Sitting in a prison cell at the age of 25, Derrick “Capone” Lee
had a lot of time to think. The man now known as the
Gangster of Comedy — who has shared stages with Tracy
Morgan and Shaquille O’Neal and hosted weekly shows at
the Apollo Theater — had spent the previous eight years
selling drugs in the Bronx, where he was born and raised. But
sometime during his nine-month sentence, Lee realized that
“three hots and a cot” was not a future he could deal with.
Lee’s life needed a rebranding.
For his first job out of prison, Lee served as a home attendant
for the mentally disabled, trading the street corners where
he used to conduct business for living rooms. He knew he
liked helping people, especially through laughter. But it
wasn’t until some prodding by the regulars at the
barbershop where he also worked that he considered trying
comedy for real.
Lee discovered he was a natural with a mic in his hand. In
the years since he made his comedy debut in a 1992
amateur contest at Columbia University, he’s made his mark
as host of the legendary Amateur Night at Harlem’s famed
Apollo and with appearances on HBO’s “Def Comedy
Jam.” Thus was born Capone, the Gangster of Comedy.
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