Ask Kevin Hart about the seemingly extraordinary year he’s had, and he’ll tell you it’s but a ray of the sun. Undoubtedly, 2012 has marked the brazen stand-up comic’s ascent to greatness, stealing the big screen in the box office success, Think Like A Man, and romantic comedy, The Five-Year Engagement; selling out theaters across the country with his stand-up tour, “Let Me Explain;” and making numerous surprise television appearances, including a stint on the ABC series, Modern Family, and as guest host on Chelsea Lately. Because so many have caught the drift, the demand for Hart has stretched almost beyond supply. He’s extended his national tour due to overwhelming interest, and recently announced two major dates at Madison Square Garden in November, a gig he considers to be the ultimate peak for a comedian. Fans can also catch him hosting the MTV Video Music Awards on September 6th, and starring in five feature films coming up over the next year.
So it seems there’s no stopping Hart’s train to fame. Yet while he’ll gladly toot the horn with his boisterous observations and self-effacing jibes, he tells theGrio that the road ahead is still long, and the itinerary fully stacked.
You really blew up this year, it seems. Does it feel that way from your perspective?
I try not to think about it. Regardless of the success I’m having, I don’t want it to get to my ego or put me in a mental state where I’m content. At the end of the day, I’ve got a lot of stuff I want to do and the only way to achieve those goals is by staying focused and working hard and that’s where I’m at right now. Granted, there’s a lot going on, and I’m thankful and blessed for all the opportunities that have come my way, but this path is so long…I got to check a bunch of stuff off.
What are some things you need to check off your list?
Well, I started a production company – HartBeat Productions – and a business company, and I eventually want to get to the place where it runs like a studio. You know, you think Happy Madison, you think Screen Gems, you think Fox Searchlight, Point Blank. I want my company to be the same, do the same. I want to direct, produce, fund my own projects.
What’s the struggle like for up-and-coming comedians these days?
Finding your voice, finding who you want to be on stage. Because in the beginning on stage, you actually don’t know that you can be yourself. It took me a long time to realize that I could be on stage as myself, and that people would laugh and, you know, and people would gravitate towards me. When you attempt to be something that you’re not, you take on the personalities of these things and that’s when it becomes a little more difficult because you’re a character.
When did you figure out who you were?
I’d say probably about six years ago. I went through stages; at one point in time my name was Lil’ Kev ‘the Bastard,’ after that it was Kevi Kev, after Kevi Kev it went to something else. I used to talk in this high-pitched voice all the time, like screaming at the top of my lungs and falling all over the place. And then it dawned on me, if I were to talk about my personal experiences and dull it down and be who I am on a regular basis, you know, maybe it seems more real and genuine. I did it as an experiment and it worked ten times better.
Chris Rock told W. Kamau Bell on Totally Biased that it is near impossible for comics to joke about Brad Pitt because there’s never anything funny to say. Do you have any subject matters you find difficult to joke about?
That’s very true. For me, it would probably be politics because I’m not big when it comes to the whole political world. My knowledge is not that great in that realm so that’s one of my challenges. I don’t really touch on that. I don’t feel like I can be as good as I’ve seen other people be.
You got some slack for mocking Gabby Douglas’ hair on Chelsea Lately. Do you feel it was out of line or do you think comics get slammed too much in an era when everyone is a critic?
Well, I think people are so hard on us, and we’re not saying anything malicious. You know, we’re saying something random; it’s an attempt to be funny. It really is; it’s never malicious. I think sometimes it’s taken out of context and people look too deep into things. You know, she’s a little girl, she’s talented; it’s something funny that was said real quick. Nothing else into it at all. I don’t wish anything bad for her or her career. I want nothing but the best for her – it was something funny to say. And at the time, I had to be funny spontaneously. You have to come up with things on the spot. That was one of the things that came up quickly on the spot. That’s it.
Your tour’s called Let Me Explain. What exactly are you breaking down?
My comedy’s all personal, and at the end of the day, self-deprecation is what works for me. So, it’s really about me talking about the problems that I’ve been through. My fans have really grown with me from I’m a Grown, Little Man to Seriously Funny to Laugh at My Pain to now Let Me Explain. They’ve seen me go through ups and downs and things in my life, but I’m honest about it, and I voice it.
What kind of problems do you have?
Divorce is finalized, single dad. Buying my first home. My star level is rising; my mental level hasn’t caught up to it. Me having security. There’s tons of things.
Dave Chappelle adamantly refuses to let people have cell phones out at his shows, and other comics have applied similar rules. How much is that a concern to you?
I’m the same way. I don’t allow video photography at my shows either because comedians are different. If you hear our jokes before we say it, you know, our show is messed up. Our job is to make you laugh. You’re not gonna laugh at what you’ve heard a million times cause you’ve seen it online. And singers have it better, you know, people want to hear your song, they want to sing with you. But comedians, we need to keep it fresh; we need to keep it genuine because we need that immediate response of laughter. We don’t get that if it’s splattered all over the web and it’s not ready, and it’s something that we plan on taping and making a special. We lose opportunities.
What’s your strategy for the VMA‘s this year?
As the host, you want to get everybody’s attention, put everybody in the mood to have a good time. Shock value’s normally the way to do that. You know, going out and saying something they don’t expect you to say…Make people focus on you.
How’s it feel to be the third wheel for Kanye and Kim?
Oh, that was funny. It came out really great.
You won MVP of the NBA celebrity basketball game in February despite getting ejected in the fourth quarter. Do you regret throwing your sneakers across the court?
No, I do not. I’m a competitor. I have a child-like competitive nature.
You also threatened to take off your shorts. Why’d you hold back?
I couldn’t take them off because I was mic-ed.
I heard you just passed your driver’s license test. Congratulations.
Thanks. My driver’s license got suspended so I had to take the written test over again. I failed it three times.
Did you study or just kept trying?
Nah, I just kept trying. I kept winging it.
Last question – an ongoing personal poll of mine – Delirious or Raw?
I gotta go with Raw.