Bébé's Kids

Robin Harris built a reputation on his raspy, combative crowd work, but it was a story about three nightmare children that became his calling card. The title routine centers on his attempt to court a woman named Jamika, an endeavor that derails completely when she brings her friend’s kids along on a date to an amusement park. The children, who famously operate under the motto “We don’t die, we multiply,” proceed to destroy the outing and thoroughly humiliate Harris. The premise resonated enough to eventually inspire a 1992 animated feature film.

Released in 1990, the album was compiled from sets at the Comedy Act Theater in Los Angeles and the Comedy Crunch in Long Beach. Harris was on a steep upward trajectory at the time, transitioning from a seasoned nightclub emcee to a recognizable film actor with parts in Do the Right Thing and House Party. Beyond the title track, the recording captures his aggressive stage persona as he complains about jheri curls, police stops, and why white audiences are the only ones who understand Lassie. Harris died of cardiac arrhythmia in March 1990 at age 36, leaving this release as the definitive audio record of his stand-up.