“You can’t spell laugh without L.A. and ‘ugh'” advertised Netflix, encouraging locals and travelers alike to visit the City of Angels for its annual comedy event. The 2024 Netflix Is A Joke fest gathered hundreds of the world’s funniest people to Los Angeles over 11 days for comedy shows, table reads, and musical performances.
Kevin Hart, Katt Williams, Ali Wong, Deon Cole, Trevor Noah, Marlon Wayans, Chelsea Handler, Maya Rudolph, Mike Epps, Cedric The Entertainer, and more are among the lauded talent who graced various stages during the event. In fact, Netflix hosted 295 shows in 2023, with more than 330 comedians and 260,000 tickets sold, and only leveled up in this year’s iteration.
“This is a special time for comedy, both for Netflix and the genre at large,” detailed Robbie Praw, Netflix VP of Stand-up and Comedy Formats. “We have the privilege of working with comedians who are selling out arenas, winning awards, and building fandoms in the millions. In the 10 years that we’ve been doing stand-up, we’ve seen the art form reach levels we didn’t think possible. This festival aims to capture this moment by bringing together the world’s best comedians for an unforgettable 11 days.”
From the Hollywood Bowl to the YouTube Theater, audiences experienced uncontrollable laughter as well as stale, blank stares as the result of cringe-worthy punchlines.
Read below for VIBE’s recap of several shows during the 2024 Netflix Is A Joke Fest.
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Freddie Gibbs' 'CoKane Comedy'
Image Credit: Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images Freddie Gibbs and his cohost Mexico entertained a sold-out audience at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, with a handful of performers that offered a variety of jokes. Entering the stage to “Like That” by Future, Metro Boomin’, and Kendrick Lamar, the stage was set for punchlines targeting Drake, which came from nearly every comedian who took the stage.
Actress Aida Osman got deep in her comedy bag with her return to standup, performing for the first time in nearly five years. As fans know, she starred in the series Rap Sh!t in the interim but through her set, we also comically learned of her alleged exploits with older men, her mother’s prayers, and more.
Additionally, Zack Fox and Marcella Arguello drew endless applause from ticketholders during the late-night event. Gibbs himself even proved his comedy chops, aiming his nudes being exposed, his Hip-Hop peers, being from Gary, I.N., and more.
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Katt Williams' 'Woke Foke'
Image Credit: Cr. Clifton Prescod/Netflix © 2024 Before Katt Williams took the stage for his Netflix live debut Woke Foke, a handful of comedians set the tone for a good time. As VIBE entered the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif., the show set in and Tacarra Williams entered the stage. With explicit jokes about parenting teenagers, dating older men, and sending nudes, the audience cringed and laughed simultaneously.
Actor and comedian Mark Curry took the stage next, delivering a laugh-out-loud storytime about his visits to a strip club where the dancers and patrons were all over 40. Veteran talent Mo’Nique followed up and brashly yet comically laid into Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King with jokes about hygiene, sexuality, and more.
Headliner Katt Williams took the stage and shared a routine exploring pop culture, politics, and more. Take a preview of his set below, or watch on Netflix.
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85 South's 'Five On It'
Image Credit: Ser Baffo/Netflix The 85 South Show’s Karlous Miller, DC Young Fly, and Chico Bean brought a handful of comics to the YouTube Theater for a night of laughs. The trio rotated center stage, introducing Lewis Belt, Justin Whitehead, Tyler Chronicles, James Davis, Osama Bin Drankin, Sydney Castillo, and Paris Sashay, interacting with an exciting crowd, and taking diggs at the DJ.
While VIBE did not attend the entire performance, the sets from Davis, Sashay, and Castillo drew in some of the biggest audience reactions. Overall, The 85 South Show trio proved why they have millions of supporters, keeping the show flowing with effortless wit and banter.
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Kountry Wayne
Image Credit: Roger Kisby/Getty Images for HARTBEAT Kountry Wayne welcomed a crowd of millennials, Gen-Xers, and baby boomers to the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles and shared stories and one-liners that kept each generation satisfied. A call-and-response led by host Jordan Jackson garnered cheers from everyone in their twenties through seventies. He continued to joke about his part-time Christianity and lying in relationships before the next act took over.
Mario Tory entered the arena, smiling from ear to ear, and ready to shine in his set. The actor, writer, and host took advantage of the crowd and the wide range of ages, with riffs on generational differences between older and younger men and women. He shared comical relationship advice, guiding the audience to date people with the same interests, for example joking that he and his wife steal together.
Wearing a dazzling black suit and matching sparkling sneakers, the headliner ran on stage next to erupting applause. As the audience grabbed their phones, Kountry Wayne proudly posed for social media posts as he began his jokes. Keeping it close to home, the father of 10 had hilarious recounts of situations with everyone in his family ranging from his children and their mothers and his grandmother.
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Masego's 'Jazz & Jokes'
Image Credit: Rob Liggins/Netflix Masego fused his undeniable charisma, comedic charm, and saxophone skills for Jazz and Jokes, a performance of both music and punchlines. Outside the Hollywood Palladium on a perfectly sunny Los Angeles Sunday (May 12), the Grammy-nominated talent did not hold back.
Starting with his take on the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud, Masego shared with audience members who were not already aware of his participation, his submission to Metro Boomin’s call for “BBL Drizzy” tunes. The jazz musician delivered the comical track before musically acting out the beef.
The set continued with Masego telling stories of his romantic adventures, prompting a song about not making a girl climax which drew laughter across the grass. He created a song live, describing a colorful clique close to the stage, as well as performed fan-favorite tracks including “Yams,” “Tadow,” “Prone,” and “Old Age.”
Masego ended his exhibition with the message “Black women are amazing,” to a standing ovation from a satisfied crowd.