We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaylin White and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaylin, what do you want people to remember about you?
The obvious answer would be that I was FUNNY of course but truthfully I want my own people to look at me and be proud that a black man existed, thrived, and took up space in the manner in which I do. Representation matters. I want people to remember all of the good stuff about me but also the things that made me complex because those things have enabled be to be who I am. Being black, queer, having bipolar disorder, coming from poverty, and dysfunction weren’t limitations but the greatest setup to something even greater.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Going into a comedy club is like being in a literal melting pot because you’re going to get a little bit of everything. What makes me unique is I am unapologetically ME, it’s the world through MY lens. The pandemic has changed the comedy game, but during quarantine I’ve been reposting clips of myself performing on social media that’ve received a lot of love, and that really inspired me to dig deeper for material.I’m looking forward to sharing more of a podcast I cohost with my friend Th Ghetto Spiritual called Dickpression Podcast streaming on all platforms, as well as some other projects I’ve got my hands in too. Professionally, I feel I haven’t even scratched the surface, in fact I know I haven’t. I’ve been lucky to perform in spaces frequently like The Comedy Store and The Ice House as somewhat of a newbie . Has it been easy? what if I said YES? It has not, I’ve bombed a few times, the act of doing standup is personal, and attached to your self-esteem. A bad show can equate to being in a real nasty headspace. I overcame those moments by simply getting up, doing it again, and again. I create for me and hope people enjoy. If I do things for other peoples validation and approval I will never accomplish anything authentically.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
You have to hit all of the comedy spots without question! The Ice House in Pasadena, Flappers in Burbank, The Improv, Laugh Factory, and The Comedy Store in Hollywood. Good food, drinks, and people!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I always have to thank David Conolly and Theatre of Arts Hollywood for teaching me a lot of what I know about hitting that stage. I also want to say, “Thank you to my family and friends, your support truly carries me more than you know, and I’m forever grateful.”

Instagram: @JaylinWhiteLA

Twitter: @JaylinWhiteLA

Other: I cohost a podcast streaming on Spotify, Anchor FM, Google Podcasts, and etc called “DICKpression Podcast” https://open.spotify.com/show/5QCIb5vyE1GQqjoPlUV1fn?si=ZdaM_hMTT4qhpGwrt-rWsQ

Image Credits
Jordan Nickel | picturesbynickel

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