Lazee Lamont Steps into Da Locker Room: Part 1

Dmv's own Lazee Lamont (Comedy Central, National Lampoon, BET's Comic View, The Eavesdrop on XM 67 The City) will be back home this weekend performing (see flyer to right) so DLR wanted to holla at him about his thoughts on his journey and his views on life.

Man I see you hustlin and grindin everywhere...how the hell you get the name Lazee?

That's funny, people always ask me that. I used to have a snappy response like "Well its like when you call a fat man 'slim,' or a tall dude 'shorty,' its like that kinda." But nowadays when I reflect on how far I have come I just tell people the story straight up. 10 years ago when I was a volunteer with WKYS I would have to show up for the morning show to answer phones at 6am, many times after having just left the building at 2am. Long story short, Supaken (already a made-man at KYS by then) used to be like "Lamont, why you always late. You are lazy. I'mma start callin' you Lazy Lamont." It kinda caught on and it stuck. They had no idea that I was walking to work many mornings and many times I was actually asleep on the floor in the other room because I didn't (couldn't) go home. I say couldn't because my parents weren't really happy about me recently leaving college and then volunteering at a radio station, so if I wasn't home before the news went off, pops locked the door...and they took my housekey. I later embraced the 'Lazee' tag and made it work for me since I have such a nonchalant personality anyways.

Are you conscious about establishing your "brand" or does it just come natural?

I'm very conscious about it. In fact I'm having the trickiest time re-establishing my brand. When I left the morning show 4 years ago I wanted to start using my birth name Lamont King, but it was very difficult in the beginning. I had been with WKYS for almost 7 years and with the nationally syndicated Russ Parr Morning Show for nearly 5. It seems like everywhere I went across the country people would make me from the show. Branding is important in any industry. I am a product and I have to constantly market myself to the consumer. Good brand recognition is half of that battle. For me, these days, it depends on where I am at and what I am doing that determines how I introduce or announce myself. The shit is tricky. When I first got out to LA and was working on the radio with John Salley and his morning show, he was like "these rich jews out here don't write nicknames on checks." That was sort of an industry wake-up for me, so in business settings I'm always Lamont King first. Plus I absolutely hate saying "I'm Lazee Lamont" in a room full of white folx!

I heard its like an unspoken competition out in L.A. amongst comics from different areas. Is that true? If so, how would you rank the top 3 cities of funny mofos?
There is comp in every aspect of every career. Especially these days. Times is tight, the oppurtunities aren't as plentiful for Black actors and comedians like there used to be. So people aren't as likely to extend a helping hand like back in the day. I have dealt with some shady individuals in my short 3 years out in L.A. You wouldn't believ the stories I could tell. But on the other hand this is the big leagues, so go hard or go home, you know. This Broadway, not the arena stage. This is the Oscars, this aint the Hoodies. Play or get off the field. I have actually made this observation to myself on many occasions growing up watching comedians and then working around them as one, but I would definitely have to say Chicago, DC, and NY, with St. Louis a close 4th. I put Chicago in front of DC only because of the sheer number of heavy hitters and legends that have come out of the CHI and are still doing it. DC has a specific rep about everything it produces and comedy is no different. People always like to brand DC in a certain category. "Oh you from DC? I bet you like to jone on niggas. Ya'll stay jonin.' Ya'll still listen to that Go-Go out there?!" DC definitely gets respect in the comedy world out here but Chicago IMO edges us out just by volume. But damn that our comedy legends are all known on a first name basis! Tommy, Martin, Wanda, Dave, Quake, Redd, Joe etc

I'm sure you run into a lot of celebrities from A list to D list in L.A...whos on the d-list that swear they on the A list?

Sheeeeeit thats just about everybody! As long as you got a small role in a movie thats out or in a commercial, bammas will hit you with the changeup in a heartbeat. Everybody is always "working on" something. Most of these cats wasn't much in the hometown so they get a few breaks in the business in Hollywood, and they are a star. I feel like I got decent love around the way so that type of status don't really phase me. I'm not mad at nobody though, you only live once. But some of them do be tripping and have had to check a couple. You know them types, see you standing by yourself and won't speak to you, but let you be standing with somebody they want to know and they start acting like ya'll talk on the phone everyday.

Check back into Da Locker Room tomorrow for Part 2.