1. The star of Next Friday and Friday After Next, headlining the Beacon Theatre Saturday night, has a wide fan base. Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Asians—all got ridiculed. “White people, thank you for coming. I didn’t know ya’ll know who I am,” he said, soon doing a white person’s voice: “‘Uh, Mr. Chips? Honey, let’s go see this Mr. Chips.? Omar Epps’s nephew?” (He was also the black guy in The Hangover, if that helps. No? Hello?)
2. Epps is a physical actor, mimicking a crackhead and a fat chick, and punctuating every joke with a scrunched face or lip jut (something he’s perfected onscreen; check out minute 6:20 of this clip). Otherwise, his stand-up was observational and way broad, covering the usual (sex, money, men versus women) with only a few sharp barbs. One good one was about the recession: “When white people lose their money, they kill their whole families. ‘Honey, get in here, get the kids, grab the dog, it’s over.’ When black people lose their money, they just get sleepy.”
3. He likes weed, but only had a few jokes about it, inviting anyone who was carrying to stay seated after the show so he could buy a bag.
4. You could have your dick inside a black woman up to her ribs and she still wouldn’t squeal. After 40 minutes, she might give you a “hmmm” and then check her watch.
5. Another thing about black women: Apparently, they don’t like it when you come near their face. “Sperm don’t go on perm.” That line was from the opening act, Smokey, who covered similar ground as Epps (sex, money, men versus women) but with a dangerous energy. Someone get this guy in Next Friday After Next.
The New York Comedy Festival continues today. For our coverage—including interviews with Tracy Morgan and Ricky Gervais—click here.
Set those alarm clocks, folks: Tomorrow, at 10am sharp, tickets go on sale for 