T KAT IAMS
WILL
B
orn in Cincinnati, OH, and raised in nearby Dayton, Katt Williams has come from humble beginnings to become one of the hottest comedians in the industry. Known for his permed hair and his character Money Mike in the movie Friday After Next, Katt has become known as the Hip Hop Comedian. His many music industry friends include Snoop Dogg, Cam’Ron, and Lil Jon. Recently crowned a member of the Dipset, Katt sat down with OZONE to discuss his new comedy album on Diplomat Records and other upcoming projects. You’re hosting BET’s first annual Hip Hop Awards. How did that come about? I’m not sure. It’s the first. I guess they picked the best person that they thought would do a good job. I will make it fantastic, funny, and safe, if that is all possible. Tell us about your comedy album. It’ll be out around April 2007. They’re trying to push it up. It’s just me being me, not me trying to be someone else. It’s a nice fun album that all haters will hate and all people that are about their business are gonna love it. I was able to pick the people I wanted to work with, so Lil Jon is on there, Paul Wall is on there, Mike Jones, E-40, Lyfe Jennings, Dipset. It’s just a beautiful situation. Tell us about the new movie coming out, Norbit? You play a pimp named Flashy Frank? It’s a great movie. It’s one of those Eddie Murphy movies that we’ve all been waiting on. Eddie Murphy plays three characters and Cuba Gooding Jr., Eddie Griffin, Tandy Newton, and Marlon Wayans are also in the movie. It’s just a banger cast. It comes out in February. Any other movies on the horizon? I have another movie comin in December which is called Perfect Christmas with Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, Terrance Howard, Queen Latifah, and Charlie Murphy. In January I start [filming] the David Talbot film that Mike Epps and I are starring in. Tell us about the cartoon series The Boondocks, where you played a pimp called SlickBack. We just finished up another episode, and they’re working with Sony for a live action film which details the life of a pimp called Slickback. It should be interesting and a lot of fun. What’s up with your new show that’s going to be on MTV? The third season of Wildin’ Out is getting ready to air, and that’s already a good platform. We’re getting ready to work on a character that I play on that show called Judge Mo Dollars. Me and Nick [Cannon], all we’re trying to do is work and put out some quality comedy shows. Richard Pryor was the King of Comedy for his entire life and he isn’t here anymore, so everyone has to step up their game. Speaking of Wildin’ Out, how do you come up with your improv skits so quickly? It’s a game. It’s like if you throw a football to a football player, he’s supposed to catch it. He either catches it or drops it. It’s the same thing with comedy. I know they’re gonna say something, and I only have a few seconds for my comeback. They don’t all work out, but I feel we have a good show. With all the things happening for you right now do you ever feel burned out? Shit, I haven’t even burned in yet. I can’t burn out yet because I just got started. People didn’t even know who I was until Friday After Next. That was in 2002, so I couldn’t burn out in five years. Burnout should never be what a dude that’s grinding is scared of. I don’t care what you do. If you’re selling weed, I don’t think you’re really scared that you can sell too much weed. I’m just telling jokes, and as long as the universe is happy, that’s good. When I start getting whack I should die, like all the funny comics. Are you living your dream? No, my dreams don’t have any work in them. I’m getting there. I’m making the dreams happen. You should be very careful – if you’re living your dream, that means you’ve run out of dreams. I’ve got dreams of a growth spurt that I’ve been waiting on since I was 13, so I’m still dreaming of being five feet, nine inches tall.
36
Is your permed hair and the way you dress a way to differentiate yourself from other comedians? I’m just a fly dude, so fortunately I’m in the right business. But this perm wasn’t always popular. This is the same perm that’s started plenty of fights and situations. That’s why you have to be you. When it’s bad, it’s bad, but it can flip and all of a sudden the stuff that’s been a burden to you your whole life can be what makes you special. That’s why you can’t change yourself too much. Look at Star Jones. They sucked two hundred pounds out of her body and her head still looks like she weights three hundred pounds. You have to be happy with you. Your bio says that you started reading when you were three years old. Yeah, I was three, but I wish they would take that off my bio. I was also shitting on myself at three, but they don’t say that in my bio. They also don’t say that I was peeing on myself. But yes, I had the IQ of somebody remotely smart, but I was still scared of waterbugs. Smart is always good, but I’m as proud of my street smarts as I am of my book smarts. Reading is fundamental. I was always reading and wanting to be somewhere other than in my parents’ house, so yeah, you go on a journey when you read a book. What made you decide to join the Nation of Islam? The same thing that made me quit. They were strong black men with a message and they were poised for action, and I’m a religious scholar. I like to see what motivates people to do what they do. So I was very interested in their culture; that’s why I went their way. Can people in the music industry book you to do skits on their albums? Yeah, absolutely. I’m kinda selective. We’ve got a pretty good track record going. Seven of the last skits we did ended up on platinum albums, so that’s worked well in our favor. If I like the artist I’ll do something with them. They can go to my website and get connected with me there. I’m a hip-hop fan, so whatever I can do, I’ll do it. Tell us about your ringtones. 912,000 and counting. It’s jut a blessing. I’m the first comedian to have sold that many ringtones. That means my voice is being heard a little bit in the marketplace, which is a good thing. - Photo and Words by Malik Abdul