by DJ Cassidy
I will never forget when Stan Lathan called to tell me that he and (his film/tv partner) Russell wanted me to be the deejay on their new stand-up show on Comedy Central. “Follow in the footsteps of Kid Capri on Def Comedy Jam?!” I thought. “They couldn’t be serious.” Not only would I get to deejay on the show and introduce the host each episode, but I’d also be producing all the music for the series including the theme song. I was honored, to say the least. To top it off, I found out the host was going to be JB Smoove (who plays Leon Black in “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”) As the world’s biggest “Curb” fan, I was simply in heaven. After a month of studio work, the music was ready and the shoot dates had arrived. I was off to LA.
We shot six episodes in two days and I had the time of my life. JB was brilliant; off-the-wall hysterical. To my great surprise, he ended up talking to me throughout each show between comedians, including me in many of his bits. He was David Letterman, I was Paul Shaffer. He even did an impromptu bit about my signature hat, serenading one of my boaters on stage to the show’s theme song. I really had fun.
Thank you Russell Simmons, Stan Lathan, Bob Sumner, and JB Smoove for including me something monumental and giving me a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The dynamic duo: me and JB Smoove celebrating at the wrap party.
