it 103 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: feels like, oh, okay, this is a kind of this 104 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: is like a bigger day, but still like a day. 105 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: You know that you get to cross off as a 106 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: as a as a moving forward and a wind. 107 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 2: So yeah, so he jobbed off on Prime, released October 108 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 2: twenty fourth. Congratulations on all of your success. I want 109 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 2: to begin with what I did not know, and you 110 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: talk about this in your special I'm aware of, but 111 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 2: I did not know that you grew up with twelve siblings. 112 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 1: Yeah I am. Yeah, I mean I feel like I 113 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: feel like me talking about my family and how I'm 114 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,679 Speaker 1: from like a large family. I feel like they're almost 115 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: like seventy percent of my material, like to the point 116 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,719 Speaker 1: to the point where I'm like I have to thank 117 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,919 Speaker 1: my mom, like thank you for having so many of us, 118 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: because if like maybe I wouldn't have any material if 119 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: it wasn't for the choice you made. Twelve is a lie. 120 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: Where do you rank? Are you middle? Are you towards 121 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,559 Speaker 1: the end? Are you the last? I'm in the middle. 122 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: I'm the fifth from the top. So I'm the oldest 123 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: of the middle bunch because it's like it's thirteen of us, 124 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: so you can really break us into threes, right, like 125 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: into three parts, and so I am the oldest of 126 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: the middle badge. So I don't even know what that means. 127 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 1: It means that I kind of have middle child is 128 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: but I also know how to act like the oldest 129 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: child too. 130 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 2: So when you are one of thirteen total, Yeah, it's 131 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 2: just that. How does that make you separate and different 132 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 2: and separated from others? I know that you notice how 133 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 2: people move if they're only children versus people who have 134 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 2: two siblings. 135 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: How does that make you? I think I would say 136 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: I have two very specific qualities that I believe come 137 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: from me being from a part of a large group, 138 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: which is, I am constantly seeking to be by myself. 139 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: Like I mean to the point where if I'm talking 140 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:43,559 Speaker 1: to my friends and it's like, oh, yeah, let's get together, 141 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: and they're like, oh, they have you got a new house? 142 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: Should we come to your place? I'm like, no, no, no, 143 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: no no, I'll come to you. That way, I can 144 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: leave when I want to. I don't have to worry 145 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: about waiting for people to leave, Like I am constantly 146 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: wanting to be by myself. 147 00:07:59,480 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 2: Right. 148 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: I know how to socialize, I know how to interact 149 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: with so many people. I know how to divide my attention, 150 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: But ultimately, at the end of it, I'm just like, hmm, 151 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 1: my own little space, my leftovers is still in a refrigerator. 152 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: Ain't nobody in a bathroom? I'm gonna be able to 153 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: just go as soon as I get home, you know, 154 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: like yeah, exactly exactly. But then the other thing is 155 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: like I know how to like give people attention. Like 156 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: I know, it's weird because I'm a standup comedian and 157 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: you get on stage and it's like all about you, 158 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 1: but it's not really. I think that's what makes me 159 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,119 Speaker 1: really good at being like in the moment and navigating 160 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: with the crowd because I'm like, yeah, I know how 161 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: to divide my at tension between a whole bunch of 162 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: people and be diplomatic with it. And you know, like 163 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: I think I think it's like a helpful skill that 164 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 1: I picked up. 165 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 2: When you and you say you thank your mom because 166 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,199 Speaker 2: she's given you so much material I read and you 167 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 2: obviously talk about this too, but you you loved played 168 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 2: basketball growing up, right, This was a thing for you. 169 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 2: This was your your duram, your passion when you were 170 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 2: a teenager. 171 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, uh yeah, one of them. I definitely loved. 172 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:15,599 Speaker 1: I did play basketball. I loved playing basketball, and I 173 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: don't know, maybe when I was in high school the 174 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: WNBA came about, yeah, you know, and so that was 175 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: an exciting that was an exciting possibility yeah, yeah, and yeah, 176 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: and then I you know, I got hip by truck, 177 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: and then my my plans or my or the you know, 178 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: the thing the way that I thought my life would 179 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: go was kind of redirected. And I often it's crazy 180 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: because I often think like, hmmm, it's my life better 181 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: or worse now? 182 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:45,319 Speaker 2: You know? 183 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: Like well, yeah, like I think it's so interesting. I mean, 184 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: we'll never know unless I have like one of those 185 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,959 Speaker 1: kinds of like Scrooge moments where three people come to 186 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: visit me from the past, the president of the future 187 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: and show me what my you know, like, but I'm like, wow, 188 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: I want wonder if you know, if that never happened, 189 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: would I be a comedian? Like what what would be 190 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: my life? You got hit by a truck? Do you 191 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 1: talk about that often? Or can we talk about it? 192 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 2: You said you I read it could be where I'm 193 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 2: correct me if I'm wrong, you broke two legs and 194 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 2: so it really messed up the jectory. Okay, so where 195 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 2: well how that all happened? 196 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: Oh it was, I'm totally talking about it now, making 197 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: light of it and and and and turn it and 198 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,599 Speaker 1: turning it into jokes now on stage, which is so 199 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: interesting because I always start with a statement, you know, 200 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: I always start with the statement that really puts the 201 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: audience on edge, like wait a minute, what's about to happen? 202 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: And then I kind of reverse engineer it with jokes. 203 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: But yeah, I had I got hit by a junk driver. 204 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,559 Speaker 1: I was pushing the back of a car. I was 205 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: outside of the car, and I was pushing the back 206 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: of a car and a junk driver unfortunately slammed into us, 207 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:03,319 Speaker 1: and I had a lot of injuries, broke both my 208 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: legs in multiple places, spent the large majority spent the 209 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: rest of my high school senior year in the hospital, 210 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: and some time after that I had to learn to 211 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: walk again, like all of it, you know, But I think, honestly, 212 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: carry I think it's made me like so much stronger 213 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: because I think in moments where you know, I'm feeling 214 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: any sort of like doubt or fear or like I 215 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: don't know, maybe I can't do this, I'm like, well, 216 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 1: a truck ain't keep me down. Like a truck ain't home, 217 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,719 Speaker 1: you know, A truck ain't take me out. So not 218 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: choosing me ain't gonna take me out. Me not getting 219 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: a certain job ain't gonna take me out, you know, like, 220 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: I think it really does. 221 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 2: No pun intended ground me. You know, yeah, yeah, right, 222 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 2: in every possible way. Well, and that is arguably something 223 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 2: that I don't know if I'm sitting in the hospital 224 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 2: most of my senior year of high school and after. 225 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 2: I think that forces you to become more wise and 226 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 2: mature in other ways. You can either crack to it 227 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 2: or you can you can understand it. How did your 228 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 2: family help you get through that? 229 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: My family, they were helpful in the sense that they 230 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: did not baby me or coddle me. It was like, 231 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: here's the thing about being a part of a large 232 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: family is I'm the comedian, but they all believe they're 233 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: funnier than me, right, So I just got a lot 234 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: of jokes, you know, Like I remember my I remember 235 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,839 Speaker 1: my one of my youngest younger brothers saying to me, 236 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: like when he saw the scars on my legs, saying 237 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: to me like, oh yo, them is your legs? 238 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 2: Yo? 239 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: Your legs is crazy. I'm Joy's like, wow, like, I 240 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:43,559 Speaker 1: ain't know your legs look like that, right, And right 241 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 1: before I could even feel bad about it, he was like, 242 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,439 Speaker 1: but nah, that asked if I wasn't your brother, I 243 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:57,960 Speaker 1: holler at you, and I'm like, Okay, I'm cute. That's support, 244 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: you know, that's real support. Like I see that. But 245 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:03,959 Speaker 1: if I didn't love you like how I love you, 246 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 1: I was still try and get with you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 247 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 1: oh I love it. Yeah, you know. But what what 248 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:16,199 Speaker 1: did help me through, like the hospital experience was I 249 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 1: think it was the first time, just getting hit by Chuck. 250 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: I think it was the first time that I realized 251 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:24,559 Speaker 1: that I was like just a small part, a very 252 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: very small speckle in this world. And you know, as 253 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: like a teenager, you can feel like the world revolves 254 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: around you. You can feel like, you know what I'm saying, 255 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: like everything rises and sets on you. Your world is 256 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 1: so mass. But it made me feel really small in 257 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: two ways. One, the other girl who was in the 258 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: accident with me, her leg was amputated, and so that 259 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 1: was immediate perspective right there for me, like, oh, yeah, 260 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 1: I think this is terrible, but that's worse, you know. 261 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: And then when I went into a rehabilitation hospital in 262 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: New York, all the times there were dealing with cerebral palsy, 263 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: they were dealing with all of these like these life 264 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: long illnesses and they were such small kids and then 265 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: such distress and pain and couldn't even you know, it's like, yeah, 266 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:15,959 Speaker 1: from the waist down, I was kind of hindered, but 267 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: I was still kind of like, you know, yeah, and 268 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: so yeah, you're moving. Yeah, I was moving, I was talking, 269 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: I was thinking, I was I was still experiencing high 270 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 1: levels of joy, you know. And so that really put 271 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: things into perspective for me, and I think just really 272 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: sent me off in my healing and also my my 273 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: constant awareness of like gratitude. 274 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 2: That's beautiful, I think, in perspective, is beautiful. And I 275 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 2: think if you were able to have it in the moment, 276 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: that's even more special. 277 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: Special. 278 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 2: We have to pay some bills, Yeah, I understand what 279 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 2: I'm saying by that. Normally I asked you to push 280 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 2: that fast forward and fast ward, fast forward, fast forward. 281 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 2: So and you just do that and we'll be right 282 00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 2: back in just a few moments. 283 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 3: Every champion, every champion is to be a champion, a 284 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 3: champion and carry Chappion and Carrid chap Beata Champion and 285 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 3: carried Sheppion and Carrie Cherets. The sports and entertainment cant nack. 286 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 3: You work, Harry champion and carry champion is to be 287 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 3: a champion, A champion and Carrie Champion, the girl Kitty 288 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 3: Yat a champion and Carrie chppion and Carrie Sheppy is 289 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 3: the sport and entertainment Get Nike you working. 290 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 2: Hey everybody, I appreciate you so much. Welcome back to 291 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 2: the podcast. I have more with Zey Nab Johnson you 292 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 2: then have And what I'm what I'm getting at is 293 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 2: that I've I noticed that you've had a few things 294 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 2: in your life that really put you on this trajectory 295 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 2: to be a comedian, because from my understanding, that's not 296 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 2: necessarily what you wanted to be growing up. You're a 297 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 2: fan of it. You and your mother, your mother was 298 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 2: in theater. You rehearse lines with your mom. I didn't 299 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 2: I don't know if someone grows up, especially you know, 300 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 2: and you know, so it says I want to be 301 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 2: a comedian? Was and you had some life altering experiences 302 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 2: that led you here. Would you say your your father's 303 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 2: passing was one of those. 304 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: I think my father's passing definitely led me to California, 305 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: like you know, just that, like I don't know, I 306 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: was probably like twenty three years old. I think, And 307 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: my friend was like, who at the time have been 308 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: like twenty two. She was like, I'm moving to LA 309 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: to be famous. And I think the thing that that 310 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: sounds ridiculous, Yeah, but it's so funny. People people declare 311 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: that every single day and get in their car or 312 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 1: on a bus or on a plane whatever. And I 313 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: and while I think I would have eventually made it 314 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: out here, I think my father's passing really put the 315 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 1: fire under my behind, like, yeah, you don't know what's 316 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: going to happen. His death was sudden. 317 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 2: You know. 318 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: My father wasn't sick, he wasn't old, he wasn't it 319 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: was sudden, and so it made me feel like, oh, 320 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: you know, tomorrow's not promised, so you better try and 321 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: do everything you can today, you know. And so that's 322 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: that was the thing that really really pushed me to 323 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 1: do it. Also, carry you know, you can't have your friend. 324 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: I mean, Kendrick's good because you're so You're You're just 325 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: big personality in the world and its name and faith 326 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: and in voice and perspective that everybody knows, you know. 327 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: But I was thinking, I can't be the friends of 328 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: the famous person. I gotta be famous too. You know. 329 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 2: That was that's a motivation be famous too. So you guys, 330 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 2: you moved here, and what do you do when you 331 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 2: move to LA? I love these stories. 332 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:46,679 Speaker 1: I mean, you get on Actors Access, you sign up 333 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: for any casting thing that you you try to figure out, like, okay, 334 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: what's my place? You know, like do I go to 335 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: a do I go to a dramatic acting class, a 336 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 1: scene study class? Or do I go into like the 337 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: Groundlings or you know, UCB, Like you try to figure 338 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: it out. I was doing all of that, Like I 339 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 1: was in a scene study class. I was doing you know, 340 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: improv classes and really not even just so much just 341 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: to have a little bit of skill, but also to 342 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: make friends. You know, LA can get so lonely and 343 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: it's like I did have my one close friend, but 344 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: it's like I realized that wasn't enough, Like you need 345 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: to get out there and meet people, you know. Then 346 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,640 Speaker 1: I walked. I will say this was probably the thing 347 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: about me that I'm sure most people don't do when 348 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: they come out here is walk. I'm a New Yorker. 349 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: I'm used to walking. I can walk for hours and 350 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 1: days with my eyes closed and to like fill the 351 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 1: time and learn the city. I would just walk from 352 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: Los Feliss from Echo Park or Silver Lake, all the 353 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: way to Beverly Hills, all the way to Santa Monica, 354 00:18:57,680 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: all the way Wow, and I would discover new things. 355 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,880 Speaker 1: It's like maybe one day the walk would be about like, Ooh, 356 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to discover like a fun new cafe somewhere 357 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: that I can get like a good cheap bite to eat. Oh, 358 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: but today I'm gonna walk in. I'm gonna go into 359 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: three open houses, you know, like really, like that's really 360 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 1: what helped me learn the city and kept me occupied. 361 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 2: For people who are listening and they are not from 362 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 2: Los Angeles, a walk from Los Felis to Beverly and Hills, 363 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 2: I would say hours. 364 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: I don't remember an hour two Like. 365 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,680 Speaker 2: That's a that's a cool forty five minute drive with traffic. 366 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 2: So you were walking and learning the city, and I 367 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:41,120 Speaker 2: think that's smart. I think that is arguably the best 368 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 2: thing you can do. As someone who now spends a 369 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 2: lot of time in New York, I walk more too. 370 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:46,640 Speaker 1: It's the thing. You just walk. 371 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:48,359 Speaker 2: He walks when I want to get an uber and 372 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 2: they're like, what you mean, it's only twenty blocks. I'm like, 373 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 2: it's only twenty blocks. I'm from La, you know what 374 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 2: I mean. 375 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: So it's a beautiful thing. 376 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 2: And when you and when you were looking for work 377 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 2: or did you work like and as you signed up 378 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 2: for all the resources to help you be you know 379 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 2: in this in this game, where did you work in 380 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 2: the meantime to suffer in the stream? 381 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: I worked at a spot at first because I went 382 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: to school. I have a degree in education in math 383 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: and so s I was substitute teaching at first. And 384 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:24,360 Speaker 1: the quickest way to get in substitute teaching in La, 385 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: I realized, is to go to like camps, which are 386 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: really kind of jails. Yeah huh. And so I realized like, oh, okay, 387 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 1: I'm going to a jail today, Like yeah, they're the 388 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: people that the kids that I'm teaching are boys like 389 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 1: under eighteen, but they're still like locked up, you know. 390 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 1: And after doing that a couple of times and having 391 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 1: some incidences happened, I was like, Okay, I didn't leave 392 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: New York to put myself in danger, you know. And 393 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: so I was like, okay, let me find another program. 394 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: And so I did two things. I got with this woman, 395 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: I believe her name is Lee Curran, and she ran 396 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: this wonderful arts program. So when I moved here, this 397 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: was at the time where all the school all LA 398 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:12,479 Speaker 1: what's the school system here, the public school system La 399 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: LA Universe. They were losing all of their programs, like 400 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: any of the arts, the gyms, you know that they 401 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:23,239 Speaker 1: were losing all of the budget cuts. And so then 402 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: there was this wonderful outside program that started in New York, 403 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 1: and so she moved it to LA And what she 404 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: would do is bring artists into the classroom and we 405 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: would teach, we would teach, you know, improv we would 406 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: teach art, we would teach theater, you know. And so 407 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: I was doing that, but also working at a spa. Okay, 408 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 1: so that's two things that Yeah, you know, a little spa. 409 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 2: Maybe get a massage because you know, you get a discount. 410 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: Maybe we'll take sure little product. Yeah, a little bit 411 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 1: of both. I too, were all throughout college. 412 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 2: So yes, I love it. 413 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:55,440 Speaker 1: Really. What's that? 414 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 2: Yeah? Well, what Burt Williams were you at? 415 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 1: Shut the front girl? Uh huh? I worked at the 416 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:06,639 Speaker 1: Burke Williams right on West Hollywood. It's not there, I 417 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 1: mean right on Sunset and West Hollywood. It's not there. Anymore. 418 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:10,399 Speaker 1: It's not. 419 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 2: I worked at the original one in Santa Monica on 420 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,400 Speaker 2: off a third street, off a third treet Femino. 421 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,719 Speaker 1: Wow, yes we can. 422 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:22,880 Speaker 2: We can offline about who might have been your boss 423 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 2: back in the day. Did you ever meet the owners 424 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:29,719 Speaker 2: where the owners around was a woman n in Karen around? 425 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: Uh, you don't remember so long ago. I can't remember. 426 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: My memory is bad. I wasn't there super long, but 427 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 1: my memory is not that great either. But I do 428 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 1: remember that location used to get a lot of celebrities 429 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: and that was like sting real of it, you know. Yeah, 430 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:49,360 Speaker 1: that really was like seeing for massage. Okay, that's so funny. Yeah. 431 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 2: And then I I don't know when was the time 432 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 2: I met you, but I believe the time I met you, 433 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 2: you were working the circuit like you were working, and 434 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 2: I knew that Kendrick Carter, who I've mentioned with this 435 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 2: program before, because every time I have a comedian come 436 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 2: on my show or or on my podcast, I have 437 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,120 Speaker 2: some and some some weird former fashion I know them 438 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 2: like Hassan and hanj you know what I mean. And 439 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 2: I saw him, you know, he did your He put 440 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:18,639 Speaker 2: a congratulations post up for you. 441 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:23,120 Speaker 1: I think the other, which I thought not told me. Yeah, 442 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: he told you. He was like, no, well I saw 443 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: it and I was like, oh, that's so sweet of you, Hasten, 444 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:30,360 Speaker 1: and he was like, oh, my sister was at your taping. 445 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: And I was like, oh, I didn't even know. It's 446 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: so many people. It's a it's a it's a good 447 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,920 Speaker 1: amount of like my peers who would tell me like, yeah, 448 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:42,400 Speaker 1: my brother or my sister or my cousin was at 449 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 1: or my spouse was at your taping. And I'm like, yeah, 450 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:53,120 Speaker 1: how wonderful. Yeah yeah, okay. So with that being said, 451 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:56,119 Speaker 1: I I don't know. 452 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 2: Tell me, do you think it's weird or odd or strength? 453 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 2: I think it's so and it's not. I don't have 454 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 2: the words. I'm looking for the word. I don't have 455 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 2: it yet to describe it. But doing our come up years, 456 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 2: there are so many of us. I think whether it's different, 457 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 2: you know, like I said, different disciplines. I'm a broadcast journalist, 458 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 2: I love sports, you're a comedian, you're an actress. But 459 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 2: our come up years, people have actually done the thing, 460 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. They have pursued the dream 461 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 2: and you've seen them accomplish things in a very successful manner, 462 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 2: whether that be Hassin or you or Tony Baker. You know, 463 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 2: I think it's really special and I all want, I 464 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 2: really want to know. Does everyone know have a circle 465 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 2: like that? Do you think of your friends that moved 466 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 2: here or that you've met along the way, who've tried 467 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 2: to achieve this dream? And I don't necessarily need you 468 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 2: to describe the dream, but the make it dream them 469 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:58,480 Speaker 2: come to Hollywood or to be here and have a 470 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 2: passion and love something and really do it at the 471 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 2: highest level. Do you find it fascinating when you look 472 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,120 Speaker 2: around and see your peers who have done that, when 473 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 2: you watch them come up along with yourself. 474 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: More than I find it fascinating, I find it affirming. 475 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: Hey amen, Yeah, I find it affirming. Like I was 476 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:24,160 Speaker 1: doing an MPR interview and the the the journalist asked 477 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: me about hasten It, and I remembered in that moment 478 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: we were new faces at JFL together. 479 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 2: You know. 480 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,159 Speaker 1: Today, as I was talking to my friend Sydney about you, 481 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, I remember seeing carry on the 482 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 1: red carpet, you know, like like I remember that, like 483 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: you remember it? Yeah, yeah, you know. I I think 484 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,239 Speaker 1: of my very very close friend who has shared her 485 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: story with the world. But Tabitha Brown, I'm not. I 486 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,359 Speaker 1: would imagine that you're familiar with Tabitha Brown, yes, and 487 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 1: I just I just love when she posts like her face. 488 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,159 Speaker 1: I'm not this type of person. I'm not like the 489 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,920 Speaker 1: person is gonna declare something online and forget about it. 490 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: I'm much more private in that way, you know. But 491 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: she will reach she'll repost like something from fifteen years 492 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 1: ago where she said, you know, I want this, and 493 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: it's so specific to her life now, and it's so 494 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: like I remember the day I met her. I remember 495 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: sitting on the phone with her and consoling her through 496 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 1: a job of nine to five that she wasn't the 497 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: uber driving and she talks about where her first video 498 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 1: went viral. I remember being like, I'm so worried you're 499 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,639 Speaker 1: in an uber, Like be safe? I remember, And so 500 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 1: now it's just like it really is like our dreams 501 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: are coming true. And so it's affirming. And for the 502 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,879 Speaker 1: people who are in my circle who feel they haven't 503 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: quite touched that yet, I hope that they're seeing us 504 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:02,160 Speaker 1: if it's me or whoever ever, you know as examples 505 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,159 Speaker 1: that like you just just keep at it. You know, 506 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 1: and you'll have success. It's affirming. 507 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 2: I love that. That's a beautiful word. I didn't have 508 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 2: it affroation. I'm moving, I'm on the same path that 509 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 2: I'm supposed to be on. And I love that I 510 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,280 Speaker 2: have attracted people who have that same youenergy, who have 511 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 2: that same dream and they're living their dreams away in 512 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 2: which I am. I think that's beautiful. And there are 513 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 2: so many that I can think of. Sometime some escape me, 514 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 2: some don't, but I do think it's a beautiful. It's 515 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:35,880 Speaker 2: beautiful for me to witness. I celebrate success. 516 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 1: I really do. Thank you and you too, oh my, 517 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: oh my god. Like I mean, I'm gonna be honest 518 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 1: with you, Carrie. I think I thought you were already successful, 519 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: like I do celebrate your success. But it was like 520 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:53,400 Speaker 1: it was like I was looking at you, like yeah, yeah, 521 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:57,879 Speaker 1: she's already successful. Look at her work, you know. I mean, 522 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:04,960 Speaker 1: I I celebrate your continual success. I received that, I receive. 523 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 1: What is what is fascinating is how many different lanes 524 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 1: we find ourselves in. You know, I don't think that 525 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:19,880 Speaker 1: when I used to watch you host, I don't think 526 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: or do you know, do interviews with them? I don't 527 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 1: think that I knew you were into sports. I don't 528 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:29,200 Speaker 1: think I knew that, you know, and then to find 529 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: that out in this in this huge way, it's just 530 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:36,200 Speaker 1: that's what's fascinating to me. You know, it's fascinating that 531 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: when I met my friend Tabatha, she she was famous 532 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: for making these turkey legs, like in the friend group, 533 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: it was these turkey legs. But the very thing that 534 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: kind of catapulted to her was the change in her diet. 535 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 1: You know, Like, that's fascinating to me watching watching Tony 536 00:28:56,080 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: Baker because you mentioned him, watching him and and knowing 537 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 1: what my favorite jokes are of his and watching him 538 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:08,560 Speaker 1: his comedian, but then seeing the world really gravitate towards 539 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:11,680 Speaker 1: him being the voice of animals, you know, like it's 540 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: really just fascinating to see the many different lanes that 541 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: we are creating for ourselves. 542 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 2: I think in that same vein and talking about your special, 543 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 2: which which released some prime Amazon Prime video is available now. 544 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 2: It's available now, going and going and watch y'all, y'all know, yes, 545 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 2: watch it. He drops off, why why that title? Without 546 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 2: giving away everything? Why that title? And what what does 547 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 2: it summarize or what does it encapsulate for you. 548 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, he jabs off is quite literal on one part 549 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 1: of it because I am a Muslim woman and I 550 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: don't wear a jab, and so it's just literal. Also, 551 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: I just also I just wanted to like create space. 552 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: Like one of my one of my favorite jokes on 553 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: the it's an early joke on a special is. You 554 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 1: know a lot of people say that I'm not Muslim 555 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: because I don't wear hejab, and I say, well, this 556 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: is a wig, so technically, you know it is it 557 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 1: is very much, you know, And so I just I 558 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:27,959 Speaker 1: really wanted to create space for all of the different 559 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: Muslim women identities. You know, there's so many of us 560 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: that are very proud Muslim women, and how we present 561 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: that is very different. And I think that there's space 562 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: for all of it. And nobody owns a faith. And 563 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 1: then the last thing, it's just a pun, you know, 564 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: when you tell They don't say it anymore, but people 565 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: used to say hats offt and hats off was the compliment. 566 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: Hats off was you did well, I'm proud of you, Congratulations. 567 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: I take my hat off to you because you because 568 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: you did something so great, And that was my way 569 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 1: of kind of like, you know, doing like a play, 570 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: a play on words. My friend Muhammad, he actually dared me. 571 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: He was like, I dare you to name it the 572 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,719 Speaker 1: Jabs Off? Why? Why was that so? Why was so throutroversial? 573 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: I mean there's certain regions where the special isn't available 574 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 1: because they did they wanted me to change the title. So, 575 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: you know, if you feel a certain way, if you're 576 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: if you're one of those people that are like, you're 577 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 1: not Muslim, you don't cover your hair, then you're probably 578 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: one of those people that feel like a jab's off 579 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 1: is in Islam, we call it haram, like you know, 580 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,240 Speaker 1: speaking bad against the religion or against God, you know. 581 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 1: And so he was like, I dare you to do it? 582 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: And when I did it, he he when he announced 583 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: me came out, he was the first one to call me. 584 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:54,240 Speaker 1: He was like, I can't. I was kidding. I didn't. 585 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 1: I was kidding. I didn't know you were really gonna 586 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,960 Speaker 1: do it. I didn't mean it, dare you? I I 587 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 1: was like, wait, did you? And I think he was like, 588 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, it's a fantastic title, but I 589 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: didn't think you would go through with it. And I'm like, 590 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: it's perfect, perfect. 591 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 3: Perfect every Champion and kerry Champions to be a champion, 592 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 3: a champion and carry Champion and carry chap out a 593 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 3: Champion and carry Champion and carry CHAPPI Entertainment Getting Naked 594 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 3: worker Erry Champion and carry Champions. To be a champion, 595 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:30,640 Speaker 3: a champion and carry champion their champion and carry Champion 596 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,160 Speaker 3: and carry chappiett NACKI work. 597 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 2: How do you feel and all candidness about screaking about 598 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 2: what's happening in the Middle East. 599 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: I don't feel great about it because I don't well 600 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: what I can say with you know, no question is 601 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: that it's awful. Yeah, but I do feel like most 602 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 1: people want you to take a side, and because people 603 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:03,640 Speaker 1: want you to take a side, you're it doesn't matter 604 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: what you say, You'll be attacked, you know, Like I don't. 605 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,479 Speaker 1: I don't, Especially when it first happened, I didn't even 606 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: feel like I had enough information to speak on it, 607 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 1: so I would repost things from people who I felt 608 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: like were adequately informed and educated of those specific backgrounds. 609 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying, like very close to to 610 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: you know, that region and there, like I mean, I 611 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 1: mean literal ties to the people there. You know on 612 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 1: both sides, and the education the knowledge that, like, you know, 613 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: they've been talking about it. I thought that I was 614 00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 1: doing a good job of posting adequate, fair, objective, but 615 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 1: still very solid and respectful and empathetic h posts. And 616 00:33:55,720 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: still I received, you know, pretty disrespectful messages and pretty 617 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 1: unreasonable requests, you know. So I decided one night I 618 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 1: got on stage after being pursed out a couple of 619 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,799 Speaker 1: times via my d MS, and I got on stage 620 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: at the Laugh Factory in La and I was like, 621 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: you know, if I say I feel bad for Palestinians, 622 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:25,440 Speaker 1: then you know my Jewish fans are going to be 623 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: like you ass whole shut the effort. And if I 624 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,680 Speaker 1: say I feel bad for you know, people in Israel, 625 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:33,840 Speaker 1: then you know my Muslim fans are going to be 626 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,359 Speaker 1: like a stuftful law. And so now we're just talking 627 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:38,919 Speaker 1: about titties tonight. We only talk about it. I didn't 628 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 1: take this ship, for sure, it's. 629 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:47,800 Speaker 2: Right about now, yes, sure, and for short, you know 630 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 2: that was fair of you, and I do feel like 631 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 2: I was reading an article today in The Hollywood Reporter, 632 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:56,279 Speaker 2: and Brian Stefler was saying, I was writing, rather that 633 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,879 Speaker 2: they want reporters to take a side, and you can't 634 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,200 Speaker 2: report the information without seeming like you're taking aside. And 635 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 2: right now, for me, it's a war on misinformation. I 636 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:08,440 Speaker 2: don't know what to believe. 637 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,880 Speaker 1: I don't know. Everything is so extreme. I know what 638 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: to believe. 639 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:15,839 Speaker 2: I know death is wrong, the killing of innocent people 640 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,239 Speaker 2: is completely wrong. That's the one thing I can tell 641 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 2: you right now. But you're right, you can't take it. 642 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 2: But I would like to ask you, as a Muslim, 643 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 2: do you feel that oftentimes there is a quiet and 644 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:36,360 Speaker 2: then other times are not so quietism towards you when. 645 00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:40,640 Speaker 1: People find out, Oh, there's definitely I think it's overt. 646 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 1: I think if you go, I do want to acknowledge 647 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 1: that sometimes we see a lot of hate, but the 648 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 1: positive always outweighs it. You know, like when I think 649 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: about all of the Muslim both men and women, they 650 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 1: come to me and tell me how funny I am, 651 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 1: how much they feel seen like. I don't want that 652 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: to go unnoticed. But if you look under any any post, 653 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:10,040 Speaker 1: any joke where I mentioned that I am Muslim, if 654 00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:12,040 Speaker 1: you look under it, you're going to see I'm called 655 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 1: the ant words. A good amount of times you're going 656 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 1: to see that someone is saying that I don't have 657 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: any you know, it's like, you know, they're gonna judge me, like, 658 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:24,839 Speaker 1: oh look at her that, you know. Like, I mean, 659 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 1: it's the very reason why I named my special hit 660 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:31,400 Speaker 1: jabs Off. It's the very reason why I have to 661 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: bring levity to That's the very reason why I have 662 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:38,359 Speaker 1: to write jokes about it, you know. So yeah, I mean, 663 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:45,000 Speaker 1: racism and sexism like any prejudicem exists, it don't, it doesn't, 664 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,760 Speaker 1: it doesn't. I tell a wonderful joke in my special. 665 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:51,640 Speaker 1: Forgive me for but I tell a wonderful, wonderful joke 666 00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:56,319 Speaker 1: about That's the point this is promoting the special, Yeah, 667 00:36:56,360 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 1: I mean, I mean it's it's it's because I do 668 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:00,440 Speaker 1: an act out on this special. It's so funny when 669 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 1: I watch it. It just when I did it in 670 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:05,359 Speaker 1: the moment, it surprised me. But you know, I grew 671 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:09,320 Speaker 1: up in Harlem, which is you know, which is like 672 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:13,560 Speaker 1: in New York, one of the black meccas. I would 673 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:16,239 Speaker 1: even say in this country, you know, at one point, 674 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:23,719 Speaker 1: and I grew up in the masted and surrounded by Muslims, 675 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:26,760 Speaker 1: and so I just thought we were all Muslims. I didn't. 676 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: I knew Sunni Muslims, I knew Nation of Islam Muslims. 677 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,480 Speaker 1: I knew Somalia Muslims. I knew Senegalese Muslims. I knew 678 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,440 Speaker 1: Arab Muslims. I knew Black Muslims. I knew white Muslims. 679 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:39,880 Speaker 1: You know. So I just thought we are Muslims. That 680 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 1: is what we are. Right then nine eleven happened, and 681 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:47,279 Speaker 1: I learned the word Islamophobia, you know. At at A, 682 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: I was a teenager, you know. I learned the word Islamophobia. 683 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 1: And I'm like, oh, okay, the world's not messing with Muslims, 684 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,760 Speaker 1: you know, and so I need to like stay inside. 685 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:00,279 Speaker 1: I need to protect myself. And I and I was 686 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:03,640 Speaker 1: right there. I'm in the city where this horrific thing happened, 687 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 1: you know, And I remember my friend called me. It 688 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:08,600 Speaker 1: was like, hey, we ain't we haven't seen you in 689 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: a while, Like did your father put you on punishment 690 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:13,160 Speaker 1: or something? And I'm like no, you know, it's like 691 00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:15,400 Speaker 1: they hate Muslims. So I got to stay inside for 692 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 1: a little while and she was like, girl, you black. Yeah. 693 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:31,279 Speaker 1: Five minutes later, I was outside jumping double Dutch hurd yeah, 694 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:35,759 Speaker 1: you know, but I do. I do like to bring 695 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: attention to that because in the United States, specifically, the 696 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 1: growth of Muslims in the United States is attributed to 697 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 1: African Americans. It's attributed to black people. It's not because 698 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:53,520 Speaker 1: a bunch of Arabs or Indians or Asian like. It's 699 00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:57,120 Speaker 1: not because so many of them are coming over and no, no, no, no, no, 700 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:01,680 Speaker 1: It's because there's a growing number of Black Americans who 701 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:06,360 Speaker 1: are one. At some point in my history, we've converted 702 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:10,080 Speaker 1: and now we're birthing kids and teaching our kids this faith. 703 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:15,000 Speaker 2: You know, was that the case for you your mother 704 00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 2: and your father were Muslim or you became Haslem on 705 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:17,960 Speaker 2: your own. 706 00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:20,640 Speaker 1: Now, my mother and father were Muslim. They were both 707 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:24,200 Speaker 1: born Christian and then they converted and then they had 708 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:27,600 Speaker 1: Muslate they raised us. We were born and raised Muslim. 709 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:31,759 Speaker 2: I love the story of for someone who grew up 710 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:34,480 Speaker 2: on the other side of the world, literally California seems 711 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:36,759 Speaker 2: like another world, growing up in Pasadying and you know 712 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 2: where that is like another side of the world for 713 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:42,120 Speaker 2: you just describe Parlam as Black Mecca and in this country, 714 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:45,400 Speaker 2: in this world right it is a beautiful space and 715 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:49,560 Speaker 2: for your experience to only feel like it was only us, 716 00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:52,320 Speaker 2: you know what I mean? That is a beautiful experience, 717 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:54,840 Speaker 2: and then we realized who then later that's not the case. 718 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:59,000 Speaker 2: Do you find that you must use your platform to 719 00:39:59,840 --> 00:40:02,800 Speaker 2: talk talk about who you are in this space? A 720 00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 2: black Muslim woman working in a world that doesn't necessarily 721 00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:10,200 Speaker 2: know you in an intimate way, but knows you from 722 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:10,840 Speaker 2: what you share. 723 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:18,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's necessary. Maybe necessary isn't the word. 724 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:25,320 Speaker 1: But I would feel like I wasted the time in 725 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:30,080 Speaker 1: the space if I did not share who I am. 726 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:36,279 Speaker 1: Because I often watch things entertain when I was a kid, 727 00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:39,840 Speaker 1: I did not have one representation of a black Muslim 728 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:42,920 Speaker 1: woman on TV until I saw the movie Malcolm X. 729 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:48,439 Speaker 1: His Wife, and so I'm like, oh, okay, I didn't 730 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:52,000 Speaker 1: even really see Muslim women. But if if, by off chance, 731 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:53,920 Speaker 1: you catch an episode of Law and Order and they 732 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:57,040 Speaker 1: got a quote unquote terrorist episode, then you might see 733 00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:01,400 Speaker 1: an Arab Muslim woman, right. But other than that, I didn't. 734 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:07,800 Speaker 1: I did have no representation, nothing to aspire to, you know, nothing. 735 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:11,800 Speaker 1: I love a different world. I absolutely love a different world. 736 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:15,360 Speaker 1: If I rewrote a different world right now, I would 737 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:19,840 Speaker 1: give them a black Muslim character on the show that 738 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:24,440 Speaker 1: wasn't a trope, that wasn't selling bean pies. And do 739 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:28,080 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, you know, acting hotepye somebody 740 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 1: who is just like there are the characters, but also 741 00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:34,400 Speaker 1: is of this faith. 742 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 3: You know. 743 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:38,400 Speaker 1: And so I feel like because I didn't have that, 744 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:42,560 Speaker 1: who am I to come out here take up this space? 745 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:45,880 Speaker 1: Works so hard to take up space, create a space, 746 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:51,279 Speaker 1: and not make it so that someone like me has someone. 747 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:52,279 Speaker 2: To look to. 748 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:56,279 Speaker 1: Absolutely it, it just seems pointless if I'm not doing that. 749 00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:59,360 Speaker 2: I agree, and I'm glad that you're doing it and 750 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:02,919 Speaker 2: such a beautif well alligata and I agree, I whole 751 00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:05,239 Speaker 2: hardly agree with you. But I've plastic plate. Where's the 752 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:06,279 Speaker 2: plate we got? 753 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:07,400 Speaker 1: We all take a collection? 754 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 2: Grant you and creaking Jeb Well can watch it now. 755 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:16,239 Speaker 2: And I know that you can touch on so many 756 00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:18,879 Speaker 2: various things, but I think it's important and I wanted 757 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:23,759 Speaker 2: to highlight what is special about you, and there are 758 00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:26,120 Speaker 2: so many things, but I do believe we should honor 759 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:29,120 Speaker 2: you as a Muslim woman and what you are doing, 760 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:32,759 Speaker 2: and I don't want there to be any phobias around that. Uh. 761 00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:35,399 Speaker 2: I think your success is a testament to the fact 762 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:37,560 Speaker 2: that we have to learn eventually that we all are 763 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:39,600 Speaker 2: the same, no matter how much we want to feel 764 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:43,279 Speaker 2: like you're different. And when when the strike is When 765 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:45,400 Speaker 2: is the strike over? Do you got any inside information 766 00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 2: on that? Can you tell me when it's over? 767 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:50,279 Speaker 1: I don't have any insight information on when the SAG 768 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:54,360 Speaker 1: strike is over. I'm sure we all want it to 769 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,560 Speaker 1: end because we'd love to get back to work. We'd 770 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:00,400 Speaker 1: love to know what's happening with our life eyes in 771 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:02,640 Speaker 1: the world of film and television, right, we'd love to 772 00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:05,319 Speaker 1: know that. I'd love to see new things. I mean, 773 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:08,640 Speaker 1: there's there's you know, there's not I mean it's great. 774 00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:10,919 Speaker 1: It's great for my comedy album because it's like there's 775 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:12,560 Speaker 1: not a lot of new stuff coming out, you know. 776 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:18,120 Speaker 1: But but but you know, you don't go on strike 777 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:22,440 Speaker 1: for nothing, that's right, So you know, we have to 778 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:26,279 Speaker 1: come out of this feeling like the sacrifice was not 779 00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:27,360 Speaker 1: for no reason. 780 00:43:28,200 --> 00:43:31,719 Speaker 2: Hey, you have been rewarded, that you were treated fairly. Absolutely, yeah, 781 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:36,440 Speaker 2: I want to agree with that. Za Nab, thank you 782 00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:39,480 Speaker 2: for coming on, thank you for the patience. It's just 783 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,399 Speaker 2: been beautiful. I'm just celebrating you quietly in my heart. 784 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,440 Speaker 2: It's like pitter pattern. I'm really excited, and it's not 785 00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:48,239 Speaker 2: just because of your special but I've been watching and 786 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:49,080 Speaker 2: I've been seeing and. 787 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:51,719 Speaker 1: I'm like my girl, I see her, I see. 788 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:53,160 Speaker 2: Ah. 789 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:55,360 Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you so much, thank. 790 00:43:55,200 --> 00:44:00,560 Speaker 2: You, thank you affirming. That is what I will say 791 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:05,840 Speaker 2: about Miss Seynab Johnson. I appreciate her honesty too, because 792 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:08,239 Speaker 2: I would be remiss if I just didn't say this 793 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:10,560 Speaker 2: about the war in the Middle East right now, people 794 00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:12,960 Speaker 2: do want you to pick a side. You can't have 795 00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:16,920 Speaker 2: a conversation about what's happening in Israel with someone saying 796 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:20,680 Speaker 2: you are pro this or anti that. And the reality is, 797 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:23,360 Speaker 2: and I'm keeping this as clean as I can be, 798 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:27,280 Speaker 2: no one who is innocent should have to die, period. 799 00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 2: Whatever side you're on, I know you can agree with that. 800 00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:35,560 Speaker 2: Innocent people are dying, and that is sad and it's 801 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:39,200 Speaker 2: unfortunate and it's so graphic, and there's so much misinformation 802 00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:42,640 Speaker 2: out there that I don't truly believe living in the 803 00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:47,840 Speaker 2: United States of America, we can really understand what's happening 804 00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:51,879 Speaker 2: a world away. There are those who do have connections 805 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:55,040 Speaker 2: to that region and do understand. I'm speaking to someone 806 00:44:55,080 --> 00:45:01,040 Speaker 2: who doesn't understand. So I share Zaynab's sentiments. I just 807 00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:08,040 Speaker 2: do not want innocent people to die. It's just that simple, 808 00:45:09,239 --> 00:45:13,760 Speaker 2: and it's unfortunate that you can't have this conversation with Nuance. 809 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:17,480 Speaker 2: I thank ze Nab for coming on the podcast today. 810 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:20,280 Speaker 2: I thank you for listening. I asked you to support 811 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:23,560 Speaker 2: her special he jabs off again. It's on Prime, And 812 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:27,880 Speaker 2: thank you for subscribing. Remember leave us a rating, tell 813 00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:30,640 Speaker 2: us you love it. We appreciate you. I'll talk to 814 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:31,359 Speaker 2: you all next week.