How HaHa Davis leveraged the internet for comedy’s highest throne
HaHa Davis is comedy’s king.
Not Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, or even Mike Epps, has more digital equity than that of the 24-year-old online comedian from Detroit.
Born, Terrell Davis, HaHa Davis, aka Mr. Big Fella, is the love child and byproduct of both social media and comedy. Davis fell in love with comedy and became an internet sensation in 2013 when his skits on Vine and Instagram frequently went viral.
If you can’t recall him by name, you’ve probably heard one of his many popular phrases such as “Big Fella,” “This beyond me, “What a bummer,” “I’m Puzzled,” or “Bucko.” But it was his “Guard” skit that really put him on.
When your in jail trying to get the top bunk #HaHaDavis #NoSelfDoubt #BigFella #Guard #FinnaBeABreeze pic.twitter.com/FX0b8DZ9q5
— CARLOS HAHA DAVIS (@HaHaDavis) August 8, 2017
While Davis did a good job generating a buzz by himself it wasn’t until 2015, when he met Snoop Dogg, that his platform and brand went to another level.
Thoughts smoking with @SnoopDogg pic.twitter.com/ohSko5L1Gj
— CARLOS HAHA DAVIS (@HaHaDavis) July 8, 2019
In a 2017 interview with The Source, Davis spoke on his relationship with Snoop and the impact the Godfather of hip-hop has had on his career.
“Snoop puts me onto a lot of game,” said Davis.
“He’s been in the business for a long time and he puts me onto the ins and outs of things so anytime I get with him it’s always a conversation about going to the next level and figuring out what’s next for me.”
In the interview, Davis also shares a gem Snoop gave in a conversation the two had when they first met. He still quotes it to this day:
“Don’t get the fame before you get the money.”
At the time, about a year ago, Davis had a lot of fame but not as much money as he wanted to. Snoop told him to trust the process and be patient and a year later Davis has arrived.
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From meeting Snoop, Davis went on to work on a Grammy-nominated album with Chance the Rapper. He was featured on “No Problems,” “All Night,” and “Blessings,” on the album Coloring Book.
Davis has even ventured into launching his own merchandise, Big Fella Clothing. The brand has its own custom shirts, underwear, socks, stickers, and candy bars. That doesn’t include making appearances in Meet The Blacks 2 or his recent cameo in Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” music video.
While Davis doesn’t gross as much, have the same amount of followers, or as big a platform as the aforementioned comedians, he is more in tune with the youth, the culture and this generation.
Amy Schumer, Nick Cannon, and Aziz Ansari may demand more on the dollar but not a single one of them have the entire internet saying words twice to emphasize meaning, calling every brother, mother and child “big fella,” or screaming out “guard!” for no apparent reason.
It’s not even close. Not one comedian has the touch Davis currently does.
HaHa Davis might be the best IG comedian of all time. He has wild catch phrases that are now a part of the culture.
– This finna be a breeze
– Big fella
– Guard!
– This is beyondddd me
– Toot that ass up
– yeah that’s meeee
– Oh I’m outta here— Good Feets Cleaner (@Stylish_Bloke) December 14, 2018
Comedy has transformed with the digital age and HaHa Davis was born in the right generation. But he’s not alone. It seems as if most comedians coming up using the internet rather than comedy clubs.
From D.C. Young Fly to Jess Hilarious, who got roles on Wildin’ Out and Rel, respectively, to Famous Los, Shiggy and Khadi Don who all have leveraged deals from the comfort of their Instagrams, it’s clear that comedy has found a new talent pool.
Even Netflix is in tune. The streaming platform recently announced a commitment to premiere at least one new comedy special a week, further proving how companies are adjusting to the new way content is consumed.
Probably the biggest reason you have to give HaHa the comedy throne now is due to the fact that he’s just getting started. Without having really established an offline presence, with the impact he already has, his ceiling is limitless.
Plus, the right role in the right movie would make him a bonified star.
HaHa Davis is a perfect example of using the tools you have to make a name for yourself. He, like the other comedians online, are showing just how powerful social media is as well as eliminating the excuse as to why you couldn’t do it too.
HaHa Davis is opening the door for other comedians whose only resource is the phone they have in their hand.
Make sure to keep up with HaHa Davis and his moves on Instagram.
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