Here's Everything

Ricky Velez approaches the microphone with the air of a guy who is slightly tired but entirely comfortable speaking his mind. He centers his debut hour on the premise that his brain simply does not work correctly, turning that self-deprecation into a license to say the unsayable. Whether he is explaining why old people are no longer necessary or why he refuses to pretend to like anyone’s ugly baby, his delivery is casual and conversational. The centerpiece of his set is a story about trying to escape a persistent drug dealer on a highly exclusive beach in the Dominican Republic, showcasing his ability to find humor in tense, awkward situations.\n\nFilmed at Brooklyn Steel in August 2021, the special served as Velez’s formal introduction to television viewers. Before this hour, the Queens native had worked as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and co-starred in and co-produced the 2020 film The King of Staten Island with his close friend and roommate Pete Davidson. Davidson and Judd Apatow served as executive producers for this HBO release, helping to bring Velez’s blend of working-class Queens cynicism and new-father anxiety to a broader audience. The special was well-received by critics who noted how fully formed his perspective felt, avoiding the usual growing pains of a comic’s first televised hour.