We met up with upcoming comedian Ibrahim Khalif at the new Upper West Side Comedy Club right after his show.
Written by: Joseph Santiago
1. What other jobs did you do before starting stand up comedy?
Great question!
I had a tough job working as a Black Man and Muslim in post 9/11 America.
I had two jobs.
Very arduous journey.
The Pay was lousy.
Long hours with very little upward mobility.
I should be collecting Social Security ya know?
You think I have grounds for a claim?
2. How did you know you wanted to be a comedian?
I didn’t. It was always said to me, “you should be a comedian” when I was younger, but I held the art form in such high regard I never thought I could do it. My sister told me my sense of humor was different and I should go on stage. I went on stage when I was 11 and got a standing ovation but never got on stage again until after my mother passed away. I was using comedy as a coping mechanism and found it cathartic.
