Kevin Hart’s near-omnipresence in Hollywood is showing no signs of slowing down.
He’s released three films, launched two new television shows and opened a vegan fast-food restaurant all just this year. After kicking off his Reality Check Tour at this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans, Hart has also been treating fans across the nation to material reminiscent of his Grown Little Man era – personal, resonant, and of course, hilarious.
ESSENCE caught up with the comedian ahead of his tour stop in his hometown of Philadelphia. For Hart, though he cut his teeth in the city’s comedy scene and has been back on stage at Wells Fargo Center arena countless times, bringing new material to his longest supporters is an exceptional experience each time
“It all started here, so it’s always special coming back,” he tells us. “You get to see a lot of the people that were there for you in the beginning, that supported you before things got to where they are. So to be around that love, be around that support, it’s always just a big bonus.
“There’s been a consistent level of growth in this relationship between my city and I. So I stay true to it,” Hart says. “I always save [Philly] until the middle of the tour, which is when I’m in the best groove, and excited at the highest level about the material. I make sure they get the best version of me.”
Before jetting over to the arena with his show openers and friends the Plastic Cup Boyz (Joey Wells, Will ‘Spank’ Horton and Na’im Lynn) in tow, he stopped by a private pre-party with brand partner C4 Energy, which he has been an avid fan of for years, to kick off a night of laughs.
“It’s exciting to see something that has longevity,” he says of his partnership with the pre-workout and energy drink brand. “I believe in long-term relationships, and this is one that has developed over time into much more than what a started as. I believe in growth.”
Hart’s own growth in the entertainment industry has seen him branch beyond standup and comic relief, into a producer, director, and even dramatic actor in his own right.
“Right now, drama’s scratched an amazing itch,” Hart says of his evolution. But that is not to suggest that he’s easing into a more permanent transition when it comes to his film roles.
“Whether it’s dramatic, whether it’s comedy, it doesn’t really matter to me, as long as I’m having a good time, and showing my fan base that literally it doesn’t matter,” he continued. “I have those things in my bag, and it’s just about the choice of the moment.”
Juggling a nationwide tour, 8 upcoming film and TV projects, a new fast-food chain, and countless other brand partnerships would be overwhelming for some, but Hart’s famed hardworking demeanor comes to him honestly. Hart says he finds inspiration for his own drive in “the will and want for success” in displayed by Black women.
“There’s an ongoing conversation about equality – rightfully so – as attached to growth in the corporate world the opportunities women of color deserve. So I think what I love the most [about Black women] is the fight. You’re looking at some of, if not the strongest people on the planet. Not just ing having a voice but having desire.”
“I can say as a Black man who was raised by a Black woman, seeing her firsthand set goals and check those goals off her list has done nothing but motivate me to be the man I am today. So that level of inspiration, motivation, and focus…it came from something that’s been embedded in me. And my mom is definitely one of the most perfect representations of a Black woman.”
