D.L. Hughley Sounds Off on Trump vs Obama and more

Hands down D.L. is one of the most recognized comedians on the road today. Adding to his list of achievements he has just released a new book that has made the New York Time’s Best Sellers list;

BLACK MAN WHITE HOUSE

For two centuries, presidents hoping to secure their legacies have sought out biographers. But who could possibly capture the inspiring yet bizarre reality of the first black man to call the White House his crib, a tenure that brought hope, change, and health care to millions, but also spawned birthers, backlash, and the bewildering rise of Donald Trump? Thankfully, as the end of President Barack Obama’s pioneering two terms in office drew near, the First Lady had a stroke of genius: “Honey, all these presidential biographies are written by old white guys. Why not hook a brother up for once?”

Enter D.L. Hughley. When the comedy legend got the call from the White House, he knew this was the assignment of a lifetime. Of course, he would become a political biographer: what else could his decades of experience bringing unflinching truth and hilarity to the American people have been building toward?

I had the opportunity to sit down and meet with him after his show in Chicago and here is a bit of the conversation.

CB:      I saw what you did after the show was over and you tipped everyone out there.  I have been here 20 times and I never saw anyone do that.  And the look on those peoples’ faces, that’s one of the realest things…

DL:      Ah man.  That’s just people.  They took good care of us.  They took good care of you all.  No complaints.  Everyone had a good time.

CB:      You’re so down to earth man.  Even with your jokes, you say jokes that ordinary people can relate to.  And it’s just amazing how as big as you are you have performed for 400 to 4000 to 40,000 people, and you can just relate to everyone.  You’ve got the voice of the culture, man.

DL:      You know when people say stuff like that I’m honored and I really try to make sure that my voice is clear because I think if you’re who you are then one human being to another, your humanity shines through and hopefully people can connect to that but I love what I do and I really love people. I love our people.

CB:      I can tell man.

DL:      I’m a real human being and I think that if you’re human I’m going to fuck with you.

CB:      No doubt.  I was listening to the radio and Sheryl Underwood came on The Steve Harvey Show and she was talking about the Jefferson/Parkers thing.  She said the perfect person to be George Jefferson (and Jamie did his thing) is you.

DL:      Jamie is a much better actor.

CB:      He looks like him, but you can actually….

DL:      But that’s because we had the same experience. You know what I took away from that – it’s sad that they could have conversations back then that we can’t have now.  It says a lot about how we devo.  We weren’t as rocked by words because we lived with the intent and so I think that show showed exactly how far we have fallen back.  Not by what we do say but what we don’t.  I don’t think it’s just the words, but our intent is different.

CB:      Congratulations on the new show, man

DL:      Thank you, man.

CB:      My wife’s auntie watches it every night.   I have it on my DVR.

DL:      Thank you, man.

CB:      But I follow your social media and I see all the clips and it’s like man the stuff you’re doing man, like I said, the voice of the people.  What’s it like?  I know you call it the D.L. Hughley show because it they cancel it …

DL:      But they’ll bring someone else in.  I just know what I do and I think I’m blessed because I’ve been given these opportunities and I don’t take them lightly and I understand that – when people say things like that I can’t say that but I can say this, I’m blessed to be in a position to say exactly what I mean and be as clear as possible and I am not necessarily afraid of repercussions.

CB:      The last time I talked to you, Trump had done some stuff but now what do you think about this Mueller Report that’s come out. I can’t watch CNN or Fox News anymore. 

DL:      Most people haven’t read the report.

CB:      Okay.

DL:      And either he’s guilty of a crime or we should change what guilt means.  And I think that shows a lot of our people that they’re willing to vacillate and move back and forth between their mores and what they believe and what they don’t.  Listen, I love Barack Obama but if he had done what Trump had done, I wouldn’t care what anybody thought, I would think that was wrong and would say something.  I think that people are willing to lose their ids for convenience.  I think it’s a shame and I think it really just shows how cowardly we are as a society. All that says is the economy is doing good; that literally is the love of money and that epitomizes where we are as a society that we are so concerned about financial gains that we look the other way while this is happening.

CB:      I saw on your social media that your passion is your tattoos.  It’s like your get-away.  How many tattoos do you have?

DL:      Oh, I don’t know.  A lot.  I just had to get them redone because they fade, like memories.

CB:      Yeah.

DL:      But I dig the cat who dug ‘em, Big Steve, and I dig the best tattoo I can say I ever got was one to my father and it was the perfect experience because it was enough pain.  My tattoo of my father reminds me of my relationship with him – its pain and permanence. Like I’ll never forget what he meant to me and not necessarily forget how painful it was but they all kinda come together and is something impactful that I’ll never forget.

CB:      Last question.  I love how you comedians, real comedians, can use something you’re going through and make it a joke and use it to inspire people.  One of your Def Jam brothers, J. Anthony Brown, he’s going through leukemia.  Do you see how he’s fighting that?  I just want to know what do you think about it?

DL:      I think that comedy is pain, that comedy and tragedy are the same thing.  The saddest thing about J. to me is he never got – he’s still here now and I’m sure he’s going to beat this thing, but I think we don’t appreciate people when we hear them and see them every day.   We have to have something like this to remind us how solid and important that they are.  But comedy is really just that – when I remember the whole time my father was dying I never forgot that I was his son and I never forgot I was a comedian.  So it was the most weird confluence of two things colliding at one time and I think that’s what happens to artists in particular.

CB:      I just want to pay you a compliment too because your opening acts, I just think that the show is a lot about how secure the comedian is for having two or three dope opening acts like that.

DL:      Yeah, but they’re all fired now.  You’ll never see them niggers again.

CB:      Thank you, sir.  I appreciate you, man.  Thank you so much.

He was so down to earth interviewing DL was a major honor if you get a chance to see him in person check him out. He is a true King of Comedy!

Last update was on: February 29, 2024 5:10 am

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