Our country’s social revolution lends itself to jokes and I use them. — Nipsey Russell

If the social evolution leads to jokes, I use them. — Nipsey Russell

I start with the joke line and write backward. — Nipsey Russell

I use mother–in–law jokes, kid jokes, tax jokes–anything that works. — Nipsey Russell

Real progress will have been made when people don’t care or even notice the color of a comedian when they’ll just be concerned with whether he’s funny. — Nipsey Russell

Comedy is based partly on mean–spiritedness. — Nipsey Russell

America is the only place in the world where you can work in an Arab home in a Scandinavian neighborhood and find a Puerto Rican baby eating matzo balls with chopsticks. — Nipsey Russell

I knew racial discrimination at its worst in the 1930s. I lived with the humility of it but I never lost my sense of humor. Humor is the escape valve from the deadly reality of adversity. — Nipsey Russell

One character mistook me for the model and remarked ‘That Man–Tan sure works wonders!’ That ain’t Man–Tan. I’m tan, man. From my head to my toes. — Nipsey Russell

There’s no money in television, but TV provides the wherewithal to get the dollars for live performances. — Nipsey Russell

Truck drivers stop me and say, ‘What is the poem for the day?’ or ‘Give me a poem for my girl.’ I have one on almost every subject. — Nipsey Russell

My mother just liked the way the name Nipsey sounded. — Nipsey Russell

There aren’t any messages in my social protestations. — Nipsey Russell

I don’t want to get in a one–character rut. — Nipsey Russell

I feel the life expectancy of a comedian is 30 seconds. If you don’t hook an audience in half–a–minute, you’re dead. — Nipsey Russell

I was so scared the first time I flew the flight attendant called me Whitey. — Nipsey Russell

I’ve dropped a lot of race humor from my routines, not because I think it is in bad taste, but because I don’t want to be guilty of telling old jokes. — Nipsey Russell

My exercise is pall–bearin’ for athletes and food faddists. — Nipsey Russell

For artistic fulfillment I prefer to work live. For career advancement, I go to the media. — Nipsey Russell

New York can be any city it wants to be. — Nipsey Russell

When you a ‘has–been’, just think of where you HAS–BEEN. — Nipsey Russell

I talk about things that are front page news. — Nipsey Russell

As far as television is concerned, I’m just not interested in working on a series. Why should I settle for being someone’s second banana? And that weekly grind is unrewarding and too demanding. — Nipsey Russell

Humor is based on the way a man looks at life’s ironies, and being a member of a minority group can certainly be ironic. — Nipsey Russell

I’m all for ERA. I want to see women equal to men–not so damn superior like they’ve been. — Nipsey Russell