Q: What's the first joke you ever wrote?
A: Hmmm....wow....hahaha...Oh ya..... I said “I’m Egyptian, Egypt is in Africa so technically I’m African-American.....I’m African from the waist down.” Years later, when my material got better, the owner of my hometown comedy club broke the news to me that it was a hack joke and I needed to drop it. I was very upset...but I got over it.

Q: What is the source of your sense of humor?
A: My life. You get a lot of material when you’re a skinny Middle Eastern kid growing up in America.

Q: In school, were you the class clown or the quiet nerd?
A: I was definitely the class clown. The problem was I had a big mouth and learned very quickly that if what I said wasn’t funny I was going to get my butt kicked.

Q: Is it better to be feared or loved on your way up the comedy ladder?
A: Definitely loved. This is a tough business so you have to work together to move up the ladder. If you’re feared then you are unapproachable and you might miss out on opportunities. The only reason I knew about this competition was because a good comedian friend of mine sent me an email and said I should submit a tape.

Q: Your stardom: a karmic inevitability or old fashioned luck?
A: A little bit of both. I’m not a very religious guy but I believe anything that happens to me will happen for a reason. On the other hand, a little luck never hurts but you can’t just sit around waiting for it to happen. You have to work hard and luck seems to follow.