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[Data West]

It's been a while since his death, and I feel like he never really got the recognition he deserved when he was alive. Or even when he died, really. It felt like people were just then talking about him. I wouldn't say he was a legendary comedian or anything like that. He wasn't Pryor or Bill or Chappelle or Hicks or Carlin or anything like that. What he was, was a guy who could tell great stories and was surprisingly good at improvisation. Like his standup was good, but some of my favorite moments were just him shooting the shit on radio shows and television.

I became a fan during Tough Crowd and then Shorties Watchin Shorties(which didn't play to his strengths), and the several VH1 clip shows he was on. He also worked well on Web Junk 2.0 before everyone and their mom had a internet clip show. So I just thought I'd talk about him since I never really saw a thread about it. Just like Mitch Hedberg, another one of my favorite comedians who died too young.

Wesley Snipes Goes To Jail
Scarface 'Every black man wanna do that, man!'
Patrice ran a train on a girl in high school and the girl later claims he was raped. His mom puts him in the trunk of a car and sends him out of state so she can sort the situation out.
He also said that the rape allegation caused him to keep receipts from EVERYTHING he did, so he could always prove where he was.

 

[vas_a_morir]

I won't spoil it, but this is my favorite one-liner of Patrice's.

 

[Pop On Arrival]

Yeah, love this guy. Was really sad when he passed away. It really felt like he was just on the brink of making it really big, too. Apparently he was really terrible in negotiations with execs, that's why he kept a relatively low profile compared to other comics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRQbsWaCufw

 

[IceCold]

I won't spoil it, but this is my favorite one-liner of Patrice's.

Amazing. Patrice wsa a great comedian and highly respected by his peers. It's a tragedy he had to die so young.

 

[Buckethead]

Funny motherfucker, that Patrice. Got so much tail to boot.

I thought his last special was pretty great and should've been bigger than it was.

RIP Patrice

 

[The Culture Vulture]

Patrice was one of the smartest guys I've ever listened to, always had a unique take on the world that made you rethink your perspective.

http://ronbenningtoninterviews.com/2011/11/02/patrice-oneal/

 

[notworksafe]

He was beyond hilarious as a comedian and had probably the funniest laugh of all time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6PCXF2NfMg

He was one of the best guests when he was on O&A as well. All his appearances are up on youtube and totally worth listening to.

 

[FrostuTheNinja]

I'm glad someone made a thread. Thought about making one myself a little while back.

Smart and insanely funny dude. His absence stinks. I'd love to hear his feelings on the Boston bombing.

 

[Weenerz]

Dude was always hilarious on the O&A show.

 

[DanteFox]

Imo he's definitely the greatest comedian I've ever heard. Just the funniest dude with the most interesting, unique perspective on life. I downloaded all his appearances on O&A, as well as all of his Black Phillip shows, and I'm gradually going through all of them. Dude was just brought radio gold with him everytime. My favorite comedian by far. Definitely on par with Carlin or Pryor, and even funnier for me. Probably the only celebrity whose death really made me sad too, well him and Greg Giraldo too.

 

[UrbanRats]

Yeah, love this guy. Was really sad when he passed away. It really felt like he was just on the brink of making it really big, too. Apparently he was really terrible in negotiations with execs, that's why he kept a relatively low profile compared to other comics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRQbsWaCufw

This one always cracks me up (though this video misses the last few lines).

Dude was amazing.

 

[FrostuTheNinja]

The Dr. Dildo thing is easily one of Patrice's best. I can't remember which Jim Norton book it was, but it has a story about Jim and Patrice going to Rio to bang hookers. No other story has made me laugh until I cry and make my stomach hurt. It wasn't really Norton's writing, but just pitch perfect, "Patrice".

 

[MooseKing]

He is was you favorite comedians favorite comedian.

 

[Winterfang]

Wasn't the biggest fan of him but I wouldn't change the channel when his stand up came out.

 

[Riposte]

My favorite comedian of all time, actually. Discovered him on Tough Crowd and been a big fan ever since. His appearances on Opie and Anthony ALWAYS delivered. When it comes to just shooting the shit and commenting on daily events, no one had him beat. Selfish as it is, it is almost infuriating thinking about how much gold comedy we lost with his early death.

One of my favorites of his was on the Opie and Anthony where Patrice Oneal and Gallagher were together and they (mainly Anthony and Patrice) were aggressively accusing Gallagher of being racist and generally just fucking with him (it was almost cruel).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2rqeusPZ70

This line from Patrice kills me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=g2rqeusPZ70#t=4134s

 

[GRIP]

I like the guy as a comedian, but one of the last things I remember of him is the little episode on a red carpet (not sure which awards show) with one of the guys from workaholics. He seemed like a pretty big dbag, and there was a lot of talk about it on O&A. I kinda looked at the guy differently after that.

The Opie and Anthony discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjJj1NSsa-I

 

[HiResDes]

I like the guy as a comedian, but one of the last things I remember of him is the little episode on a red carpet (not sure which awards show) with one of the guys from workaholics. He seemed like a pretty big dbag, and there was a lot of talk about it on O&A. I kinda looked at the guy differently after that.

The Opie and Anthony discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjJj1NSsa-I

Fuck Workaholics. Long live Patrice

 

[ZeroRay]

White people music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1qKy4cMPUI

lol

 

[shadyspace]

if he doesn't go down in history as one of the best comics of all time then we have failed as a society

 

[abstract alien]

I usually don't like stand up comedy, but I randomly put Elephant in the Room on(I had never heard of him at the time) and thought it was really fantastic. Such a good style, and I was happy to discover a new comedian I like out of the blue. Couldn't wait for his next work.

Then he passed away :^(
RIP

 

[GRIP]

if he doesn't go down in history as one of the best comics of all time then we have failed as a society

Then we are destined to fail. He was never a huge presence in mainstream comedy.

 

[Filthy Slug]

He absolutely was and is a legend simply because he was ALWAYS fucking funny. Go listen to any of his 100+ appearances on Opie and Anthony and you'll see that the dude was just the funniest guy around, and he wasn't running bits or trying out his act, he was just sitting and bullshitting with people. Also, his brilliance really shined when it came to analogies, because dude could break down the most obtuse, complicated shit so that anybody could understand it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6RBSCnLTQk

 

[HiResDes]

He absolutely was and is a legend simply because he was ALWAYS fucking funny. Go listen to any of his 100+ appearances on Opie and Anthony and you'll see that the dude was just the funniest guy around, and he wasn't running bits or trying out his act, he was just sitting and bullshitting with people. Also, his brilliance really shined when it came to analogies, because dude could break down the most obtuse, complicated shit so that anybody could understand it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6RBSCnLTQk

Very well said and spot on.

 

[UrbanRats]

White people music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1qKy4cMPUI

lol

Wow, lol.
His radio appearances always delivered.

 

[Camp Lo]

Dude was always hilarious on the O&A show.

He made O&A tolerable so I definitely commend him for that.

 

[MooseKing]

Then we are destined to fail. He was never a huge presence in mainstream comedy.

This was mainly because he refused to bend for networks or directors. Lots of people wanted to put him in big time movies (the black guy in all those comedies with Seth Rogan etc.., his parts were originally made for Patrice). However if he didn't like something, or didn't want to act fake, he would tell you right to your face. It shot him in the foot.

There is a pretty infamous show where Chris Rock visits Opie and Anthony and pretty much gets real with Patrice.

All Comedians pretty much recognize he was the funniest guy in all of comedy. Not just b/c of his stand up, which other comics were as good at, but he was flat out, the funniest at all times. Most comics are not funny without their material, not only was he funny, but he was brutal.

There is a pretty crazy story where he went to LA and dropped in on one of the major comedy clubs there (can't remember which one). Lots of famous comics work material there, many who have been in movies etc.. He started boo'ing them b/c he honestly thought they were bad. Then they would try and defend themselves and he would slaughter them. The last comic he killed so bad, he got on stage, took the mic, and did a 10 minute set after embarrassing him from the crowed.

To this day nobody will say who the comics he killed were, but many of them make big time decisions in Hollywood.

Patrice also taught Kevin Hart everything he knows about comedy pretty much.

 

[CorruptShadow]

Loved Patrice, his stand up and all his O&A appearances. I believe most if not all of his O&A stuff is on youtube, I know all the black philip shows are on there.

 

[Pop On Arrival]

He absolutely was and is a legend simply because he was ALWAYS fucking funny. Go listen to any of his 100+ appearances on Opie and Anthony and you'll see that the dude was just the funniest guy around, and he wasn't running bits or trying out his act, he was just sitting and bullshitting with people. Also, his brilliance really shined when it came to analogies, because dude could break down the most obtuse, complicated shit so that anybody could understand it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6RBSCnLTQk

indeed. I fucking loved his stories and how he described and explained things. Like how the song 'creep' does something to white people and Fight Club being the "whitest" movie he's ever seen.

Just youtubing patrice is a fucking goldmine. So much amazing shit and I highly recommend listening to his opie and anthony appearances, like others have said.

 

[UrbanRats]

He absolutely was and is a legend simply because he was ALWAYS fucking funny. Go listen to any of his 100+ appearances on Opie and Anthony and you'll see that the dude was just the funniest guy around, and he wasn't running bits or trying out his act, he was just sitting and bullshitting with people. Also, his brilliance really shined when it came to analogies, because dude could break down the most obtuse, complicated shit so that anybody could understand it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6RBSCnLTQk

Oh shit, i need to catch up to some of his stuff, this was hilarious.

I'm not super prepared on American comics, as i've started following them about 4 years ago or so (basically since when i could understand the language better) but so far i'd definitely put:
George Carlin, Louis CK, Doug Stanhope and Patrice O'Neal as my favorites.
They hit the right notes for me on a very very consistent basis.

 

[HiResDes]

Those are my exact favorites as well, but add Chapelle.

 

[kingocfs]

Dude was a legend

 

[UrbanRats]

Those are my exact favorites as well, but add Chapelle.

Oh yeah, he's also a lot of fun, i also liked what i saw (admittedly very little) of Chris Rock and Ian McDonald.

I mostly have to go on what i read on GAF and such, though, as they sure as well don't pass them on TV here.

 

[GRIP]

This was mainly because he refused to bend for networks or directors. Lots of people wanted to put him in big time movies (the black guy in all those comedies with Seth Rogan etc.., his parts were originally made for Patrice). However if he didn't like something, or didn't want to act fake, he would tell you right to your face. It shot him in the foot.

There is a pretty infamous show where Chris Rock visits Opie and Anthony and pretty much gets real with Patrice.

All Comedians pretty much recognize he was the funniest guy in all of comedy. Not just b/c of his stand up, which other comics were as good at, but he was flat out, the funniest at all times. Most comics are not funny without their material, not only was he funny, but he was brutal.

There is a pretty crazy story where he went to LA and dropped in on one of the major comedy clubs there (can't remember which one). Lots of famous comics work material there, many who have been in movies etc.. He started boo'ing them b/c he honestly thought they were bad. Then they would try and defend themselves and he would slaughter them. The last comic he killed so bad, he got on stage, took the mic, and did a 10 minute set after embarrassing him from the crowed.

To this day nobody will say who the comics he killed were, but many of them make big time decisions in Hollywood.

Patrice also taught Kevin Hart everything he knows about comedy pretty much.

Well, none of that changed the fact that he will never be considered as one of greatest comedians ever.

 

[BobbyRobby]

patrice is hilarious. also had a lot of poignant things to say about free speech.

 

[Filthy Slug]

Well, none of that changed the fact that he will never be considered as one of greatest comedians ever.

Here's my response to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFfIUsppOBA

 

[Deadstar]

Patrice was awesome. I didn't hear too much about him until his last few years. I think he was just about to blow up the comedy world.

Check this out. Creepy Cold Guy

 

[GRIP]

Here's my response to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFfIUsppOBA

Are you the woman crying, or are you to one doing the slapping?

 

[Gorillaz]

I would say that Kevin Hart probably won't be "that comedian" right now if Patrice was still alive and more willing to work with networks

 

[HiResDes]

I would say that Kevin Hart probably won't be "that comedian" right now if Patrice was still alive and more willing to work with networks

Kevin Hart's willingness to act in minstrel shows is what enabled him to climb the ladder quicker....See Soul Plane and the character he played in Meet Dave.

 

[Plywood]

Gotta post this everytime,

Jim Norton changes Patrice Oneal's opinion of Face/Off

I really started getting into his stuff a couple months before he had passed too.

 

[Filthy Slug]

I really started getting into his stuff a couple months before he had passed too.

The worst part is that the Charlie Sheen roast got his name out there to more people, and it seemed like the dude was about to breakthrough, and then... Damn shame. I would have loved a movie review show/podcast with him and Jim Norton.

 

[Justin]

This is the best Patrice video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6PCXF2NfMg

 

[Grinchy]

He was ok.

 

[Big Baybee]

Well, none of that changed the fact that he will never be considered as one of greatest comedians ever.

Whatever. I consider him an all time great. Dude was hilarious. He is getting much more recognition now in death.

Kevin Hart's willingness to act in minstrel shows is what enabled him to climb the ladder quicker....See Soul Plane and the character he played in Meet Dave.

Hart is a buffoon, which sucks because he doesn't need to do that bullshit.

 

[Justin]

Louie CK and Patrice Oneal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0xqe9vVSHk

 

[george_us]

This dude could take stupid, mundane material and turn it into comedy gold.

I always die laughing when I hear this

Only celebrity death that legitimately makes me sad to this day.

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Louie CK and Patrice Oneal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0xqe9vVSHk

This was amazing!

 

[GillianSeed79]

Well, none of that changed the fact that he will never be considered as one of greatest comedians ever.

Nope. Nah. Not hearing it. O'Neal is one of the few comedians that has actually made me laugh to the point where I'm nearly crying. It's not the same these days I guess. I used to listen to my older brother's Richrad Pryor and Eddie Murphy cassettes. Let me say that again - cassetttes. That was tantamount to having like hardcore porn or or contraband if you were a white kid int he suburbs back then.

I'm one of those guys that loves comedy but I don't usually crack a smile or laugh at all. O'Neal was one of the funniesnt persons on the planet. It's kind of like if you are a white dude that hates church and then goes to a black church and realizes black church is awesome and white church sucks balls. Of course, I like the rendneck comedians to some degree, but O'Neal is/was godamn hillarious. Best comedian since Eddie Murphy IMO.

Exhibit A:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8Yh7DixLXc

If you don't laugh once, you aren't a human being.

 

[speculawyer]

Marc Maron has had to put up a few tribute shows now hasn't he?
Greg Giraldo
Patrice O'Neil
Jonathon Winters

 

[Pop On Arrival]

Here is Patrice just going in on Lady Gaga. I was literally in tears half way thru, this shit is so fucking hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2GGpR44fWM