{"id":414,"date":"2015-02-27T02:35:34","date_gmt":"2015-02-27T07:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thedoublescoop2.com\/?p=414"},"modified":"2015-02-27T02:35:34","modified_gmt":"2015-02-27T07:35:34","slug":"jay-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thedoublescoop2.com\/dev\/jay-smith\/","title":{"rendered":"Jay Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Screenshot_2015-02-24-22-50-10-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: Ashley E.<\/p>\n

When you decide to pursue your passion or dream, it can cause you to make some serious sacrifices. You might risk losing relationships, stability, income, and even peace of mind. Jay Smith is an upcoming comedian and actor who decided a few years ago he wanted to pursue his passion. He got his start in the industry as a student at Jackson State University when he joined the MADDRAMA Performance Troupe. Over the years he has made a name for himself in his hometown and has also built a pretty large social media following. You can even catch a glimpse of him in the latest James Brown biopic Get on Up.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Mississippi native recently moved to Atlanta, Georgia to broaden his career, but his journey to chase what he loves has been met with some highs and lows. I caught up with Jay recently to ask him a few questions about his dream chasing journey.<\/p>\n

AE<\/strong>: When did you realize you were interested in comedy and acting?<\/p>\n

JS<\/strong>: I always liked pretending as a child, making up little stories in my head and acting them out.\u00a0 I played Joseph (Jesus\u2019 father) in a Christmas play when I was five haha..I guess it\u2019s been a while.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

AE<\/strong>: Does anyone in your family have a background in either of the two?<\/p>\n

JS<\/strong>: My dad and his whole side of the family are funny.\u00a0 My dad has a dry wit\/ asshole-ish in a nice way personality.\u00a0 I definitely inherited that personality.\u00a0 I have a cousin who does standup.\u00a0 As far as performing period goes, my dad was in a funk band in the 70\u2019s and 80\u2019s called Freedom so performing is in my blood.<\/p>\n

AE<\/strong>: Do you think people underestimate how difficult stand-up comedy can be? I remember seeing you for the first time probably about a year ago at a show and thinking I would be so nervous. You have to stand in front of a room of people and demand their attention. I\u2019m sure a 10 minute show could feel like an hour when all eyes are on you especially if the crowd isn\u2019t feeling you.<\/p>\n

JS<\/strong>: DEFINITELY\u2026.comedy is so hard, so hard that I don\u2019t even tell people I\u2019m a comedian\u2026I say \u201cI do comedy\u201d lol.\u00a0 When a show is going well every second feels better than sex.\u00a0 Well not better than, but AS good as some good sex\u2026and that\u2019s really all you can ask for. When it\u2019s going bad, the worst part is that you already know it\u2019s going bad.\u00a0 It usually doesn\u2019t get better when it\u2019s bad, and that\u2019s the worst part\u2026knowing that it might get worse.<\/p>\n

AE<\/strong>: What has been your worst show so far? \u00a0I\u2019m pretty sure you feed off of the crowd\u2019s energy so I can imagine if the energy from the crowd is low than your performance isn\u2019t the best.<\/p>\n

JS<\/strong>: YEP\u2026I was doing a contest to perform for Katt Williams when he came to Jackson.\u00a0 My material was geared toward people around 25 -40 years old.\u00a0 Everybody in there was way older than that and I wasn\u2019t comfortable enough with my act to deviate from it.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t know nothing about the stuff I was talking about.\u00a0 My neck was burning and voice was shaking.\u00a0 It was like being in a burning house. I just cut it short and said \u201cthat\u2019s my time.\u201d<\/p>\n

AE<\/strong>:\u00a0Are there any comedians in particular that influence you?<\/p>\n

JS<\/strong>: Yes. Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock,\u00a0 Louis CK, George Carlin, Paul Mooney\u2026man Paul Mooney is that guy. I listened to Paul Mooney going to sleep every night for like a year and some change.<\/p>\n

AE<\/strong>: Explain T.R.U.S.T and F.I.N.E. You use those 2 words a lot in your videos.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> So, TRUST is something that came from a crazy teacher at JSU I had.\u00a0 He stuttered severely and had a very smart mouth.\u00a0 After he made a point he would say \u201cTRUST\u201d.\u00a0 It turned into a hashtag on twitter, lol. Me and my classmates all followed each other and made fun of him on twitter and always ended the tweets with #TRUST. It then turned into something deeper after a few life experiences along with people outside of our class wondering what TRUST meant.\u00a0 TRUST then went on to mean having peace and TRUSTing the process of getting down whatever road you\u2019re traveling in life.\u00a0 TRUSTing your intuition, TRUSTing the struggle.<\/p>\n

F.I.N.E. is something that started with me and my friends at Hinds Community College in Raymond back in 2005.\u00a0 Basically a daily mantra to live by in acronym form.\u00a0 (Focused Intelligent Negro Excelling).<\/p>\n

AE<\/strong>: I watched your most recent you-tube video and I see that this past year was pretty challenging for you. You ran into a lot of obstacles: being broke, not having a job, having to move back in with your parents, a failed relationship, being arrested and moving to a new state are major life events. Do you ever feel discouraged about following your dreams and question if what you\u2019re sacrificing is worth it?<\/p>\n

JS<\/strong>: Honestly yes, I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s something that\u2019s going away anytime soon.\u00a0 I have a feeling I\u2019ll be by myself because my dreams aren\u2019t the most secure career path to go about.\u00a0 Chicks don\u2019t really line up for unpredictable situations. Sometimes I wish I\u2019d be happy living a \u201cregular\u201d life but I know I wouldn\u2019t be right now, at this point. I just try to look around and remember how unhappy other people are with everything that society says you should have and it reminds me I\u2019m making the right choice.\u00a0 I pray. I know my personal relationship with God and I feel like I wouldn\u2019t have the urge, gift, or opportunities to do this if it wasn\u2019t meant to happen.<\/p>\n

AE<\/strong>: \u00a0How far do you want to take your comedy and acting career?<\/p>\n

JS<\/strong>: I just want to reach my full potential.\u00a0 The goal isn\u2019t to be rich or famous.\u00a0 The goal is to make a living doing what I love to do.<\/p>\n

AE<\/strong>: Being that so many people are in those fields of work, do you find it difficult to find a place in the industry?<\/p>\n

JS<\/strong>: I think if you truly are yourself and no one else then there can\u2019t be another you. Thinking like that, I don\u2019t really think about trying to find a place.<\/p>\n

If you want to know more about Jay and his work check out his sites below.<\/p>\n

Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

Youtube<\/a><\/p>\n