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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

It's Pimpin' Pimpin'

Katt Williams

HBO · 2008 · 77 min

A kinetic breakdown of 2008 politics and culture from Washington, D.C.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Katt Williams hits the stage dancing to UGK’s “Int’l Players Anthem,” taking a moment to feel the music before jumping into a set defined by the 2008 presidential race. He approaches the political landscape of the time with complete comfort, operating as a comic who knows exactly how much control he has over a room.

One of the core premises places the burden of Barack Obama’s potential election loss squarely on white voters, while another targets Hillary Clinton’s assumption that her husband’s reputation would automatically secure the Black vote. He works the crowd like a choir director, pacing the stage and letting his signature vocal shifts spike the punchlines.

Filmed at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., the release captures the performer at the peak of his late-2000s arena run. Coming off the massive success of his previous television spots and movie roles, he was in the middle of a 100-city tour and completely dialed into his persona.

Beyond the political material, the set features an extended routine about buying a motorcycle and the heavily quoted “Poor Little Tink Tink” bit.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Transition from President Bush to President Obama

    Erratic and rapid-fire riffing voicing opinions on America's first Black president, veering into late-night TV commercials and low-grade weed.

  2. Your Star Player

    Delivers an uplifting 'better yourself' routine that translates Obama's 'Yes We Can' message with the strength of street knowledge.

  3. Scared of Rope

    A provocative 13-minute routine touching on the slave trade, channeling influences of Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce.

  4. Poor Little Tink Tink

    A standout routine described as carrying heavier underlying themes beneath its humorous surface.

How it plays

Tone
R-rated, provocative, manic, and socially conscious.
On stage
High-energy, physically animated comic relying heavily on facial expressions and body language, shifting stylistically from the 'Flavor Flav of standup' into the 'Sly Stone of standup'.
Pace
Rapid-fire, manic pacing delivering a high joke frequency.
About
Politics and the presidency of Barack Obama, Race and the slave trade, Late-night television commercials, Low-grade marijuana, Self-improvement and motivation, Show business and pimpin'

What the critics said

Received positive marks for its deceptive composition, manic social commentary, and high joke rate, with reviewers comparing its energy and impact to early Eddie Murphy.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, repertoire.cinema.mcc.gouv.qc.ca, archive.org, allmusic.com, rottentomatoes.com, houstonpress.com, nytimes.com, musicbrainz.org.

Backstory

The presidential transition from George W. Bush to Barack Obama and the historic election of the first Black U.S. president.

Details

Released
Runtime
77 min
Where
HBO
Director
Troy Miller
Honors
No. 1 on Billboard Top Comedy AlbumsNo. 5 on Billboard Heatseekers AlbumsNo. 174 on Billboard 200
Topics
Before
American Hustle (2007)
After
Great America (2018)

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