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Thursday, February, 04 2010 |
today we catch up with friend of the Lab, Aziz Ansari, for this revealing interview about life, hustlin, death, and R. Kelly.
I think I remember you telling me that you worked at a DJ equipment store in Fulton Mall, BK back in the day... No, but I do think we should let the readers know the long, over a decade long Aziz-Lab history. In late '99, I was on a quest to find a hobby that would make sure girls didn't talk to me, so I got real into turntablism and started buying mad stuff from the Lab, which conveniently had just started up. I even tried to intern with you guys when I moved to NY to go to NYU, but y'all were fully staffed.
I even still have that first edition Lab t-shirt somewhere! I wore that shit in South Carolina like it was the coolest shit ever, which let's be honest, it was. I met DJ Craze in Miami a few months back and he bugged the fuck out when I mentioned super skratch nerd shit like the Allies crew, double click flares, etc.
Sure, occasionally there were racist things that happened to me, but 85% of the time I may as well have been a really tanned white kid. It wasn't too bad. I didn't really start comedy until I was in NY going to college, so I can't say its a huge influence.
I don't know if there was any particular moment. Its kind of a long haul thing, you know? You just kind of keep trucking away and hope you build on what you've done and work on bigger and better projects.
Never stop hustlin'. When you feel like quitting the hustle, start hustling harder. When you've hustled harder and you're like, "Ok, I can take a break from hustling." Then.. YOU HUSTLE EVEN HARDER.
When Diddy and I were riding jetski's side by side in tuxedo's and jumped into a hot tub full of Ciroc, champagne, and Asian women. There was also that time I beat 50 Cent at an arm wrestling competition at Fabolous' house. Also, I feel famous every time I walk into a Planet Hollywood and am seated IMMEDIATELY, line or no line. When you can get seated quickly at Planet Hollywood, then you are famous son.
The man is unstoppable. You go to one of his shows and its an experience. I detail this in my act so I'd feel like a fraud repeating it, but this video should give you a taste:
For some reason, Jamie Foxx is a go to. He's Tom's hero in my head - Oscar winning actor, R&B superstar, probably a club owner, and all around smooth cat. Another thing I keep in mind is Tom's interest in fashion and being a baller. We did an episode where Tom has to dress up for a club opening and I thought, what would Tom do? I knew it. He'd go on WireImage and see what Diddy wore to like a party for a cellphone or whatever.
I could never pick a funniest person on our show, because they all make me laugh. The whole team is tight, it's like the late 90's Bulls. Mike Schur and Greg Daniels - Phil Jackson. Our executive producers that are in charge of the show and lead us. Amy and Rashida - MJ and Pippen. Ron Swanson - Rodman. The wild man. You don't know what Swanson has up his sleeve (probably some cured pork products and maybe some deviled eggs.) Andy Dwyer - Toni Kucoc. The sixth man who would run shit on any other team and we are insanely lucky to have as a sixth man. April - Steve Kerr. When they put April in, its like Kerr sinking 3's - money every time. Jerry and Donna - Wennington and Buechler . Ready to come in from the bench and kill it any time. Me - Luc Longley. Fuck, I didn't think this analogy through. I don't wanna be Luc Longley. Shit, no offense to Luc if he's reading.
When I do talk shows, I go in with the attitude of I just want to murder this shit. If you're a comic doing the couch on a late night show, you usually tell some stories from your act and since my act has a lot of story telling element to it; its a big advantage. I hope I can one day become one of those guests like Norm MacDonald that people get excited to see as a guest cause they know they're gonna bring it.
BI-COASTAL ANSWERS COMING YOUR WAY!!!!
posted by ph at 11:44 AM | direct link
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