Audio By Carbonatix
Hecklers are typically drunk jerk-offs trying to impress their buddies or blind dates by stealing a comic’s thunder. Starved for attention, they’re usually more annoying than funny. But every now and again, a heckler such as DeRay Davis generates a few laughs. Before Davis was headlining the Miami Improv and recording comedy bits for Kanye West’s Late Registration and College Dropout, he was heckling. One night at a comedy club, a frustrated comedian challenged Davis to do a better job telling jokes. “I just went onstage and started talking about my family,” he recently told a Pittsburgh paper. “They didn’t appreciate it.”
He gained notoriety joking about his drug-dependent mother, poverty, and family dysfunction. After performing at Atlanta’s Laffapalooza, Davis landed a small role as Ray Ray in Barbershop, featuring Cedric the Entertainer and Ice Cube. Since then, he has appeared alongside Eddie Murphy and Robin Williams on film, as well as on HBO’s Entourage, Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘N Out, and Comedy Central’s Reno 911. Davis is captivating onstage and effortlessly delivers a hood-centric brand of comedy to widely diverse audiences. He’ll appear at the Miami Improv this Thursday at 8:30 p.m., with performances through Sunday. Tickets cost $17. Call 305-441-8200 or visit miamiimprov.com
Thu., Oct. 14, 8:30 p.m., 2010
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