Sepia Prime Woman Digital Magazine December 2013 | Page 13

should try to see if we can create an audience there. We went to the church one night, Ant’s (Anthony’s) dad is our pastor and he let us use the church. We took a camera, and filmed “Stuff Black Church Girls Say”. We made “Stuff Black Parents Say” the same night. We didn’t even like them; didn’t think they were funny. We put them up on Tuesday evening and the next morning things were going crazy. We didn’t realize it was the week of the Stellars, and the videos went viral that week. Once we hit the vein, we stayed in that vein. Several of the videos now have hundreds of thousands of views. We now have over 50,000 subscribers on our YouTube Channel and more than 10 million views, and that’s all just from having fun like we’re doing in this interview. SPW: When you realized your break wasn’t coming through the stage plays how did it affect you? Jason: Personally I was devastated because we had worked so hard. I actually quit. I’m an entrepreneur, I was a barber and I was going to dive into that business and open barbershops all around. I used to literally pray and ask God to take it [this desire] away -- the thoughts about doing all these things in entertainment. He never did, and it was Kevin and Ant who talked me into coming back to the table and trying one more time. I’m thankful for that, but it hurt too much. It hurt to go out and do the plays on Friday and Saturday, and you go back to work on Monday morning with nothing. You have nothing but you know that you’re called to do it because of the reception you receive from people. But I said, “God if it isn’t going to happen, stop allowing me to put so much energy into it.” It consumes you. Yes, I was devastated. Anthony: I didn’t really doubt it. I knew that we were very creative men and I knew that something else was going to pop so I didn’t lose hope. I was a little down because we had put so much money into one of our last plays and we had a big promoter who watched it and put so many good ideas in it. Then he told us about this astronomical amount of money we needed to get the play on tour, and I thought, “We don’t even have money like that.” Kevin: I was sad. Like Jason said, we were so successful but we weren’t making any money and it seemed like we couldn’t do anything else. Honestly I had resolved myself to just coaching my kids’ basketball games and trying to enjoy life. That’s not a bad thing. I thought maybe I would move to Dallas, enjoy some nice weather and be closer to my family and think, “The End.” That was before YouTube happened. SPW: We hear a lot of talk about business and branding yourself. What is The Playmakers’ brand? Jason: Our brand is faith-based, fami ?g&?V?F??V?FW'F???V?B?v^( ?&R??Bv?7V??"6?&?7F??6??VF??2??vR&RV?FW'F??W'2v???V?F?&R6fVB?vR?fP?6???G&V?( 2F?W?v?BF?6VR?BF?WfW'?F???rvRF???@?v?V?B&RF?ff?7V?Bf?"W2F???R6W?V??W??6?B6??FV?@?( 2F?N( ?2??BWfV????W"?V'G2???RF?R6?6'?6??r( 2?@?v2f?"WfW'???R??F?Rf???BF?N( ?2?W"'&?B?`??V?FW'F???V?B??B?26??WF???rF?BWfW'???R?2&?RF?6??P?F?vWF?W"2f???BvF6???5s???RvW&R6?v?VB?7B?V"v?F??&?v?BEb???r?0?F?Bv???s???Wf???vRvW&R6??G&7FVBF?F?RW?6?FW2f?"?&?v?BE`??BvRgV?f???VBF?B6??G&7B?F?R&V?F???6???27F???7G&??r??R???r??rEbv?&?2( 2??RvWB??R6V6???BF?V???P?v?BF?6VRv?B?V?2f?"6V6??Gv???5s?6?vRW?V7BF?6VR??R??Eb??F??R6??????6???vR?fR?Wr??vV?V?B( 2f?'7Bf?"W2?vRF???fR6??REb?BFWfV???V?B&??V7G2?6??W2vR&Rv???p?F?&R????W"FV?Wf?6???&WGG?6?????5s?v?B?2F?R??R6?W&vV?W2F???r??R??Wr??R?@?F?F??"F?RG'???s???Wf?????f??rF????vR?BG&?VBWWfW'???'GV??G???vR&RfF?W'2?6?F???fR?W"f??W2v2&?r??v?fP??B??Bv??B??'2?B??W6RvR6?V?F?( ?B6V???F?W&P?vW&R?V?G??b&V6??2??BF??VfR?B?Bv26fRF?W&R????6VGF?U??'WBvRFV6?FVB?bv^( ?&Rv???rF?F?F??2vR?VVFV@?F?vWBF????V?Bt??B??"F?&V???F?R??&B?BF?@?v26??Rf?F???F?( ?BW?W&6?6VB?&V??r?W&R?2?V?V@???&RF??'2F??vRF??Vv?B?76?&?R?B????BV?6?W ?F??RF???W7@?g&??????p???UGV&P?f?FV?2???F????6??F?R6?RF???r???B&VV??v?&???rF?P?6?R??"6??6P???v?66????( 0?2?V'2???@?F?Bv2?????Wr??6?Bv??F'?RF?F?B??"?B?v?fP?f??V?FVW&VBF?v?v?&??fW'6V26?F?B?6?V?B6??R?W&P?2vV????B?W'G26??WF??W2&V6W6R?v?fR?2??B?W&R&?v?@???rF?V????F?RF???w2vR&R6???r??F??'WB6?R6??6RF??F?F?B&V6W6R?b?W"G&V??6????W"f??W2?fR67&?f?6VB?W7B2?V6?2vR?fR??F?W&Rv2F??RF?B?W"v?fW2vW&V?( ?B?V6W76&????&?&@?&V6W6RF?W?6?V?F?( ?B6VR?B?&?v?B&Vf?&RF?R?7B???F?W??v?B?B??F???v?Bf?"v??Bv??V????W"6?&?W"v???&V?WfR??W2?Bf?"6???G&V?v??&V?WfR??W2???6RF?W??vW&R&?RF?7W?'BW2??&R??BF???W2F??Wr?WfV??????Bf?"F?RV??Rv??F??????R6??W7B??f^( b?v?V?B?WfW"?fR??fVBF???bvRF?F?( ?B?&VG??fP?6??WF???rv???r?F?6??RF?v??W&R?B7F'B???6???r???F??'2( 2?N( ?2??BF?B???B?bF?v??v?B???vVBW2F?f??B?W ???6?R??W"'&?B?Bv?&??WB?b6VGF?R?v?V??Bv2F??P?f?"W2F?v??vRF???F?R?V?bf?F??B?W&RvR&R?s0??