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00:00All right, 105 on the Browns Detroit.
00:01Still back for your poppin' R&B.
00:03It's your boy Showtime, the czar.
00:04Got a special guest in studio with me today.
00:07I've become a comedian.
00:08Super funny.
00:09Super talented.
00:10Super dope.
00:11Tori J, what up, though?
00:12What's good?
00:13What's good?
00:14What up?
00:14Thank you for coming to the show, first of all.
00:16How are you?
00:17I'm good.
00:18How are you?
00:18Black, blessed, and fly, man.
00:20Thank you for asking.
00:22So before we get into why you're here, you got the shows coming up, man.
00:25For people who don't really know you 100%, give me a little backstory about Tori J.
00:30How did you get into the comedy world?
00:31What made you want to start doing comedy?
00:33All that good stuff.
00:33You know what?
00:34I've been wanting to do comedy since I was a kid.
00:36Really?
00:36I'm a student of the game.
00:39All of the greats from Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx.
00:43The storytelling, that's more my style.
00:46I wanted to do it, but I was a stage fright.
00:49So I had that real bad.
00:50So I never really got into it because I was like, I was a quiet kid.
00:54I ain't talk for real.
00:56And a couple years back, I was like, you know what?
00:58I'm going to do it.
00:59Somebody pushed me, was like, man, you funny.
01:01Don't nobody know you funny because you don't talk.
01:03And I was like, I don't know.
01:05We could try it.
01:06And did it.
01:07And ever since then, I've just been doing it now for like four years.
01:12And now I'm like creating my own shows and trying to push it with that.
01:16But, you know, it's funny because I remember I told somebody like, I'm doing comedy.
01:20Come to my comedy show.
01:21And the first thing everybody say is, nigga, you don't talk.
01:25Right.
01:25And it's like, true.
01:27But, you know, I talk on stage, you know, type thing.
01:30Right, right, right.
01:31So it's just, it's been like a fun journey for me because that is my expressiveness.
01:35Like I'm quiet and I get on stage and it's a different, it's a different like everything,
01:40like a whole persona.
01:41You get something different.
01:42And then as soon as the lights and cameras, everything's off, I'm quiet again.
01:47How'd you get over the stage fright?
01:49Was it just going up there and doing it?
01:50Or did you practice at the crib?
01:52What was that?
01:52You know, actually, no.
01:55So what happened was Bill Bouchard, Comedy Castle.
01:59Gotcha.
02:00He has a class.
02:02And what happened was I had injured myself.
02:04I couldn't do anything.
02:05So they was like, just go to the class.
02:07And I was like, all right, cool.
02:08And it was crazy because you go and I'm thinking that they just going to teach you how to do
02:13stand-up, right?
02:14Right.
02:14And then the first day it was like, get on stage.
02:16And I was like, get on stage.
02:17Ooh.
02:18Just threw you to the sharks like that?
02:19Man, they just throw you in there.
02:22And so I'm like, I'm like, oh, okay.
02:24And like for the whole, it's like a four-week process.
02:26The whole four weeks, like he kept yelling at me, pick your head up.
02:29You got to talk to us.
02:30Stop doing this.
02:31Stop doing that.
02:32And then after the first show, it's that rush, that laughter, that like,
02:37oh, man, I really can do this, you know, type of thing.
02:40And to this day, when he see me now, he'd be like,
02:42I can't believe you're the same person from day one.
02:45Right.
02:46So in the class, talk to me about that because is it just,
02:50are they just critiquing like little things like how you stand there,
02:53how you say the joke, or is it like they give you a joke
02:56and then you got to go act it out or perform it?
02:58So the way that he does it.
02:59Okay.
03:00Because comedy is your perspective.
03:03Got you.
03:03You know what I mean?
03:05You might not be for everybody.
03:06I might not be for everybody, right?
03:08But what he does is literally, he puts you on a stage the very first day.
03:12He asks you who you are, asks you what you do,
03:15asks you a question about childhood.
03:18And then he say, that's the joke.
03:21Really?
03:22And you're like, I mean, that is a little funny.
03:25You know what I mean?
03:26Right, right.
03:27You're like, what?
03:28You know, so he pulls that out of you to start thinking like,
03:32my everyday life is funny.
03:34Who knew?
03:37And so it's like, you know, you get, which is different.
03:41Everybody, not everybody get personal with their comedy.
03:44Right.
03:44You know, a lot of stuff is, you know, I made this up and I did this.
03:47And I can give you a thousand one-liners from something I just made up
03:51off the top of my head.
03:52Right.
03:52But the more you really get into comedy, you start to realize that really working
03:57in the audience is really like being relatable.
04:00And it's not even that you came from my background, but you're like, oh, I want to
04:04know.
04:05How do I know?
04:06And if they're not feeling that emotion from you too, then it's kind of like.
04:11So when you first got that, like you said, that first laugh from the class, we was like,
04:15okay, I got it.
04:16Or was it when you actually got on the stage and you was like, yeah.
04:19It was the stage because it was, um, because Comedy Castle, because it's actual, an actual
04:24comedy club, people come to laugh, which is a little different than when you go to like
04:29bars or things like that.
04:30No, when you go to comedy clubs, people come to laugh.
04:34They don't know you're not funny until you're not funny.
04:36Got you.
04:37You know what I mean?
04:37So when you get a laugh from people who, you know, I know you don't have my background.
04:43Every time I roll you out.
04:45Yeah.
04:46Right.
04:47So I'm the only black person in there, you know?
04:50So it's like, I'm like, oh man, you know, and then you getting these laughs and you're
04:54like, I think that's funny, you know, type of thing.
04:57And it's like, huh, okay, I think I might, you know, to, to get it in the moment, it's
05:03a rush.
05:04And then afterwards, like, I think, I think I might be able to do this.
05:08I think if you, you know, I put it in the work and you know, you, you figure out your
05:11writing style and you figure out how to write it and how to make it stronger and stuff like
05:16that.
05:16It, it kind of, it kind of, it's kind of beneficial.
05:19Okay.
05:19So talk about the writing style, right?
05:21Like, do you write your jokes or do you freestyle them first?
05:24What is that process for a comedian?
05:26Cause a P a lot of people just think people get up there and freestyle.
05:29Ah, some people do.
05:31Oh, that is a thing.
05:32Some people do just get up there and freestyle.
05:34So that don't work.
05:36The thing about the freestyling thing is at some point or another, you run out of freestyle.
05:42Oh, that makes sense.
05:45You know what I mean?
05:46So you don't have nothing to fall back on.
05:48And so that's how you get some people that, you know, start to like antagonize in the crowd.
05:53Cause, oh, I'm, I know this funny, you know, you ain't laughing.
05:56I'm funny.
05:57You know, that type of thing.
05:58And it's like, you don't got no material, bro.
06:00You like, you know, you're naturally silly.
06:04And, but that only works for so long before it's like, okay, you're not talking about
06:08nothing.
06:08Cause some people, they, they come to see a show.
06:11You have to entertain these people.
06:12Right.
06:13So that only really go, but so far.
06:15Right.
06:16Right.
06:16So it's like every, and everybody writing style is different.
06:18Um, what works for me, I know for a fact don't work for other people.
06:22You know what I mean?
06:22So I, I, when I go to open mics, open mics is straight premises.
06:30It's it, that is freestyling for me, but it's nine times out of 10, I thought about something
06:35and I just got to say it out loud to hear it so that I can add substance.
06:40Got you.
06:41It is a lot more to comedy than I thought it was.
06:44It's a lot more.
06:45That's what, but I respect the craft.
06:47Like people think just cause you made your cousin laugh, like I can go get up on the stage.
06:51I'm like, nah, no, that's only your cousin understood that joke, brother.
06:54Yeah, exactly.
06:56Yeah, yeah.
06:56Exactly.
06:57So the, cause the thing about what comedy is like, you want to be that person that regardless
07:01of what you're talking about, even if it's offensive, that's funny.
07:06I'm glad you brought up offensive.
07:07Does that make you not want to say a joke sometimes when you get up on stage?
07:12Cause how sensitive the world is right now and everything is like, ah, you can't say
07:15this about that person.
07:16Can't say this.
07:17You look like hell no, I'm saying what I want to say.
07:21You know, I'm, I'm, I'm really like, I'm really like that person where it's like, I
07:26do stay away from certain topics a little bit.
07:28Um, but I stay away from certain topics a little bit in, in regular everyday life.
07:33I don't care if I have debates, you know what I mean?
07:35But to the, my, my, I'm a storyteller.
07:39So for the most part, I'm pulling or drawing from either experiences or just the way I saw
07:47that event take place.
07:48So at the end of the day, I really, I'm not going to say that I don't care if it
07:52offended
07:52you, but it's my perspective.
07:56You know what I mean?
07:56Now it's my job as a comedian, because it is a job to be honest.
08:01It's my job as a comedian to try not to make it where it's like, I'm beating down on you
08:07as the listener.
08:09When I present it to you, I have to, I have to find the funny in whatever it is to
08:14be
08:14able to present it to you for you to laugh at it.
08:16So people like funerals is not really funny.
08:21Funerals are hilarious.
08:22I know.
08:23I'm just, some people, some people say funerals not funny, but you're able to find the funny
08:28at a funeral and then you're able to present it to them.
08:32But what if somebody's like, yeah, that was an offensive joke about a funeral, bro.
08:36My cousin died, my uncle died like that.
08:38You see what I'm saying?
08:39Do you feel a ways about that?
08:40No, not really.
08:42Because give it time.
08:43Okay.
08:44Give it time.
08:45They'll come around.
08:45Eventually.
08:46Okay.
08:47Eventually they'll find the funny in their situation to say like, all right, I was funny.
08:52Because sometimes it's just like, I will laugh at a funeral, literally.
08:57And it's just because like, I find things funny and it's like, it's hard for me to like,
09:02kind of hold that back a little bit or what have you.
09:05But it's, life is too serious.
09:07Yeah.
09:08That's a fact.
09:08You know what I mean?
09:09So it's for me naturally, like I naturally find funny in everything, which is a problem
09:15in regular life, but I find funny in everything because we all going to die one day.
09:21You got to enjoy it today.
09:23You know what I mean?
09:24And, you know, I could be here right now.
09:27My light set the house is off.
09:28You know what I mean?
09:28But you're not going to know it because I'm going to laugh about it.
09:31I'm going to talk about it because you can't control everything.
09:34The things you can't control, you can control.
09:36Cool.
09:36But you can't control everything.
09:37So I'm going to let it like, just put me in a grave?
09:41No.
09:42So people get offended by things.
09:44It's like, revisit this, revisit this like two years when like you went through your
09:49grieving period.
09:50Because then you can look back and be like, man, my uncle did do such and such, such and
09:54such.
09:55Oh, man, they did.
09:56And it's going to make you laugh later.
09:57It's going to make you laugh later.
09:58Right now, you're sensitive because it's right now.
10:01You know what I mean?
10:02So you, hey, I'm sorry you're going through that, but come back later.
10:07You'll be all right.
10:09Give me some of your comedy influences.
10:11You talked about it earlier.
10:12You watched a bunch of greats.
10:13Who are some of the greats that you studied?
10:14And, you know, you like saying, you said you were a storyteller.
10:17So who's some dope storytellers?
10:18Eddie Murphy.
10:19I thought you was going to say that.
10:20Eddie Murphy is my number one.
10:22Eddie Murphy is my number one.
10:24And it's funny nowadays, like people don't even know that's where he started in comedy.
10:29You know, and, but Eddie Murphy is like number one to me.
10:33Red Fox.
10:35Of course, you got Richard Pryor's.
10:37You got the, I love Sinbad.
10:40That's one I don't hear a lot.
10:41That's a storyteller.
10:43You know what I mean?
10:44It's how you set it up, how you put it.
10:46It didn't matter what Sinbad was talking about.
10:48It was funny.
10:49And it was like, because of how he presented his story.
10:52Jamie Foxx.
10:53Jamie Foxx is good.
10:54Yeah.
10:54Very storyteller.
10:56Like, and, and what I love about them is it's not just, you know, the stories that they were telling
11:01or, or it was the writing behind it.
11:04It was the theatrics behind it.
11:05It was, I believed you.
11:07I was there with you, even though I wasn't there with you.
11:09You know, it was the ability for them to like create certain characters and like really like bring you in
11:18that.
11:18You know what I mean?
11:19You know what I'm saying?
11:19So it was like, you could, he could be talking about one thing and he just Lillian and you just
11:25sitting there like, oh my God, Lillian, listen, why are you not listening to that?
11:27You know what I mean?
11:28And it's just like, and it's like, but it was the way that they told the stories, you know?
11:34So it's, it's, it's, it's a few, but I love a good storyteller.
11:38I love it when you present it.
11:41But that's like, that's like probably like my, my, definitely my top five.
11:45Like Red Foxx, he wasn't necessarily a storyteller, but he was raw.
11:49Yeah.
11:49Yeah.
11:49Red Foxx.
11:50Yeah.
11:50He was raw.
11:51He ain't, he ain't give a damn what he said.
11:54Richard Pryor was raw too.
11:55I think he, but he was at a time where he had to be, cause it was like.
11:58The times.
11:59Yeah.
12:00It was, it was, yeah.
12:02He was daring to, to be that raw at a, you know.
12:04And that's, but that's what really kind of made him in my opinion.
12:07I agree.
12:08Is the fact that like, you know, I'm not supposed to say this cause it's the, it's not black, black
12:14politics.
12:16But let me, one phrase I don't like when it comes to comedians is ex-comedian is not funny.
12:21Now, personally, I think, you know, comedian or comedy is subjective, but I don't, it's, you can say such and
12:30such is not funny to me, but to say it as if they are, it's a fact.
12:36I think that's, that's corny.
12:37Cause you might not laugh at it, but somebody else, you know, thinks it's funny.
12:40How do you feel about that?
12:41Do you think when people are critiquing comedians, is it cool to say such and such ain't funny?
12:45To me, to me, to me, to me, because like, like you said, subjective, it may not be my style
12:52of comedy, right?
12:54Oh, you cuss every other sentence that might be for somebody.
12:57It's a room for everybody.
12:59Got you.
13:00And that's what people fail to realize.
13:02You can go, uh, New Way have open mics on, on Mondays.
13:06And when you go to New Way, it is a different, you get a different type of comedian in there
13:13every five minutes.
13:17And you're going to hear somebody say, that's not, he's not funny.
13:20He's not this, but he could take that same joke and go to this one particular room and just straight
13:26destroy it.
13:27And it's like, he wasn't for you.
13:29Gotcha.
13:30You know what I mean?
13:31Like you could be a Bill Burr friend, but then hate Jamie Foxx.
13:36Or you could be, you know, it's different, it's different styles.
13:40So it's like, I could say all day, like, I don't think he's funny to me.
13:44But at the end of the day, that man on 85 televisions.
13:47In fact, somebody think he's funny.
13:48Somebody think he's funny.
13:50You know what I'm saying?
13:50He piqued somebody's interest.
13:52Right.
13:52So it's like, you know, critiquing, I don't critique.
13:55Me personally, if I can't help you, I ain't got nothing to say.
13:59You know what I mean?
14:00If I can't make you better, it's nothing for me to say.
14:03That's just me.
14:04You know what I mean?
14:05You in a fairly male-dominated industry, man.
14:09What is it like being a female in comedy?
14:12Now, there are a lot more female comedians nowadays.
14:16Can you speak to a little bit about that?
14:17Do you like, obviously you like seeing that because you did a show not too long ago where
14:20you had Kyla Shea on there and she's super funny to me.
14:23So talk about being a female in this comedy space.
14:27You know what?
14:28It doesn't bother me personally.
14:30Now, I hear stories all the time about what some of the female artists go through dealing
14:36with a lot of people.
14:37Or I hear that, you know, oh, well, you know, so-and-so don't mess with you because they
14:42won't have a chance with you.
14:43Because, yes, I am female, but I am a part of the letters.
14:47So it's a different perspective.
14:49Oh, they don't talk to you.
14:51They don't rock with you because they're not going to have a chance with you.
14:53I hear that a lot, too.
14:54And it's just like, okay, I'm so like, I mind my business.
14:58I don't care.
14:59Me personally.
15:00You know what I mean?
15:01So it doesn't bother me.
15:02But I do see a lot of the things that, like, some of the women, the straight women go through
15:08dealing with male comics or just certain venues or different things like that.
15:12So I'm not going to say I'm completely excused from it because I'm not.
15:16You know, things are, you know, certain situations happens and they don't.
15:22But overall, what I will say is it's a lot of gatekeepers.
15:26And unfortunately, a lot of them are the males because it is a male dominant, you know, thing
15:32or what have you.
15:32So you have to deal with this or deal with that or the buddy systems that goes on.
15:37But I personally, I don't deal with it much.
15:40I'm not big on, like, if that ain't my door, you know, I'm going to open something else.
15:46So I don't stress it.
15:48I don't make a big thing about it.
15:51Whereas, like, I probably could, you know what I'm saying?
15:54But it's pointless.
15:55My thing is, at the end of the day, funny or not, people going to see it.
15:59People going to recognize it and it'll go from there.
16:02I'm not waiting for one person or another to open the door for me.
16:06So that and that's just me.
16:09So it's like, you don't have to like me.
16:12I don't care.
16:13Right, right.
16:14You know, but I try to keep it a balance.
16:16Like when I put on my shows, I try to keep it a balance.
16:19Whereas, you know, male, female, male, female.
16:23Just because you're going to, your audience, give them something different to see, experience.
16:29Everybody's talking about something different for the most part.
16:31So it's like, I think it's stupid.
16:33Yeah.
16:34To be honest.
16:35Like, oh, you know, you know, we doing this and it's like, come on, everybody funny.
16:40Right.
16:41What did, what your mom or your dad or, you know, your grandparents, whoever, you know,
16:47took care of you when you was younger.
16:48What did they say when you told them I'm going to be a comedian?
16:50My mom said, I'm not funny.
16:52Wow.
16:54That's crazy.
16:56I was like, I told my mom, I was like, hey, mom, I'm going to do comedy.
17:00She was like, but you're not funny.
17:01And I'm like, but I make you laugh every day.
17:02Boy, black mamas, they tell you the truth.
17:04You know what I'm saying?
17:05That's crazy.
17:06I was like, what?
17:06Now you know I'm not funny.
17:08Like, mom, dang, you killed my drink.
17:09But what did she, when she saw you get on stage, what did she say after that?
17:12You know what?
17:12But I love it now because thank God she's around to see it.
17:16You know what I mean?
17:17But now she's like, oh, man, you're funny.
17:19Like, she pushed me.
17:20That's fire.
17:21She pushes me to be like, talk about your family.
17:23Talk about your family.
17:24You need to do this more.
17:25When you do this, I'm like, oh, now you're my manager.
17:28I wasn't funny a second ago.
17:29You know what I mean?
17:31So, like, just to see that.
17:33Or, like I said, I was a quiet person.
17:35So, like, even making jokes, I stayed out the way.
17:38So, like, all of that, like, I'll giggle to myself in a corner somewhere.
17:41But nobody really knew, like, you know, you kind of funny, low-key.
17:46Like, honestly, if we wasn't in a relationship and I got comfortable around it, you really didn't know.
17:52So, it took for one of my exes to be like, you really should try it.
17:57Like, go ahead and push that.
17:59Nice.
17:59And I was like, all right, we'll see what happens.
18:03That type of thing.
18:04But it's cool to have they support now.
18:06Fire.
18:07That's dope.
18:07Now, let's talk about your shows.
18:08You got two shows coming up.
18:10One is the 21st and one is the 28th, right?
18:13Yes.
18:14Okay.
18:14So, I think it's the Tori J and Friends.
18:17That's the 28th?
18:18Tori J and Family.
18:20I'm sorry.
18:20Tori J and Family.
18:21It's got my guy, Mike Larry on there.
18:23Shout out to Mike Larry.
18:25First of all, let's talk about the first show on the 21st.
18:27That's the open mic show, correct?
18:28Yes.
18:29Okay.
18:30So, tell people what to expect, how to get tickets and all that good stuff.
18:33So, you can go to my website, www.torijcomedy.com or follow me on Instagram.
18:42The link is in my bio.
18:44So, with that, that is an Apollo-style open mic.
18:47So, you can be a comedian, a singer, a rapper, a poet, or just a musician.
18:52You're just up there playing the horn.
18:53I don't care.
18:55Come, it's a cash prize.
18:57If you win, because it is a competition, if you win, you open up on one of the Tori J
19:03and comedy shows.
19:06The cool thing about that is you get these stuffed animals.
19:10If you don't like the act up there, you get to throw them at them.
19:13They get the siren.
19:14They get kicked off.
19:15But they still get to go back up there at the end for the judging.
19:18But it's not just that.
19:20We have dance battles.
19:21We have karaoke battles.
19:24It's not just for the acts.
19:26It's for the community in general.
19:28Just come out and have fun.
19:29Tickets is just $10.
19:32So, yeah.
19:32Follow me on Instagram and all that stuff.
19:35You get the links and stuff like that and sign up for that stuff.
19:38Come have fun.
19:39Dope.
19:40Dope.
19:40All right.
19:41The show on the 28th.
19:44Who's on there?
19:45I saw Mike Larry on there.
19:46I saw a couple of the OG on there.
19:49Mike Larry, Shawnee D.
19:50Shawnee D.
19:51That's who.
19:51That's the other lady I saw.
19:53Yes.
19:53Shawnee D.
19:54And Big Chuck.
19:56Big Chuck.
19:56There you go.
19:57Big Chuck won the Tori J Madness open mic last week.
20:01Oh, fire.
20:02So he's coming back for this.
20:03So he gets to open this show.
20:05Nice.
20:06Nice.
20:06So what can people expect from the Tori J and family?
20:10Yes.
20:10Tori J and family.
20:11So I'm about family.
20:13And everybody.
20:13I feel like.
20:14Because, like I said, I'm not in competition with nobody.
20:17So I feel like everybody that I work with, I consider you family.
20:21We here now.
20:21We going to put on a great show.
20:22We going to make these people laugh.
20:25And we got two.
20:26We got two vets in the game.
20:28We got 20 plus years with Mike Larry and Shawnee D.
20:31Mike Larry, I think he just hit 3 million on his special on Tubi.
20:37Nice.
20:37Yeah.
20:38He been telling me about that special.
20:39Yeah.
20:40So shout out to him for that.
20:41Shawnee D been in the game for 30 plus years.
20:43Going back to Comic View.
20:44And she's been traveling the country.
20:47She's been all over the place.
20:48So that's always.
20:49And she's doing it now with her daughter, I believe.
20:50So yeah.
20:51Yep.
20:51Yep.
20:51Yeah.
20:52So just, I mean, for me personally, just to be, like I said, I'm a student of the game.
20:57So just to be able to share the stage with people that's been doing this 20, 30 years,
21:01I'm only four years, I'm only four years, I'm a baby.
21:03I'm a nobody in a sense.
21:05What did, was there any advice that either one of them gave you in terms of like comedy
21:10or just pursuing it?
21:11You know what?
21:12Just in, just in passing over the years, just keep going.
21:18Mike, Mike Larry has like really spoke some great things.
21:20Every time I see Mike, hey man, hey man, you're going to get that Netflix special before
21:25I get it, hey man, we need to get you out of Detroit, man, hey man, you know, so it's
21:32always love encountering both of them anytime they're in a room.
21:36And it's, it's even better when, when like being a newcomer, you get that feedback and
21:40they're like, nah, you, you're on the right track.
21:43I keep doing what you're doing.
21:44Cause it's, that's great.
21:45Cause I don't do comedy in the city often.
21:47Like most, I travel mostly for my comedy.
21:50So to be able to like, I'm like, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta bring my fan base here.
21:54Like I need a fan base here.
21:55You know, when I shoot my special, I want my city to show up for me.
21:58So like to have them just be like, just supportive, keep going, do better with this.
22:03And when you do that, don't shy away from that.
22:05And just the advice and it's, I love it.
22:08Dope.
22:09Dope.
22:09All right.
22:10Tell them when the show, both the shows are, and how they can get tickets one more time
22:13for me, please.
22:14All right.
22:14So both of the shows are actually downtown at Buffalo Wild Wings on a second level.
22:19You can go to www.toryjcomedy.com or follow me on Instagram at Comedian Tori J.
22:25The link is in my bio.
22:27The 21st is, uh, Tori J Madness.
22:30That's the open mic.
22:30And on the 28th, that's the Tori J and family comedy show.
22:34Tori J.
22:35Appreciate you for coming through.
22:36You definitely welcome any, welcome back anytime.
22:40And, uh, it's 105 on the bounce.
22:41Peace.
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