Lil Duval is currently traveling the nation on his “Rich/Broke” comedy tour. He’ll be in Virginia Beach, VA for the weekend for 5 shows & while he had some down time, HHS1987’s own, Niyah Nel, had the opportunity to chop it up with him a bit. It’s nearly impossible to keep your composure & remain professional while conversing with this extremely funny guy, so good thing we have the script version of their interview (haha)… Great content!
If you’re in the 757 area, visit FunnyBone.com to get tickets for the show. The date & times can be seen in the flyer above. Like his page on Facebook or follow him on Twitter/Instagram to see when he’ll be coming to a city near you.
HHS1987: What’s up Duval? Thanks for taking the time out for this interview today!
Duval: Thank y’all for having me!
HHS1987: So, Lil Duval.. I’m sure inquiring minds would LOVE to know where you got your name from (lol).
Duval: In Florida, we go by county’s instead of cities so Duval County is my city. That’s where people knew I was from, Jacksonville. They used to call me “Lil Duval” in Florida because I repped Duval & I figured it was a way rep my city without saying it all the time. So whenever you see me, you see my city.
HHS1987: Many of your newer fans are hip to you because of your “Twitter personality”. How much would you say that has helped shape your career?
Duval: I think everything has shaped my career. That’s probably where YOU found out about me, but there’s some people who found out about me AFTER that who didn’t even know me from that, they knew me from GEICO. And then you have people who knew me from my show Aint That America or from School Dance. So as long as they’re just finding out, that means im getting better. Everything is a building block, everything is a ladder.. No step is more important than another… That’s how I look at it.
HHS1987: Some may not know it but you’ve been on the map for quite some time.. Your cameo appearance game is crazy! Dating back to the Lil Jon & The Eastside Boys era w their hit “Get Low” video, T.I.’s “Whatever You Like”, Yung Joc’s “Goin Down” & even Hot Stylz hilarious “Lookin Boy” video.. You’ve also worked w 3 6 Mafia with their independent films. How has the Hip-Hop culture influenced what you do as a comedian?
Duval: It goes hand in hand just like Def Comedy Jam was a Hip-Hop/comedy mix, I think it’s the same thing with me. I came up in the Hip-Hop era so it’s natural.. It comes as second nature. I mean, I’m STILL Hip-Hop, I’m just older now. You won’t catch me in the club all day long in there getting shot & stupid sh*t like that. I’m just a little older now & more mature I guess.
HHS1987: Do you believe stand-up comedy still carries the same substance it once did during the days of the “Kings of Comedy?”
Duval: Yeah. It’s just the young people, they don’t know. If you go by social media, you would think THAT was comedy, but I mean, when I go out on the road I hardly see any of those people at my shows, it’s mostly grown-up’s. Young people think they know comedy but in reality they don’t because they haven’t experienced life so it’s only so much that they’re going to relate to. When you get older, you don’t want to go to the clubs all the time. You want to go somewhere where you can take your girl & feel comfortable & safe & that’s what comedy shows do. It makes you want to get there at a reasonable time.
HHS1987: So would you say that social media probably has a lot to do with how the younger generation takes in comedy?
Duval: I mean, it depends on which one you’re talking about. If you’re talking about Instagram or Twitter or Snapchat, that’s more about pop culture & what’s going on with people that you don’t know. But if you’re talking about Facebook, Facebook is more about the people that’s in YOUR community. That’s why you see more older people like your mama & stuff like that on FB. When you get around that age, you don’t really care about what so & so is doing because that has nothing to do with you.
HHS1987: So it’s like old heads vs. young heads (lol).
Duval: You got some young heads that do that too, but I’ve learned that when you’re true to yourself, you cater more to the mature crowd because the dumb crowd is going to “play out.” That’s why Hip-Hop doesn’t do as well as any other genre. Who wants to be 50-years-old listening to a n*gga telling you he’s going to kill a n*gga? Who’s going to take their girlfriend to a concert where they’re telling you that they can f*ck your b*tch? Or I got more money than you? Aint nobody got time for that when you’re 30 & 40 years old, you know. That mindset of “braggadocio” gets old quick.
HHS1987: LOL!!!!! So, moving forward.. “Guy Code” has to be one of the funniest shows MTV2 has ever seen, especially when you & Charlamangne Tha God appear. What’s your #1 Guy Code violation?
Duval: Appreciate it.. But umm… Just being a f*ck n*gga, that’s #1 guy code violation. Being b*tch made & that’s happening a lot now. It’s social media. I see some of the realest n*ggas I know, street n*ggas, doing some b*tch sh*t just for “the gram” to get attention. I think that’s the #1 violation in guy code, being b*tch made. It’s happening a lot I guess cause n*ggas aint got father figures in their lives.
HHS1987: If you say that in the show, I am going to be WEAK! Okay. So, you were apart of the cast of Nick Cannon’s latest film “School Dance” which hit the theaters over the summer. What was that experience like working alongside fellow comedians like Katt Williams, Nick Cannon, Kevin Hart, Mike Epps & George Lopez?
Duval: It was cool because everybody respected everybody else. Most of the time, when you’re around comedians, everybody is trying to compete with each other, but when everybody knows & is content with who they are & not insecure about who they are, it’s a lot easier & a lot of fun. Let him get off & do what he do & you can still do your thing. So it was cool.
HHS1987: Idols tend to become your rivals at some point in your career.. Who’s been that big influence for you that you could consider your competition at this point?
Duval: I have no rivals. I’m not into the rivalry thing. It might be because I’m arrogant because for me, if you have a rival, that means you’re insecure & think that they’re better than you. Me, I don’t feel like nobody is my competition. I respect people for what they do. I think a lot of people are funny, but I don’t think that they’re Duval. So if I don’t think people are Duval, then I aint got no rival.
HHS1987: Do you have any influences?
Duval: I’m more influenced by people than I am by comedians. I guess you could say the cliches like everybody else, Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, Chris Tucker. Anybody that’s successful at doing what they do as far as being in my field, I guess that’s my influence. I can learn from everybody. I can learn from Mike Epps, Kevin Hart, Katt Williams, Cedric The Entertainer.. Just everybody that’s doing their thing. So I guess everybody influences me.
HHS1987: Okay. So lets talk about this tour. How many cities are you hitting?
Duval: …..Don’t get me to lying (lol). I just know what I’m doing this week. It’s a non-stop tour actually. We don’t really stop unless I need a couple of weeks off or I have to shoot a movie. Comedy is a little different from music. It’s very hard to make people not like you once they like you. That’s why you got people who might not be in the limelight but they’re still on the road selling out shows. Like Bruce Bruce, he might not be in the limelight but he’s still selling out shows all over the country in comedy clubs so its ongoing & non-stop. That’s why I call this the “Rich/Broke” tour because that’s what I represent, being rich/broke. I represent the average person that can live a fun-filled life & still enjoy everything out here in the world & not be rich. That’s what this is about, me being me, Duval being Duval, still having fun & talking sh*t.
HHS1987: What has it been like traveling across the nation?
Duval: It’s very unexpected. I do what’s on my mind. Right now while we in the cold weather, I aint gon’ be out here in this cot damn cold weather.
HHS1987: Yeah, VA is not rocking right now (lol). I’m from VA & it’s DEFINITELY cold right now.
Duval: I’ll be in Miami in a couple of weeks so we’ll probably get it in down there & have some fun. For the most part, when I’m in the cold, I’m trying to find some in-house p*ssy.
HHS1987: LOL!!!!! So you have a couple of shows out here in Va Beach at the Funny Bone comedy club this weekend. Let some of the fans out there know what they’re in for..
Duval: Expect me to be funny. Expect me to tell short jokes. Expect me to talk about b*tches. Just expect me to be Duval. It aint gon’ be too far from what people know me from. & If it is, it’s gonna be better than what you expect.
HHS1987: What else can we expect from Lil Duval in 2015?
Duval: This year i got a movie called “Grow House,” it’s supposed to be in theatres around 2020. It’s gonna be me & DeRay Davis & it’s written & directed by DJ Pooh. The same guy that wrote Friday & The Wash & Three Strikes. I just finished a movie last month with Mike Epps, it’s called Meet The Black. It’s a scary comedy, like The Purge for black folks.
HHS1987: That’s dope! You & Mike Epps are going to be a hot mess. Well, it’s been a pleasure speaking w you. Is there anything you want to cap off with?
Duval: Uh, naww, that’s it. Anything else you want to ask me?
HHS1987: Nope! I’ll just see you at your show then! I appreciate you, put in work out there!
© 2015, Niyah Nel. All rights reserved.
