In an era of viral clips and 15-second attention spans, Malik S. is a reminder that true comedy still lives. A Miami-born comedian, actor, and writer, Malik has built a career on being “surgically funny.” For years, the American-Haitian comedian and father of two has been sharpening his tools in some of television’s most respected writers’ rooms, including Black-ish, The Neighborhood, and Netflix’s #BlackAF.
Malik’s influence extends far beyond the sitcom set. For the second consecutive year, Malik served as a writer for the NAACP Image Awards, contributing to the viral and often controversial monologues delivered by host Deon Cole. While his jokes about pop culture icons like Nicki Minaj sparked heated internet debates and “Barbz” backlash, Malik remains unbothered, viewing the friction as a natural byproduct of telling the truth in a humorous way.
To him, comedy isn’t about seeking universal approval; it’s about having a perspective and the courage to share it without an apology.
Now, Malik is stepping back into the solo spotlight with his new comedy special, Laughing Voodoo. Directed by the legendary Cedric the Entertainer, the special is a masterclass in cohesive storytelling that tackles everything from his Haitian heritage to his expectations of people who come from a two-parent household.
In a conversation with The Quintessential Gentleman, Malik S. dives into the “toolbox” required for success in the industry today, the reality of writing for award shows, and why he refuses to let “cancel culture” dictate his craft.
[Interview has been edited for length and clarity]
The Quintessential Gentleman: You wear a lot of hats—comedian, actor, and writer. Do you think that’s now what a person has to be in order to survive or be successful in this industry?
Malik S.: I mean, you know, it never hurts to have extra tools, man. You don’t want to have a toolbox with one screwdriver. Everything’s changing so fast, and there’s so much content out there now, we got to try to share these eyeballs. You want to be as involved as possible because you may not make it as a movie star, but you might make it as a director or a writer.
QG: Which of those tools do you consider your “primary” one?
Malik S.: My universal screwdriver is comedy. And then I got different heads I can put in, which is writing and acting or whatever else. As long as I can do comedy, it’s going to open up doors for me to explore other opportunities. I have to make sure I sharpen that.
QG: Let’s talk about Laughing Voodoo. Cedric the Entertainer directed it. How did that relationship come about?
Malik S.: I met Cedric years ago, doing a show in Cincinnati with D.L. Hughley. When opportunities came that he was looking for somebody to go on the road with him, open up for him, and help him write, he called me. When it was time for me to do my special, it just made sense for him to direct it because he’s seen me perform this show before.
QG: You recently wrote for the NAACP Image Awards for the second year in a row, specifically on the team for Deon Cole’s hosting. There were reports of death threats from fans regarding some of the jokes about Nicki Minaj. How do you feel about that?
Malik S.: I feel great. Don’t care. It was a funny joke we wrote, and we felt good about it. These are just fanatics. You’re getting mad because there’s truth to it. Nobody’s lying. It’s just we saying it in a funny, joking manner, but people usually get mad because it’s true.
QG: Does that play into your thoughts on “cancel culture”?
Malik S.: I don’t care, honestly. The people that’s going to cancel you, they never was rocking with you anyway. I think we just got to take that power back. Like, you got to stop buying into that whole apologizing every damn time, for what? You don’t like it? Turn it off. I’m not apologizing for anything.
QG: When it comes to writing, how do you rank the difficulty between an award show, a TV script, and stand-up?
Malik S.: The award show’s gonna be the easiest. I think the TV will be second, and then the hardest would be writing for stand-up. A monologue is just… You have to deliver both sides of the conversation. You also want to be original. There’s nothing new under the sun, but you got to come as original as possible from your take and your point of view.
Eric Keith: What do you think is missing from comedy today?
Malik S.: I think we’re missing more long-form comedy and more authentic specials and not just clips. There was a time people would enjoy comedy; now I think people enjoy the comedian. If you’re not a comedy connoisseur, they think little clips make somebody a comedian.
Eric Keith: What’s the plan for the next special?
Malik S.: My new hour I’m working on is very purposely having a theme where I’m really talking about me and my parents being gone and being in the world with no parents. I kind of want to find the funny in that right now.
Check out Malik S. Laughing Voodoo special below.
