Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of no ID podcast. I have here a comedic great. He is one of the veterans in the game. He's a comedian actor, a father and a host, the founder of laugh a lot entertainment. Some people know as skid a Gryffin, I know him as skid a G. They say hello to the folks.
Speaker 2:What's going on, man? I appreciate you. Man, yeah, comedian, skid a G man, like the rundown you just gave me man, yeah, yeah, man, you got over 15 years in the game, let's get into it?
Speaker 1:What made you decide to get into comedy? What was that? That bug that got into you?
Speaker 2:Man, the crazy thing, man. You know, in high school, man, I was always the class clown joking on school bus. No, just being the funny guy around everybody. But 2009, one of my good friends is actually my daughter's godmother. Lavionne told me, yeah, you should try comedy. But I never thought about trying it because you know, I was a fan of comedy growing up Dev Comedy, jam, martin Lawrence, jamie Foxx, watching all of them but I never pitted my mind that I could be a comedian on stage. I just thought I was going to be a funny guy around the way.
Speaker 2:So she hooked me up with a guy named Monty Rogers. He was from Charlotte, north Carolina, but he was going to school in North of State and he graduated and stayed in the area. So he started a joint call Laugh Out Loud Sundays. So I talked to him on the phone and we chopped it up like we knew each other for like a long time. He told me I could get some stage time. I brought all my friends out, my family, the girlfriend I had at the time came out and I have about 30, 40 people in there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think she ever stopped. She don't know, we're no losing that crowd and you've worked with some some, some names. You've been my personal favorite, my boo, some more kind of scene, the Bruce Bruce we was talking about that earlier at the Sandlin Center man and it seemed like you. Just yeah, you look, your name reads bells in the community streets.
Speaker 1:I've been doing it for five years and I've been a fan for five, four minutes. So I'm, you know, I'm honored that you came on to the show. Who was some of your influences? No problem, who was some of your influences as far as comedy? You said Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence earlier, so is there anybody else?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, man, have I started getting more into the comedy scene? I started researching more the comedians, their styles, and not imitating them. Just, you know, seeing how they came along. Like you know, red Fox, bernie Mac, robert Harrison, man, shoot man, it's a lot. Dave Chappelle I always liked Martin Lawrence on Def Comedy Jam and on the Martin show because the way he hosts is the way I host like. He interacts with the crowd and he brings the crowd into the show. So I like his style. And Jamie Foxx, man, jamie Foxx, I wish he had more stand up clips. You know what I mean. You know specials, but he's a beast too. Eddie Murphy, even Charlie Murphy, when he was doing his thing I was a fan of Charlie Murphy. I actually got to meet Charlie Murphy guy, rest of soul. Before he passed away. He gave him some good Jews. He said man, keep doing. You know he talks Yo you'll keep doing what you're doing.
Speaker 1:That's what you talk with you know was that comedian that you met that you actually got a star struck a little bit, I can't believe I'm in their presence. I got to work with them open up, and was that a comedian that they did?
Speaker 2:Oh, I didn't work with him yet. When I met Martin Lawrence About three years ago he came down Jay Ferrell was on the show, shout out to Jay Ferrell, a couple other comedians when he was on tour. He came down here and I got the chance to go backstage. She's a me-dome and when I saw him in person I felt so surreal, like just to do what I grew up. My mom used to do the tapes and I was watching Martin. You know what I'm saying. He's cool, dude, humble. That's probably one of the only people I was kind of starting to love. I met Dave Chappelle and I wasn't starstruck because the way he came in the room he treated us all like we were equal. When I was at Los Angeles, dave Chappelle was a good me too, but Martin probably was a guy from struggle.
Speaker 1:He was a learning and deaf comedy jam on 2B. So yeah, I definitely can see that man, Definitely can see that. Do you remember the first time that you actually had a bad set, Like the jokes didn't hit, and how did you come back from that?
Speaker 2:I wouldn't say that set was bad. I would just say I wasn't all into it, Like the mood wasn't set right. You know, sometimes people do comedy shows, they pitch shows together on all type of places and comedy shows got to be set in a place that people are ready to come land and they know it's going to become like these. Sometimes people have, you know, like I have a lounge that I do, but I set it up for comedy, but some people have the TVs on and people walking around, the waitress walking in front of you, so my mood was off. So I wouldn't say it was a bad set. I wasn't all into it because it wasn't set right.
Speaker 1:He wrote about that because it's a lot of room that I've been to that's just not designed for comedy, and then sometimes you got some hosts that just yeah, don't open it up for you, don't set the room up for you, because you know a host is supposed to actually navigate the show.
Speaker 2:He's supposed to be the first initial person at the stage and warm the crowd up and gives the chance to the rest of the comedians to hear what they're laughing about and subject matter. So when you go on stage, maybe oh, I might use this set because they're laughing about this, say, they might be in there talking about sex and they're laughing about. Oh yeah, I'm going to go to this material here and work with the crowd with this, because you know the host got to. If the host ain't good, show me not be good, because it's comedians that can go on and clean it up, but the host has to sit it off.
Speaker 1:They don't want to set up everything. Yeah, they take the ball out. Hell yeah, I know I was joking around. I was going to ask you this.
Speaker 2:How long have you?
Speaker 1:been a Star Wars fan. I haven't seen the past, the Spencer's, I haven't seen everything in the back.
Speaker 2:Oh, hey, man, you know I'm an Aiden's baby man. I always been a Star Wars fan. But let me tell you a funny story. I started collecting maybe like six months ago, right, because I went to Ross one day and I was in Ross like man. They got all the. I remember Kenner Toy when I was younger. It was an older brand of toys back then, kenner Toy, everything. So I started seeing them. They're like $4, $5. I was like man, I'm on eBay, these joints $19, $20. I said, man, I'm going to start and go through everything. So now, bro, I just go out every day or every week and I search for them. Bro, I have a giant collection. Now, bro, I took it to another one thing man.
Speaker 2:I'm a snigger head too. But one thing, man when I get my mind to it, bro, I go all in.
Speaker 1:I'm a Marvel, I'm a Marvel, I'm a Marvel, I'm a Marvel.
Speaker 2:I just recently started bro.
Speaker 1:You ain't got that deep yet.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no, not yet, not yet, not yet. I'm still. I'm gonna stick with the Marvel and then Star Wars characters right now and I do a lot of bitch stuff. Man, like I see some stuff in the thrift store, you know what I mean. Like I came across this fucking treasure trove at Goodwill. You know what I mean $4. I know, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:I'm an 80s, 90s baby man.
Speaker 2:So you know how it is, man, I'm gonna show you a toy real quick. While we're on the subject, let me show you one, yeah. You know he's coming to the Cowsies next month. I Come to Kasi, bro, so I'm gonna give him a sign away.
Speaker 1:Walmart, target and Amazon, cuz I collect the wrestling figures and then I collect.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, target, yeah, target and on, yeah, they do, but you go to gangsta.
Speaker 1:We sold to target just drop and maybe like 1199 I had just got. It was a Michael Jackson, whitney Houston, aretha Franklin and mr T1, but yeah, I got deep into it one day at the stars. Oh, no, I'm doing most right now. Oh.
Speaker 1:Hey, but it's a investment man you know, just keep them in the body. Oh, Everything was piecing together, cuz I know you did, don't tell I didn't make that one. How did everything come to peace with, like the networking with other comedians and actually Traveling outside of Virginia, because they always tell me, get the hell out of Virginia travel, make Virginia home base? How did that all come in the fruitation? But you leave me.
Speaker 2:So Before I did I was at the funny bone. Thankfully funny bone beat the community there, but I took a time away from the funny bone. What I did was I made a room, a, a comedy room. So when I booked comedians I was booking comedians from other states that had their own rooms, like the children's circuit. So if I booked them, they will book me, so I will pay them what they gonna pay me, so it wouldn't feel like we'll lose any money. You feel I'm saying like he was coming down for 400. He'll pay me 400 when I go there or we get. I'm getting a room here, you'll get a room for me. So I'm just networking all over. You know I'm saying a lot of people want to come to Virginia. They can't get to the funny bone, they want to be in Virginia, like a lot people.
Speaker 2:Exactly but they really want to come here and perform, so I created my own. My own Traveling.
Speaker 1:That's the whole. They can't. Is that what we're talking about right there? Triple effects Okay, you good, you good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, you're talking about your triple effect. I was in the style of I was gonna have year run there man, with the old, the old owner, and I built that thing from the ground up. Bro, like it took some time to get the the, the people in there, but they started coming. I started putting the thing about doing a successful comedy show. You have to have new faces. You can't just book the same people in the area. Could they see them do open mics? They ain't gonna come pay see somebody, they can go see free. So you had to. I had to reach out to different people. I might, I might recycle some people within six or seven months, but I kept a different headliner and a different feature on all my shows. So when people came They'd like, oh, I ain't never seen him before, I ain't never seen him before. So then they can reach back to me when it's time for me to go to DC or go to LA or go to Texas, I can reach out to them. Come here a memory. I brought you down here. You're just trying to bring me back up there where you at.
Speaker 2:You know I'm saying, or Introduce me to a promoter. That's one thing I Don't like about the comedy scene, the nine internet comedians. Like we need to start Plugging each other with the promoters, like if you get booked the LA, introduce me to promoters, send me the email that you sent out to him, or so we can network. It ain't taking no money from nobody, just branching out. You know? I mean, I wish people do be better about that, especially in Virginia, because when somebody get a hold of something, they hold a secret like why are you doing that? We're all trying to get to the, to the top. You know, sam, we're all chasing the same dream.
Speaker 1:It is being a actor, being a comedian Producing shows some of us hold it because if we put, we don't want to pass it off and tarnish that relationship a little bit but the promoter that we got through. But then again and as you use this term a lot, a lot of people here like to play the big shark in a small pond, if that makes sense, and I feel like it's more than one microphone, it's more than one stage, it's more than one comic club. If we could all Grow and eat and share some knowledge. But then you got Like it's big shark small point, got a lot of a lot of egos, a lot of delusion and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:So this is what it is, you know, I mean I yeah, I came up in the era when I first started that the comedians I was with we were more like a family, like we talked to each other Outside of being at the comic club, like we checked on each other's family move, more like this, like a. But now I see, like not to get too far into it, I see people got their own separate groups of who they deal with. But you know, it is what it is. You just stand your own lane and just, you know, just be always, just stay humble, like anybody need me to do something. I'm not gonna tell them no. If I tell them no, it's gonna have to be a reason why I'm telling you know, I'm gonna let you know why I can't do it. I never leave nobody hanging. You know I'm saying if somebody asked me to do something, I'm gonna try my best to do what I need to do for that person, because you never know.
Speaker 1:To my home girl I'm gonna see if I can get skeet on this on this podcast. I said I'll follow him. So I followed you, you follow me. Back. I said, oh shit, all right. Back then the DM comes. So like, I'm definitely appreciative of it and I'm humble about it. So speak with somebody of your caliber that I consider one of the greats coming out of the 757, appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no doubt, man, I appreciate you. Man, we're watching somebody watching.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, man. So we 15 years in the game, yeah, Um, and I saw the post with the DVDs.
Speaker 2:That's ancient art right there, bro. I used to have my daughter bagging them joints up. They used to sell hotcakes, bro. I'm so 80s man I just didn't think nothing of me in a DVD, but nobody. You know what I'm saying. We got playstations, but nobody really popular, or you know. So I gotta get one of them. Little geek sticks, the little flat drives now I used to bag them stuff like drugs, bro. I had that shit in the sleeve. Throw my little logo bagged up.
Speaker 2:Hey man, I'm hustling bro, I'm shy. I'm taking that gentle asmr from DJ Poonies.
Speaker 1:Yo, this man be a Poonies, I would have to go in the overview. I said Yo, ain't no way bro.
Speaker 2:I mean I was a man for a moment, that's just so awesome.
Speaker 1:Now you see everything. Now, like you said, like I do flash drives and I send them out to booking agencies, but now you see, everything is YouTube.
Speaker 2:Nah, yeah, youtube, instagram. Your TikTok man. I want to try to what's up. He on me, not he on me, he didn't even care. Present, can't, can't. Yeah, can. Presents. He has a little joint. He goes around the cities and the application joined the field. All they asked was your name, stage name, date of birth, what's your Twitter? What's your Facebook? What's your Instagram? I'm like Jesus Christ, so I'm over there copying all the URLs and putting them in there. Like Jesus. I'm like what happened? Just a little comedy clip your stage name email and send it out. Like they need to know you're following now. They need to know who you're following.
Speaker 1:I came in the new game. I did the Keenan Thompson joint man. I remember DJ had an asterisk on everything. I couldn't get no further without putting all the social media out. But I also noticed this too. Like every festival and every competition I've been in the number three question that asks is what's your social media handles? And you can go no further.
Speaker 2:No further. It's like damn. They only ask they want three minute clips, one minute clip, two minutes. And that's one thing. I feel like I have clips but they're not cut, they're not chopped down to two minutes. I'm like I'm trying to figure out, what are they trying to see in two minutes? So I finally started chopping those up to send out.
Speaker 2:But the festivals, some things, I think those are like pocket schemes man, because I think they'll have a whole bunch of people, especially ones you got to pay for. You send them money out. They send you a little. Oh, you didn't make the cut, we watched it, but better look next time. I'm like you just took $50 from me. You're going to send me half that back, or I didn't make it. Can you send me back? They take all that money and use that as the pot money or their production money or whatever they need to do, like I don't know. Man, I sent some great stuff in. I never get passed the. We sent, we seen it, so I don't need to submit those. No more, man, they got me one time I submitted some with, and I want to say probably seven months later.
Speaker 1:They was like yeah, unfortunately you didn't get it. I don't remember applying to this shit.
Speaker 2:I know right. Yeah, Let me call the bank.
Speaker 1:No, wait a minute, yeah wait a minute, seven months to make it. But the crazy thing was they was like oh yeah, we can put you on reserve just in case somebody else drops out, and I was like how many people y'all got on reserve. But it is what it is.
Speaker 2:If you chasing it, man, chase it, but just be smart about it, man, because every dollar you lose chasing it, you mean you need to get it back. I always think about my money Like what's spending I need to get back too much detail about it.
Speaker 1:What's some of the things that you've noticed? Well, you I know you was talking about family and everything what's some of the things that you notice now about some of the newer comics, or that this is a little different compared to when you came back up back in 2009? What's some of the things that you noticed?
Speaker 2:The difference I see is they're able to get in comedy clubs faster than I did. They're like they're skipping the little hole in the walls. The three people in the crowd, 10, 15. They're like going to the clubs now and actually performing. I went from nobody being in the audience to a thousand people in the audience. I went through a stepping stone. They're skipping. I don't know if they're skipping it, but they're able to be accessible to comedy clubs. Like you see what I'm saying, they can get in there faster now.
Speaker 2:It took me a long time, wednesday night. I don't know if it was around that time, I don't know how old you are, but when the Wednesday night Apollo night at the funny ball, we waited every Wednesday night to get there, it was no pay, they were just getting on that stage, bro, and just killing it. That's why I built all my fan bases that Wednesday night. The funny ball really set me on both dashes Angus Black. A lot of us used to go on there and get in there. That's when they were booing people. If you want fun, they'll boo you Let you know that you want fun.
Speaker 2:I can't let people get booed.
Speaker 1:I actually remember it. I went back. The funny ball used to do the open mic on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. It was one of them days I already went up.
Speaker 2:I think both days, I think both days had a job. Turkey Tuesday, yeah, going in there, and then, you know, the Wednesday night was the Angus and both. I don't remember it.
Speaker 1:The lockdown came up, I was like, oh shit. Everybody was like here goes Keeta G. I was like, oh where, I ain't wanting to fan out because everybody was running over there. But I was like, okay, I said all right, let me show out. But I already went on the stage. Already I said damn, he can't even see what I could do.
Speaker 2:So yeah, oh no, man. I said, hey, once somebody tell me you can, you can certify. You know what I'm saying. I've seen a lot of good comedians, man. As a young guy, I need to get around a little bit more, man. I don't be in the open mic scene like that, but it's a lot of new comedians like yourself that's out here doing it that I don't see, and you know what I'm saying. I got opportunity for them to get paid and get some stage time, man, so I'm looking forward to booking you. Put some money in your pocket, bro. See what you got to do. It's all about helping out, man, if I can. If I don't make it, at least I can give some people a chance to get to what they need to get to. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:I've been in the game a long time. Some days I'd be wanting to quit, bro. I ain't even gonna hold you because I feel like I'd be spending my wills. You know what I'm saying, but but God is still keeping me able to bless people and stay around the common scene. Man, my angle, bro. If I don't make it major. I like to produce big shows like this beat, and I'm a one promoter in Virginia. Like a skitter, g got the biggest shows out of Hampton Coliseum Chrysler Hall.
Speaker 1:You know I'll take that you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:I think you could do like I'll pick the Russell Simmons. You know what I mean. That's when they got me.
Speaker 1:I'm 35. So all the time Def Connors jam came on, I was bedtime. But then bad boys and comedy with Tony was and Bobo was Blam and downtown Tony Brown, a lot of them. That's the shit that got me. So I think I could see that, turn it into whatever you want to do. I don't know, I thought that was actually pretty dope, I'm not gonna lie. Underrated show.
Speaker 2:Yeah, comment view. Comment view was the number one thing after Def Connors jam that sparked a lot of people's careers. I say this it's not a lot of things on TV like it used to be for up and coming comedians to get on stage. Because the internet is this 10 people where they need to go. Now, like you don't have to be on TV no more. Like it used to be. And Bill Bellamy got jokes, the all those talent shows they had, apollo you know what I'm saying. It ain't none of that accessible to comedians. You know they got American talent, but most of them people are singers. You may get some comedians on there you once in a while that made it, but it's hard, bro, if you're not on social media.
Speaker 2:what a big father I did America's Got Talent. You got to really know somebody.
Speaker 1:Or just believe it. Yeah, that's that I was only. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's a blessing you got. You know you're blessing.
Speaker 1:on the stage Everybody else was a dancer, a singer, a band. I mean I was going up against dogs and cats. I was like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:You got to really. You got to really be on it. You got to be really unique, like Jay Phyll when shot on Jay again. But when Jay took off he was this unique bro, what nobody could do. What he does Like it's people that does impersonations, but Jay does everybody like. He do white people, chinese people. He does everybody like you know. You know air spirits, they do Jay Z and DMX. But I think Jay got them beat man, because you did some of them up. He'd be talking like I'm like I don't know, I ain't gonna say anything. Yeah, he sounds just like him.
Speaker 1:Like to the T, I know he got a nice beat. I seen both of them and shout out to areas. I mean he's a media legend goat but he was a DMX LL, snoop and Jay. But Jay Pharros range on impressions and then his transitions is barred and like the best that I've seen. So yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've seen it. You talk about when he was on air spirits did the um such a kill in the All Stars? Yeah, he killed it, though he ended it, you know, with the rap thing you know.
Speaker 1:but yeah, he got much time because I only keep the interviews about 25, 30 minutes, man. Yeah, because I gotta be working, I gotta be up full 30. But any advice? That you want to give to any comedian out there, whether they just starting out, they spending a wills or they, you know, just finding a foot and what they already found. If wouldn't any advice that you have for those out there?
Speaker 2:I would just say, man, chase the dream, not the money. Chase the dream is more authentic. You know what I'm saying. You feel like you're getting to where you wanna get to. When you start putting the money involved, then you take away from your dream cause they may not be paying you what you wanna be paid your worth. So try to chase the dream first, network meet a comedian, get their phone number, their Instagram, take the information down. Man, hit them up every once in a while. Amen, such as such. Don't be one of them.
Speaker 2:Comedians like hey, dapp them up, take a picture and don't get no information. That's how I used to be. I dapp them up, amen, nice knowing you. It's all about networking and knowing somebody that can get you to the next level. Do them friendships, amen. How you doing, bro? Just checking in on you. Amen, skeeter, what's up? I'm coming in Virginia.
Speaker 2:Funny bone. Hey, you want a feature? Oh, yeah, sure, it's all about building relationships, man, and stay humble. Stay humble. Don't never be that guy that's too cocky to thank you. Just the most funnest person in the world. It's more funny people besides yourself. Just stay humble. Be the big smile in the room, not the frown. Light up the room when you're coming in Great embrace everybody like hey, don't never leave any comedian behind If they're not funny, just let them know. Just be more honest with people Like hey, look, man, you work on this joke, you know what I'm saying. People will respect you a little bit more, instead of talking behind that bat like man, do they need funny? Let them know why that joke won't funny. Tell them, show them, tell them what he can do to make it funny.
Speaker 2:Work with them help each other out. Yeah, he's gonna help. That's the best I can get from you know just being in the game, bro.
Speaker 1:I like the boutiques, I like to see where I need to go at and where I need to be, and I really yeah, positive, positive feedback.
Speaker 2:Not to be like man you a corny bro. Nah, positive feedback. Amen, call me man I'ma talk to you about, and never do it in front of somebody that you embarrassed. Put them to the side so you won't feel like you trying to clown them like hey bro, let me holla at you real quick. That joke would be funny if you do this and if that person don't receive it.
Speaker 1:It ain't what it is. Let the people know. Uh, no matter what, let me ask this one before we go Any order Did a lot of top five comedies.
Speaker 2:Uh, bernie Mac Eddie Murphy.
Speaker 1:Jamie Foxx, eddie Jerry Saanfield, samoa DL Huey and the Bill Crawford. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, Bill, be still on me, and how?
Speaker 1:can the people see you? They've been in the game 25 years. See where they are. They follow you at.
Speaker 2:Oh, all right, Follow me on Instagram, man Skeeter G23. On Facebook, skeeter G Griffin. I got two shows coming up this month, if y'all available. March to 15, I will be at the Grammy Theater. I had a fly in my bio. If you follow March to 23, my monthly show, laugh Our Loud Saturdays, I will be there hosting it, my man Benny Mac and my man Eli Sutter. They are both of them, one's from Alabama, one's from North Carolina. They say, if you're a comedian, come out, network with them. They probably get you to the start on whatever. You know what I mean Good networking and, uh, call me special coming. I haven't got the venue yet. I got a date. It's going to be August of this year, on my birthday. I'm shooting for August, the third of this year, to do an hour special. So, being a lookout for that I don't have a title for it yet, but just leave on me.
Speaker 1:Just leave on me. It's been a long time I'm going to be out there telling my best jokes.
Speaker 2:I might come out there like Luke Skywalker. Yeah, I'm going to go out there. May the force be with these jokes. God damn it. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Look.
Speaker 2:I've been doing this. A thing, man, no champions man, you know what I mean. Champions man, you know what I mean. I don't want to see anything, that's going on.
Speaker 1:It's comedian room, all social media platforms, no ID media TV. That's the YouTube channel and it's also the Facebook and another Instagram page that has the podcast and features my comedy, so you actually can see all the variety of guests. Skita, I appreciate you coming and doing an interview with me and everything. I know it's late. I do got to show you something once we get off the cam. Man, since we was showing toys, I got something that I know I can stump you on. I'm getting restored this weekend, but thank you so much for everything, man, and we signed off. Okay, If you guys can like, share, comment, subscribe and support comedy podcast entertainment, black entertainment and black creatives as well too. Thank you all so much. All right, Stop recording.
Speaker 2:Appreciate it, brother.