Comedian Katt Williams blew the lid off the comedy world when he appeared on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast earlier in the year.
Williams didn’t hold back in his interview, taking shots at fellow comedians like Ricky Smiley, Kevin Hart, Cedric the Entertainer, and Steve Harvey. He accused his peers of plagiarizing jokes, being in the Illuminati, and simply not being funny.
A few Williams’ targets responded, many choosing to take the high road. But not Dave Chapelle, a comedian the “Pimpin’ Pimpin’” producer spoke of with glowing praise and called a “King.”
After Williams went viral, Chappelle performed on MonDERAYS at the Hollywood Improv, hosted by DeRay Davis, and questioned why Williams would tear down other Black comedians on the podcast.
“I’ve been doing comedy for almost 40 years, and I’m only 50 years old,” the D.C. comic shared, qualifying himself by explaining he has done every kind of performance gathering thinkable, including baby showers, christenings, weddings, etc.
“What part of the game is this?” he asked the crowd. “He ethered n—gas. He didn’t say anything about any of these white boys. None of these white boys function like that.”
Poetically, he asked, “Katt is one of the best painters in the game. So why are you drawing ugly pictures of us?”
Months later, Williams, in an interview with The New York Times to promote his live Netflix comedy special “Woke Foke,” commented on his peer’s remarks.
While discussing whether he expected retaliation from the other comics he put on blast, the Ohio native said, “[No] because there’s no big dogs for them to call other than Chappelle, and Chappelle would never cross me. Dun dun dun dun, and then he did!”
Williams then addressed the “painter/ ugly pictures” comment and explained why he used his words to paint the Kings of Comedy in the color he did.
“If I came to tell you a beautiful story, I would have painted you a beautiful picture. I was trying to paint a story of a group of ugly [expletive] that would do things that would hurt you and uplift them, even though they didn’t need to do that,” he told the publication.
“Instead of helping you or befriending you,” the “Dark Matter” comedian said, “they would go so far as to steal from you if they couldn’t emulate you and then lie about you.”
Williams’ whole shtick is about him befriending and helping other comics. A part of his lore is that he watches new comics’ stand-up routines, and instead of stealing bits (like he says others have done), he anonymously slips them extra money to encourage them to keep going.
He also puts comics on tour with him. On his recent tour, which seems to be sold out at every stop, he has openings for Cory “Zooman” Miller, Mark Curry, Mo’Nique, Torrei Hart, MC Red Grant, and Tommy Davidson.
By Saturday, May 4, fans had the choice to tune in on Netflix or purchase tickets to go to the YouTube Theater in Inglewood to watch “Netflix Is A Joke Presents: Katt Williams,” aka “Woke Foke” special. Time will tell if his show will be as watched as Chappelle’s most recent offerings, “The Dreamer” or “The Closer.”
