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Red Grant - Good Energy
Interview by: Quinton Hatfield
 On the grind and now in line for the next generation of comedians is Red Grant. The Washington D.C. native is much known for his signature geeky laugh after every joke and ugly facial expressions. After realizing he was a funny dude and could make people laugh at their worst moments, joking around became Red Grant’s hustle from his early school days leading him to BET’s Teen Summit. Nobodysmiling.com gets up with Red in this interview and gives the scoop on his comedian backround, his college football days and his current tour with Katt Williams. Funny how he said "I’m an ugly dude with cute features”.
 Nobodysmiling.com : Last time we talked you said you use to box back in the day, so can you talk about that?
Red Grant : Yeah I boxed since I was fourteen, but it kept me out the streets and it tought me a lot of skills you know. It reminds me of comedy, because it’s the same method when you on stage you know. You gotta warm-up, get ready, and be prepared to leave.
Nobodysmiling.com : Back in the day you said you knocked people out quicker than you made them laugh.
Red Grant : Knocking people out in the ring and knocking people out on stage is similar, taking the same energy. I just happen in comedy to knock people out with jokes, making them laugh and crack up is the same formula.
Nobodysmiling.com : Now you grew up in D.C. being from the streets and all... so how did that affect your career?
Red Grant : That’s one thing about D.C. you know it doesn’t matter if you a superstar or whatever everybody is on the same level. In D.C. it gives you a real opportunity no matter who you are. Everybody is on the same level and everybody is a superstars where I come from.
Nobodysmiling.com : So what part of D.C. you from?
Red Grant : I’m from the southeast where it can get real grimey and real hard.
Nobodysmiling.com : You said before your mother was one of the first people you made laugh.
Red Grant : I knew when I was little I could make my mother laugh when she and my father got divorced. She was my first audience and I knew if I can make her laugh I can make anybody laugh. I just knew I was humorous when I was young growing up, but I didn’t know I was going to be this. It feels good to be able to do the same thing I was doing when I was little.
Nobodysmiling.com : What was good with your college football days?
Red Grant : Hell yeah college was good I played at Savannah State and they was some good brothers. I got in a lot of trouble, because I wasn’t able to control my emotions and got thrown out of school so I lost my football scholarship. I had to come home and work, but the college experience was great, I pledged Kappa Alpha Psi there too. It was great and I got the mega life out of college. It was the life as it kept me out the streets of D.C.
Nobodysmiling.com : You said you were a member of Kappa Alpha Psi?
Red Grant : Yeah.
Nobodysmiling.com : Back in college were you the jokester of the football team?
Red Grant : Everybody was a jokester, the whole football team was jokesters. Everybody had jokes I wasn’t even the funniest dude on the team it was dudes that was funnier than me. I was around a lot of funny dudes that made my skills sharper. That is where I got most of my skills at when I was playing football, everybody was wilding.
Nobodysmiling.com : You used to do the “Teen Summit” with BET how did that have a positive effect on your career?
Red Grant : It was real positive, because it helped when I needed it the most. It allowed me to produce my own show, it allowed me to stretch my legs out and move to New York being able to tell jokes in New York and produce shows. Teen Summit was a big brother to me and when it happened, it happened at the right time. I was able to make money while not having to struggle as much in New York. It taught me how to host, produce shows, and do a lot of things that I’m doing right now.
Nobodysmiling.com : What was it like to be on your first “Comic View”?
Red Grant : Aw man that was exciting, because it was in Atlanta. It was real exciting, my first comic view was really memorable. It was probably my most memorable and favorite comic view when I talked about leaving a baby on the porch and all that. That was a good show and I had a lot of good energy in it. It was a great experience it was my first time on TV, but it was a stepping stone to where my career was going.
Nobodysmiling.com : In your opinion what makes a good comedian?
Red Grant : A good comedian brings good energy to the stage and tell jokes talking about stuff people can relate to. Being a comedian in a manner of your own without copying other people... along with being original makes a good comedian.
Nobodysmiling.com : The first time you were on stage were you nervous?
Red Grant : I’m nervous every time I’m on stage, every time I get on stage I’m nervous. If a comedian tells you he ain’t nervous he really ain’t in his game, every comedian who is a comedian gets nervous.
Nobodysmiling.com : Do you laugh at yourself a lot when you look at yourself in the mirror every morning?
Red Grant : I’m a serious dude when I look at myself in the morning. I know that I’m about to go out there and take a different step at life. I don’t really laugh at myself I laugh at myself when I’m around my friends.
Nobodysmiling.com : [Laughs], I remember the last time you told me you was an ugly dude with cute features.
Red Grant : Yeah I am, I’m an ugly dude with cute features.
Nobodysmiling.com : Before you get on stage how you put your jokes together?
Red Grant : I find funny shit everyday and if my mans and them are laughing at it I find it to be a potential joke. I got hilarious people around me so they always feed me information feeding me mojo. I just prepare by studying my material, because the people appreciate that.
Nobodysmiling.com : Do you see yourself as a legendary comedian years from now?
Red Grant : Yeah definitely, I’m a legendary comedian right now I just didn’t do my whole time of life yet.
Nobodysmiling.com : What it’s like to hold it down with Katt Williams?
Red Grant : It’s going great, Katt is a good dude, he’s a real dude and our personalities don’t crash. It’s wonderful that two real dudes are together out there that’s funny as hell, were pushing each other to the limit. He push me to be funny and I push him, we give each other jokes and everything. We give each other add-ons to jokes and all that so it’s great.
Nobodysmiling.com : Will ya’ll do some more work in the future?
Red Grant : Yeah we got a lot of stuff. We got the “Pimp Chronicles 2” coming out and we got some movie stuff we about to write. We getting ready to do a lot of creative stuff together.
Nobodysmiling.com : What’s good with the movie you were telling me about were the best cats from the street go at it with the best TV cats?
Red Grant : Yeah that’s getting ready to come out in the summer also. That joint is hot, it’s a hood classic and a mainstream classic. We got a premiere for that in August in LA so hopefully you can be there.
Nodysmiling.com: Thanks for the love for Nobodysmiling.com, final message for the readers?
Red Grant : Fans can check me out on www.myspace.com/redgrantcomedy
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