Host Mike Epps Talks About the Importance of ABFF Awards

With ABFF Awards: A Celebration of Hollywood, airing tonight on BET, we sat down with host Mike Epps to get his thoughts on the celebration and honoring of black Hollywood, and why it’s so important to carve out your own lane.

[Related: ABFF Awards Celebrates Black Film and TV Tomorrow on BET]

BlackEnterprise.com: What were your initial thoughts when Jeff and the ABFF team asked you to host ABFF Awards?
Epps: My initial response was timing is everything–it’s perfect. Right now the business is in an uproar about the Oscars, about black artists being honored for awards, so it was such great timing. I was really honored that Jeff called me to participate in this. This is a big opportunity for me, for us, to be honored for our work.

You have hosted a few awards shows. What do you think makes ABFF Awards unique?
We’re honoring people who have really paved the way, who have made strides in this business. We’re honoring people that deserve to be honored, that have put in work — some for years and some are new. I think that we as African Americans should have something for ourselves, something that we’re proud of, something that we look forward to. This awards show is it. It’s our homecoming. We’re not always invited, as you can see, to other awards shows, so for us to have our own and to honor our own is always beautiful.

In today’s entertainment landscape, with #OscarsSoWhite and lots of focus on diversity, do you feel that ABFF Awards is a necessity?
It’s a necessity. It’s a must that we do this, and we’re in a position to do it.

What are some of the awards you’re looking forward to presenting?
I look forward to seeing Will Packer be honored. He’s been at this for so long, and he’s our golden child. I also look forward to honoring Diahann Carroll. She’s put in work and paved the way for many African American women throughout the years. She did it at a time where we didn’t even get the opportunities that we get now. So, I look forward to honoring her, as well as Don Cheadle.

You’ve successfully made the switch back and forth from television and films, hosting and standup. What is the main thing that allows you to successfully navigate these different sides of the industry?
First of all, I’d like to thank God for giving me the ability and talent to be able to do this. I’ve always approached my career as one box of goodies. I’ve never separated what I do — it all comes from the heart and my talent. I recognize that it can be hard for us, so I have to keep a number of different irons in this business. If you have the ability to do it, it’s a must. As we know, [the business] is a rollercoaster, where you have

high and low points but if you keep different avenues open for yourself and you work at them, you can work all the way across the board. That’s my mentality — if one door shuts, I’m over here opening another one because that’s what we have to do as artists. As black artists, we have to continue to open up other doors and avenues for ourselves so we’re not typecast or blocked and put specific categories.

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Do you have any plans to move behind the camera? 
I’m definitely a director, but I’m looking for the greater opportunity, the best time to do it. Timing is everything and when it’s time for me to direct and get behind the camera, I’m going to do that. I’ve had a producer hat on for years. I’ve been producing movies since All About The Benjamins. I also produced The Honeymooners, and I’ve produced a lot of different films and television shows. I definitely look forward to directing one day, but right now, I enjoy being in front of the camera, making the magic.

Do you have any mentors? 
I haven’t been as social as I’ve wanted to be over the years because it’s taken me time to learn the game. It’s such a different type of game for me. I learned from people in different moments and different times, but to say there has been one particular person? No. Being in the business has

taught me more than anyone has ever taught me. I bumped my head and I’ve had to pick myself up and learn on my own. But have I had great conversations with other artists in the business that have helped me with their advice? Yes. The list goes on when it comes to that. I could name a million people.

What’s next? I know Uncle Buck and the Richard Pryor film are in the works.
Right now, I’m trying to produce a couple television shows, and I have a couple of films that I would like to do after Richard Pryor. But right now my plate is full, and I want to be a monster in the work that’s in front of me and go from there. I don’t want to stuff myself because I feel like I have plenty of time to achieve more.

Back to ABFF Awards — What is the main takeaway you want folks to walk away with after tuning in to ABFF Awards?
A black man, by the name of Jeff Friday, started this black film festival

in Acapulco in the 90s with nothing — it was just his dream and his idea. He started the festival with maybe 200/300 people attending. He came from the ground up. I want people to walk away and say, you know what? This man is an inspiration to our peers — all the actors, directors and producers. He’s an inspiration because he believes in his own, started with nothing and built it up to this, so if this man can do it, we can do it, too. I used to work with Jeff Friday before he even had this going on. He produced comedy shows when we used to play small comedy clubs. He paved the way for us to have these awards.

You know, the beauty about ABFF is that it didn’t just pop up. It’s been here forever. So when I tell you that’s how God works … he lines the stars up. While we have one misfortune, as far as not being invited to the Oscars, we have ABFF Awards at the right time, honoring the right people that have really put the work in. We have black Hollywood at its finest coming out. I want people to walk away feeling really good — that we have something that’s beautiful. This is our’s. Thanks to Jeff and his staff, wife and everyone who has helped put ABFF Awards together. I want people to walk away and think about what he did and how he held it down.

Any advice to newbies in the business?
Stay prayed up. Have thick skin. Set your expectations as high as you want and never quit.

Tune in to see Mike Epps host the ABFF Awards:  A Celebration of Hollywood, airing on BET and Centric tonight, February 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.