Donnell Rawlings

I didn't want to be the guy in the back fucking just every weekend, just sit back there and tell them what stories.

I was like, if this is where the best comics perform, I want to be a part of that.

I want to be passed that, because when I got passed,

in the Comedy Cellar.

It wasn't a lot of black comedians working in the Cellar.

It was Greer Barnes.

It was Keith Robinson.

RIP, it was William Stevenson.

Patrice.

Patrice, Dave Chappelle.

In fact, Barry Katz had a room, Boston Comedy Club, and it was Black Night on Sundays, right?

The black comedians would look at me like, they'd say, where you going?

I was like...

I got a spot at the cellar.

How the fuck did you get in the cellar?

The way I got into it was put the work in, I hung out, got a couple of recommendations, and when it's time for me to showcase, I did my thing.

But the minute I got passed in the cellar, I didn't really care about working there all the time.

I just wanted to be validated as like, this is the spot.

Same thing.

I get it.