00:00:00
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass. I am your host, Rashan McDonald. I recognize that we all have different definitions of success. For you and maybe the size of your paycheck, mine is inspiring people to accomplish their goals and live their very best life. It's time to stop reading other people's success stories and start writing your own. People always talk about purpose or gifts. If you have a gift, leave with your gift and they'll let your friend's family or cowork can stop you from planning or living your dreams. My guest is actor, comedian, and social activist Earthquake.
00:00:31
Speaker 2: He has built a strong fan base and stand up.
00:00:33
Speaker 1: Comedy with numerous solout shows, film and TV appearances, and comedy specials. He has recurred, guest starred appeared on numerous popular shows, including the CBS sitcom The Neighborhood. Earthquake also hosts the radio show Quake's House on Serious XM Radio Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud Radio Channel ninety six. But he's on the show because you can catch Earthquake and his standalone headlining comedy special, Chappelle's Home Team.
00:01:00
Speaker 2: Earthquake Legendary streaming right now. On Netflix.
00:01:03
Speaker 1: Please welcome to the Money Making Conversation Masterclass, the one and Only Earthquake.
00:01:09
Speaker 3: Hey, how you doing, brother, brother? Brother?
00:01:13
Speaker 2: Well, you know something man Earthquake.
00:01:16
Speaker 1: First of all, I can start now and talk about the comedy special that's right now streaming on Netflix. And when I saw it featured in the trade magazines.
00:01:28
Speaker 2: I didn't know that the.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: Special had already been taped last summer. So talk about the sequence of how that happened. And then it was announced coming out in the spring.
00:01:39
Speaker 4: I got a call from my agent and she said, the president of a comedy for Next flick one of my number, so he can give it to Dave. Because Dave and Netflix since came to a verbal agreement to produce my special. I said sure. I thought it was a prank, and you know, I said show And then ten minutes later Dave called me and said he wanted to produce my special.
00:02:12
Speaker 3: So that's how I came to fouition.
00:02:15
Speaker 2: Cool.
00:02:15
Speaker 1: Now, when you look at your career, I can you know my career has a personal relationship. They've described a personal story about you at this comedy club.
00:02:24
Speaker 2: My personal story.
00:02:25
Speaker 1: I met you at your comedy club and uh, when I will just tell y'all he.
00:02:31
Speaker 2: Wore me out, took me out. Let me know. This is Quake's house in Atlanta, Georgia.
00:02:39
Speaker 1: Had me go back to my hotel room looking at my little comedy routine.
00:02:44
Speaker 2: But you'ing it, rewriting jokes.
00:02:46
Speaker 1: But he was just doing what he was doing because I'd heard about him. I walked in there with my credits because see Dave Chapellio, Man, he said it right. Man, you are legendary man, and you're funny, but your good brother at heart at hat you know, because it's like me and the Jerry Rice at Ry receiver. If you r receiver coming in you look over there, you see earthquake, you go. You can walk around ignore him, but in a minute, if you ignore him, he gonna let you know who he was, who he is. That's what happened to me at his comedy club. I knew who he was, but I ignored him until he got on stage before me, and then I had to show the respect.
00:03:28
Speaker 2: But that's been a testament of your entire career.
00:03:31
Speaker 1: That people who may not know you, but after they see you, they know you the real deal.
00:03:37
Speaker 2: Correct earthquake.
00:03:39
Speaker 4: Yes, I mean, because I've just believed let the work speak for itself.
00:03:44
Speaker 3: There's nothing else.
00:03:45
Speaker 4: I always felt in our profession that stage is an equalizer.
00:03:50
Speaker 3: The credits can get you applause.
00:03:52
Speaker 4: In the beginning, but the jokes work. You can tell who's on their craft and who's in our craft deserve to be there.
00:04:05
Speaker 3: And I take that.
00:04:06
Speaker 4: So I always concentrated on the work with Sean to work to speak for itself.
00:04:11
Speaker 1: Now, one of my artists and one of my all time favorite jokes man you did was the dog doing the O. J.
00:04:18
Speaker 2: Simpson Trial.
00:04:23
Speaker 1: It's the ability to take abstract characters bring them like like they're actually real.
00:04:29
Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying, No dog k tall, now dog k tap? But you we believe in this dog in talk based So you what is the sequence of its? Just listen to.
00:04:39
Speaker 1: People, because I know it's a stand up comedy comic. At one point you just trying to be funny, and then at some point it's just like a college degree. It's like class two plus two equal four. You learn to sequence things together and you just funny and you know how to make things funny. How do you look at the world through the eyes of earthquake?
00:05:02
Speaker 3: It's uh, it's my tag. These ain't jokes. I think.
00:05:07
Speaker 4: It starts from reality or realistic to me, I tell people every time they ask me how you do it, I say, it's like, it's just like being in the hood. Man, it's a it's the truth that blum that blossom into a big lie.
00:05:23
Speaker 3: Right.
00:05:23
Speaker 4: I was fighting this one dude, man, and then by the time it get to you with shan Man, I was fighting nineteen when I slammed one underneath the dope and there was two others came and then Mama came over. I slapped it, Mama. It was fighting one dude in the last for one second, but by the time it got back got to you.
00:05:43
Speaker 3: With Shah, it was nineteen dudes.
00:05:44
Speaker 4: He had this, four them with with that had guns.
00:05:48
Speaker 3: The other dude had a knife. Yeah. So that's my philosophy.
00:05:53
Speaker 4: It always start from a grain, from the original foundation of the truth.
00:05:58
Speaker 3: That's why I say these are jokes. That's where it comes from. These ain't jokes, right.
00:06:02
Speaker 1: You know, As a as a stand up comic, man, it's really an interesting craft. It's a very lonely craft. A lot of people think that, you know, it's a stand up you happy all the time. You know, you you run around just making everybody laugh. But really, can you explain to people the world of a stand up comedian from a standpoint of how we have to how we see things, which sometimes is good and bad because sometimes we see too much.
00:06:28
Speaker 4: Well, I tell anybody if you if you don't like yourself, this ain't the profession for you. If you don't, because you're gonna spend a lot of time with yourself. It's like golf man. Can't nobody else walk these uh walk.
00:06:48
Speaker 3: These greens but you?
00:06:50
Speaker 4: And but it's such rewarding man Sean, It's a rewarding profession just to see these people because I look at people. We're mental health providers. We especially for our community. We change perspective of our people because you know, when you had your club and everything they coming in. Man is I don't know what with the weight of the world and one profession and it's only professional like musical, anything else, anything else out here.
00:07:26
Speaker 3: We need the uninvited attention.
00:07:28
Speaker 4: So you got to get their uninvioded attention, then break through all that and then get them to do something they can't get theirself to do. That's laugh, right, That's all that obstacle man, especially for our people. They sitting the front mad and it wasn't right. I mean, I use when I own my club, I said, listen, then please be nice to these people come in here because you're making the comics John even worse. I mean, please, with the way you serve, the way you give me the ticket, you make the show. Are you talking about staff all the time. You're just as important as the comedians, because if you set the tone there, then they're.
00:08:07
Speaker 3: Opening themselves up to being the tained right.
00:08:10
Speaker 4: So it's the hardest profession in the world, but the most reward fulfilling.
00:08:16
Speaker 2: We know, like, uh, the words sold out. I'm talking about audiences.
00:08:20
Speaker 1: Audiences, you know they you know earthquake, they coming there to see you. Talk to everybody and tell them that feeling of knowing that you look out there because we always peep behind the curtain. We always ask the people, how's it looking out there? And they said, and see left all sold out. Brother, we've added the show. Talk about that feeling, man.
00:08:44
Speaker 4: It's the best feeling, second to having your channel. It's it's validation. People actually took their harder money, stop doing what they doing and came and say I ain't spending this money to come see you there.
00:09:02
Speaker 3: I mean the gratitude, I mean the achievement and.
00:09:06
Speaker 4: As a comic until comedians all the time, and I learned this from you and from you and Steve. That shows that you actually matters in our profession. When you can put your name on a marquee or a bill board or sign and people stop and say, hey, I'm coming to see with Sean McDonald.
00:09:27
Speaker 3: Give me two tickets, you got it. And then they say, now we don't have let's go here early. Now we got talk.
00:09:39
Speaker 4: They can't get no ticket to see you and you. It's just the most gratified thing in the world.
00:09:45
Speaker 3: It is.
00:09:45
Speaker 5: We'll be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rashawn McDonald. Now, let's return to Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rashaan McDonald.
00:10:00
Speaker 1: I follow your social media, and you know, we all want numbers, We always want to engagement everything. But your social media is almost like social commentary. That's why I added the words social activists your introduction, because you do a running commentary I feel with your social media by videos that you post, pictures that you find talk about your approach to social media. And how you are defining your voice or finding your voice in your social post.
00:10:37
Speaker 3: Well, and some of the most.
00:10:40
Speaker 4: Educated people in the world don't have the don't have.
00:10:45
Speaker 3: How can I put this.
00:10:49
Speaker 4: The prestige diplomas or degrees the back of their education. So I met some of the smartest people that never went to school. They was the most intell in people in my life. And simplicity has always been great for me. Just keep it simple.
00:11:09
Speaker 3: And to get to the point that you ask me.
00:11:12
Speaker 4: About I just talk about what everybody else thinking because all you have to do.
00:11:19
Speaker 1: You know, don't say that man, you I'm telling some man, I'll be looking at what you just saying, like I never saw that this boy is. And you know, in the in the in the UH, in the comedy world, if somebody call you.
00:11:31
Speaker 2: A fool, that's actually a major compliment.
00:11:33
Speaker 1: I said, this boy food, this boy crazy, which is another compliment because now we in the PC world.
00:11:39
Speaker 2: You know, they gotta explain stuff.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: We used the word crazy and food and all that stuff you got to explain.
00:11:44
Speaker 2: That's a positive in the comedy world.
00:11:47
Speaker 1: And you are doing stuff, man, because you know, you look at it and it's work. A lot of people think that posting or grabbing ideas is so he just found that somewhere.
00:11:57
Speaker 2: That's a lot of work.
00:11:59
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a lot of research.
00:12:01
Speaker 4: Shout out to my team.
00:12:03
Speaker 3: We go through it.
00:12:04
Speaker 4: Her name is Star, She's one of the greatest person that handles my thing for me. We sit down, she knows my voice. Yes, of course, no my voice, and together we h We get together and say this is the direction I want to go. And we see different things that we do research like this is quickness out here.
00:12:29
Speaker 3: Can you believe that you believe this person is doing this?
00:12:33
Speaker 4: Yeah, showing on and you know, to get that reactionnbody with it, and so many people like where did.
00:12:38
Speaker 3: You find that work?
00:12:41
Speaker 2: I love it, man, I love it.
00:12:43
Speaker 1: And it was one of the reasons you know, you know, I wanted to make sure I interviewed you on my platform, Money Making Conversation Master Collabs because a lot of people see talent like you, they see the end results.
00:12:52
Speaker 2: They don't see the work. They think that you stop working.
00:12:55
Speaker 1: They think that you just focused on this, but really it's a three sixty that you're doing. Like I said, you're an actor, your comedian, you're social activity, which means that you're an influencer on social media. And then also you have a radio show, which means you're able to communicate. Tell us about your radio show. Are you able to take phone calls? You play music? What is your radio show?
00:13:14
Speaker 3: No.
00:13:14
Speaker 4: Mo show is called quake House, and it's kind of like the comedian's view. We deal with hot topics, different segments, and we do have guests that comes on periodically, a list guests and I interview on And what I want to do, like I've always done in my career, is whatever I have achieved in my career, I'll try to have a platform to bring the next comedian that.
00:13:44
Speaker 3: Or nothing else.
00:13:45
Speaker 4: But if I can't help the next comedian expand our genre that people know how great this profession is. I think personally speaking, don't too many of us give back to the genre.
00:14:02
Speaker 3: This is this would allow you to.
00:14:04
Speaker 4: Be this movie start, this game show host, this this uh talk show, this movie star, this TV star.
00:14:14
Speaker 3: Just do something that allowed you know, your name.
00:14:18
Speaker 4: To to expand the johndre for the next person such as yourself could capitalize on it and make it, you know, expand. I'd say, you don't have to help me, help whoever you think is funny. If you help them, it'll span the genre and eventually it'll come back to me because if they think you funny, wait till until they get to see me.
00:14:42
Speaker 3: And that has always been my attitude.
00:14:44
Speaker 1: Yes, now that the interesting thing about it is that when we look at the comedy special that you did, you know, it always fun to me because I think I know somebody. I didn't know you from DC, you know, because I met you in Atlanta. I thought you were Atlanta, born in Bread. I thought there was your whole hub was from Atlanta. People loved you in Atlanta. So how did you make the journey from DC to Atlanta and then Atlanta basically became to me, your your home, your voice.
00:15:15
Speaker 4: Well, I was in the military for nine years and I wanted to do twenty years, but the war broke out, so I told him, I said, I don't mind practicing for war, but I ain't fighting for real. I'm going to stay in DC to get shot at, so, you know, getting out the military. I didn't want to go back home from d C. Then the military wasn't nothing there opportunity I felt for me, but illegal pharmaceuticals.
00:15:42
Speaker 3: So I turned on you.
00:15:43
Speaker 4: Know, I watched a lot of TV, different educational shows, mostly like Seeing Man and stuff. And you know, you see the poll They always got polls and one of the boat well is the best top five city that that me and should go for the best advantage in their and they had Atlanta number one. I said, well that's what I'm doing. So I got out the military, went to Atlanta and went on stage and they started doing comedy.
00:16:14
Speaker 1: First of all, you said you saw a pole said the black black bes city for black people to go to was Atlanta.
00:16:21
Speaker 2: You go to Atlanta, you just go on stage. You didn't just go to another comedy club. We see some comics.
00:16:27
Speaker 3: We no, I mean I was when I was in the military. I knew I was.
00:16:32
Speaker 4: I had to do something else. And they used to have the USO wore you know, stuff in there, and I found you know, they used to call me skating quick well, skating stroke not anything to get out of work. You know, there used to be a pole barn man on the guard. Anything to get out of work man. So I did a little hosted in there in the military. And you couldn't talk about sex. She couldn't talk about I mean, you had to be bo. I hope, so I was.
00:17:01
Speaker 3: I leant from there.
00:17:02
Speaker 4: So when I got the military, I went on and I took this girl to.
00:17:06
Speaker 3: A comedy clan. And when I tell you, this chick was, I mean was sean.
00:17:10
Speaker 4: She was all on the floor. I said, I said, if you want to sleep with this dude, say you want to sleep with him? But he ain't all that.
00:17:22
Speaker 3: You're just jealous.
00:17:23
Speaker 4: I said, I am jealous, but I mean he funny, but that ain't the funniest thing. So she said, well, you do better. And of course I went and tried, and nothing that's came. It's been that way every since came in my life. I don't know if for me it wasn't no plan. It was just what I tell everybody, was that best decision that day, and another better decision hasn't came this way.
00:17:50
Speaker 5: We'll be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Roughshawn McDonald. Now let's return to Money Making Conversation Sations Masterclass with Rashaan McDonald.
00:18:03
Speaker 1: Well, you know they tell me that a podcast is the number on the fastest growing industry, audible industry out there.
00:18:11
Speaker 2: I know you got a serious XM. Are you going to do podcasts. No.
00:18:16
Speaker 4: I mean, I'm real good with my radio show. I really want to continue that.
00:18:21
Speaker 3: Man. I really learned from y'all about it.
00:18:24
Speaker 4: I love radio, and I don't think I'm gonna jump onto the podcast unless they offer me a lot of money.
00:18:32
Speaker 2: Okay, cool, Well, well I think that's gonna come your weight. Okay.
00:18:38
Speaker 1: You know when I get close to the bike, I'm looking at you that I'm looking at you.
00:18:41
Speaker 2: Because you're a special talent. Man, You're an individual.
00:18:45
Speaker 1: I guess I got to at least ask you this course, Where did earthquake come from? What did the name earthquake come from?
00:18:53
Speaker 4: To be quite honest with you, man, I use earthquake because in case you know, she was right that I wasn't funny.
00:19:00
Speaker 3: I ain't want to mess up my good name.
00:19:02
Speaker 2: Okay, so.
00:19:06
Speaker 4: This didn't work, Hey earthquake, Like, hey man, my name earthquake.
00:19:13
Speaker 3: Wasn't you the comedian? I got no comment. Daniel Stans come up here and say some dude was right here?
00:19:22
Speaker 4: No, No, that wasn't me. So it came from the insecurity not having the belief that maybe you know this this diad hit the bricks. You would saying go to a stray. I wouldn't mess up my good name.
00:19:36
Speaker 1: Well, you know, so, what is the future for Earthquake man, Because it took me forever to line.
00:19:41
Speaker 2: Up this interview.
00:19:42
Speaker 1: You had had radio shows, you had tour date your interviews.
00:19:46
Speaker 2: So obviously life is beautiful you for you right now, but we know there's always more. What is the future for Earthquake.
00:19:53
Speaker 3: Well, I'm finally gonna.
00:19:58
Speaker 4: Go on my own personal, own tour called Earthquake Legendary Tour.
00:20:04
Speaker 3: Wow. Yes, I'm developing my own TV show.
00:20:08
Speaker 4: Okay, I'm gonna do I'm gonna do more movies, and I'm gonna stay on the radio. God's will and then you know I'm going You know, I'm gonna continue the tour. I love comedy, stand up comedy. It's great for me. I never want to leave it. I think. I tell people all the time, comedy is like a woman. You can take a break from her, but you can never leave her.
00:20:34
Speaker 3: Leave her. You ain't gonna never get her back. So I vow that I.
00:20:38
Speaker 4: Will always do this and I love it. It's so refreshing. So for me is a tour starts in July and we're doing forty for twenty five to thirty cities.
00:20:50
Speaker 3: Me and down there rollins and funny. That's the immediate thing.
00:20:55
Speaker 4: Yeah, very funny, brother, And I'm gonna drop another tour on me in another special next week next year.
00:21:03
Speaker 2: Wow.
00:21:03
Speaker 1: So the venues are the comedy clubs, the small two thousand and three thousands.
00:21:08
Speaker 3: We're going five thousand seedars.
00:21:10
Speaker 2: Wow, that's stepping out there. Okay, okay, okay.
00:21:15
Speaker 1: Mister, you start talking to five thousand seats, brother, come on that go on.
00:21:22
Speaker 3: We're at two or three now, were two or three.
00:21:24
Speaker 4: So with the lesson of God, with the response that I've got from my special, it's made Tell.
00:21:31
Speaker 2: Me about that response. Man.
00:21:33
Speaker 1: First of all, let me give you my response first, you know, because I text your picture of me watching it, you know, let you know off my screen.
00:21:41
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm watching you, brother. You are what you say you are legendary.
00:21:46
Speaker 1: My take was, man, that because this I always tell people when you know, something funny. Because my wife was in the kitchen, you know, cooking all right, and then I'm just laughing. And then next thing, you know, she leaning behind my back, right, I said, woo that you watch earthquake. Next thing you know, she next to me watching him laughing, I go, what happened to the cooking?
00:22:08
Speaker 2: Oh? That can wait? That can wait? See see see that they see.
00:22:12
Speaker 1: I took somebody who wasn't even interested in what was going on because.
00:22:17
Speaker 2: She was cooking. No, she want those people. You can't talk and you can't talk to her. Watch she's cooking, all right, she one of those people. Can't you see him cooking? Okay, Belle, I'm sorry.
00:22:26
Speaker 1: I'm just gonna just slide in there and watch earthquake by myself.
00:22:29
Speaker 2: Okay. Then I'm laughing. Then she behind me, just standing. He funny. I look back at it. Don't say nothing.
00:22:39
Speaker 1: Earthquake right next thing you know, she still got dispatula in her hands. Sitting next to me. I say, at you cooking like I told you. So that lets you know that what you're doing is relatable. It also can make people stop what they're doing. It grabs their attention and also forces them, can force because you are a forced my brother, you are a comedy force, and that forces such positivity that you go, wow, he's special. That's what my response is. Now tell me what America's response. Because you're doing five thousand seedars.
00:23:18
Speaker 4: Now it's overwhelming and you can see it when you know it's a comic when you walk in clubs and I'm talking about mainstream clubs, right, how you doing?
00:23:32
Speaker 3: Can we do something? You know?
00:23:36
Speaker 4: And you know our Caucasian canal parts come to you and say, you know, I took for me.
00:23:42
Speaker 3: I don't know about you.
00:23:44
Speaker 4: I love competing against man with our Caucasian comedians to let them know that we don't because they think we need.
00:23:56
Speaker 3: Some of them, not saying all of.
00:23:57
Speaker 4: Them, some just the stigma is that we need to cuss, don't We don't write our you know it's urban.
00:24:05
Speaker 3: And I'm like, no, man.
00:24:07
Speaker 4: No, no, no, no no, I'm gonna show you how we do it. We can we compete at the highest level of the highest level intellectually. And when it was being accepted from I mean every comedian, no matter what's your nationality that's in this fields telling you this is the greatest thing that they ever seen.
00:24:30
Speaker 3: It was just rewarding. And it's always been rewarding.
00:24:33
Speaker 4: I love my fans to the death, they are my number one supporters. But the great I really find a special gratitude and humidity when it's come from the piers such as persions such as yourself, because.
00:24:50
Speaker 3: You have always been honest with me.
00:24:52
Speaker 4: You came to me and say, man, you don't need to say that while you when we was doing different shows together.
00:24:59
Speaker 3: Don't cuss on that. Don't think that's how you need to do.
00:25:02
Speaker 4: And I've always took the advice, and I always appreciate your advice, and I'm always it felt.
00:25:08
Speaker 3: Good when I I.
00:25:10
Speaker 4: Received your approval because you have always been a student at the game.
00:25:14
Speaker 2: Oh man, So I appreciate those compliments.
00:25:16
Speaker 1: But more important, I appreciate you taking the time and come on money making conversations.
00:25:19
Speaker 2: Masterclife. You are a beast. You are somebody. Please tell me when you when the tickets go on sales, I can put.
00:25:26
Speaker 1: It on my social media and make that announcement and my newsletter that goes out to one hundred and eight thousand people.
00:25:32
Speaker 2: Because you're a winner. Brother, and I love you, brother. Thank you, ear quake.
00:25:36
Speaker 4: I love you more. Man, and keep doing what you're doing. Man, And you owe me a.
00:25:40
Speaker 3: Meal because I'm tired of looking at all you all. I be gaining weight.
00:25:46
Speaker 4: I'm in and get some of it, some of them desserts.
00:25:49
Speaker 3: Man, I look at it. I'm ready.
00:25:52
Speaker 4: So when I get down to h Town where you at, I'm knocking on you. Well, you tell your beautiful wife I saying hello.
00:25:57
Speaker 1: Okay, I thank you brother, and stay strong, Okay, appreciate you. If you want to hear any of seeing those interviews or Money Making Conversation, please go to Moneymaking Conversation dot com.
00:26:05
Speaker 2: I'm Leshan McDonald. I am your host
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass. I am your host, Rashan McDonald. I recognize that we all have different definitions of success. For you and maybe the size of your paycheck, mine is inspiring people to accomplish their goals and live their very best life. It's time to stop reading other people's success stories and start writing your own. People always talk about purpose or gifts. If you have a gift, leave with your gift and they'll let your friend's family or cowork can stop you from planning or living your dreams. My guest is actor, comedian, and social activist Earthquake.
00:00:31
Speaker 2: He has built a strong fan base and stand up.
00:00:33
Speaker 1: Comedy with numerous solout shows, film and TV appearances, and comedy specials. He has recurred, guest starred appeared on numerous popular shows, including the CBS sitcom The Neighborhood. Earthquake also hosts the radio show Quake's House on Serious XM Radio Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud Radio Channel ninety six. But he's on the show because you can catch Earthquake and his standalone headlining comedy special, Chappelle's Home Team.
00:01:00
Speaker 2: Earthquake Legendary streaming right now. On Netflix.
00:01:03
Speaker 1: Please welcome to the Money Making Conversation Masterclass, the one and Only Earthquake.
00:01:09
Speaker 3: Hey, how you doing, brother, brother? Brother?
00:01:13
Speaker 2: Well, you know something man Earthquake.
00:01:16
Speaker 1: First of all, I can start now and talk about the comedy special that's right now streaming on Netflix. And when I saw it featured in the trade magazines.
00:01:28
Speaker 2: I didn't know that the.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: Special had already been taped last summer. So talk about the sequence of how that happened. And then it was announced coming out in the spring.
00:01:39
Speaker 4: I got a call from my agent and she said, the president of a comedy for Next flick one of my number, so he can give it to Dave. Because Dave and Netflix since came to a verbal agreement to produce my special. I said sure. I thought it was a prank, and you know, I said show And then ten minutes later Dave called me and said he wanted to produce my special.
00:02:12
Speaker 3: So that's how I came to fouition.
00:02:15
Speaker 2: Cool.
00:02:15
Speaker 1: Now, when you look at your career, I can you know my career has a personal relationship. They've described a personal story about you at this comedy club.
00:02:24
Speaker 2: My personal story.
00:02:25
Speaker 1: I met you at your comedy club and uh, when I will just tell y'all he.
00:02:31
Speaker 2: Wore me out, took me out. Let me know. This is Quake's house in Atlanta, Georgia.
00:02:39
Speaker 1: Had me go back to my hotel room looking at my little comedy routine.
00:02:44
Speaker 2: But you'ing it, rewriting jokes.
00:02:46
Speaker 1: But he was just doing what he was doing because I'd heard about him. I walked in there with my credits because see Dave Chapellio, Man, he said it right. Man, you are legendary man, and you're funny, but your good brother at heart at hat you know, because it's like me and the Jerry Rice at Ry receiver. If you r receiver coming in you look over there, you see earthquake, you go. You can walk around ignore him, but in a minute, if you ignore him, he gonna let you know who he was, who he is. That's what happened to me at his comedy club. I knew who he was, but I ignored him until he got on stage before me, and then I had to show the respect.
00:03:28
Speaker 2: But that's been a testament of your entire career.
00:03:31
Speaker 1: That people who may not know you, but after they see you, they know you the real deal.
00:03:37
Speaker 2: Correct earthquake.
00:03:39
Speaker 4: Yes, I mean, because I've just believed let the work speak for itself.
00:03:44
Speaker 3: There's nothing else.
00:03:45
Speaker 4: I always felt in our profession that stage is an equalizer.
00:03:50
Speaker 3: The credits can get you applause.
00:03:52
Speaker 4: In the beginning, but the jokes work. You can tell who's on their craft and who's in our craft deserve to be there.
00:04:05
Speaker 3: And I take that.
00:04:06
Speaker 4: So I always concentrated on the work with Sean to work to speak for itself.
00:04:11
Speaker 1: Now, one of my artists and one of my all time favorite jokes man you did was the dog doing the O. J.
00:04:18
Speaker 2: Simpson Trial.
00:04:23
Speaker 1: It's the ability to take abstract characters bring them like like they're actually real.
00:04:29
Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying, No dog k tall, now dog k tap? But you we believe in this dog in talk based So you what is the sequence of its? Just listen to.
00:04:39
Speaker 1: People, because I know it's a stand up comedy comic. At one point you just trying to be funny, and then at some point it's just like a college degree. It's like class two plus two equal four. You learn to sequence things together and you just funny and you know how to make things funny. How do you look at the world through the eyes of earthquake?
00:05:02
Speaker 3: It's uh, it's my tag. These ain't jokes. I think.
00:05:07
Speaker 4: It starts from reality or realistic to me, I tell people every time they ask me how you do it, I say, it's like, it's just like being in the hood. Man, it's a it's the truth that blum that blossom into a big lie.
00:05:23
Speaker 3: Right.
00:05:23
Speaker 4: I was fighting this one dude, man, and then by the time it get to you with shan Man, I was fighting nineteen when I slammed one underneath the dope and there was two others came and then Mama came over. I slapped it, Mama. It was fighting one dude in the last for one second, but by the time it got back got to you.
00:05:43
Speaker 3: With Shah, it was nineteen dudes.
00:05:44
Speaker 4: He had this, four them with with that had guns.
00:05:48
Speaker 3: The other dude had a knife. Yeah. So that's my philosophy.
00:05:53
Speaker 4: It always start from a grain, from the original foundation of the truth.
00:05:58
Speaker 3: That's why I say these are jokes. That's where it comes from. These ain't jokes, right.
00:06:02
Speaker 1: You know, As a as a stand up comic, man, it's really an interesting craft. It's a very lonely craft. A lot of people think that, you know, it's a stand up you happy all the time. You know, you you run around just making everybody laugh. But really, can you explain to people the world of a stand up comedian from a standpoint of how we have to how we see things, which sometimes is good and bad because sometimes we see too much.
00:06:28
Speaker 4: Well, I tell anybody if you if you don't like yourself, this ain't the profession for you. If you don't, because you're gonna spend a lot of time with yourself. It's like golf man. Can't nobody else walk these uh walk.
00:06:48
Speaker 3: These greens but you?
00:06:50
Speaker 4: And but it's such rewarding man Sean, It's a rewarding profession just to see these people because I look at people. We're mental health providers. We especially for our community. We change perspective of our people because you know, when you had your club and everything they coming in. Man is I don't know what with the weight of the world and one profession and it's only professional like musical, anything else, anything else out here.
00:07:26
Speaker 3: We need the uninvited attention.
00:07:28
Speaker 4: So you got to get their uninvioded attention, then break through all that and then get them to do something they can't get theirself to do. That's laugh, right, That's all that obstacle man, especially for our people. They sitting the front mad and it wasn't right. I mean, I use when I own my club, I said, listen, then please be nice to these people come in here because you're making the comics John even worse. I mean, please, with the way you serve, the way you give me the ticket, you make the show. Are you talking about staff all the time. You're just as important as the comedians, because if you set the tone there, then they're.
00:08:07
Speaker 3: Opening themselves up to being the tained right.
00:08:10
Speaker 4: So it's the hardest profession in the world, but the most reward fulfilling.
00:08:16
Speaker 2: We know, like, uh, the words sold out. I'm talking about audiences.
00:08:20
Speaker 1: Audiences, you know they you know earthquake, they coming there to see you. Talk to everybody and tell them that feeling of knowing that you look out there because we always peep behind the curtain. We always ask the people, how's it looking out there? And they said, and see left all sold out. Brother, we've added the show. Talk about that feeling, man.
00:08:44
Speaker 4: It's the best feeling, second to having your channel. It's it's validation. People actually took their harder money, stop doing what they doing and came and say I ain't spending this money to come see you there.
00:09:02
Speaker 3: I mean the gratitude, I mean the achievement and.
00:09:06
Speaker 4: As a comic until comedians all the time, and I learned this from you and from you and Steve. That shows that you actually matters in our profession. When you can put your name on a marquee or a bill board or sign and people stop and say, hey, I'm coming to see with Sean McDonald.
00:09:27
Speaker 3: Give me two tickets, you got it. And then they say, now we don't have let's go here early. Now we got talk.
00:09:39
Speaker 4: They can't get no ticket to see you and you. It's just the most gratified thing in the world.
00:09:45
Speaker 3: It is.
00:09:45
Speaker 5: We'll be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rashawn McDonald. Now, let's return to Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rashaan McDonald.
00:10:00
Speaker 1: I follow your social media, and you know, we all want numbers, We always want to engagement everything. But your social media is almost like social commentary. That's why I added the words social activists your introduction, because you do a running commentary I feel with your social media by videos that you post, pictures that you find talk about your approach to social media. And how you are defining your voice or finding your voice in your social post.
00:10:37
Speaker 3: Well, and some of the most.
00:10:40
Speaker 4: Educated people in the world don't have the don't have.
00:10:45
Speaker 3: How can I put this.
00:10:49
Speaker 4: The prestige diplomas or degrees the back of their education. So I met some of the smartest people that never went to school. They was the most intell in people in my life. And simplicity has always been great for me. Just keep it simple.
00:11:09
Speaker 3: And to get to the point that you ask me.
00:11:12
Speaker 4: About I just talk about what everybody else thinking because all you have to do.
00:11:19
Speaker 1: You know, don't say that man, you I'm telling some man, I'll be looking at what you just saying, like I never saw that this boy is. And you know, in the in the in the UH, in the comedy world, if somebody call you.
00:11:31
Speaker 2: A fool, that's actually a major compliment.
00:11:33
Speaker 1: I said, this boy food, this boy crazy, which is another compliment because now we in the PC world.
00:11:39
Speaker 2: You know, they gotta explain stuff.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: We used the word crazy and food and all that stuff you got to explain.
00:11:44
Speaker 2: That's a positive in the comedy world.
00:11:47
Speaker 1: And you are doing stuff, man, because you know, you look at it and it's work. A lot of people think that posting or grabbing ideas is so he just found that somewhere.
00:11:57
Speaker 2: That's a lot of work.
00:11:59
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a lot of research.
00:12:01
Speaker 4: Shout out to my team.
00:12:03
Speaker 3: We go through it.
00:12:04
Speaker 4: Her name is Star, She's one of the greatest person that handles my thing for me. We sit down, she knows my voice. Yes, of course, no my voice, and together we h We get together and say this is the direction I want to go. And we see different things that we do research like this is quickness out here.
00:12:29
Speaker 3: Can you believe that you believe this person is doing this?
00:12:33
Speaker 4: Yeah, showing on and you know, to get that reactionnbody with it, and so many people like where did.
00:12:38
Speaker 3: You find that work?
00:12:41
Speaker 2: I love it, man, I love it.
00:12:43
Speaker 1: And it was one of the reasons you know, you know, I wanted to make sure I interviewed you on my platform, Money Making Conversation Master Collabs because a lot of people see talent like you, they see the end results.
00:12:52
Speaker 2: They don't see the work. They think that you stop working.
00:12:55
Speaker 1: They think that you just focused on this, but really it's a three sixty that you're doing. Like I said, you're an actor, your comedian, you're social activity, which means that you're an influencer on social media. And then also you have a radio show, which means you're able to communicate. Tell us about your radio show. Are you able to take phone calls? You play music? What is your radio show?
00:13:14
Speaker 3: No.
00:13:14
Speaker 4: Mo show is called quake House, and it's kind of like the comedian's view. We deal with hot topics, different segments, and we do have guests that comes on periodically, a list guests and I interview on And what I want to do, like I've always done in my career, is whatever I have achieved in my career, I'll try to have a platform to bring the next comedian that.
00:13:44
Speaker 3: Or nothing else.
00:13:45
Speaker 4: But if I can't help the next comedian expand our genre that people know how great this profession is. I think personally speaking, don't too many of us give back to the genre.
00:14:02
Speaker 3: This is this would allow you to.
00:14:04
Speaker 4: Be this movie start, this game show host, this this uh talk show, this movie star, this TV star.
00:14:14
Speaker 3: Just do something that allowed you know, your name.
00:14:18
Speaker 4: To to expand the johndre for the next person such as yourself could capitalize on it and make it, you know, expand. I'd say, you don't have to help me, help whoever you think is funny. If you help them, it'll span the genre and eventually it'll come back to me because if they think you funny, wait till until they get to see me.
00:14:42
Speaker 3: And that has always been my attitude.
00:14:44
Speaker 1: Yes, now that the interesting thing about it is that when we look at the comedy special that you did, you know, it always fun to me because I think I know somebody. I didn't know you from DC, you know, because I met you in Atlanta. I thought you were Atlanta, born in Bread. I thought there was your whole hub was from Atlanta. People loved you in Atlanta. So how did you make the journey from DC to Atlanta and then Atlanta basically became to me, your your home, your voice.
00:15:15
Speaker 4: Well, I was in the military for nine years and I wanted to do twenty years, but the war broke out, so I told him, I said, I don't mind practicing for war, but I ain't fighting for real. I'm going to stay in DC to get shot at, so, you know, getting out the military. I didn't want to go back home from d C. Then the military wasn't nothing there opportunity I felt for me, but illegal pharmaceuticals.
00:15:42
Speaker 3: So I turned on you.
00:15:43
Speaker 4: Know, I watched a lot of TV, different educational shows, mostly like Seeing Man and stuff. And you know, you see the poll They always got polls and one of the boat well is the best top five city that that me and should go for the best advantage in their and they had Atlanta number one. I said, well that's what I'm doing. So I got out the military, went to Atlanta and went on stage and they started doing comedy.
00:16:14
Speaker 1: First of all, you said you saw a pole said the black black bes city for black people to go to was Atlanta.
00:16:21
Speaker 2: You go to Atlanta, you just go on stage. You didn't just go to another comedy club. We see some comics.
00:16:27
Speaker 3: We no, I mean I was when I was in the military. I knew I was.
00:16:32
Speaker 4: I had to do something else. And they used to have the USO wore you know, stuff in there, and I found you know, they used to call me skating quick well, skating stroke not anything to get out of work. You know, there used to be a pole barn man on the guard. Anything to get out of work man. So I did a little hosted in there in the military. And you couldn't talk about sex. She couldn't talk about I mean, you had to be bo. I hope, so I was.
00:17:01
Speaker 3: I leant from there.
00:17:02
Speaker 4: So when I got the military, I went on and I took this girl to.
00:17:06
Speaker 3: A comedy clan. And when I tell you, this chick was, I mean was sean.
00:17:10
Speaker 4: She was all on the floor. I said, I said, if you want to sleep with this dude, say you want to sleep with him? But he ain't all that.
00:17:22
Speaker 3: You're just jealous.
00:17:23
Speaker 4: I said, I am jealous, but I mean he funny, but that ain't the funniest thing. So she said, well, you do better. And of course I went and tried, and nothing that's came. It's been that way every since came in my life. I don't know if for me it wasn't no plan. It was just what I tell everybody, was that best decision that day, and another better decision hasn't came this way.
00:17:50
Speaker 5: We'll be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Roughshawn McDonald. Now let's return to Money Making Conversation Sations Masterclass with Rashaan McDonald.
00:18:03
Speaker 1: Well, you know they tell me that a podcast is the number on the fastest growing industry, audible industry out there.
00:18:11
Speaker 2: I know you got a serious XM. Are you going to do podcasts. No.
00:18:16
Speaker 4: I mean, I'm real good with my radio show. I really want to continue that.
00:18:21
Speaker 3: Man. I really learned from y'all about it.
00:18:24
Speaker 4: I love radio, and I don't think I'm gonna jump onto the podcast unless they offer me a lot of money.
00:18:32
Speaker 2: Okay, cool, Well, well I think that's gonna come your weight. Okay.
00:18:38
Speaker 1: You know when I get close to the bike, I'm looking at you that I'm looking at you.
00:18:41
Speaker 2: Because you're a special talent. Man, You're an individual.
00:18:45
Speaker 1: I guess I got to at least ask you this course, Where did earthquake come from? What did the name earthquake come from?
00:18:53
Speaker 4: To be quite honest with you, man, I use earthquake because in case you know, she was right that I wasn't funny.
00:19:00
Speaker 3: I ain't want to mess up my good name.
00:19:02
Speaker 2: Okay, so.
00:19:06
Speaker 4: This didn't work, Hey earthquake, Like, hey man, my name earthquake.
00:19:13
Speaker 3: Wasn't you the comedian? I got no comment. Daniel Stans come up here and say some dude was right here?
00:19:22
Speaker 4: No, No, that wasn't me. So it came from the insecurity not having the belief that maybe you know this this diad hit the bricks. You would saying go to a stray. I wouldn't mess up my good name.
00:19:36
Speaker 1: Well, you know, so, what is the future for Earthquake man, Because it took me forever to line.
00:19:41
Speaker 2: Up this interview.
00:19:42
Speaker 1: You had had radio shows, you had tour date your interviews.
00:19:46
Speaker 2: So obviously life is beautiful you for you right now, but we know there's always more. What is the future for Earthquake.
00:19:53
Speaker 3: Well, I'm finally gonna.
00:19:58
Speaker 4: Go on my own personal, own tour called Earthquake Legendary Tour.
00:20:04
Speaker 3: Wow. Yes, I'm developing my own TV show.
00:20:08
Speaker 4: Okay, I'm gonna do I'm gonna do more movies, and I'm gonna stay on the radio. God's will and then you know I'm going You know, I'm gonna continue the tour. I love comedy, stand up comedy. It's great for me. I never want to leave it. I think. I tell people all the time, comedy is like a woman. You can take a break from her, but you can never leave her.
00:20:34
Speaker 3: Leave her. You ain't gonna never get her back. So I vow that I.
00:20:38
Speaker 4: Will always do this and I love it. It's so refreshing. So for me is a tour starts in July and we're doing forty for twenty five to thirty cities.
00:20:50
Speaker 3: Me and down there rollins and funny. That's the immediate thing.
00:20:55
Speaker 4: Yeah, very funny, brother, And I'm gonna drop another tour on me in another special next week next year.
00:21:03
Speaker 2: Wow.
00:21:03
Speaker 1: So the venues are the comedy clubs, the small two thousand and three thousands.
00:21:08
Speaker 3: We're going five thousand seedars.
00:21:10
Speaker 2: Wow, that's stepping out there. Okay, okay, okay.
00:21:15
Speaker 1: Mister, you start talking to five thousand seats, brother, come on that go on.
00:21:22
Speaker 3: We're at two or three now, were two or three.
00:21:24
Speaker 4: So with the lesson of God, with the response that I've got from my special, it's made Tell.
00:21:31
Speaker 2: Me about that response. Man.
00:21:33
Speaker 1: First of all, let me give you my response first, you know, because I text your picture of me watching it, you know, let you know off my screen.
00:21:41
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm watching you, brother. You are what you say you are legendary.
00:21:46
Speaker 1: My take was, man, that because this I always tell people when you know, something funny. Because my wife was in the kitchen, you know, cooking all right, and then I'm just laughing. And then next thing, you know, she leaning behind my back, right, I said, woo that you watch earthquake. Next thing you know, she next to me watching him laughing, I go, what happened to the cooking?
00:22:08
Speaker 2: Oh? That can wait? That can wait? See see see that they see.
00:22:12
Speaker 1: I took somebody who wasn't even interested in what was going on because.
00:22:17
Speaker 2: She was cooking. No, she want those people. You can't talk and you can't talk to her. Watch she's cooking, all right, she one of those people. Can't you see him cooking? Okay, Belle, I'm sorry.
00:22:26
Speaker 1: I'm just gonna just slide in there and watch earthquake by myself.
00:22:29
Speaker 2: Okay. Then I'm laughing. Then she behind me, just standing. He funny. I look back at it. Don't say nothing.
00:22:39
Speaker 1: Earthquake right next thing you know, she still got dispatula in her hands. Sitting next to me. I say, at you cooking like I told you. So that lets you know that what you're doing is relatable. It also can make people stop what they're doing. It grabs their attention and also forces them, can force because you are a forced my brother, you are a comedy force, and that forces such positivity that you go, wow, he's special. That's what my response is. Now tell me what America's response. Because you're doing five thousand seedars.
00:23:18
Speaker 4: Now it's overwhelming and you can see it when you know it's a comic when you walk in clubs and I'm talking about mainstream clubs, right, how you doing?
00:23:32
Speaker 3: Can we do something? You know?
00:23:36
Speaker 4: And you know our Caucasian canal parts come to you and say, you know, I took for me.
00:23:42
Speaker 3: I don't know about you.
00:23:44
Speaker 4: I love competing against man with our Caucasian comedians to let them know that we don't because they think we need.
00:23:56
Speaker 3: Some of them, not saying all of.
00:23:57
Speaker 4: Them, some just the stigma is that we need to cuss, don't We don't write our you know it's urban.
00:24:05
Speaker 3: And I'm like, no, man.
00:24:07
Speaker 4: No, no, no, no no, I'm gonna show you how we do it. We can we compete at the highest level of the highest level intellectually. And when it was being accepted from I mean every comedian, no matter what's your nationality that's in this fields telling you this is the greatest thing that they ever seen.
00:24:30
Speaker 3: It was just rewarding. And it's always been rewarding.
00:24:33
Speaker 4: I love my fans to the death, they are my number one supporters. But the great I really find a special gratitude and humidity when it's come from the piers such as persions such as yourself, because.
00:24:50
Speaker 3: You have always been honest with me.
00:24:52
Speaker 4: You came to me and say, man, you don't need to say that while you when we was doing different shows together.
00:24:59
Speaker 3: Don't cuss on that. Don't think that's how you need to do.
00:25:02
Speaker 4: And I've always took the advice, and I always appreciate your advice, and I'm always it felt.
00:25:08
Speaker 3: Good when I I.
00:25:10
Speaker 4: Received your approval because you have always been a student at the game.
00:25:14
Speaker 2: Oh man, So I appreciate those compliments.
00:25:16
Speaker 1: But more important, I appreciate you taking the time and come on money making conversations.
00:25:19
Speaker 2: Masterclife. You are a beast. You are somebody. Please tell me when you when the tickets go on sales, I can put.
00:25:26
Speaker 1: It on my social media and make that announcement and my newsletter that goes out to one hundred and eight thousand people.
00:25:32
Speaker 2: Because you're a winner. Brother, and I love you, brother. Thank you, ear quake.
00:25:36
Speaker 4: I love you more. Man, and keep doing what you're doing. Man, And you owe me a.
00:25:40
Speaker 3: Meal because I'm tired of looking at all you all. I be gaining weight.
00:25:46
Speaker 4: I'm in and get some of it, some of them desserts.
00:25:49
Speaker 3: Man, I look at it. I'm ready.
00:25:52
Speaker 4: So when I get down to h Town where you at, I'm knocking on you. Well, you tell your beautiful wife I saying hello.
00:25:57
Speaker 1: Okay, I thank you brother, and stay strong, Okay, appreciate you. If you want to hear any of seeing those interviews or Money Making Conversation, please go to Moneymaking Conversation dot com.
00:26:05
Speaker 2: I'm Leshan McDonald. I am your host
