Cue The Read’s mix of “Oh Happy Day” because Kid Fury and Crissle West are about to adjust your television settings to “shade.”
I recently hopped on a phone call with the 2019 Root 100 honorees Kid Fury and Crissle to chat about what they’re going to explore on their upcoming television show, whether or not they’ve felt like they’ve “made it” and of course, what they would ask Beyoncé if given the chance.
Per Fuse:
Kid Fury and Crissle West are throwing shade and spilling tea… now on TV. The duo brings their honest brand of cultural commentary, opinions and beloved segments like “Hot Topics” and “The Read” from their podcast, plus special celebrity guests weekly.
The Read With Kid Fury and Crissle will be quite similar to the podcast, also adding listener letters for a total of four segments.
“I think what is most exciting about our show is that it is two queer black people in their 30s who took a chance and moved to New York and therefore, have a very different perspective than anybody else doing late night TV or any sort of TV that is scripted. Period,” West said. “So we’re excited to talk about things in ways that people don’t usually explore topics from a more intersectional point of view [as well as] talking about things that other comics or personalities might be afraid to really be honest about.”
So, as OG fans of The Read have legit watched the two glow up and are delighted at the sight like the proud play-cousins we are, I had to ask the pair: When was the moment you felt like you’d “made it” or has that even happened yet?
“Nope, never will,” Kid Fury said.
“I don’t think I will have ever felt I’ve ‘made it’ because I wasn’t ever trying to make it in the first place,” Crissle mused. “I’m glad that I’m successful enough to where I can afford to live in an apartment by myself, but that’s all I ever wanted.”
“I just wanted to tell jokes and to not have to ask my mama for any money and, in fact, give my mama some money whenever,” Kid Fury added, as Crissle agreed. “I am now telling jokes and giving my mama money just because, and so God is great.”
Amen. While I was already excited about the dynamic duo’s new show, it really became clear once I saw the picture of their set chairs with the title “executive producer.” What a journey!
Speaking of their podcast journey, there is probably not one episode of The Read where Beyoncé’s name isn’t uttered and fans of the pair are acutely aware of their stan status. Thus, I had to ask what they would ask Queen Bey if, by the power of black girl magic, she appeared as a guest on their television show. Both agree it’s “really hard to imagine” Bey appearing on their show, but we had fun with the hypothetical scenario anyway. *wink*
“One thing I’ve always wanted to know, aside from her incredible work ethic, is how she’s able to be so nonreactive to a lot of the bullshit,” Kid Fury said. “My guess would be that she has a tight and trusting enough circle around her and a strong group chat that is unbreakable and quiet loyal where she can just go and say, ‘I know that these MFs didn’t say blankety-blank about my pregnancy’ or whatever.”
“There are levels to stupid reactions that celebrities go through on social media. Many of them are very very bad at it,” Fury continued before hilariously coughing out Cardi B’s name. “Then, there are people who have their moments. Sometimes, I get it. I understand it being difficult not to react or respond to something. And then there are people like Beyoncé who have people say all kinds of really ridiculous, unfounded stupid things to or about them. And maybe you’ll hear a line in a song about it 15 years later.”
“I would probably ask her about her wig,” Crissle said. “I feel like she might be like, ‘Turn the cameras off’ or ‘I’ll tell you later.’ Because there’s a lot of secrets. I know she has secrets as to how they’re made and how they’re installed.”
“Her wigs are better than everybody else’s,” Crissle added.
Since we’re on the topic of wigs—I have to admit I’ve been squealing at the assortment of fabulous wigs Crissle now has at her leisure.
As their television show will act as a nice compliment to their ongoing podcast The Read, I wanted them to reflect on the evolution of black podcasts in particular, as they are considered to be among the pioneers of this booming and black ass industry.
“I’m just excited that we’ve gotten to a place where people realize how easy it can be to start podcasting within the black community because [the platform] gives more of us the opportunity to express ourselves, have our own perspectives and talk about our experiences, which is a gift and a curse today,” Kid Fury noted. “Some people’s opinions should really be kept to themselves, but at the same time, there are still many people that we get to be exposed to that we might not have been if they didn’t discover the podcast. And those people are teaching us a lot about ourselves and a lot about the people around us.”
Lastly, because Kid Fury and Crissle are a duo of black-ass excellence, I had to ask my question: What has been the blackest moment on the set of The Read With Kid Fury and Crissle so far?
“I can’t tell you because it’s a surprise,” Crissle chuckled. Damn it! I was expecting that.
Before adding his own answer, Kid Fury acknowledges Crissle’s secret moment, adding to my growing anticipation of seeing it realized onscreen. I’m 100 percent positive it’ll be worth the wait. And as someone who loves surprises (giving and receiving), I’m completely down with waiting for this blackest moment.
“Just the fact that I’ve been freely drinking Hennessy in the writers’ room,” Kid Fury said. “Sometimes right from the bottle, vaping, the fact that I literally have my computer open with Google Documents where we’re writing our jokes and next to it is a bottle of whiskey. I feel like that’s pretty black and I’m taking refuge in that space. I enjoy it.”
The Read With Kid Fury and Crissle premieres Friday at 11 p.m. ET on Fuse.