On April 11th at ‘The Paramount Theater’ in Oakland, California; NBA player DeMarcus Cousins will be brining back his ‘Boogie’s Comedy Slam’ for a live audience. Unlike previous Slams, the upcoming third installment of the event will be teaming up with Mike Epps and is set to be filmed for the very first time. The line-up is set to feature Karlous Miller, Tony Roberts, Red Grant, Gary Owen and Lewis Belt. Epps is set to host and executive produce (along with Cousins) the comedy special that night. ‘Boogie’s Comedy Slam’ is set to be directed by Leslie Small and produced by Nickel Creative Agency. As he prepares for the event, Comedy Hype asked Cousins about comedy favorites, and Shaq’s influence on him getting into comedy.
What fellow NBA player do you think should get roasted in a comedy roast and why?
DC: Myself. I love to dish it out but you gotta be able to take it too. At the end of the day it’s jokes and it’s about laughing and having fun so I’m all for it.
If you were to try stand-up comedy for the first time, what comedian would you want to coach you and why?
DC: Martin Lawrence. I would love to meet him. To this day I still watch the Martin show.
Mike Epps is featuring the upcoming event, tell us your favorite Mike Epps role in a movie?
DC: It’s got to be Mike Epps as Reggie White (All About The Benjamins). Loved him in that role. Hilarious.
Did you talk with Shaq at all to get pointers on running a comedy platform like his Shaq All-Star Comedy Jam shows? If so what did he tell you.
DC: I did not speak with Shaq about the comedy game but he was definitely my inspiration. I have always been a fan of stand-up comedy specials in general, especially his. We tested it out doing shows the last 2 years (Sacramento and New Orleans) but now we have upgraded and have a whole production team and are going to film this one in Oakland. Hopefully it’s a success like his.
Tell us your starting 5 comedians of All-Time.
Martin Lawrence
Tony Roberts
Mike Epps
Cedric the Entertainer
Bernie Mac
