How Katt Williams became one of the GOATs after a very hard childhood

OPINION: After leaving home as a teen and being homeless in Florida, Katt Williams found a way to become one of America’s greatest entertainers.

Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

​​Katt Williams is one of the great comedians of his era because he’s got what I call the funny vibe. Let me explain.

I think there are really two types of stand-up comedians. I call them Material People and Vibe People. All great comics have some of each side in them, but most tend to rely more on one side of the equation than the other. Material People are comics who need their material to be perfect, and they’ll spend time microscoping every word and every pause in their act. This is how people like Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld operate.

Then there are people who just have a funny vibe to them, and their voice sounds funny and maybe their look evokes laughter, and it’s like as soon as they walk onstage you start cracking up. This sort of comic could read the phone book and make you laugh. Bernie Mac was like that. Eddie Griffin is like that. And Katt Williams is definitely like that.

Williams has a small body and a big voice, and he loves the pimp aesthetic. As soon as he hits the stage, I’m already in the mode to laugh. His smile is funny, his wry, arrogant tone is funny. He’s got loud outfits and exquisitely done hair that makes me want to laugh. Williams is blessed with comic energy, and once that Southern-sounding voice starts popping, you’re done. Williams could definitely read a federal indictment against you and have you laughing. You might be laughing to keep from crying but it’s still laughing.

I interviewed Williams once and quickly found out that his offstage self is very different than his onstage persona. Offstage, he can be mellow and reserved; there’s none of the turnt-up-ness that you get onstage. I mean, that’s how he was before and during our interview — very professional, quiet voice, very calm, low energy. Of course, he can turn up offstage, and he’s been arrested many times for various dustups, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. 

When I interviewed Williams and saw how chill he was with me, it made me realize that he’s one of those comics who goes onstage and overtly performs. Some comics get onstage and it’s meant to seem like an extension of their normal life. The energy is, “I’m just up here telling jokes, no biggie.” There’s not a big show to it all, there’s not a big persona. They’re making you feel like you’re meeting the real them. I’ve interviewed Rock and Dave Chappelle, and there’s not a big difference between who they are onstage versus offstage. Williams makes no bones about it — he’s performing. He’s a very different person onstage than off. He’s bigger, wilder, more physical and more telegenic onstage than he is in real life.

Many comics say deep down, they’re sad and they need to stay in the realm of comedy to give some ballast to their lives. Williams may be like that given that his personal life has been difficult. Williams had numerous arguments with his parents, who were Jehovah’s Witnesses. On “WTF With Marc Maron,” he said that he did not mesh with the tight strictures of the religion so he had himself emancipated and left his parents’ home in Ohio when he was 13. He found his way to Florida where he was homeless for about four years. Williams says he slept in a homeless encampment in Coconut Grove while spending his days in the library reading. He says he finished 12 books a day back then.  

Williams was a teenage boy who was so unhappy at home that he preferred to be homeless. He was also a little boy who was so disciplined that he was able to take care of himself. He was so smart that he educated himself. I think the roots of Williams’ genius are all there — he refuses to be controlled by anyone, he’s smart enough to make anything work and he’s got God on his side. I’m not a religious person by any means, but sometimes it’s obvious — Williams was a tiny, uneducated, teenage homeless boy in Florida, the armpit of America, and yet he did not waste away. He found a way to become one of America’s greatest entertainers. The universe was looking out for him and it guided him to where he needed to be. I’m sure that when God looks down on Williams and sees him using all those blessings to, uh, tell jokes about being a pimp, God might question if he made the right decision. I’m kidding — Williams has adopted seven children so he’s making a difference in many lives. He once told Howard Stern that he’s adopted so many children because he promised himself that if he made it in comedy, he would help others. God was right to bless Williams because the blessings have trickled down to so many people.

Touré is a host and Creative Director at theGrio. He is the host of the docuseries podcast “Being Black: The ’80s.” He is also the host of the podcast “Toure Show” and the podcast docuseries “Who Was Prince?” He is the author of eight books including the Prince biography Nothing Compares 2 U and the ebook The Ivy League Counterfeiter.

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