Today we’d like to introduce you to Damian Hayes.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2016, I was playing baseball, we were losing but I was still joking in the dugout until one of my teammates B Mack said that he bet I couldn’t do stand up, that I couldn’t make anyone laugh. I told him, “Bet”. I had a couple of days to prepare, so I was writing these jokes about my Dad’s looking in the mirror saying to myself this these jokes going to work. It was a Thursday for open mic at the comedy zone in Greensboro, NC. I was so nervous I hear because my heart was beating so fast. B Mack saw I was nervous and asked if I wanted him to go up first so I won’t feel as bad. I said yeah, that’ll work. He gets up there and kill it. I looked at him when he got off the stage like where the hell did that come from. I was next and CoCo Fresh brought me on stage and at that time, I was going by the name of ThatBoySwole. I started with my first joke and it was terrible. No one laughed I even heard a cough. I laughed it off and did the second joke and nothing I even saw two looks at each other and coughed at the same time. It was a terrible experience but it was challenging and I’m competitive I had to get better than B Mack so I told him let’s comeback next week. And that’s how I got started.
We then went to almost like every city in NC doing shows getting paid but wasn’t getting looked outside of that. We had a group called the 3 Kings Comedy Me B Mack and Craig Powers. Me and B Mack wanted to go further in the comedy game so we thought about moving to ATL to take it serious.
B Mack moved to Atlanta three months before I did in 2018. But before I moved to ATL I was working a full job bills were paid had a condo a dog. But I saw that B Mack was there and was doing his thing so I said “IM done” I packed my clothes in the car and left for ATL. I get here no job 200$ in my pockets. I slept at a gym every night for eight months doing open mics almost every night sometimes twice. I started making a name for myself. People knew for roasting and laughing all the time and always happy.
I was doing these open mics but couldn’t never get on these booked shows until I got my shot. I went to The Atlanta Comedy Theater to see if I could get a guest spot for bruh man (Reginald Ballard). I get there and when I say by far I mean by far the coolest comic I have ever meet. He was sitting in the green room like one of the fellas, spitting gems. As the show starts, they start to figure out who was going up. I didn’t make the cut that day. I came back the next day I didn’t make the cut both shows. I came the next day for the first show. I show up before Reginald Ballard, the only comic there. Reginald finally show up and they start to figure out who was going to go up for the show. Reginald turns and say “let little man go up” they said, “oh he not ready”. He said he ain’t scared it’s only a sold-out show” I said I ain’t scared. They said ok you get 3 minutes. I go out there and I killed it. The crowd crying laughing. When I finished my set I got off stage and I remember Bruh man eating his food saying I heard you lil man. Ever since then, I have opened up for Michael Colyar, Tommy Davidson, Donnell Rawlings, Capone, Tony Roberts, Carl Anthony Payne, K Dubb. Done paid shows and I have my first room where I’m hosting in Suwanne GA an open mic comedy show for up and coming comedians. I am definitely one of the hottest up and coming comedians representing Durham NC the right way.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It was a rough road. Had to sleep in the car, had to eat McDonald’s everyday to ration out the money I had. My family turned on me when I left. I haven’t talked to them in a year almost. They were saying that it was a dumb decision for me to do and that I didn’t think it through. It really hurts when you go on stage and knowing that your family isn’t behind your back. But I had to push through to show them that this is what I put on this earth to do and that was to see human beings happy.
What were you like growing up?
I was very athletic. I played sports my whole life. Baseball was my first love in High School people knew that I ran that baseball my Junior and Senior. I made varsity my freshmen year standing at 4’11 87 lbs. HAHA, they actually called me Lil Swole back then. I was playing football and I had lineman pads because that’s all they had so I looked Swole so they just started calling me that so it stuck as I got older it was just Swole.
Contact Info:
- Email: @therealdjswolecomedy@gmail.con
- Instagram: Therealdjswole
- Facebook: Swole Hayes
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