by Preacher Lawson first got nationwide attention a few years ago on America’s Got Talent, and in 2019, premiered his first full stand-up special on BET’s premium streaming platform.
As I wrote then:
Lawson puts a smile on everything, despite moving some 20 times as a kid, and not having a father in his life. “I grew up with an amazing mom,” he says, and points her out in the balcony at one point to fact-check one of his jokes about his high-school years. He says he doesn’t swear much, even now, because of her. As he jokes in the trailer: “My best friend growing up, his name is Red. His name used to be Fred. He cussed in front of my mom. She beat the F out of him.”
One of four kids, Lawson recalls defending his sister, who has cerebral palsy, from other kids who dared to taunt her. And a brother who came out to the family as gay, despite everyone already knowing it. The only relative he really teases is his grandmother, who is perhaps the real preacher in the family, which he demonstrates through an act-out that also includes a weary God and hip-hop references from the early 2000s.
Mostly, though, Lawson is the butt of his own jokes. And sometimes his butt is the joke, as he’ll gladly twerk for the audience. He’ll jump. He’ll kick the mic stand. He’ll stop, drop and roll in an attempt to shake the spotlight operator. And when he’s not bouncing around the stage, he’s making light of his inability to get a job, his propensity to pee himself, or his turning to lifestyle that includes practicing yoga and eating vegan.
