>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME JUSSIE SMOLLETT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY,
HEY!
>> Stephen: THANKS FOR SAYING HI TO BAND.
>> THAT'S MY MAN RIGHT THERE, JON.
>> Stephen: YOU GUYS KNOW EACH OTHER?
>> WE DID THE C.R. FASHION SPREAD AND HE PLAYED PIANO FOR
BRUCE WEBER.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT SURPRISED.
JON IS VERY FASHIONABLE.
>> HE REALLY IS.
>> Stephen: THINGS ARE GOING VERY WELL FOR YOU,
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> SO FAR, SO GOOD.
>> Stephen: A HIT TV SHOW, PLAYING JAMAL LYONS ON "EMPIRE."
YOU JUST GOT YOUR FIRST RECORD DEAL WITH COLUMBIA.
YOU WRITE SONGS.
HOW MANY OF THEIR SONGS HAVE BEEN ON "EMPIRE."
>> FOUR THE FIRST SEASON, EIGHT THIS SEASON.
>> Stephen: THAT IS AMAZING.
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> GIVE ME THAT PUBLISHING MONEY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: AND, AND IF YOU
EVER NEED ANY SUPPORT, YOU'VE GOT A BIG FAMILY BEHIND YOU.
>> A HUGE FAMILY.
>> Stephen: NOW WHAT, DO YOU GUYS CALL YOURSELVES?
>> THE SMOLLETTS.
BUT THE NICKNAME IS SMALL NATION.
>> Stephen: I'VE GOT A PICTURE HERE FROM A SHOW YOU GUYS ALL
DID TOGETHER.
>> OH, NO.
>> Stephen: NOW, WHAT YEAR IS THIS?
THIS IS YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
>> THAT IS 1995.
>> Stephen: 1995.
IT WAS CALLED "ON OUR OWN."
WAS IT A TV SHOW ON ABC?
>> TGIF.
>> Stephen: AND THESE ARE YOUR SUBLINGS.
JUSSIE, JAZZ, JOJO, JOURNEY, JAKE, AND JOCKEY.
>> AND THAT'S THE GREAT COMEDIAN RALPH LEWIS HARRIS IN THE
MIDDLE.
>> Stephen: PLAYING AUNT JALCINDA.
DO ALL YOU GUYS PERFORM?
ARE ALL YOU GUYS STILL IN SHOW BUSINESS?
>> MOST OF US.
AND MY OLDER BROTHER RUNAISE NONPROFIT.
AND MY YOUNGER BROTHER HELPS RUN A TECH COMPANY.
THEY'RE THE SMART ONES.
>> Stephen: THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO HAVE YOUR BACK.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: WHICH MUST BE NICE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE YOUR FAMILY, THE SMALL
NATION, TO THE LYONS?
WHO COULD TAKE WHO IN A FIGHT?
BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME TOUGH LYONS.
>> ALL RIGHT, THIS IS TRICKY, BUT LET ME EXPLAIN THIS.
WE WOULD BEAT THE LYONS' ASS, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
>> Stephen: THEY'RE WATCHING.
THEY WATCH THIS SHOW EVERY NIGHT.
>> THEY'RE LIKE, WORD?
REALLY?
I'LL TELL YOU WHY?
THE LYONS ARE CONSTANTLY AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS.
WE HAVE A UNIFIED SITUATION.
AND, YES, LIEWSHUOUS WOULD POSSIBLY PULL OUT A GUN AND
SHOOT YOU IN THE IBUT THAT'S NOT POWNT.
MY OLDER BROTHER HAS ARMS THE SIZE OF TWO OF MY THIGHS.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK WE WOULD BE ALL RIGHT.
AND I SURE COULD BEAT JAMAL'S ASS DOWN.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: WOW, WOW.
DOES HE KNOW?
>> I THINK-- JAMAL, YEAH, YOU KNOW?
YEAH, HE KNOWS.
HE KNOWS.
>> Stephen: SO HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?
HOW DOES EVERYBODY END UP IN THE SAME SITCOM TOGETHER?
>> YOU KNOW, THERE STARTED BEING RUMBLINGS BECAUSE JOURNEY WAS ON
A LITTLE SHOW NAMED "FULL HOUSE."
AND SHE PLAYED MICHELLE'S BEST FRIEND.
THEY WERE SEEING US AROUND, AND MY MOM WAS TAKING US ALL AROUND,
AND SHE WAS LIKE, "I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE.
EITHER IT HAS TO BE ALL TOGETHER OR NOT."
AND THE NEXT THING WE KNOW WE'RE IN A MEETING WITH ABC.
I MEAN, LIKE, ALL OF THESE OLD-ASS WHITE MEN AND --
>> I'VE BEEN IN THAT MEETING.
>> I'M SURE YOU HAVE.
>> Stephen: I'M ONE OF THEM.
( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU'RE OFF-WHITE STEVE GLEN
I'M OFF-WHITE?
>> YOU'RE MOTHER OF PEARL.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANK YOU.
IT'S AN HONOR.
>> SO WE WENT IN, AND MY MOTHER IS A SERIOUS, SERIOUS ACTIVIST,
YOU KNOW, UNITY FOR ALL.
>> Stephen: OH, YEAH, SERIOUS, VERY STRONG--
>> I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WENT IN AND WE SANG "SHUT THEM DOWN" BY
PUBLIC ENEMY.
>> Stephen: FOR YOUR AUDITION.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: FOR THESE OLD WHITE MEN.
>> BUT, YOTHEY LOVED IT.
SO, APPARENTLY, THEYMENTED TO SHUT IT DOWN, TOO, BECAUSE WE
GOT OUR-- WE GOT OUR HOLDING DEAL WITH ABC.
THEN WE GOT OUR TV SHOW.
AND I GUESS THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT NO MORE BECAUSE THEY CANCELED
US.
>> Stephen: THEY DID.
>> AND THAT'S THAT.
>> Stephen: THEY SHUT YOU DOWN.
>> THEY SHUT US DOWN.
"OH, YOU WANT TO SHUT US DOWN?
WE'RE GOING TO SHUT YOU DOWN."
>> Stephen: YOUR MOM SUPPORTED BLACK PANTHERS AND YOU GREW UP
HAVE AN ACTIVIST SORT OF ATTITUDE?
DO YOU FEEL RESPONSIBILITY IN YOUR POSITION OF BEING A PUBLIC
FIGURE TO SPEAK OUT ON POLITICAL ISSUES?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I FEEL MORE THAN ANYTHING A RESPONSIBILITY AS A CITIZEN OF
THIS NATION AND A HUMAN BEING OF WORLD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW.
WE ALL LIVE IN THIS WORLD TOGETHER.
AND IT'S-- IT'S TIME, IF WE WOULD ALL PULL TOGETHER, WE
PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE THE REALITY SHOW OF A PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
>> Stephen: YEAH, BUT I-- ( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT, PROBABLY RIGHT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'D BE TALKING ABOUT EVERY NIGHT.
BUT-- ( LAUGHTER ).
>> YEAH, IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR COMEDIANS.
>> Stephen: IT REALLY IS.
IT REALLY IS.
ISN'T THAT SAD?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT?
EVERY SINGLE, YOU KNOW, POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IS GOOD FOR
COMEDIANS BECAUSE IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
IT.
BUT THIS IS ON ANOTHER LEVEL.
>> Stephen: THIS IS THE FIFTH PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN I'VE BEEN
DOING JOKES ABOUT, AND EACH ONE YOU THINK, IT'S NOT GOING TO GET
CRAZIER THAN THIS.
THEN WOO-WOO!
TRAIN TO CRAZY TOWN.
>> THAT'S WHEN THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS HAVE GONE FROM THE
REAL WORLD TO "REAL HOUSEWIVES."
I LOVE YOU CYNTHIA.
>> Stephen: DON'T YOU SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT "THE
BACHELOR."
>> WHERE ARE THEY?
GOOD, Y'ALL.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WELL, CONGRATULATIONS.
"EMPIRE," SEASON 2, MARCH 30.
JUSSIE SMOLLETT, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪ ♪ ♪