What is your take on the status of Black actors in Hollywood today?

LL

Are you talking television or film?

LL

I think it's all-relative, I think you have to work hard, that you have to be at the right place at the right time.You can't allow yourself to be easily frustrated, you know? You gotta work hard and work toward your goal, and you can't allow yourself to get caught up in that bitter web. You know cause there is a web of bitterness that can come over us. Whether it's relationships, whether it's job promotions, seeing other people get promoted, whether it's the success of someone else as opposed to you being unsuccessful at something or failing at something, we as a people can have a tendency to get caught up in a web of bitterness and I don't want the African American in Hollywood in television in film to get caught up in that. They need to work hard, they need to focus, like I hear the NAACP complaining about there not being any Black television shows. Well my answer to that is don't picket, don't boycott, take some of the money that is donated to the NAACP hire writers and create some pilots, create some shows for these African Americans and take them to the networks and do something with the money and do something with the talent and be productive, you know what I'm saying. That's important to me, the productivity part of it. I think that we have to be productive in what we are doing. And you know because, Oprah is on TV forever because she found the right niche, she found the right market, she did what she was supposed to do. Bill Cosby had a huge show because he found the right thing to do. Steve Harvey is on television because he found the niche and the right thing to do.

 

There are racist people in the world, that is true, that is very true, you know what I'm saying, but you can't allow the racist people to dictate how you gonna feel about you. You still have to work hard. The complaining aspects of it I don't agree with I think you just have to work hard and just work harder and do more, you know. And that goes whether you're African American, Latino. I don't know how many Latino shows are on? I don't know if there are any. I really don't know. And that's been like that for years. You gotta work hard. You gotta work hard and look at it and put it all in perspective. What about Asian shows? I'm African American and I love being Black, don't get it twisted, but I'm just saying you gotta work and not complain. Cause the complaining thing doesn't accomplish anything, it's like you know, instead of rioting sign some petitions and get some laws changed. It's a concept.

R

Do you find it is the same drive that pushed you to the top of the Hip-Hop game is the same drive that is pushing you to go out and look for roles?

LL

You gotta keep moving,. I don't believe in getting caught up in that whole thing. There is a whole side to this thing. Like, I would work with actors doing different things and I would hear them say "African Americans don't get as much money as white actors. And I'm like yo man just work, just work. You're shooting yourself in the foot coming in. You're coming in handicapped cause your already thinking that way. Don't worry about that. If a door gets slammed in your face, two doors will open if you go looking. But if you gonna sit there boo-hooing in front of that door (let me in, let me in), your finished. You gotta keep working, keep focused and stay strong, I really believe that and all those talented actors out there that have been working all there lives and went to various acting schools and worked in the theater and what have you and want to pursue an acting career - create something for yourself. Create an identity for yourself. Work hard, focus, you know.

I mean Dennis Rodman is a guy that averages what? Ten points a game or something, nine points a game? He created something for himself. He made rebounding special. Make what you do something special, stop complaining and work. Just work. You know? Plant seeds. You know what I'm saying, if bad weather is coming, a storm is coming plant more seeds. If you don't have any seeds, shake a tree till some droop. Go find a rotten piece of fruit get a seed out of it. Do what you got to do. You know what I'm saying?

R

Do you find that a lot of Black colleges agree with what you are saying?

LL

I don't know. I haven't really had this discussion with anyone. I'm not looking for a majority to agree. I'm just expressing how I really feel. This is what I really believe is effective cause I've applied it to my life and I've seen it work for me. So you know that's all I have to base it on. You know what I'm saying? You know I mean I really believe that. I strongly believe if you work hard you reap what you sow. If you sow good seeds, if you plant tomatoes you can get tomatoes in season. But if you plant onions you gonna get onions. You know what I'm saying? I believe it's true.