No I.D.
No I.D. was created as a different outlet to give flowers to the guests as well has give out jewels to the listeners. No I.D. is a thought provoking and in-depth podcast that offers multiple perspectives. on subjects ranging from sex to controversial topics to race to lifestyle covering all cultural conversations and building a platform to educate but encourage viewers to engage. No I.D. is candid unscripted with the Host/Creator/Comedian Jerome Davis.
https://noidmediallc.komi.io
No I.D.
A Celebration of Comedy and Creativity W/ Shawnell B
Shawnnell Brown, the vibrant comedian and DJ lighting up Richmond, Virginia, joins us to share her incredible story from law school to the comedy stage, inspired by the likes of Chris Tucker. Chanel brings her unique flair and passion to the mic as she discusses her mission to create a thriving community for local comedians with her upcoming comedy mixer. Her journey serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of pursuing your passions and the joy of finding humor in the everyday. We also touch on the multifaceted nature of entertainment careers, exploring how comedians like Paris Sachet and Michelle Buteau are making waves across platforms including Tubi and Max.
Our episode wouldn't be complete without a shoutout to DJ Nelly B, who's ready to shake up the DJ community with her energy and beats. Listen in as she shares her excitement for the upcoming mixer in Richmond, a chance for DJs and music lovers to connect and groove. Nelly B's eagerness to collaborate shines through, whether she's spinning tracks or encouraging listeners to book her for their next event. From comedy to music, this episode is packed with insights and opportunities that highlight the vibrant tapestry of creative careers.
ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of the no id podcast. This is your host, rome davis. We're on a new season here. I have music connoisseur, comedian host, producer, podcast host mc. You've seen at the dc improv. She's got to work with people like tony rock the one and only chanel brown.
Speaker 2:How you doing hello, okay, few corrections. Okay, I am not a musician, I am a dj, although some people say that I should stop saying that because djs are musicians, so maybe I should embrace that let's embrace it yeah, okay, let's.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, how are you feeling?
Speaker 2:I feel great yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, I came. Well, I saw your post in the Richmond Virginia group. I see that you have a comedy mixer coming up and you're putting on shows, trying to bring, I guess, a network of comedians together as one. How did that idea come about?
Speaker 2:Okay, so I am originally from this area, this Richmond, chester, virginia area. I moved to DC after college and, after a long stint in Atlanta for work, I started doing comedy in DC, which was really cool, really fun. But then I moved back to this area and I felt like, okay, I have to build the community. I don't know any comedians and comedians to me are the best people in the world like literally, hands down, so I, hands down, so I usually I can build my community just going to open mics and things like that. But you know, I'm one of those I like to get things done.
Speaker 2:So I said, let me just do a mixer. I don't have time to waste. And this would be really good because then I'll be able to meet a lot of comedians and then when I start producing my shows at the top of 2025, I'll already have a list of comedians, kind of already have my network and we can just get rocking and rolling. So that's basically why I'm doing the mixer. And then, of course, it's going to be fun when we have some good music, some food.
Speaker 1:Are you DJing?
Speaker 2:You know what I was thinking about it. And then I said I don't want to, I don't like. I already have this stereotype of doing too much. And I said maybe I should lean into it and then like DJ and do like a little comedy set and then like run around and plan. And then I said you know what? I'm not Cause I am, I am team too much and I thought that would just be too much Team too much.
Speaker 1:Sometimes it's not.
Speaker 2:I'm on team too much. Sometimes I could do the most Like doing the most. I think DJing would absolutely have been doing the most, but I thought about it. The fact that I even thought about it says a lot about, I think, my personality.
Speaker 1:I think you should do it as a.
Speaker 2:DJ.
Speaker 1:Yeah so.
Speaker 2:I think you should do it. I get a DJ.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:While I'm hosting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you should be like yeah, coming to the stage and he's like DJ. And then you started doing your set and he was like now we're about to mix it up, ficky and boom, just bring it in. And obviously I'm not a DJ, cause nobody makes a figgy figgy noise anytime they beat you, I do the air horns and then run up on stage and run back. Yeah, Hold on Intermission. I got to go back to my set.
Speaker 2:No, don't do that, because I will. And I have to calm down. I got to stop Because I'll do it and then I'll blame you, and then that's like one other thing that people are going to say that I'm just like I do the most.
Speaker 1:Definitely. How long have you been doing comedy?
Speaker 2:I thought you were going to say how long have you been doing the most. No, I've been doing comedy since 47, the end of 20, so, yeah, 2018. Let's say, 2018. What made you get into it? Oh, my gosh, gosh. So I've always wanted to be a stand-up comic like. That was my dream.
Speaker 2:The first time I fell in love with comedy was when I watched friday and I know, and chris tucker's character, um, smoky right, yeah, I was like fascinated, and that was the first time I actually like, like, was fascinated by comedic timing and I didn't know what it was. At the time. I was just like he is really funny, like I don't, what is it? I mean, obviously, chris Tucker is a funny dude, but it was something more like, um, there was more of a science to it that I noticed, I think at an early age, that I didn't. I was like this isn't just regular comedy, this is something he's like, there's, there's something to it. And so I started studying it and I just used to watch that movie, like back to back, and so I was like I want to be a comedian, like I want to get on stage and just make people laugh.
Speaker 1:And then my mom was like, my dad also was like girl, what no? So yeah, so I went to law school.
Speaker 2:I can't make you laugh, but I can get you out of jail. That's pretty much what we're talking about here. I could do that, which is actually not funny. But yeah, I find humor in everything. It gets me in a lot of trouble. It has gotten me in some little trouble, but I laugh. I find the funny in everything. And then so after law school, I graduated in 2015, moved to DC and I was like it always was in me. I said I got to get on stage. I have in 2015, moved to DC and I was like it's always was in me. I said I got to get on stage.
Speaker 1:I have to do this.
Speaker 2:So I went to like this little workshop thing and did my first show and then just like started doing more shows. And then I got, I was affirmed, I think, by people who were doing comedy for a while and they told me you are a natural. And I was like I don't think they would say that if they, if it wasn't true, and I keep hearing it and I'm like I don't think people would just lie, Cause I don't think the the community that I would say this, the comedy community is very nice. I have noticed that we are. We're very nice to each other, we support each other, but we don't really lie to each other. So, um, I didn't. I was like, well, they can't be lying, All these people can't be lying. Maybe I am a natural. So then that's what gave me that confidence to keep going. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You remember the first time you got on the stage.
Speaker 2:Yes, I do, and it was nerve wracking because I think I'm naturally an anxious person, so I think. But I also heard that that's normal to feel that way and that's actually a good thing. But I was very, very anxious, very nervous, but also it felt like I was at home. That sounds very cliche, but I felt like in control, like I had my mic, you know, but I felt in control. I had my mic, I just felt in control. I liked it. I liked the feeling.
Speaker 1:Do you remember the first time you bombed?
Speaker 2:Um, okay, um, here's the thing. All right, I hope this doesn't sound but crazy. I am a perfectionist, so I I I'm not gonna say every set I've done with good was good, because I've had some sets where I don't think they were great, um, and I had a set where I just completely forgot everything, which is maybe that was where I bombed. It was at the DC Improv Lounge and it wasn't the best set, but I don't think I've bombed because necessarily, in the way that we know what bombing means, it's because I over-prepare, and that's honestly why I stepped away from comedy, because it gave me so much anxiety, because I over, like I do, like I when I like, days before my shows, I'm preparing and preparing, and preparing and preparing so that I don't bomb, you know. So I don't know if that answered your question.
Speaker 1:I had a bomb one time. They threw a chicken wing at me.
Speaker 2:I don't believe you.
Speaker 1:I'm telling the truth.
Speaker 2:Were they black? Okay, I get it passed. You can't be white and throw a chicken wing at a black man.
Speaker 1:No no no, it was at a bar. The stage was in a corner. The lady was at the bar. For three weeks she kept messing with me. For three weeks I didn't say nothing. Week four chicken bone. She said something. We started going back and forth. Then they cut the lights off for me, cut the mic off for me, played music and I left. I took a month off from comedy.
Speaker 2:I started podcasting, see see, we all have our story. That's it. That's what a chicken wing. That's all it took. Was it a big?
Speaker 1:one. It wasn't a chicken wing, it just I don't know. I pride myself on being okay. I was okay, I was okay. I was still a fan of my voice.
Speaker 2:I think I was like maybe like four or five months in oh, that's super early and you got, and that's when I had all and this is before we knew like the etiquette of an open mic.
Speaker 1:Like I thought, at an open mic you had to do new material. At every open mic it was like, nah, man, you can do some old stuff. I did not know that. My old yeah, I think I said I don't even tell the joke, no more, I ain't gonna get canceled. But it was like you could find me at christian mingle ass-Alaikum and boom, chicken bone. And I was like all right, I said let me do a podcast.
Speaker 2:Here's the thing, like this, being a comedian is not easy because we don't know what's about to happen when we say this joke. We don't know what. Like we know when we say it to ourselves. It's funny when we write it in our little comedy journal. It's funny. Our little book is funny when we say it in the mirror. It's funny when we get out and test it. It could like be the worst.
Speaker 2:This is hard because you really don't know what the audience is going to think and the only way you could get the joke out and test it is by performing it. You can't test it in practice. We don't even get to practice. We have to test it in an audience setting. That's tough. Like, honestly, anyway, go ahead, get it off your chest. No, I'm saying like, honestly, anyway, go ahead, get it off your chest. No, I'm saying like I respect all comedians because it's hard. You're up there, you're telling a joke that you wrote, that you care about, and you don't know what is about to happen after you say it. And this is from Kevin Hart all the way to the person who just started. Like we all have to test our stuff and we don't know what's going to happen, you know.
Speaker 1:I got a cheat system. I test mines out of the creative space every Thursday, so I treat that as my open mics, then I treat my old mice as a showcase, then I treat the showcases like I'm at a comedy club, and so on and so on.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:I didn't have enough chicken bones and breadsticks thrown at me in five years what are you saying?
Speaker 2:I gotta go to your show. When are you performing again? I gotta see why you're getting stuff thrown at you I didn't throw anything at me you never had nobody throwing.
Speaker 1:I had a boo, I had a chicken bone. Uh, I had one guy this was recently, wasn't even bombing, we was having fun and he was doing crowd work and I said what's your name? So he said bang, bang. I said you know what? You have a blessed day, sir you in the trenches you out there.
Speaker 2:I was in the trenches you out there.
Speaker 1:I was in the trenches.
Speaker 2:I was out there. That's good. That means that you're, that means you're not scared, you're, you're doing, you know You're not playing it safe. That's a good thing.
Speaker 1:What do you get your inspiration from when it comes to your jokes?
Speaker 2:Um, everyday life. So, like I said, I find the funny in like basically everything and um I anything that that I think is funny, I'll just put it in my comedy book and I'll just write it and then I'll just think about it. But yeah, everything at my life people, uh, relationships like friendships, you know any sort of relationship it could be coworkers, whatever and my life is quite interesting, I think. So I have a lot to pull from, fortunately, and unfortunately I have a lot to pull from and whatever makes people laugh.
Speaker 1:That's what I'm here for, I guess who are some of your favorite comedians, like those ones that you gravitate towards.
Speaker 2:I gravitate towards Dave Chappelle, his mind, his genius. I like Tony Rock, I think he's really great. I personally really like Wanda Sykes. I've watched her old stuff before when she was like you know, she had that long hair, she was more. And then I've watched her like transition and she's been like funny throughout the whole, like her whole process, her whole transition from when she first started to now. She's been solid, um. I like Paris Sachet. She's a DC comedian. I I mean so funny. I follow her Instagram. It's like the jokes never end with her. And Michelle Buteau, I gravitate to her as well. And then, sorry, sam, you know, sam, she opened up for Dave Chappelle in DC. Am I saying her name right? And she was on Netflix. Anyway, her name is something Sam or Sam something. She's dope Sam.
Speaker 1:Sam.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:For the listeners out there. I'm going to let Ms Brown know I don't have Netflix. I am a Tubi person, person please tell me you lying no, I'm not.
Speaker 1:I don't have netflix. I watch to be because of the stand-up specials, so I might get like tk kirkland, hannibal burr ash, jasper reed I get those. Um, I don't have netflix. I canceled netflix probably a couple years ago, uh, so whatever came out on netflix, I don't know. I usually watch tubi. I do have max because I like to watch the old uh 30 minute specials when they had like, uh, what's the name? Bob goldcat, damon wayans, you know, like those. But tubi gets those independent comedians. That's not like on Netflix and stuff like that, or they tried to pitch to Netflix and they didn't make it. So that's what I usually gravitate towards. I do not. I am Tubi.
Speaker 2:You're proud, you sound proud.
Speaker 1:I am. I'm proud. I don't watch the dumb shit. They were like Plug, love and all that mess they watch. I don't watch the dumb shit. That was like Plug, love and all that mess they watch.
Speaker 2:I watch it for stand up so good so you've never had like someone give you their Netflix password or you never asked for it is there a? Story. I feel like there's a story behind this Netflix we gonna unpack.
Speaker 1:I used to get new email addresses to actually get new netflix.
Speaker 2:30 days, here we go, here we go but they stopped doing the 30 day trials.
Speaker 1:I wait the black friday before they drop a special on something, wow.
Speaker 2:So I keep an email on deck, but you, you haven't ever watched um love at first sight. I mean, sorry my bad. Uh, what's that little show like you wouldn't know it anyway, I guess. But the little show love is blind. No, man, you just out here. Man, you, just out here, you just out here.
Speaker 1:We think I'd be capping. I just got social media back in 2019 when I started comedy.
Speaker 2:I don't I'm not mad at that, I'm not mad at that at all, actually no.
Speaker 1:Now you said Tony Rock is one of your favorite comedians, right? Yeah, and you got to work with him before too, right.
Speaker 2:I've met him. I never worked with him, but I've met tony behind. Uh, I went into um green room one time when I performed or he performed at dc improv and he gave me some really good like pointers and advice. Talked about right every every day, you know right, he just gave me really good advice and that was early on in my career as a comedian and so I took that and and um just ran with it and then you know he's cool, he's cool, I know him.
Speaker 1:So he's cool, yeah, but I never worked with him texting and stuff.
Speaker 2:You're like hey no, don't do that what am I doing too much?
Speaker 1:yes I'm sorry, apologize. You have a podcast as well too, so I'm trying to be. I'm, I'll be. I studied your page. I'm not giving it out my page. I'm a coney rock.
Speaker 2:He knows that.
Speaker 1:Okay, I've studied your page. I looked at your page. I saw the DJ and stuff. I really was in the trenches on your page when we first followed each other and I'm sorry if it sounds creepy, but I was really in the trenches. I was like, okay, let's see where it goes and everything. Let's see where it goes, let's see, because I'm talking about like. I was like, okay, she fitness. I think you did something with chilies or fridays.
Speaker 2:I told you, I told you, I gave you the disclaimer that I do the most oh, that's not doing a follow. He's no way to look at my page and know like who I am.
Speaker 1:I'm everything but you're a brand though what is my brand?
Speaker 2:what is my brand to you?
Speaker 1:it's like this podcast. There's no id, you do everything, it's doing the most. Dj producer. Mc host. Uh podcast host producer. You just got a lot of hats and from previous people that I've talked to, like one of my mentors before he passed d militant, told me in this game you cannot have one hat, you have to have multiple hats into this yeah you got to have multiple hats.
Speaker 1:So, okay, most people get into comedy, but they may end up podcasting and writing producing. Like a lot of us comedians, we end up writing for some of your shows that you never would think that we work for. You know, we had a couple comedians writing for uh, bubble guppies. You didn't know that, did you?
Speaker 2:we write we write.
Speaker 1:We write all the time. Um, some of us go into mental health. We got comedians that do music as well too. We produce music. You just see a lot of it. It's just you have multiple hats. I don't think it's doing too much. I think you're just doing what your brand is right yeah it may not make sense to somebody, but it makes sense to you that's all that really happens.
Speaker 2:But you know my nine to five. Obviously I'm an attorney and I do take that profession very seriously. I think I do really good work. But, um, but I think who I am at my core. I'm an advocate. Okay, I'm gonna call out injustice, but I'm also, like, a creative. I just have to be, I have to create. I don't like to just consume. I get I feel anxious if I'm just consuming other people's work and I'm not creating something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree. I agree, you just gotta keep going. I don't know how old you are, we're not gonna get into that, but just keep going good job good job. Yeah, good job. Thank you so much for that. Um pat on the back good job. Um well, I'm gonna keep it short because the listeners do not your listeners have short attention spans.
Speaker 2:Is that what you're trying to say about them?
Speaker 1:Okay, the listeners do not really rock with anything over an hour Around the 25-minute mark. I like to wrap it up. If you can give any advice to any creative out there, what would it be?
Speaker 2:Listen to your internal, listen to your heart, listen to what's going on internally and not externally in terms of what it is that you're supposed to do, because nobody knows you but you, and it's going to be a really difficult journey. If you're listening to what everybody else is telling you to do, it's going to be really hard, and then you're. What's going to end up happening anyway is you're going to end up like you want. You're want to go through this journey of doing what other people tell you to do and you're still going to end up doing what you want to do in the end. So you might as well just do that from the beginning and just listen to your heart and stay consistent and you'll be fine.
Speaker 1:I agree, just to add on don't chase the fame or the money, just chase the experience. I can't tell you who I met or what rooms I've been in, but I can tell you that I didn't have to pay and my ego didn't get in the way and I remained humble, and it's allowed me to build relationships with some of these people that I grew up on. Write every day. Be consistent, be persistent. Some of these people that I grew up on right every day. Be consistent, be persistent and show respect to those that actually come on your platform or you. They allow you to come on their platform, vice versa. This is it stay humble and hungry and keep god first, but uh, if they want to follow you or see any shows, updates, are we allowed to give out your social media? Because I was a little hesitant about it.
Speaker 2:Why, what, why?
Speaker 1:Because you know we had a conversation. People that's listened to no idea watched it. Oh, ok, ok.
Speaker 2:OK, ok, so sure, attorney Sean B. I'm not with the shenanigans, though, so I agree.
Speaker 1:Follow me at Comedian Rome. All social media platforms, no ID media TV, Sorry.
Speaker 2:Go ahead no.
Speaker 1:Snow ID Media TV um this branch. Sorry, go ahead, you sneeze no. Snow ID.
Speaker 1:Media TV on YouTube and Instagram and Facebook. Um. Next show will be the October 26th. I'll be at Cape Ola in Williamsburg November 2nd. I will be at Maryland okay, maryland Bowling Williamsburg November 2nd. I will be at Maryland okay, maryland. I got some more stuff coming up, but all you guys gotta do is just follow the page, that's all, and I do follow back, so just keep supporting creatives, especially black creatives and black media. She's not with shenanigans, so if you do decide to slide in her DMS, be respectful.
Speaker 2:Yes, so that's attorney Sean S H A W N B. And yeah, I'm always looking to collaborate. I was looking to work on projects especially like film projects.
Speaker 1:No some people I can get you in touch with.
Speaker 2:Thank you, yeah some people I can get you in touch with. Thank you, yeah, and then I'm ready to DJ. If you have something you want to book me, come on, let's go. Look, don't go, wait. Look, look here my dj controller. So I'm ready. Um, I don't d. Nelly B, also on Instagram, dj N-E-L-L-Y-B. And let's go, let's get to work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I look forward to seeing you. What the 16th for the mixer?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:I'll be there, yes.
Speaker 2:Seven o'clock At the center in Richmond, virginia, shit.
