Mike Epps On Katt Williams, Kevin Hart Rivalry, Working With Ice Cube, Whitney Houston & Beyoncé

Mike Epps believes Katt Williams' viral interview exposed a hidden layer of animosity and competition among comedians that the public was unaware of. He notes that while 'brushing' by older comics is common, Williams' public airing of grievances was unprecedented.

Epps states, 'what Cat did was peel a scab back that outside the comedic world nobody knew about.' He acknowledges that he too was 'brushed by older guys the wrong way' but chose not to publicize it.

Epps' initial rivalry with Kevin Hart, who rose quickly after opening for him, forced Epps to learn the 'business' side of entertainment beyond just performing. Hart's success motivated Epps to refocus on his unique brand, understanding that while others might get 'hot,' there's only one Mike Epps.

Epps recounts, 'Kevin was a dude that came right up under me... he blew up and he got famous and he got rich and they was no longer talking about Mike Epps... I didn't know that other part of the business which was business.' He adds, 'it put fire under me... I needed some young to come along that was hot... I just went back to my regular roots, to who I really was.'

Epps reveals that many comedians, including himself, draw from dark personal experiences and sadness to create humor. He describes a 'tears of a clown' phenomenon, where making others laugh often comes at the cost of personal happiness, necessitating therapy to process his own 'dark past' before it becomes material.

Epps states, 'it's a lot of times that you're sad that you're making other people laugh, but you're really sad in your own personal life. All the time.' He mentions having 'two therapy sessions. One I'm paying for and the other one I got [paid for].'

Ice Cube, a 'comedian in his own right,' provided Epps with significant creative freedom on film sets, often encouraging ad-libbing beyond the script. Cube's advice to Epps was to view his career as a 'marathon, not a race,' emphasizing patience and quality over speed.

Epps notes, 'Cube always used to tell me… it's a marathon.' He describes Cube throwing out the script and saying, 'Come on, let's go,' allowing him to improvise, with the script serving as a 'guideline.'

After achieving success, Epps fulfilled a childhood promise by buying back all the houses his family was evicted from in his hometown. He revitalized his old neighborhood, turning a painful past into a community investment, which was even featured on an HGTV show.

Epps recounts, 'I always promised myself if I ever got some money, I was going to go back and buy all the houses that we got evicted out of. And I did.' He adds, 'We actually had a show on HGTV called Buying Back the Block.'

Epps credits his second wife, who is 20 years his junior, with helping him mature and overcome drug use. Her unwavering stance and willingness to leave if he continued his destructive habits provided the necessary catalyst for his personal transformation, highlighting the importance of a partner who understands and supports growth.

Epps states, 'my first marriage I was a fool... I just needed to grow up.' He recalls his wife saying, 'If you ever do that again, we'll never be together.' Epps reflects, 'that's the type of person that you needed? Hell yeah. If I would have been with somebody who would thought that was cool what I did, I probably would be sitting here.'