LIL REL HOWERY

What has kept me focused were my kids. My biggest focus is just making sure I'm good to my babies.

Everybody makes a decision about where they want their career to go. If I really want something, I put a lot of effort into it. If I don't want something, I won't.

That's the biggest thing: be kind and be original.

I'm all for making a woman-empowering song. I get that, and I think that's dope. I've got a daughter, and I think that's amazing. But when you're specifically picking on guys, that's when it's not right. 'No Scrubs' is the meanest, dumbest song ever made because they need to be specific in certain areas.

I'm just saying, and I'm going to say it enough times: I want to play Bernie Mac.

Not saying that we are realer than most people, but because Chi is so segregated, first of all, we have to be diverse comedians and be able to make a lot of different people laugh. And Chicago comics, we're OK with who we are in our truth. That stems from Bernie Mac and a lot of other greats who came before me.

Let me tell you, there's nothing like pulling up to Fox Studios bumping Jeezy in your Mercedes.

I was a huge Wu-Tang fan, along with Crucial Conflict, along with Do or Die along with Mobb Deep.

When I started comedy, I was a big Eddie Murphy fan. I thought if you did stand-up, you were supposed to know how to act, write, and host. I thought it was all one thing. That's why it doesn't feel like I'm transitioning to acting: because in my stand-up, I do characters all the time.

You have these kids trying to make these grown up decisions because nobody is talking to them. We're talking at them, but we're not listening to them.

There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.

Chicago made me. They can treat me however they want to treat me anywhere else in the country. When I go back home, they treat me like I'm a star.

I want to do more films - not just comedies, because I really want to show my range.

The honesty of my material and my being vulnerable was from Richard Pryor. He doesn't mind talking about his life, which is why I think he was one of the dopest to ever do it.

The biggest thing is we need to stop acting like racism don't exist.

I'm a student of Comedy Central. It launched careers: Wanda Sykes and even Kevin Hart. The first time I was introduced to him, he was on Comedy Central. It puts you on the map... Hollywood knows now.

Directing is so dope to me, man, 'cause it doesn't necessarily have to be your material. You're making someone else's material come to life. There's something amazing about that.

My friends were the class clowns, but I was the one in class doing Michael Jordan or teachers for no reason. I've always been amazing at impersonating real people, too, rather than celebrities.

I love acting. I was one of those dudes that was always in the plays in the church and at school.

I used to watch 'Last Comic Standing' with my mom before she passed. So when I got that red envelope, I was extremely emotional.

Not everybody gonna be in front of the camera forever, man. That's impossible. Don't get me wrong, I love doing that. But behind the scenes and the power is what I like. I like being in control. And maybe someday I'd be a showrunner.

I think Eddie Murphy is the greatest comedian. I do think that Richard Pryor is the Godfather, but Eddie Murphy, in my opinion, has every comedic category in his arsenal. He can roast you. He can freestyle. He can host. He was LeBron James before we even saw LeBron James.

I know I'm being biased about Chicago, but I think Chicago got the most talented people in the world.

I thought I would hate New York, but I love New York. I almost hate to say that being from Chicago.

Some of the scariest movies I've seen are not considered horror movies, like 'Gone Girl.' That movie scared me. I can't watch it again.