Brooklyn native Alex Babbitt, recently made stops at some of Atlanta’s top comedy shows. While in the south, he linked with Urban Magazine to talk about his Def Comedy Jam appearance and how to keep progressing as a rising entertainer.
Tell us how you got your start in comedy.
I used to do plays and stuff. From those things, people thought I was funny. I was in this program called Possibility Project and when it ended people were like, “Hey! You should join stand up.” So I did. I found this open mic that wasn’t far from the city. I’m from Brooklyn and it was in Manhattan. I did that and it went really well. It just so happened that day, career day, a comedian came into my high school. That was kind of a sign for me. I took his class. He told me about some other open mic shows I could do and things just began to fall into place. Once I started, I just kind of never stopped.
Where do you see yourself going with the craft or where do you want to go with it?
I want to be a superstar, for sure. I tell everybody, I think it’s like the dopest shit. Basically, to break it down, I want to be somewhere between a combination of how I saw Usher (Confessions) when I was eight years old and how I also saw Chris Rock when I was that age. I want to be exactly where I somehow blend those two characters in my head. That’s who I am.
What is your plan for getting to how you see yourself in your head?
Hard work and being specific with my goals. So getting goals and meeting them is my main thing as of now. Lately, I’ve learned that’s kind of the way I got everything that I’ve ever gotten. I didn’t even realize, I got on Def Jam on HBO and it was so crazy because around that same time, I looked at my high school yearbook and my dream was to be a comedian. I was already doing that at the time, but it was also my goal to have an HBO special or something within 10 years. That was my 10-year plan and I did it faster than that. It wasn’t something that I was consciously following up with. It was just a goal that I had when I was younger. Since I’ve met that goal, I’ve made bigger goals.
In regard to the HBO Def Comedy Jam special, how did it feel gracing such a historical stage?
It was great. It was cool because though I didn’t grow up with Def Jam, I knew the reputation of it. I did watch stand up, like individuals. I didn’t watch Def Jam, but my dad watched it when I was a kid. So it was dope around the time mine aired. Russell Simmons went through a bunch of things, so I didn’t think it got the biggest push like back in the day. But, it was dope for me! My mom got to see me on TV. That’s cool as shit!
You recently made a tour run in Atlanta, but when you got here one of your shows was canceled. How do you handle those moments and other obstacles that might come up?
The life of an entertainer is constantly unstable. Well, maybe not unstable. It is what it is. Someone just called me yesterday and asked if I could host a show for him. Stuff like that happens all the time. You just can’t let any of this stuff get to you. It really doesn’t mean anything, but to just do what’s best for you. It’ll work out because things just do. That’s just how you got to look at life. You just can’t let anything bother you. Get past it and move forward.
Would you say there’s a flip side to comedy that people don’t see?
There’s a journey that a lot of people don’t consider. It’s like that with a lot of things I think though. I forget what the quote is, but it pretty much says, “It takes 20 years to make a superstar.” When you look at the Kevin Hart’s and Tiffany Haddish’s you say wow I want to get to where they are, but if you look at anyone’s career you’ll say they might have been homeless. It’s a journey and it doesn’t happen overnight. I just want people to grow with me, no matter where I’m at with life if I’m in a good space now or maybe in 20 years. The journey to being successful has nothing to do with perfection.
Well thank you for speaking with us at Urban, but before we go what can we expect soon from you?
I have a comedy album out: Alex Babbitt, Finally Defined. You can catch it on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, all that. Right now, I’m doing a really dope comedy show with a friend of mine called Fresh Face Comedy show, where I showcase new comedians or comedians I know. It’s going to be a superstar connection for the next generation. Also, I showcase other acts, so musicians, poets, rappers, what it is. I really do feel like all of my friends are going to be super successful.
Sciler Williams
