Affion Crockett: Yeah.

Affion Crockett: That’s my man, that’s my lil bro right there. He’s a true representative of what Fayetteville has to offer. Even though it’s in North Carolina and Carolina is considered the South, the only type of emcees that I knew growing up were cats that really went in and didn’t sacrifice the formula or cut corners. So, Cole’s an emcee, he really goes in based on the formula, like from the school and the lineage of the Rakims and the Nas’, that’s all we knew coming up.

Affion Crockett: I just kind of stumbled upon it to be honest with you. I started out as a B-boy and rapper and all that. I was always onstage dancing and doing my thing but at the same time, I always had a natural gift for imitating people. I would imitate my mom, she’s from Trinidad so I would imitate her and my aunt with their accents. I would do cartoon characters, Scarface, you name it, I was doing voices but it was just something I did for fun.
Eventually, I saw comedians on Def Comedy Jam doing impressions and that’s like all they were doing and so, I was like, you know what? I have stage presence, I’m a performer, and I can do voices; let me try to blend them altogether and get on stage to do something. I got on Def Comedy Jam shortly thereafter and the rest is history. It’s been a nice journey and now I’m here talking to you. I put my street logic together and made a career out of it (laughs).

Affion Crockett: Nah, that’s the hip-hop part of me. Everything that I learned from hip-hop, whether it was dancing in a circle or rhyming off the head was improv so I pretty much just did that with comedy.

Affion Crockett: Honestly, when I was on Wild ‘N Out and the sketch show Short Circuitz, it was a lot of stuff that they wouldn’t let me do so I said I’m not going to cry about it. I’m just going to shoot it myself, edit it myself, and do it myself so that’s how the whole Youtube channel came about. I actually don’t consider myself a Youtuber, I’m an actor who utilizes Youtube to get his ideas out.

Affion Crockett: I’ve been doing this since I was a kid so just imagine if you were a mom and you got a little 5 year-old running around imitating you, and you want to spank them but he makes you laugh (laughs) so you don’t spank him. That was me.

Affion Crockett: It kind of varies. Most people say Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, some say Chris Rock because I have the ability to look like all these dudes and sound like them, so I don’t know, it just depends on who’s looking at it.

Affion Crockett: Never.

Affion Crockett: Nah, Chris Brown loved it, he called me the same day I put it up and he put it on his Twitter page. If you listen to the song, I really wasn’t bashing him (laughs), you know what I mean? If you listen to the Kanye verse, I was basically sticking up for him, saying, he messed up but why are we still judging him. I mean, he said sorry and you women have to be careful of who you’re choosing sometime. Listen to that Kanye verse I spit, you’ll see.

Affion Crockett: I’ve been rhyming longer than I’ve been doing comedy, back in my B-boy days of breaking and poplockin’, rapping, beatboxin’, I’ve been doing that since I was a kid.

Affion Crockett: Yeah, I got some stuff and the funny thing is that the real emcees out there know that I rhyme. Talib Kweli, Strong Arm Steady, Jay Electronica, we’re all talking about doing some stuff but I rhyme in my free time. I don’t really desire to be an artist like that but you never know, we’ll see.

Affion Crockett: Not really because when Wild ‘N Out was out, that’s when I was probably rhyming the most but it was still very clear to me what my main goal was. Because I’m so focused on acting, I can’t veer off and try to do something part-time and as much as I love music, I will definitely sacrifice it to achieve my main goal.

Affion Crockett: I’m going to be honest with you and I thank God for all of this but I’ve had so many highlights in my career and more things coming that’s on the table so I’ll just name a few. Wild ‘N Out was definitely a highlight, working with Bernie Mac and Sam Jackson in Soul Men was a highlight, Dance Flick with the Wayans Bros. I also just finished working with Russell Simmons on a project, so it’s a lot of highlights. I’m just blessed and thankful to be doing what I’m doing and that people gravitate towards what I do.

Affion Crockett: Be original (laughs). My main advice to anyone in the rap game or comedy game is to just be original. Don’t bite anyone else’s jokes or style and be trying to make your own thing. Just be original and be persistent. Follow your heart, put out good material, and you’ll get whatever is coming to you.

Affion Crockett: I got a TV show deal right now that we’re ironing out. There’s movies on the horizon. Me and Russell are teaming up, doing some really funny stuff. He’s a great mentor and business partner thus far.

Affion Crockett: I didn’t know people still did shout outs, that is hilarious! (laughs)

Affion Crockett: Okay, no shout outs but for all my people out there doing their thing legally, keep doing your thing. I respect people’s hustles so keep at it!