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This weekend marks the return of veteran comedian Sinbad. Not to say he ever left, but the comic is about to drop a new special for Comedy Central titled Sinbad: Make Me Wanna Holla, airing this Saturday (June 14) at 9PM ET/PT.
The new special surely comes with high anticipation considering his 2010 airing of Sinbad: Where U Been? was marked as the highest rated and most watched special on Comedy Central that year. The title was an obvious play off the many approaching fans he's had over the years asking in deep curiosity what he's been up to after a successful run in television and movies. Which is something the comic tells MStarsNews he finds amusing even to this day. "I love when people come to my shows and wonder if I'm still funny," he says. "I don't think I've ever stopped being funny!"
Whether you know him from his days on A Different World or films such as Houseguest, Necessary Roughness, and yes, Jingle All the Way, Sinbad is a name we've all grown to know in some capacity. And if there's one thing we learned during our time with him, it's the fact that he's a genuine comedian, having "funny in the bones," as some would say. If you're looking for some sort of proof to back that, we point you to the fact that he's never once stopped doing stand up comedy over the past three decades. And if you've ever attempted the art form, you understand fully the sheer amount of backbone it takes to do it once ... let alone 30 years.
MstarsNews recently caught up with the comic about his new special, his passion for both comedy and music and what his thoughts are on the idea of fame today. Much to our delight, he was just as cool as we were hoping...
MStarsNews: Make Me Wanna Holla premieres on Comedy Central this Saturday, June 14. How do you feel about it?
Sinbad: Honestly man, for me, any type of special is exciting. What I love most is you never know what's going to happen. Especially after you haven't done one in a little bit, you start to wonder who your new fans are. Plus, just when you think I got this, something new comes along.
MS: That's sort of the cool thing about stand up, no? Once you think you've got it, something comes and makes you realize how difficult it is.
S: That's very true. Stand up is such a unique art form, and I don't think most people realize what it takes to be a comedian... especially a successful one. It's not easy.
MS: I've heard you say that you don't sit down and write material. Why is that?
S: It's kind of like asking why do some musicians play music by ear? For me, that's just how stand up works. That's how it's always been; I don't really know why.
I kind of think my ADD has something to do with it. I think everything we do as kids ultimately makes us become entertainers. When I was a kid I had a huge imagination and saw things out before I did them. Because of that, I don't think writing was the way to go. I'll admit though that it hurts me when I'm writing stuff for movies. I forget things and it just drives me crazy.
MS: I would imagine that makes every stand up show unique in it's own way.
S: Yeah, because I can't remember what I did. [laughs]
MS: [laughs] One thing I noticed in watching clips from the new special is that, after three decades of doing comedy, it looks as if you're still genuinely having fun onstage.
S: Oh dude, I'm having a ball! It's a blessing to go to work every day with what I do. I'm not just performing for an audience; it's a conversation between us. They're new to me just like I'm new to them. When I perform stand up I feel like I'm just talking to my friends, trying to crack up my friends.
Some guys are really good with a structured act, but that's not me. Me? I'd probably be flying off-the-cuff no matter what job I had. Which means I'd be fired in almost any position I had. [laughs]
MS: During your time on A Different World and even while doing all of the films people still talk about today, have you ever stopped doing comedy?
S: Nope, never. And I base that off guys like Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby and Robin Williams. Stand up is like a muscle, and if you stop doing it that muscle is going to weaken. So I never wanted to take time off.
What happens with some people is that they do stand up, become a big star on TV or in movies, and then try to go back to stand up. Then they realize oh damn, I can't do this as well as I used to. It's not that easy.
MS: Oh absolutely! A lot of guys face that. A perfect example is Seinfeld's documentary Comedian. He was certainly struggling to come back.
S: You know what happened with that? He just made too much money. The kiss of death for comedy is money. Remember, we make most of our money talking about people with money. When we become rich, we become crazy.
MS: Plus, no matter who you are, once you step on that stage, you better be funny.
S: I take that as a challenge. I love when people come to my shows and wonder if I'm still funny. And you know what? I don't think I've ever stopped being funny. It doesn't take someone's belief in me to prove that I'm funny. I love the challenge because I'm still funny!
MS: As I touched on before, you've been in comedy for three decades. In that time, the industry has changed so much. How do you feel about the nature of stand up comedy today?
S: I don't think comics get as many opportunities to be funny these days. When I came up there were comedy clubs everywhere. When I toured, you hit every club you could and stayed with other comics on the road. So, you were always around comedy. Today, everyone is looking to just become a "star" and for their big moment on TV.
And maybe they can get 15, 20 minutes tops? That means that's how much material they have honed. There are not many guys today that go up and do two hours on a regular basis other than the old school cats.
MS: That's very true. There are also outlets like YouTube, America's Got Talent and Last Comic Standing today.
S: That's not comedy. Last Comic Standing is not comedy. That is where you should go after you've already got some game. There are so many people today who don't put time into the game. You've got to put some time into that to find out if you're funny.
MS: Do these outlets at all diminish the drive of the performer?
S: I think what it does is set a false representation of what it means to "make it." For example, when kids cry after they win those shows... don't cry! This isn't the end; this is just the beginning. Quit crying about this being your last shot, because the truth is if that was your last opportunity it wasn't for you. Also, just because they win doesn't guarantee a career.
MS: It seems back in your day, people didn't know how to get to Hollywood. So when you "made it" there was a certain level of appreciation there because of all the work you put into it. I wonder if that's weakened today.
S: I think so. I think everything today is so quick. Everyone wants to be a star overnight. That's why nobody lasts long anymore. Look at bands that still sell out stadiums; these guys have been around forever! The question is who is going to sell out stadiums in the future? Maybe the answer is no one.
MS: Is there anyone in the industry today who you see selling in years to come?
S: Well, in music, it could be Beyonce. She's killing it. In comedy, I honestly don't know if anyone wants to. Also, I don't know if people making a ton of money in their twenties today need to last. But then again, if you make a lot of money, you still need to work.
Look at Justin Bieber: you're only in your twenties! If this is the end for you, that's a lot of adult time left. That's a lot of life to live. I don't care how much money you make; you can go through a lot of money quickly. [laughs]
MS: My last question, can you please tell me about your band, Memphis Red and the Stank Nasty Band.
S: Oh yes! I did these funk festivals in the Caribbean for five years and got to work with some wonderful people there. I discovered that music still drives me. Music is number one for me; it's more exciting than comedy actually. So, I started a little band, Memphis Red and the Stank Nasty Band. I call what we do "funkedy" – it's a mixture of funk music and comedy.
Things have kind of gone back to the source for me because I've always wanted to do music. I've always done something with music in my specials. I've played the drums, but this time, I thought let me put myself on the line. With the drums, you're always in the back, so I wanted to play guitar. I learned from some really great cats and that made my brain work in a different way.
But, it was also scary and that's good! I think you should always try something that scares you to death, and that's what I did. By doing that publically, it put me on the spot. And I'm so glad I did it.
Check out Sinbad's Memphis Red and the Stank Nasty Band
