[MUSIC PLAYING]
What's up?
Nothing but illustrious guest.
You've seen him on "Saturday Night Live" for 17 seasons.
God damn, it's the motherfucking hilarious
Kenan Thompson, you cowards.
Come on out the bodego, Kenan.
Yeah.
AUDIENCE:
[APPLAUSE]
What up, guys?
DESUS: My guy.
-
Hello.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Kenan in the building.
Sang sang
That's right.
What's going on?
Why does Kenan feel like every cousin we've ever had.
Like, we just feel mad comfortable with him, man.
Come on, man.
He's like becoming the right thing.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
He live in the suburbs and stuff
Yeah, right.
Y'all need to be more like Kenan.
- Or stay in school. - That's right.
Calvin just got home from school.
Hey, Calvin.
Kenan.
Kenan had a job for 17 years.
Mm-hm.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
I'm gonna work on this rap album, though.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
So listen, no one has been on "SNL" longer than you.
First of all, that's high praise my guy.
[APPLAUSE] AUDIENCE: [CHEERING]
- That is high praise. - Thank you, man.
A testament to the talent and the longevity.
DESUS: What does that feel like?
That's like--
You're the Robert Parish of "SNL."
OK--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Yeah, let's take some time, so everyone
can pause and Google that.
Yeah, Robert Parish, everybody--
Celtics from '80 through whatever--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Back when people used payphones, yes.
Yeah the new Robert Horry.
Is that more current?
Yeah.
That might work better.
What does it feel like?
It feels incredible.
I don't really know what to compare it to,
you know what I'm saying, because we just get up and try
to go to work every day. DESUS: Right.
You know what I'm saying, forever.
DESUS: Does it still feel like work?
Not as much as other things, you know what I'm saying?
Like, the crazy part about it is it's kind of my calm place
now because I'm doing more shows and commercials and shit.
You see that Thrifty shit?
MERO: Yeah.
Bad boy
You know what I'm saying?
But yeah, "SNL" keeps me in New York, you know what I mean,
when my kids is going to school.
And it keeps me kind of like I know
where I'm going to be at for like a couple weeks out
the month or whatever, as opposed to being like,
oh, come to Australia and do this movie or whatever,
not that I've been asked to go to Australia.
I mean, y'all listen, "Kangaroo Jack."
Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
- Kangaroo Jack 2. - Part 3.
Come on, man, 3 and 4.
Let's go.
Kangaroo Jack: Electric Boogaloo.
Yeah.
Come on.
But you have a lot of projects going on.
How do you do that while still on "SNL" because isn't
the schedule all week?
It is.
It's Monday through Saturday.
But luckily, they're all NBC projects,
so it's kind of on them to work it out.
But "Bring the Funny," we shot that in a couple weeks.
Y'all "Bring the Funny," Chrissy Teigen, homie.
Exactly.
And Jeff Foxworthy, Amanda Seales is great--
producer on that-- [INTERPOSING VOICES]
DESUS: Get that right there.
Get them checks.
This is a flex area, you know what I'm saying?
You know what I mean?
Get your flexing out, you know what I'm saying, let them know.
All of that--
they made Kel the producer as well, so he's living out there.
And he can be there every day.
So I got to be there every day. - Oh.
Yeah.
What's y'all relationship like?
He's my dawg. Just chilling.
You got the group chat?
You send each other nudes?
I mean, not of each other.
MERO: [LAUGHTER]
DESUS: Yo, fam, you need to tighten that up.
Fam.
Because you don't shave that shit.
DESUS: [LAUGHTER]
Yeah, no, we good.
That's my brother for life, man.
Yeah.
And he's a really positive dude, you know what I'm saying?
He's a youth pastor these days.
So he's on another level with it.
Do you kids want to be famous?
My daughter is a ham, my oldest.
She's definitely very funny.
And I think she wants to perform.
She's always doing shit in the mirror
or like, Daddy, look at this or whatever.
Is she funny or is she like, damn, that's my daughter.
I gotta be like, yeah.
- You got to give it up. - Yeah?
You gotta give it up a little bit.
You gotta give it up?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
But also, she could use a little more perspective.
[LAUGHTER]
She's five years old.
Yeah yeah, that was a good step.
You gotta punch it up a little bit, right?
Right. [INTERPOSING VOICES]
We gonna hire a writer for you.
No.
But yeah, they both sweet, man.
You know, little girls like to just entertain their dads,
I guess.
Does your kids ever try to play?
Because my son recently tried to play me.
Explain.
And say that a YouTuber--
I'm not going to say their name because they
on YouTube, not television.
This is television--
This is TV.
--so you know the difference.
People are paying for this.
This is television.
All right.
We don't gotta just go to Starbucks
and get the free Wi-Fi--
All right.
--to watch this shit.
Anyway, he was like, this YouTuber
is way more famous than you.
And I was like, get the fuck out of here.
I'm way more popular than him.
Well, first I would suggest maybe taking the cursing out.
[LAUGHTER]
OK.
No, I mean, I'm sure I'm not the most
famous person to my daughter at all, not even close.
She's like Travis Scott is way more cool, Dad.
Yeah, or even Ryan opening the toys, you know what I'm saying?
Yo, Ryan.
Ryan the toy kid is like out-- outrageous.
Who?
Ryan's Toy Review, man.
Ryan's Toy Review.
Yo, he started just opening toys, bro.
And then it was just like--
And how old is he?
$30 million a year-- seven, eight, nine--
- What? - Something like that.
That man is a multi-billionaire.
But I mean, his parents are smart.
So it's always him shooting around their house opening
toys--
DESUS: What's their security like?
It looks like it's loose.
Yeah?
Looks like it's mad loose.
A little lax, right?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
It look like Orlando.
DESUS: Wait till his parents--
He's like got a little something
Yeah, Ryan's Toys Review.
[LAUGHTER]
I hear that shit early in the morning.
And your first gig was at age 10 for Lee's
Famous Recipe Chicken.
Yeah. -
[LAUGHTER]
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Do you have unlimited chicken for life?
I wish, man.
That was my first gig, so I just took the little $800 check.
Do you remember your lines?
Oh, yeah.
I was supposed to be fishing with my fake granddad.
And I say, Grandpa, the fish ain't biting today.
And he hands me a piece of chicken.
[LAUGHTER]
OK.
Did you see the creative on this?
10 years old, so take a big bite of chicken
and say, oh, I like this kind of biting.
And then I remember the director telling me take
a bigger bite of the chicken.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Yeah.
I mean, I was just like, this is racist as hell, but--
[LAUGHTER]
--you know, whatever.
Yo, we gotta keep the lights on.
You know what I'm saying?
Fake granddad, is he good with this?
DESUS: [LAUGHTER]
I don't know.
I was excited, but yeah.
So ya'll brought back All That it's iconic, man.
AUDIENCE: [LAUGHTER]
Um, who are you?
AUDIENCE: [LAUGHTER]
I'm-- I'm Kenan.
No.
No, I don't think that's right.
Yeah, man, I'm so proud, man.
It was like "Living Single" for facts--
Thank you.
But yeah, man, it's a big deal.
"In Living Color"--
I said "Living Single."
Yeah, Yeah.
"Living Single."
What is that, by the way? Is that a rum?
- I mean, you can have some. - Brugal
pour this out.
Look, it's our show. Watch.
Yeah.
Wow.
Balling.
You see how he's balling on y'all?
Thank you.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Cheers, man.
Cheers.
Cheers to you all, man.
Successful, man. - To longevity.
To longevity.
AUDIENCE: [APPLAUSE]
DESUS: Also, we drinking with the longest person on "SNL."
Put some respect on that.
You know what I'm saying?
Who were some of your comic idols growing up?
What brought you into the comedy game?
I mean, you know, it was Eddie and Bill at first,
you know what I'm saying?
And then I started being able to get into Richard once I was
of age to be able to listen.
DESUS: What age were you listening to it?
Still young.
How young?
Like middle schoolish.
Like, sneaking it, like--
[GIGGLING]
- Most def. - What's crack?
Between that and "Purple Rain"--
[LAUGHTER]
Jumping in the lake saying always turn it off.
But yeah, I mean, Bill, Eddie, and then Richard,
and then of course Dave who we just honored,
you know what I'm saying? DESUS: Yeah.
And that was amazing.
He just won the Mark Twain Award.
Mm-hm. Dave.
So that was huge.
And then "In Living Color" came out,
so Jim Carrey and all those other people,
and then of course, anybody from "SNL"
because "Trading Places" and "Coming to America"
and all of that was--
Well, it's an iconic institution.
Yeah. MERO: Canonical.
How does it feel knowing because this "SNL" is not just
a show.
It's a show the nation tunes into to find out the vibes,
to find out how people feel about different politics
and everything every Saturday.
Temperature of the country.
What's the pressure on like?
Do you feel that when you're rehearsing, when you
guys are writing?
1,000%.
I mean, now, you feel it every show.
I mean, that's what comedy is.
We can feel it right now.
Like, we trying to be funny, and they're not responding.
We feel that, you know what I'm saying?
It's not like you can just go out there--
and it's not like being a rapper where you got a hit record.
And then every time you play it, it feels good to everybody.
You don't even gotta sing the shit.
You just hold the mic--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
KENAN THOMPSON: It looks like the easiest job in the world.
Mm-hm.
But comedy, you know what I mean, set up a punch line.
It's the only way to do it.
DESUS: Right.
Is there a character that you played
on "SNL" that you like more than any other characters
you've played?
I mean, if I got to put one above all, I mean,
I don't know, David Ortiz is like a whole lot of fun
[LAUGHTER]
That's right up your alley
[LAUGHTER]
Papi I like it.
We Yankee fans but it's okay, I'll allow it.
Ah, yeah.
That's the one thing that I get away
with in New York is being that Boston dude
and wearing that Boston Jersey.
And it's only because this shit is funny.
That shit's hilarious.
That and the what's up with that guy.
KENAN THOMPSON: Ah, thank you, man.
Family Feud's another one that I like doing.
DESUS: Yo, has Steve ever had words with you?
Yes.
Yes, yeah He called, especially the first time,
he was like, watch yourself.
[LAUGHTER]
But you know what I'm saying?
I mean, he's real, from Cleveland.
You know what I'm saying?
Crown Royal uncle energy.
But I've known him, I guess, for so long.
So once I continued to do it, he started to love it.
And then I went on his show.
And we talked about it.
And it's all good. DESUS: It's Steve.
You know what I'm saying? Shout out to the Harv.
Oh, man.
He got too much money to be mad, man.
So, wait, you have an Emmy?
Yeah, I got one.
All right, for the song "Come Back, Barack"
that you wrote with Chance the Rapper
and the homie Chris Redd.
That's right, the homie Chris Redd
Where is the Emmy?
It's in my house.
I had it in my bedroom.
And then it freaked me out looking at it every day.
DESUS: Yeah. - It's a lot of pressure.
It's like, can I get another one?
Or am I good with the one?
We try to see if our guest is a person
that has an Emmy when you first walk in or maybe like--
Well, now it's in the living room.
My wife put it out in the living room.
I like that
But it's like way up on a bookshelf or something.
DESUS: Any desire to try to get a EGOT.
Yeah, man.
John Legend got it, man.
And I feel like he got like four of them
shits off of one project.
It's crazy.
It's wild.
I think he cheated a little, OK--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Damn, man you don't win a Oscar for a soundtrack
and then get a Tony for a soundtrack
and then get a Emmy for a soundtrack.
You know what I'm saying?
Also, he leads with that.
He's like, hi, I'm John Legend, EGOT.
KENAN THOMPSON: Yeah, word.
I got you, man.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
What is a EGOT is it ET?
How many times you got it, bro?
He's like, oh, damn, like one, two, three, four, 2002.
Thanks to Chrissy, we went to his house
and saw the little trophy wall.
Right when you walk in, big ass piano,
and then all the trophies.
And it's not like a million of them.
But it's enough to be like, oh, yeah, this house is nice yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, you rich-rich.
It changes your tone in the house.
You be like, Oh can I have some water?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Yeah, manners now coming into play.
Yeah, word.
You know what I'm saying?
[LAUGHTER]
So have you heard from Barack since making that song?
He tweeted that night.
He said he liked it.
Kenan, I love it.
You know what I mean?
Have you heard from him since then?
No, man.
No?
Damn, Barack, what's up? - You know what I'm saying?
What's up, dawg.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
We need you.
Yo, imagine if Barack drops a fire verse.
[GASPING]
Little Trump disk track.
He got it in him.
You know he do.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Isn't he one of the coolest people
you've ever seen in your life?
In politics for sure.
Oh, my god.
I mean, absolutely.
I've never seen anybody close to that kind of charisma.
I also had never seen a President that seemed like they
were just answering the question that was asked
to them without having it prepared, like a human being,
you know what I mean?
Just like ask me something, and I can respond.
Right.
And he's smoking a bogie the whole time.
KENAN THOMPSON: Yeah. - He's like, hey, listen, man.
KENAN THOMPSON: I'll tell you about the insurance plan.
[SUCKING AIR] We can't afford it.
[LAUGHTER]
AUDIENCE: [LAUGHTER]
DESUS: Oh.
But yeah, I don't know, man.
I feel like the dude just had the craziest swagger
I've ever seen.
Where do you you see yourself in 30 years?
Man--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Hopefully, you're gonna be a cool granddad.
Yeah, I would love it.
You know what I'm saying, not having to walk too far.
[LAUGHTER]
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Is that the goal right there?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Yeah, word.
I'm good just gliding around.
But yeah, still grinding.
Still doing "SNL"?
That would be fun, man.
Wouldn't that be crazy?
That would be great.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
They'd have to rename it after you, though.
I don't know, man.
It's one of them jobs, it's like,
why would you ever leave because it's not
like it ever gets redundant.
You know what I'm saying?
The show changes every single week.
It's always relevant.
Right.
Yeah, they always hire new young people to write it
and shit like that so the tone is always relevant and current.
And it's still fun to make.
Have you ever stepped up in the writers' room
and been like, to ya'll wildin?
Would a sketch or an idea--
No, only when I'm writing my own shit,
you know what I'm saying?
I try to respect them because I feel like a lot of them
are a lot smarter than me.
You know what I'm saying?
They actually finished college and shit like that.
Drop out gang.
But if it's yours--
[LAUGHTER] I tried.
You know what I'm saying?
I didn't like the structure.
I tried, too.
I mean, I was supposed to be going to film school.
And I was supposed to transfer because I didn't get
a scholarship to film school.
And then I was going to live inside the state for a year
and go much cheaper.
But my mom didn't want me to take a year out
of school because that's usually when people decide not to go--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
MERO: They call that a Gap year because they're
working at the Gap.
Exactly. Exactly.
You know what I'm saying?
So I went this other transfer school for two years.
And then after three years, I was still a freshman.
So I just called it quits.
MERO: Damn that sounds like Cam Newton's journey, dawg.
Yeah, dawg, not paying attention.
Going to the Juco and then went first in the draft.
[LAUGHTER] Juco.
All right, we have to ask this.
I don't know why that sounds like juvenile corrections.
It sounds weird, right?
Cause your friend be like yeah, I'm gonna go to Juco first--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
What was the most worthless, wasteful purchase you made when
you first got on because you seem like a very reserved,
very I'm gonna watch my money kind of guy.
What's the one thing you want.
I'm wiling out here?
I bought a 4Runner, a Toyota 4Runner.
And I thought I was balling out of control.
[LAUGHTER]
When you said 4Runner, I was like, uh, what kind of--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Toyota-- I thought I was balling out
of control because it was like, I turned
18 and bought myself a car.
I got to buy it.
No rims, no--
I put rims on it eventually.
But at first, it was just stock.
The stock?
Oh, man.
Little tires on the little 4Runner.
Lil 10 inch joints.
There was so much gap in the wheel well.
It was wack.
But that back window rolled down.
And that was player.
Yeah.
Got fine with everything whatsup.
Yeah.
But that was right when the Expedition came out,
you know what I'm saying?
Yeah, so it kind of like--
Yeah, the 4Runner was big.
And then all of a sudden, all the bigger SUVs came out
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
But I'm gonna get this parking spot right here.
If there's any advice you could tell
the version of you just starting out in the business,
what would that be?
I mean, probably just hold your head, watch your money--
the same shit that my true brothers in the game told me.
You know what I'm saying?
Just remember you got all the talent in the world.
I remember Jamie Foxx told me that in passing on his show.
We were guests or something.
And he was coming out his dressing room.
And he was going to go shoot or whatever.
And he was walking past and he happened to notice.
You know what I mean?
And he was like, hey, man, you got
all the talent in the world.
This was early in the Nickelodeon game.
So just for him to have that awareness,
you know what I'm saying, and to pass those kinds of words
along, it never left me.
You know what I'm saying?
And he was like, man, just believe in yourself.
Don't listen to the word no.
Smoke less weed.
All right, let's relax.
You know what I'm saying?
Or maybe smoke more. I don't know.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Smoke better earlier. MERO: Yeah.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Find better weed earlier.
Yes, 5:00 in the morning when my kids wake me up,
I just sneak into the basement--
[SUCKING AIR] get in the shower.
Then I come out don't smell like like a pine bush no more.
Ooo.
New York winters, you can step outside
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
All right, got a bodega behind us.
You know every bodega has neon signs
saying what's available with hot food, who can't use EBT--
you know, whatever, whatever.
What would you like your neon sign to say?
Lotto $2 billion right now.
[LAUGHTER]
Good night.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Yo thanks Kenan Thompson watch "SNL" and--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
"ALL THAT" my guy, he been on "SNL" forever,
and he's gonna be on it forever.
AUDIENCE: [CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you for coming.
Yo!
Salud.
[MUSIC PLAYING]