His comedy KH: I don’t always believe in the “know that’s the one.” I to make up the truth, if that makes any since. The truth is
largely centers believe in you know when your personality meshes with can always be funny because it’s coming from your per-
around his life, the other and you get along for years, and if you get to spective and your personal experience. So naturally you
friends, family and, that point you get a certain level with one another and tell those stories, ala Bill Cosby, Sinbad, you know just
of course, himself; you love each other and want the best for each other. to name a couple of those guys that kept in the family
personal stories With that comfort, the comfort of the years you guys have realm of their mother, their kids, and father and friends.
that in 2005 won together it builds more you began to build a foundation You’re talking about your life on a day to day basis and
him a Platinum Mic with that person and I believe our foundation is strong and everybody’s life has something that’s funny so I just talk
Viewers Choice we’ve built a nice one and have turned that into a family. about it.
Award at the BET
FP: What stuff have you experienced as a dad? FP: When and how did you discover that you were
Comedy Awards.
funny?
Standing at 5 feet
KH: My babies are young. They’re 4 and 2 so right now
4 ½ inches tall,
it’s all about my kids doing funny stuff right now. My kids KH: Man, I’ve always been funny. Funny kept me out of
Hart’s comedy has
are in school in LA but kinda sheltered from all that other violence high school, middle school… you know being the
put him in league
stuff. Right now I’m just excited because my kids are a guy that’s funny, being the guy with jokes, it keeps you
with the nation’s
replica of me. I’m also excited that I’m responsible for away from being the dude that everybody’s trying to fight
elite. His one man
these two lives. I’m responsible for their well being and, or that everybody’s trying to jump. You become known as
stand up, titled I’m
you know, any success that I have it all goes to them. Any that funny ass Kev or Kev’s funny as shit; “Kev, tell ‘em
a Grown Little Man,
goal that puts me in position to be able to do bigger things that joke you told me last night!!”
has seen phenom-
and get bigger things, it’s all for my kids. It’s not only for
FP: Was it ever “don’t mess with him because he’ll
enal success.
me; it’s for my kids or the people I’m responsible for which
roast you?
are my wife and kids. It gives you a different reason to
During his re-
live; you have a different level of responsibility. With that
KH: Yeah, I was
cent, sold-out show
being the case it pushes you harder.
that guy. I didn’t
at The Filmore The-
have it and be-
ater in conjunction with Live Nation, the FrontPage had an
FP: So have you thought about the teenage years?
cause I didn’t
opportunity to catch up with Kevin Hart for an exclusive
KH: All I can do is set up for it; I don’t want to think about have it I was
behind-the-scenes peak into his life.
it. I don’t want to think about my daughter being a teen- that dude that
FrontPage: Do people approach you to try to make
ager. All I can do is set it up, make sure they’re in the would disarm
you laugh? How does it make you feel?
right position [and] hope that they don’t do nothing dumb. other people who
I don’t want my daughter coming back with a baby at 13 or would say some-
Kevin Hart: No, it doesn’t annoy me. I mean I’m a co-
14-years-old. I don’t want my son coming back with AIDS. thing about me
median and people associate comedy with laughter and
The list goes on and on and I’m in LA, your babies could not having it and
you know at times people go above and beyond for that
be on cocaine out there at age 12 out there because it’s them having it.
whether it’s to make you laugh or try to get you to do
so much going on out there. You can be around the 100% Jedi Mind Trick:
something to make them laugh. At the end of the day
of the time… it’s all about talking to them. “I don’t have
those are the people that support you so kinda just take
it all in and understand that it is what it is and you try not
FP: Do men come to you and say that you’re a role
those sneak-
to have an attitude about people being genuine. You’re in
model? Do you know that you are?
ers but I want
them but I’mma
their home so it’s something new.
KH: In today’s society it’s hard for a man to come up to
talk about yours
FP: What things grow-
another man face-to-face because of all the things that
that way you
ing up interested you
people have on their shoulders naturally. But, my reason
can’t talk about
as a youngster? Any-
for putting things out there, it may sound cliché or corny,
mine.” I would
thing outside of com-
but it’s alright to be a good dad. You know what I mean?
find a cheap ba-
edy?
There’s nothing wrong with taking care of your kids and
sic sneaker that
giving yourself less so your kids can have more. There’s
KH: I was really big on
I could wear
nothing wrong with making your kids a part of everything
basketball, If I hadn’t
year-round that
you do or advertising your family and your love for some-
stopped growing I’d
everybody thinks
body else. Today we have so many people focused on
probably be in the NBA
is cool. That was
the negative side of what men do. “Oh my god, men
but since my height
the guy I was in school. I would do Reebok classics. I
have these kids and don’t take care of them,” but we don’t
stopped in like the 4th
would ask my mom to just buy me two pair of Reebok
talk about the ones that actually do. We don’t really talk
grade I had to look for
classic and I’d be alright.
about the good fathers. You know the ones that are doing
other things, other ca-
everything, plus trying to be there for they kids. Despite
FP: One white one black?
reers.
what happened in that man’s life or relationships or in that KH: Yup. Nobody can talk about classics
FP: So you can ball for man’s personal life. If he’s a good father then we should
FP: What are your plans to build your brand?
real? be praising him for being a good father.
KH: K Hart enterprises/Hartbeat productions. In the build-
KH: Yeah, but I’m just FP: Do you have that type of personal influence in
ing of the brand you basically want to incorporate yourself
small. So I just kinda your life?
and make yourself useful be it editing, directing, produc-
just gave up on that dream. And I can play handball. If
KH: Me and my dad, we don’t have any problems, but ing, managing, enterprising…so all that stuff is to come.
handball was professional I could probably do that too.
you know, I’ve never been great, great close with my dad. I look at it as I’m young, my future’s great, bright…it’s
FP: A lot of people don’t know the real you, they only But he’s my dad . I love him. My dad was in and out of all about realizing that and putting hard work into it. You
see what’s put out there. But what is the real you? jail. My dad had family problems coming up so because of know what I mean?
KH: The real me? Husband, father, driven a man full of
his problems I didn’t really have that consistent father-like
FP: Speaking of being young, you’ve gotten a lot of
goals, hungry for success but at the same time I enjoy life.
figure. That’s when my brother came in. My brother and I
fame and notoriety how do you deal with that?
I don’t take it too seriously.
are real, real close.
KH: Keep yourself around real people not around people
FP: So how’d you meet your wife?
FP: How much older is your brother?
that’s going to make you feel like you aren’t. At the end
KH: Where did I meet my wife at? Uh, Community Col-
KH: Eight years. of the day care less about the fame and about the money.
lege, Philadelphia. Neither one of us had good educations FP: Your fans on Facebook wanted to know how
Real results will always happen.
so we went to Community. Stayed there for about a week hard it is to come up with original material. For more information about Kevin Hart, visit www.
and a half a piece. Then we just stopped…why did we
KH: Very hard. You know, everybody’s talking about the
myspace.com/kevinhartcomedian.
stop going to school? I can’t even tell you?!
same things nowadays. The way I come up w my material To read this interview in its entirety please log on
FP: So how’d you know she was the one? is by keepin’ it personal and tellin’ the truth. It’s very hard to www.frontpageconnect.com.
The Michigan FrontPage • December 4, 2009 9
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