During a recent appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” comedian Earthquake took a moment to address the elephant in the room regarding Katt Williams’ claims that he is illiterate.
“Why Earthquake not in movies?’ ’Cause he’s illiterate. He can’t read,” Williams said during his Jan. 3 appearance on “Club Shay Shay” with Shannon Sharpe. “And they found that out when they gave him a show and then put the cards in front of him.”
When Charlamagne Tha God asked Earthquake about Williams’ comments on the podcast and what those remarks do for comedy, Earthquake told him the comments did nothing for their industry because he wasn’t telling jokes.
According to the stand-up comic, whose real name is Nathaniel Stroman, he believed he and Williams were cool before the viral interview. However, Williams said disparaging things about Earthquake and other popular comedians such as Cedric The Entertainer, Faizon Love, and Steve Harvey during the sitdown.
“Personally speaking, me and him was cool, so I didn’t know where that came from,” Earthquake said. “Certain things he said about me, half was true, half was [a lie]. But to each his own. I don’t even get into that part of it because, see, I’m the type of person [where] if I have a problem with you, Charlamagne, I’mma call you. We’re either gonna talk it out, we’re gonna duke it out, but we’re gonna handle it man to man.”
Earthquake Responds To #KattWilliams Saying He’s Illiterate And Can’t Read On #ClubShayShay pic.twitter.com/MOY79SUGOI
— For Da Record (@ForDa_Record) January 26, 2024
He later outlined why what he did say was a mixture of truth and fiction, that he wishes he would have come to him privately if he had an issue.
The performer, whose “Chappelle’s Home Team — Earthquake: Legendary” special was met with rave reviews, said that he doesn’t respect people who “talk behind people’s backs” instead of getting in contact with the person they have strife with.
Charlamagne submitted that the dialogue that Williams sparked pushed fans to go back and watch comedy from the Def Comedy Jam and BET Comic View eras, and also brought up that the “Wild ‘N Out” alum said while throwing bombs at some of the legends in the business that Earthquake is funny.
Out of the people he named, he said the veteran comedian had probably “never been booed.”
Williams added, “I don’t think he’s ever given a bad performance in his life.”
DJ Envy interjected that there are a lot of different theories on why Williams went napalm on those Black comedians in his industry.
Earthquake did not speculate on his former friend’s motivation, pausing momentarily to give him his flowers. However, he did address the allegations about his inability to read.
“First of all, it’s a lie,” Earthquake calmly said before talking about his stint at WBLS, a New York radio station.
“Everybody in radio wants to be like y’all and be syndicated. But if you’re not syndicated and you just got one god—ned station, [the] only way you get some money [is] off live reads!”
The two hosts had the comedian read live on the show to prove to their viewers that he was actually literate. Earthquake took the paper and pretended to read, saying, “Katt Williams is a liar.”
The bit ended with Charlamagne following back up with, “That man can read.”
Social media responded to the interview, seeming to side with ‘Quake on this one and calling Williams a liar.
“Katt’s fans are going to keep saying no one said he lied when several people have said this,” one person wrote.
Earthquake also highlighted being sent to Georgetown University in the ninth grade to participate in his high school’s Upward Bound program. As an Upward Bound student, he could have taken college prep courses.
