#2455 - Donnell Rawlings

We kick off with my midlife stomach drama: burgers slide by, steak wrecks me, and I’m out here sipping Tito’s and tonic because it looks like water. I’m fifty‑eight and joking that I need a loving handler who taps my hand when I reach for the wrong plate.

It might be what you pair with the meat, not the meat itself, so get checked for food sensitivities. Also, lay off pretending vodka is water.

And why am I here during Black History Month? You said I had an open invite, then bumped someone, so I appreciate the pull‑up.

We slid the schedule because you were in town, probably moved Michael Jai White. On your gut, see a doctor, and remember getting your body right sharpens your mind.

Most of my cardio is sex, and my best nights land on holidays. A trainer sounds right, but I swear I need a therapist first.

Nicotine can sharpen thinking, but smoking is a terrible delivery method. American Spirit’s branding is slick, menthol makes smoke feel cooler and hides the harshness, so people take deeper pulls.

Menthol stuck in Black neighborhoods through targeting and habit, same way certain brands chased our loyalty. In prison, smokes, snacks, and honey buns turn into currency.

Marketers study what people grab, like cheap fast fashion or how lemon pepper anything flies off the tray, and even how saying mac and cheese gets you welcomed more than saying the full name.

Salt isn’t the villain people think; added sugar and processed food are. A liter of soda crams in wild amounts of sugar, while fruit gives you fiber and a slow release that juice doesn’t.

On the Bible, it never names the fruit, and stories shifted through translations and oral history. People crave belief; Jesus’ teachings can build good lives, while other systems, like Scientology, show how belief can be engineered too.

Mega churches give hope but also pass the plate like a business; do they deserve a cut for inspiration? And the lottery feels the same—hooking folks who can least afford it.

Those preachers are often predatory, promising tenfold returns while flying private. Lotteries skim half the sales for the state, pay less in lump sums, tax the winner again, and somehow guys like Epstein’s outfit and Whitey Bulger still ‘win’.

Meanwhile the old no‑snitch code is fading, and online beef gets more clicks than jokes. Is comedy now about calling people out instead of being funny?

Most drama merchants aren’t that talented; Cat was different because he stayed hilarious while torching liars.

But what’s the point of exposing party gossip—what changes? Even the sex‑trafficking talk gets murky when you hear how broad the coercion part reads.

On Kill Tony, I was hesitant at first, felt edited like I walked off, then came back and crushed while respecting the one‑minute rule and trying to be encouraging. I caught heat over a misread moment with a trans performer, and I really just wanted a clean lane to apologize to Tony for bailing on him during that political roast because friendship matters.

Tune out the haters and remember you smashed that return. Jamie’s not the diva you think, and your second go was strong.

Rob kept tagging a bit when I was trying to speak from the heart, which is why I bristled. Still, I respect Kill Tony as a throwback pipeline like Def Jam—raw talent gets seen—and I’ve always chased the rooms where killers work, while shouting out beasts like Greer Barnes and David Attell who deserve more shine.

Greer’s a monster and Attell’s an all‑timer who skips self‑promotion, murders anywhere, and lives on a flip phone because he only cares about the craft.

Some comics live in the lab while others chase cameras, and that social push can drain the work. Even the word special is odd in comedy.

I love watching killers who show up with fresh bits every time. Too many so-called specials now feel like joke dumps, while only a few artists still make it feel like an event.

Dave’s body of work is a timeline of the world, and artists evolve whether people like it or not. My scene has goofy beefs, and the only white feud I ever clocked was yours.

I called out a thief and paid for it, but it had to be said. Dave showed what a real artist is by vanishing for a while and even grabbing a mic in parks just because he had to do standup.

Street legends like Charlie Barnett taught how to grab a crowd and never let go. Respect made men like Martin or grinders like Kevin, and remember JFL and the New York grind can change everything.

Here is the fix. Work on your act and stop burning time on what other people think.

I still peek at comments, but I am trying to stop. I even stumbled into a polite Bill Burr–Marc Maron beef and learned white dudes argue like gentlemen.

Maron was on top, then slipped, and bitterness crept in. Long self-focused rants and combative interviews turn people off, because listeners want to ride with someone they like.

Is that provocation or jealousy working?

It is jealousy, when wins around you should be fuel. I book people I am curious about, not clickbait, and that keeps the show fun.

Dave says the same thing: do not think about that noise.

Your attention is finite; spend it on family, craft, and joys, not haters. Money helps, but purpose matters more, and time is short.

When Dave asked what I want, I said I am already doing it: my own schedule, my family taken care of, and me being me. I love that man and I am not jealous, but I will not live inside someone else’s dream.

Those pandemic runs were wild, even outdoors with masks. My COVID mess showed how nuts the media got, but viruses usually weaken as they spread.

Lockdown made me love nature; I even got into birds and lost some street points naming a blue jay. And Jamie showed up one day looking like a brand-new model, had me dying.

It could happen again, and the last one shifted wealth and turbocharged tools like Zoom.

Zoom went from nerd room to household verb, and Verzuz grew from laggy living rooms to arena nights.

A lot of people started businesses after seeing how fast jobs could vanish. You also do not need Hollywood like the old days.

Facts.

I learned that a decade ago, then Austin became a real hub and Kill Tony launched careers. Being in the room can flip your life if you are ready.

People want your finish line, not your miles. Tony kept the show alive in the pandemic, and that grind is what matters.

My show lost money for years too.

I started to get good first; the other perks follow. Social stars can cash in early, but the craft still decides who lasts.

Everyone picks a lane, and my win is doing what I love with friends while always getting better.

So why keep doing Joe Rogan and Friends when you could chill?

Because it is fun, and those Mothership green room nights are some of the hardest laughs of my life.

I might swing by, unless dad duty calls. Being an older dad, candy sometimes solves diplomacy.

What bonds us is stage respect and being a good hang.

That is all I ever wanted. Barry Katz told me to be undeniable every night, not one good set and four bad ones.

A lot of folks overrate themselves because they want it all now.

Your moment might be a dead crowd night if you refuse to sink. I have headlined empty rooms and found a way to light them up.

At the Hollywood Bowl I opened to a sparse crowd, jumped into the seats, and owned it. Another time I stalled in daylight until the place filled; you just do the job.

This felt like therapy, aside from your lies about Jamie.

I will bring video next time.

It will show he did not have a leather jacket.

By the way, Jaleel White is a good dude, and starting comedy while already famous is rough.

I respected Charlie Murphy for jumping in late.

I helped get him started on our tour with Bill Burr, and he found his voice as a storyteller until the world knew him as Charlie, not just someone’s brother.

Bill used to feed us Popeyes, then crush while we napped. Clubs often played games with bonuses, and following Bill nightly kept me razor sharp; those Opie and Anthony crowds were harsh, and Bernie Mac proved how a fearless set can flip a room.

George Wallace wrecked a room with mama jokes, Rich Voss murdered a black room, and once I borrowed one of his lines to save a set and called to apologize.

Final note, stay out of the comments.

I will try. And for the record, you invited me to that RZA taping, I stayed, it was a blast, and thank you for always picking up; Jamie, stay sexy.