Tracy Morgan almost died last summer. He and five others were in a major six-vehicle accident that left Morgan in a coma for two weeks and his longtime friend James McNair dead. Things were looking dim for the veteran comedian. Many, including some in his inner circle, feared that Tracy would never be the same due to the traumatic brain and body injuries he suffered. Thankfully, he was able to get back on his feet and now he's performing again. He's set to go on tour next year and blessed us by returning to Saturday Night Live to host last month.
Morgan is also the latest spokesman for Foot Locker and is appearing in two spots highlighting the Week of Greatness and his triumphant return. The first one takes shots at imitators, while the second commercial shows Morgan crashing Aaron Rodgers' birthday party.
While one's life can never be same after a near-death experience, something like that can make a person realize how special friends and family are. That's the main thing Tracy took from his accident. Making people laugh is Tracy at his truest self, it's effortless for him. But while being a comedian is his bread and butter, his occupation pales in comparison to those close to him, and to the second chance he's been given. Yet and still, Hustle Man (my favorite Tracy Morgan character) is getting back to helping us forget the ills of life, if even for just a stand-up set—or a quick interview.
We only had about 10 minutes to chop it, but we were able to get some good stuff from the god. Morgan looked healthy and was funny as ever. I tried to hit him with a "what are those" but he did me one better by letting me know the kicks he was rocking were from Michael Jackson's personal closet. We also talked about his comeback, his favorite show Martin, and his PBJ sandwich game.
Check the interview below. (Spoiler alert: I sorta get sonned at the end.)
Does it feel like everything's back to normal after what you went through?
Well, you’re never going to be normal after you go through something like that. You don’t die for a few weeks and then come back to normal, trust me. Something’s going to be missing, something’s going to be gained—you just got to live your life after that. But after surviving something like that, I’m probably never going to feel normal. I went to the other side. This is not something I’m making up. Do you know what God said to me? He said, “Your room ain’t ready. I still got something for you to do.” And here I am, doing an interview with you.
So how did it feel being on the SNL stage again?
Special—because of the audience, because of me, because of the people. There was so much goodwill and I felt that energy, like, “Yo, we happy you alive!” It wasn’t like they were looking for laughter, no. “We just happy you alive and you’re here walking.” And that made it special for me. I just want to give it back through my sense of humor.
What are your plans now for the future?
I try not to do that. Just living my life, man. When the sun’s up, I try to get it on and poppin'. When the sun is up, I try to make it happen. That’s what I’m doing, whatever it is! I’m going to do it until I’m satisfied.
“Do you know what God said to me? He said, ‘Your room
ain’t ready. I still got something for you to do.’”
The Knicks making you happy these days?
Oh yeah.
You see that young boy, Porzingis?
Oh yeah, I see that young boy. I spoke to him right after the game, and I said, “We love you here, man!” And you know what he said to me? He said one thing and walked away. He said, “I want a ring.” I turned to my wife and said, “Boy hungry.” He’s banging it. He’s not scared. He can shoot and he plays defense. We got a presence in the middle, and I just want him to shop at Foot Locker. Shop at Foot Locker!
My favorite show of yours growing up was Martin. You want to talk about that a little?
That's my favorite show, too. Martin Lawrence is special to me. He’s still my OG and inspiration. He knows that. I just saw him about two, three months ago. I went to his show in Atlanta. I was filming a movie there with my other OG, Ice Cube, and Martin Lawrence was performing at The Fox. So me and T.I. went and saw him. If you look online, you’ll see my pictures. It’s good. He was happy that I’m alive and that I’m up and walking.
You still remember the ingredients for chitlin loaf? Can you tell me the ingredients for that? There was a little paprika in there, I remember.
[Laughs.] There was a little Lawry’s in there. Little paprika. But I’m like the Colonel—I can’t give y’all the entire recipe.
Just give me a little bit.
I’m the Colonel, man. He’s not going to give you the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
How about for the marinade for pigeons on a stick? Just pork and bean juice?
That one’s special. Pork and bean juice got to have pork and bean juice. [Laughs.]
What other hood delicacies did Hustle Man have?
Nobody in the world can make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like me. Or grilled cheese. I’m not giving up those secrets, either.
What’s so special about the peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
You’ve got to taste it. When I open up my restaurant you can cop some.
The menu’s going to be just grilled cheese and PBJ?
You got to be from the projects, man. You got to be born and raised in the projects. You got to have government cheese. Government cheese, that’s the main ingredient.
You got to have it. When you split it, it’s all gooey.
That government cheese, it comes in thick slice. *sings* Girl, I wanna work this out, so tired of fighting.
I wish I could transcribe that voice right there.
That’s Omarion, “Ice Box.”
“These are some secret Jordans I got from
Michael Jackson. I’m chilling.”
What you rocking there?
These are some secret Jordans I got from Michael Jackson. I’m chilling.
Those the Michael Jackson LA Gears?
These aren’t the Gears. I got these out of Michael Jackson’s wardrobe closet, though.
I see that you have a lot of Sycamore Wallys in your collection.
I’m from the Wally era, you know that. Ghostface is my brother. That’s my man, you know that.
You working on any movies or stuff like that?
I just wrapped up a movie with Ice Cube and Charlie Day. It’s called Fist Fight. I don’t know when it’s going to come out.
What is it about?
Two high school teachers—well, you got to see the movie. I just can’t give you that.
When are you and Dave Chappelle going to get Eddie Murphy and do a Kings of Comedy? We need that.
Oh, that sounds good but we all got our own voices. I’m not ready to tour with anybody right now. My tour just started.
Who’s opening up for you?
My man, Sherrod Small. So it’s going to be good.
Why don’t you guys link up to make movies, like how Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, and them do?
I don’t know, you would have to ask them. I’m just chilling, I’m working. Just because we link up don’t mean it’s going to be funny.
That’s true.
I work with anybody. I don’t give a fuck if you’re white, black, Latino.
I just mean how Eddie used to do back in the ‘80s.
I’m getting ready to work with Eddie and Mike Epps now. That’s not a career goal though, to just work with other black people. We just try to work with human beings. Don’t matter what color you are. It’s about art. It is. I love working with those guys, but it’s not like anybody asked me to work with them and I said no.
Of course, I was just speaking as a fan, I want to see something like Harlem Nights for this generation.
You’re being selfish, though.
True. But if you go to the hood they’re going to feel the same way.
I’m not going to go to the hood because the world is bigger than the hood. I go bigger than the hood. I’m 47. I’m not just doing things for the hood. That’s too much of a burden on me. I’m doing stuff for everybody, I want everybody to come see me in a movie. I don’t want just the hood to come see me in movies. I want the hood plus others to come see me.