Certified Funny - Celebrity Comic, Jeremiah (J.J.) Williamson has been in the entertainment industry since the early 90s. JJ has risen up the ranks

and has made a name for himself as one of the top comics in the game performing on stages with an audience of 10,000. He has worked with comedy giants such as Earthquake, D.L. Hughley Rickey Smiley, Bruce Bruce, and Cedric the Entertainer. J.J. has been cast in numerous films, including the noteworthy movie Johnson Family Vacation. **You were born in the ’70s in Jackson, Mississippi; what was your childhood like?** Jackson, Mississippi, known as the Sipp, is where it all started and where my roots are from. That’s how I got my nickname “JJ From the Sipp” with two p’s!! My childhood was great. It’s six of us, and I’m next to the baby. I have two older brothers, two older sisters, and one younger brother. **As a kid, what made you “feel” that you had a knack for comedy?** It was a childhood dream. I was always silly. I love to have fun and make people laugh. I had great energy, and people just loved being around me. My older siblings allowed me to stay up late because I had the assignment to “let the window up” when they stayed out past curfew. Not only was the reward letting me stay up late, but I watched late-night comedy. Comedians like Arsenio Hall, George Carlin, and Marsha Warfield back in the day. I remember that every time I watched stand-up comedy, a light bulb went off. **I read that you never told anyone that you wanted to be a comedian. Why didn’t you share that with anyone?** I didn’t have the confidence that it could actually happen. I wondered how I would get discovered. Thinking that no talent could come from Mississippi, I put the thought in the back of my head, locked the door, and threw away the key. I never told anyone, not even my parents or siblings. I never told the Man upstairs, although he already knew my path. **You often talk about your experience at Alcorn State in your comedy routines, especially being in the band. What was so amazing about that?** It was great! It paid for my college tuition. I played the trumpet from junior high up to college. Being in the Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite, the best HBCU Band in the country! I repeat, the Best Band in the Country was just an incredible experience. **Your career began in 1995 in Atlanta, GA – at Uptown Comedy Corner. What was it like breaking into comedy?** It was great! Comedian Earthquake was one of the guys who taught me how to work the stage, put a joke together, how to find the punchline, and create the big boom at the end of a joke. On Tuesday it was Amateur Night at Uptown, I signed up to perform and it was packed. All the amateurs were bombing and getting booed. I was one of the last names on the list, and they didn’t want to bring on any more amateurs. I stopped the guy that hosting at the time, Cory “Zooman” Miller. I introduced myself and told him, “I was ready” and “I got to go on tonight while I have the drive and ambition.” Then I said, “if I don’t go on tonight, I may not come back.” Cory reluctantly agreed and introduced me to the audience as the last amateur act. The crowd did not want any more amateurs. They yelled, “bring Bruce Bruce up! Bring Arnez J up! I’ll never forget my first words on stage: “I know y’all see it on my face, and I know y’all hear it in my voice, but I’m nervous as a @#$%&”! The crowd went crazy! I had maybe 3 - 4 minutes tops of jokes. I had a standing ovation my very first night on stage, and here I am now. At a New Year’s Eve party, I told my girlfriend at the time, “Baby, I found my niche! I know what I want to do! I found my calling in life! I want to be a stand-up comedian”. When the word spread that I wanted to do stand-up, people were talking, “man, what is he doing” “he funny, but he ain’t funny funny”. **You lied to your parents about having a job ready for you in Atlanta. Did you think they wouldn’t approve of you being a comedian?** Yeah, I did. Since I never told anyone, I lied to my parents that I had a job waiting on me in Atlanta. I finished at Alcorn, and I knew I needed to get out of Jackson. I wanted to find my own way. I moved in with my college sweetheart and worked odd jobs at Sears, Circuit City, and Foot Action. Before I pursued comedy full-time, the last job was valeting cars at the Marriott Marquis, a five-star hotel in downtown Atlanta. Things started moving. Small Fry was the very first person to take me out of town. Then I started going out on the road with Rickey Smiley. I stayed with it, and I’m 27 years in the game. **What was the backup plan if you didn’t go after your dream? ** That’s a great question. I really had no idea. I graduated from Alcorn State University with a major in Technology. My father had a janitorial company. I would help him on the weekends, cleaning up banks and churches. Perhaps I would have continued in the family business if I didn’t pursue my ultimate dream. **Who helped you learn the business side as a comedian?** I’ve been opening for Cedric the Entertainer since the 2000s. He really put my name out there after the Kings of Comedy. All of the Kings went their separate ways and started doing their own shows. Cedric put this platform together called Cedric the Entertainer Presents. It showcases up-and-coming comedians who are thought to really make some noise in this business. I was blessed to be one of those comics. We connected more than just comedian friends. We became brothers. He really taught me a lot about the business. I learned the ins and outs of contracts and how to promote myself. Cedric really helped me to build my brand in front of his audience. Cedric received so much love and appreciation from fans by bringing someone on like myself, who is strong on stage. I’ve been able to perform on a stage of 10,000 people. Many comedians that are successful won’t bring another comic along that they feel is going to be a threat to their career. **Do you still come out on Sho Nuff by 8Ball & MGJ for your intro? Do you know all the words?** I cannot retire that song. I really can’t. I tried. People get mad if I don’t come out on that song. It’s a part of me now. DJ Love in Atlanta played it one night when I came out, and it just hit me. I told him to play that from the beginning. It’s all about the bass guitar. I know about 90% of the words, and it’s part of my act now. It went viral when I started putting it in my act. When 8Ball & MGJ, and Tela found out, they reached out to me, and we had fun discussing it. **What is the inspiration behind your material?** Just everyday life. Stuff that you see on the news. I see certain things, try to find a premise, and write around it. My material is universal that people can relate to, have been through, have seen, and know about. I put it on a funny platform. **What is the most memorable moment in your career?** In 2000, I won the Black Bay Area Comedy Festival Award in Oakland, CA. They have this event every year. I was in a big competition with a lot of comedians, and they picked your boy to win that thang, JJ From the Sip! **Your wife and children are a big part of your act. Tell us about your family.** I’ve been married for 16 years to my beautiful wife, Tarkeisha Williamson. I met her back in ’87. She’s from Greenwood, MS, and I was from Jackson. I met her through my college roommate Marvin Smith who was also from Greenwood. I went home with Marvin one weekend Alcorn played against Mississippi Valley in a basketball game. When we met, our eyes kind of spark. We always had an attraction to one another. At the time, we were both dating someone, but we kept in contact. Later we started dating and were on and off several times. Eventually, she said, “boy, come on, I’ll marry your a**. I have a beautiful daughter Reva, who is 34, and she’s given me three beautiful grandkids, Isaiah, Josiah, and Janiyah. They keep me young. My family is definitely my world. My son is 17, and he is very prominent in my routines. **Speaking of family, you played Cousin Bodie in Johnson Family Vacation. Was that your first role? Do you aspire to act more?** Yes, that was my first role. Cedric the Entertainer, was the main attraction in that movie and one of the producers. He called me up and told me he had a cool little part for me. I didn’t have to audition. I was very green to movies, so I didn’t know what to do. But he taught me what to do and how to come out with my lines. He made the transition easy for me. I’ve done a few more roles, but nothing mainstream. I played in a movie called Even Odds that was filmed in Mississippi that’s playing on Prime Video. I had a few background roles in Barbershop 2 and The Last John. **Your talent, career, and gift are to make others laugh. What makes you laugh?** I’m a fan of comedy as well. Other comedians make me laugh. I’m still a student of the game even after 27 years. It’s easy to make me laugh. Laughter is good for the soul. **What is your go-to drink?** Hennessey, hands down, and Dusse. I’m a dark liquor man. That Hennessey will have me walking bow-legged and pigeon-toed. I don’t have to have it to do my routines, but it helps calm the nerves a little bit. **How did you land the job as co-host of DeDe in the Morning?** I lived in Atlanta from 1993- 2021. During the pandemic, everything was shut down. No shows were going on, so I continued to recreate myself on social media. Everybody was stuck at home, so I started creating different characters. I did this Club Patio, where I played music in the backyard, and people would tune in. DeDe McGuire, host of DeDe in the Morning on K104FM in Dallas, TX, offered me a job on her syndicated radio show, and I moved to Dallas in August 2021. It was a blessing. We’re in syndication in 70 different cities. They enjoy my “country-ness” on the radio. **I’m sure you’ve talked about this on your morning show; What are your thoughts about the trend with Monique & DL?** I was disappointed in it. I hate that it had to go that route. Those are 2 powerful entertainers in the business. They had a little setback with differences in the contract. I hate it because they started together and have been in the trenches in the entertainment and comedy business for a long time. I hope they can squash it and reconnect as friends, comedians, and artists in this business. Up and-coming artists are watching. They may wonder if this is how the business goes. You don’t want that because it’s enough money in this business for everybody. Enough to eat, grow, and get paid. You don’t have to downplay the next person to come up. **You’ll be 53 on September 17th. What’s next for you?** I’m still growing as a radio personality and building my brand. I have a brother, Chris, who is mentally challenged, so I’m working on creating The Chris Williamson Foundation to raise awareness for those with a mental illness. I know my mom is in heaven, proud to leave a legacy in our family name. I hope to branch out to more movies. I’ve been trying to showcase my comedy to Netflix and, hopefully, one day get a special. ##