Comedian Rod Man: In a League of His Own!

Rod Man’s unique delivery and energetic stage presence sets him apart from the pack!

If you have ever witnessed a Rod Man comedy set, you understand how special of a talent he is. An amazing storyteller with the ability to touch on several different topics, Rod Man is truly one of a kind. His comedy is raw, in your face and most of all, funny as hell. His ability to find the funny in anything along with his distinct voice truly separates him from the pack. No subject is off limits for the, “Last Comic Standing” season 8-winner. He’s headlined several televised comedy shows and also put his acting talents on display alongside, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen in 2009 comedy, “Funny People.” Looking to spread his wings, Rod Man intends to tap into his acting more, while joining the podcast ranks and doing more writing.

Never lacking energy or jokes, I cover a lot of ground with Rod Man during our recent conversation.

How is everything going with you?

Rod Man: Ah man, I’ve been better, but we’ve all been better than the time we’re dealing with right now. It’s learning all the new norms. So, just where we’re at in society and in entertainment, athletics… everything has changed. So, I’ve been cool, but I’ve been cooler. I’m learning the new cool.

(Laughing). Facts. I have interviewed a couple of comedians and you guys may be the most hit occupation during this virus because you depend on being on the road, you depend on large crowds and both have been at the very least altered.

Rod Man: Yeah! It’s like a purge. I feel like comedians are loaded guns right now and we have just been kind of sitting on the shelf. I was in New York the first weekend that Corona hit. When they first went into a state of emergency and they started charging $10 for lil baby hand sanitizers (laughing). We were at, Caroline’s in Time Square and that’s usually jumping, but it was eerie. It was an eerie weekend. And the show was a little light, so I was like, “Whoa, something is up. Something must be coming down the pipe.” We got out of there and they started shutting stuff down. I didn’t really know what a shutdown meant, and social distancing. You hear those terms, but it’s like, “Oh, ya’ll closing everything?” It’s all been an adjustment.

I equate it to, I’m a marathon runner. Not bragging, but I run every morning. Before I get my day started, I been running, and I ran a couple of marathons. So, I know by doing that, that there is going to be some pain along the way. I don’t think I can make this, but if you just keep going, you going to make it. You may get a cramp along the way, but it’s a marathon. That’s what this time has taught me. And to never take that stage for granted because it can be snatched away. I went back to Raleigh this weekend, social distanced, so you can’t fill the house, but it was cool. I just wanted to see all the people. I have been ready to go. I got faith and even if there is something out there, I’m going to put my mask on. I’m going to take all the precautions, but I believe you move in faith still, and go do your profession. But if nothing open, then nothing open. We got a few states opening up a little bit. And the people came out. So, I know people are slowly relaxing and coming out a little bit more, but we gotta take every precaution with this thing because we don’t know what it is. You can see people are just more appreciative of just living. We got a silent killer out there. Even when people talking about property and things like that, you just gotta live.

I always say this, laughing is truly essential and more now than ever, so having comedians on the road, and doing these specials is helpful to anyone dealing with anything because. So, we gotta get the Rod Man’s back on the road and performing.

Rod Man: I’m glad you said that because a good comic friend of mine passed away earlier this year, Tyler Craig, rest in peace. I said that at his funeral. I said, laughter is essential. We are essential workers because you know now, everybody done became essential workers. The fast-food workers, hospital workers are essential workers… everybody is essential. And I’m like, “Hold up, we might have to check some of these resumes.” I think laughter is the best medicine. Definitely during a time like this, you’re going to need to laugh because you’re going to go through some struggles. Nobody is going to be immune. I don’t care if you’re the highest of the financial chain or the lowest, there is still going to be a struggle. If you’re rich and you’re not used to being home with your wife all the time. That’s a struggle. And your kids, that’s going to be a struggle. It’s all adjustments along the way. I go back to the marathon, it’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint, baby.

You’re already funny as hell naturally. Now, you have been given time to relax, absorb all that’s going on in the world, I’m sure you are sitting on some amazing material. I’m sure your upcoming shows are going to be something to see.

Rod Man: When I first got back on stage and I hadn’t been on stage, I was rusty. It was good just to get back out. You’re just writing. And we’re in a different time and I know we all talking on the computer now, and our phones and we’re all Zooming, but me… I’m 25-in, so that’s an adjustment for me. I’m sitting on a joke, but I’m used to the give and take of the laughter. On the computer I can’t really receive what I’m looking for that I can when I’m live and, in your face, and we’re in a room and there is intimacy. So, that’s a part of social distancing that we are seeing all the way up to where we’re checking ourselves out at the grocery store. It’s like, “There’s supposed to be a cashier right here. I don’t supposed to be working here.” You on the damn clock. You a shopper and a worker. You doing two thangs, yeah! it’s those things. We’re adjusting. But I try to get my ideas and thoughts down in the morning. I’ve been looking at old tapes. Like I said, this my 25, so I got a lot of footage and jokes that I had forgot, so I’m in the vault. And I’m posting some of those jokes online. And it’s like, “Oh, ya’ll still like that. I ain’t did that joke in 20-years.” It’s still meat on the bone. It’s a reset. We are in a reset, that’s all.

You have been around for two and a half decades, so you’re reaching another generation that can appreciate those jokes because they never heard them. So, it’s smart to bring them back.

Rod Man: Yeah! People say, “You’re my momma favorite comic.” “You’re my daddy favorite comic.” So, I get that at my shows. I get four generations. I get granddaddy, grandmama, their kids and their kids. It’s generational. That’s just my style. I’ve been a storyteller the entire time. Stories are connective. You are a writer and a storyteller. That’s always going to connect the dots because we all got similar experiences. I try to find that commonality in it all when I tell my stories.

To go on a stage and make someone laugh for an hour or more has to be one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Have you ever been concerned with bombing? Telling a joke and getting no reaction?

Rod Man: You’re living that now if you’re doing it on the computer. You’re just getting comments back, but you don’t know if they’re laughing or not. You get an emoji back, but you didn’t actually hear that laughter. It just depends on your generation. I always say, I don’t try to make them laugh, I try to gain their trust. And then once I gain their trust, they trust the funny, and I can take them where I want to go. But it’s a trust. Each audience is its own audience too. Each time I hit the stage; I’m trying to bring it. If I did a great show at 7, them people are going to go out to the club and rave about it, the stakes just went up for the 9:30 show. “He must be the shit!” I just worked. I done already worked, but I gotta get back up. It’s a hard profession. You’re traveling and, on the road, you’re going to do 5 to 6 shows and sometimes 10 if you’re hot. But each show is its own show because they ain’t seen you yet. I don’t wanna cheat nobody.

The goal every time is to do your thang. Some people say, rip, some people say, kill. I say, do your thang. Can’t nobody do your thang like you do your thang. I try to give that audience my best. I know when I’m off. They may not know when I’m off, but I know. And I know, we gotta get this shit back in line. We gotta cross some T’s and dot some I’s. We ain’t hitting that post right. And that’s the beautiful thing about comedy, it’s a science like boxing. It’s a sweet science. I do a little bit of that too, so I try to find things that… you’re never really there, but you try and find little things to get there. You have never done your best show yet. You’re not a finished product. I’m still an artist and working this thing out.

I see you get your runs in, you say you do some boxing. When did that take priority for you?

Rod Man: I love it. I’m all about health. As you grow, as you become seasoned and you mature, even with this entertainment stuff, you gotta check in with your body and your health a little bit more. I’m a southern boy, so I grew up with bacon grease on the stove. So, I know what we like. I diet sometimes, but most of all, I try to treat my body right. You treat your body right and it will go out to your mind and your soul and your spirit and you gonna put a little love out there.

You have been in a few movies. Is that something else you’re looking to get into heavy once sets are back up and operating?

Rod Man: I still haven’t scratched the surface of all that I can do. I’m in my classes. I call that another muscle and another instrument that I have to tune and train. That’s another craft. I’ve done a few things like you said, “Funny People,” and a couple of shows on Bounce TV, but I haven’t reached my apex with acting. But that’s definitely something I’m looking forward to doing more of. Animation, “Lil Rod Man” coming atcha. I definitely think my voice is a unique voice in comedy. I did morning radio with Stevie Wonder in Los Angeles years ago. I enjoyed radio, so that’s definitely something I’m looking forward to doing too. I want to be an overall entertainer; from the stage, to the screen, to the small screen, do a few plays, write a few books, produce a few projects, all that. I would like to reach my full potential. That’s why I say it’s a marathon. I’m just getting started, Percy. I’m just getting started.

Radio or podcast because you should definitely look into the podcast format. I would love to see that.

Rod Man: Well yeah! I meant to say podcast because you know radio now sounds terrestrial. The podcast world. I’ve done short little YouTube things, “Time Out With Rod Man,” sports based… we’re doing sports type funny stuff. It’s just new normal, man. I’m excited about new opportunities too because with change comes new opportunities.

Your delivery is very unique, and your stage presence is different as well. In a good way. That being said, who were your comedic influences?

Rod Man: People ask that question and I still don’t think I got it right. I always think your influences are your environment. You can watch comedy… I’ve seen the Richard Pryor’s, the Eddie Murphy’s and the Chris Rock’s. I love all of those guys as comedians, but I think your influences are the people around you when you’re growing up like your momma or daddy, to your cousins. So, I would say my family is my biggest influences. Both blood and non-blood. Those are my biggest influences.

And then comedic wise, I would say my first introduction to comedy was early Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby. So, it was two ends of the spectrum. So, it was like, you can go this way with it, or you can go this way with it. So, I think I’m a hybrid of both of them somewhere along the line. And the way I deliver it… they were both great storytellers, but the way they delivered it was different. Richard a little raw and Bill a little cleaner. But art… you go see people live, I enjoy their art and their craft. I don’t know what you do in your life. That ain’t my business. That’s what I think too. We give too much business away. Everything on front street. Black people used to be, “Hey, don’t be putting all my business on front street.” Now, people can’t wait to go on front street. And also, people I used to grow up with from the barbershop, those characters.

And then when I got into comedy locally in Atlanta, cats like Earthquake, Don ‘DC’ Curry, Chris Tucker was hot, Bruce Bruce. So, just seeing it live for the first time. I had seen Def Jam and things like that. I looked at all comedy. I watched the Seinfeld’s and all that too, but when I say live, it was urban comedy, Uptown Comedy Club, and just to see the joy that it brought to people. I remember Don Curry would get on stage and they would be like, “Stop it, Don. Stop it! You hurtin’ me.” And I used to be like, “Man, I gotta get some of this.” And I started early. I fell in love with comedy live early. We have to be live. You have to experience a comedy show live. You can do your online thing, watch the videos and comedy skits, but as we lower these restrictions, get out to a comedy club, and see a live show and I guarantee you, you will feel better.

You know I can’t let you go as a Saints fan and not get these Falcons jokes off.

Rod Man: Ah man! Come on, man. I tell people, we act like we only practice up to Wednesday. We gotta get the rest of the week in too because we got to be ready on Sunday. It’s hard being a Falcons fan. I got into it with a Saints online. Not got into it because I don’t go back and forth. I just shut it down. He was asking if I wanted to turn in my fan badge and join the Saints. Ya’ll our biggest rivalry, man. We down right now, but I think Raheem [Morris]… Dan was just riding on the SuperBowl. Dan supposed to been gone probably 2-years ago. We was overdue for change. I figured they would let Dan go and Raheem would take over. I had already done seen the move. Raheem was a young coach, 32… I don’t want to bring it up, but you know privilege. Raheem was an NFL coach at 32, Lane Kiffin was an NFL coach at 32. Lane Kiffin been working all over the place, but Raheem never got another opportunity to be a head coach. So, I think Raheem is ready. I always thought he was a baby Mike Tomlin. I think the move is going to work if they give him an opportunity for real. Not just the face through the pandemic. Sometimes we just get the job through the pandemic.

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