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Club Shay Shay

Club Shay Shay - Matt Rife Part 2

Club Shay Shay

Shay Shay Media & Playmaker

News, Sports News, Football, Sports

4.87.5K Ratings

🗓️ 5 March 2026

⏱️ 60 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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Comedian and actor Matt Rife joins Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay for a wide-ranging conversation about his rise from a young club comic to one of the biggest stand-up stars in the world. Now one of the highest-earning comedians working today, Rife reflects on selling out arenas across the globe, joining Taylor Swift as one of the only live acts to break Ticketmaster’s website due to overwhelming ticket demand, becoming the youngest comedian to sell out two shows at Madison Square Garden and the youngest stand-up to sell out the Hollywood Bowl, and building a massive audience through viral social media moments.

Rife opens up about growing up in Ohio and the childhood influences that shaped him, including being raised by his mother and grandfather after losing his father at a young age. He shares how his grandfather supported his dream early on—literally paying to watch him perform—and how that encouragement helped push him toward the stage. The conversation also touches on his early love of sports and the competitive mindset he developed growing up.

Starting stand-up as a teenager, Rife discusses studying comedians like Dave Chappelle, while learning how to write jokes, survive bombing on stage, and develop his own comedic voice. He talks about early comparisons to Justin Bieber, the mentors who helped him early in his career—including D.L. Hughley and Mike Epps—and how performing in Atlanta helped sharpen his skills before moving to Los Angeles after passing a California proficiency exam.

Rife reflects on becoming the youngest cast member in the history of Wild ’N Out with Nick Cannon, competing alongside comedians like DC Young Fly, Karlous Miller, and Chico Bean, and what he learned about television, exposure, and building a brand. He also addresses some of the public conversations and online speculation about his appearance that surfaced as his fame grew.

The discussion also touches on how viral moments online helped expand his audience, including clips of his crowd work that spread widely across social media. He breaks down the business side of comedy, touring worldwide, releasing specials independently, and navigating the changing landscape of entertainment platforms.

The conversation closes with reflections on the realities of fame, stories from memorable moments on stage, and what he’s hoping to accomplish in the next chapter of his career. Rife also previews upcoming projects, including his film Rolling Loud with Owen Wilson and the Netflix limited series The Altruist with Julia Garner, along with new tour dates across the U.S. and Europe.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Thank you for coming back.

0:01.9

Part two is underway. So how did it feel? Because you went from this like, I'm sure you was kind of somewhat popular, but now you got teeth and people like, look. You've got teeth and people. Yeah, that we're like, well, damn, Matt, hey, man ain't too bad. Now that I look, not did I look at him. I'm looking at him. The women, because now you're a lady's guy. Oh, that's very kind of you say.

0:23.8

Yeah, you don't. You know it. Because they're like, I don't know. I don't know who roster, Matt or Pete. I think, I think Matt might have. Usain bolted. You say, bolted. It's, listen, it's an amazing fan base to have.

0:37.8

Women and black people are the best fan base you could possibly have. They're going to be in and come. There's so much passion, man. If there's support, they're support. Absolutely. It's like, in the beginning, I used to think I had to stand up for that. People would be like, oh, he's just like a girl's comedian. Only girls like him. And I used to not understand it.

0:56.7

So I was coming at a place He's just like a girl's comedian, only girls like him. And I used to not understand it.

0:56.9

So I was coming at a place of like, I was coming from a place of ego being like, no, I'm for everybody.

1:02.7

Like guys like me too.

1:04.1

I used to get defensive about it and deny it, not realizing it was like the biggest possible compliment.

1:09.5

Yeah.

1:09.8

Like somebody took something I said out of context on a podcast one time

1:12.9

in the very beginning of everything blowing up

1:15.0

when they were asking about all my female fans and everything.

1:17.5

And the way I was saying, the way I responded was incorrect verbiage.

1:21.4

I had said something like I hate it, which wasn't right.

1:24.3

I was trying to describe the energy at these shows

1:26.7

because I was doing

1:27.5

smaller theaters in the midst of everything, at the midst of like the mania of like when I

1:33.9

first, first blew up and like the whole crowd is like 80% women. Right. And they're screaming

1:40.1

like boy band shit throughout the whole shit. I literally couldn't get through the shows.

1:45.0

Like couldn't finish a joke. People are screaming, standing up, trying to get attention.

1:50.0

And at that time, I'm like, I'm trying to build a set. I have a Netflix special I have to go film.

1:56.0

Like I really have to work. I'm trying to be a performer right now and an artist and work on this. And I can't deal with this distraction right now. So at the time, it was just frustrating. It wasn't that I had a problem with the fan base. I was just like, just sit and listen. And I promise you will have a good time. But I had misspoken in a podcast and got taken out of context. And people thought I was complaining about having a female fan base. It's the best fan base to have. Just chill and laugh. That's all. Do you see all the shoes and the handbags they got? If they like something, they're going to spin. Well, they'll be sitting next to their husband being like, Matt Rife is my hall pass on a shirt. And I'm like, you're just going to bring your cuck husband to the show. Who, by the way, paid for your ticket, probably. He's furious. Now he's sitting there.

...

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