James Davis doesn't pretend to have the answers to all of America's racial problems, but there are moments in his new series "Hood Adjacent" when you think he just might.
The series, which premiered last month on Comedy Central, takes viewers on a tour of black America, specifically South Central Los Angeles, shining a light on cultural influences that have nothing to do with gangs.
The 33-year-old comic is also an up-and-coming stand-up, one who honed his writing skills on BET Awards shows and "The Late, Late Show With James Corden," with sharp man-on-the-street interviews and outrageous music videos. Davis, who will perform this weekend at Rick Bronson's House of Comedy in the Mall of America, talked by phone last week on a wide range of subjects, from his artistic obligations to the Minnesota fans he's most eager to impress.
Q: You're doing a comedy show, but I get the impression that your ambitions go beyond just trying to make people laugh.
A: Yeah, definitely. The depiction of South Central has become more legend and less fact-based. We tell stories about rioting and car chases and every time we tell them, they get a little more fantastical. It's not a new story. In the show, we do a piece on Trap Kitchen, a local catering company, and I was happy to show that. It's about redemption, not Rodney King. There's this new series called "Snowfall" [John Singleton's new FX series about L.A.'s 1980s crack epidemic]. I'm the first to say it looks dope, but I've read articles and commentaries. From what I can tell, that's not going to be new to me. In my show, we have a discussion about chitlins. That's new to me.
Q: So you're willing to sacrifice a laugh or two to make a point?
A: The laugh is the most important thing. I never wanted to be a teacher or a preacher. I don't want the audience ever thinking that they're listening to Don Lemon or Anderson Cooper. But early in my career I was just telling jokes. I wouldn't think about using them to send a message. But now, after studying comedians like Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jerry Seinfeld, I know how to talk about the society around me.
Q: But that's a lot of pressure. Hannibal Buress may have gotten the country to start talking about Bill Cosby, but then it seemed like he tried to distance himself from it.
