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Spotlight
THE SPOTLIGHT FEATURING COMEDIAN RUDY RUSH By Matthew Curran
A veteran of the professional comedy circuit, Rudy Rush has experienced a wide spectrum of the entertainment business, from touring colleges and clubs to becoming the youngest host of the longest-running African-American syndicated show, Showtime at the Apollo. Rudy parlayed his Apollo notoriety into major projects with Dave Chappelle and Martin Lawrence, while also appearing on shows such as Def Comedy Jam, Jamie Foxx’s Laff-A-Palooza and Premium Blend. Rudy has been featured in his own half-hour special on Comedy Central and was the comedic force on the long-running, nationally syndicated radio show, The Doug Banks Morning Show. Ysa Abraham of Afrovibes TV interviewed the season veteran of the comedy circuit, Rudy Rush. A Harlem Native, Rush traveled around the world at different clubs showing his routines and skits that propelled him to the spotlight. He is featured as a host on Showtime as well as seen inComedy Central and Comedy Jam and heard in radio shows like Rush Hour with Rudy Rush and the Doug Banks Show. Rush and Ysa talked much about numerous subjects such as how Rush got into comedy, how he decided to pursue his career further like being on tours, how he collaborated with other comedians like Dave Chappelle, how technical comedy really is, and much more. He also discusses what it is like being black in America. He says that the black people have a pervasive burden in a way that not many other minorities feel in America to an extent. He mentions that AfricanAmericans want to be treated with respect but knows they would be treated differently because of the institutionalized racism in America. He also mentions there is also an insidious lack of self-respect within the African-American community, and there is less unity within it then back then. Rush suggests for the next generation of African-Americans to look at what they want to do and see how many are doing at a very high-level of expertise. It requires dedication and understanding to not take the opportunities given for granted. He considers himself blessed for his accomplishments but also is conscious about the futures of the next generation of black people and how that reflects with his own experiences reaching to the level he is now. With such words, Rush imparts the importance of consciousness to black youth that it is possible to succeed in any path despite the odds as long as one understands their situation in America.
