Throughout his success he has been massively embraced by the Hip Hop community, receiving praise from Master P (“Hands down Katt Williams is the next Richard Pryor”) and Snoop Dogg (“Katt is doing his comedy thing so flamboyantly and so fly with spirit of the late great Red Foxx and the spirit of Richard Pryor”). He’s become somewhat of a staple comedic force on the BET Network, appearing on shows such as Comic View, Rip the Runway, Black Carpet, Rap City, 106th & Park, The BET Awards and BET Comedy Awards. In 1999 Katt became a presence at The Improv, The Comedy Club, The Icehouse and even had his own room at The Hollywood Park Casino where he had a large, loyal following. I went through those years were I wanted to be the funny comic, now I’m trying to be the greatest comic of my time.” That’s as close as a comedian can get to the playoffs. “Improv is where a comic really gets to shine, if he is good. After that I was opened up to the wonderful world of comedy,” recalls the multi-talented entertainer. “I was so nervous but everyone laughed and thought I was funny. As a means to get into a nightclub where he was underage one fateful evening, Katt noticed that they weren’t checking ID’s in the line for comics. He began compiling fresh jokes with fresh music. Longing to express his creative side, Katt escaped into his own world. I was just trying to be impressive and not mess up.” You know when you are young, you just do what you do. He purposely failed a math test in order to be disqualified from participating in the program. That landed him a full scholarship to The National Science Academy in Dayton. When he was 12, he won a number of awards for science projects. An avid book lover, Katt’s parents banned him from reading as a form of punishment when he got into trouble. Being that educational excellence was greatly encouraged from birth, the tiny protégé was reading at age 3. His parent’s influence and teachings may have caused him to briefly join the Nation of Islam. Perpetually underrated, hustlin’ every day, and simply one of the best who ever lived.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Dayton, Katt Williams was the product of a socially and politically charged household. He is the Allen Iverson of the comedy world. Maybe the most bleeped comedian in the history of Comedy Central, his raw honesty has limited his audience to some degree, but Katt Williams should be recognized for being an innovator in the form and for giving his fans every ounce of himself he has to give. He achieves this goal once again with a lucid realization about Orwellian language politics fueling the fervor for war … in the middle of a seven minute weed joke: Here he seamlessly transitions between telling a good-hearted father and son story while also making an enlightening point about prescription drug culture: Williams is a master at combining subject matter, allowing his personal trials with his family and friends to set the stage for a wider commentary. With many comedians, there is a trade-off between making societal critiques and weaving a personal narrative. These abilities are on full display when he poses a social and racial justice question while personifying a caged tiger: Speaking of the stage, he will use all of it, the mic, the mic stand, the stool, the speakers, and anything else he can get his hands on to enhance his already stellar storytelling capabilities. I personally hope he churns out a few more great ones so a wider audience can recognize the true unique genius he brings to the stage. Because he matches this with provocative and original content, he would make my personal Top 5 if not for a few misfire specials. Williams achieves Charlin Chaplin levels of visual comedy at times. We should start with my favorite intro to any special ever: Your face and body must work in harmony with your jokes and stories in order to achieve full effect, and no one does physical comedy better than Katt Williams. If you ask any stand-up comedian from the most well known to those just getting their starts at open mics, they will all tell you that the physical aspect of comedy is important. Image courtesy of the “Katt Williams on Evolution and Atheists” video posted on YouTube.
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