HBO: What is Def Comedy Jam?

WOOD JR.: Def Jam is black comedy. It was the first show that showcased black comics doing their thing in a raw form. It wasn't censored by TV, it wasn't held to the restrictions of even cable, for that matter. I grew up watching the show. I would get whippings for staying up late to just sneak one Steve Harvey, or one Chris Rock joke, just one. And it was worth it.

HBO: What is the Def Jam trademark in terms of comedy?

WOOD JR.: The Def Jam trademark is truth. I think every comic that steps on that stage is doing the truest form of comedy based on their own experiences. It's all true to life black comedy--that's what the Def Jam style is.

HBO: What was it like to get the call to be on the show?

WOOD JR.: I thought it was a prank, honestly. It takes a time for it to sink in. You're like, wait a minute, that's Def Jam. That's not a knock on any other television show that I've done, but this is Def Jam. This is something I've been trying for for a couple of years, so to finally be selected and to be a part of was special.

HBO: So talk a little bit about that experience. What was it like thirty seconds before going on?

WOOD JR.: There's nothing on this earth that compares to the split-second before your name is called to go on the Def Jam stage. Period. I've gone sky diving, I've swam with sharks, I've had guns pulled on me, and there is nothing like this butterfly feeling in the bottom of your stomach right before D.L. Hughely says, 'give it up for Roy Wood.' It's like, 'oh, here we go.' It's a rush.

HBO: And what was it like stepping on the stage?

WOOD JR.: It's trippy, it's crazy doing Def Jam, because what people don't know is that Russell Simmons actually sits in the crowd and watches the show. Nobody told me this. So, I walk out, and you stand, and you find your spots to look at while you're on stage -- and there Russell Simmons is, just watching like a regular fan of comedy. Subliminally, part of you keeps looking at him to see if he's laughing at your jokes. And you're like, 'Oh no, Russell didn't laugh. I'm not going to get my check.' But he didn't really laugh. He just gives you this cool nod. Well, no. He's too cool to nod. He's too cool to laugh, he just tips that damn Yankees cap.

HBO: You mentioned D.L. introducing you, talk about his comedy…

WOOD JR.: D.L. is the perfect host for this show because he's part of the Def Jam lore. He's been around from the jump, and it's been a joy to see D.L.'s style evolve. If you watch D.L. Hughely from the nineties, and you watch D.L. Hughely today, it's just as hilarious, but it's comedy coming from two different places. I think that's a beautiful thing, because it opens the show up to comics whose styles aren't the typical styles of Def Jam from the past. It keeps society from pigeonholing black comedy into one specific style of, 'hey, hell yeah, I'm up in there, roaches and government cheese.'

HBO: What sets you guys apart from the comics who were on the show, say, fifteen years ago.

WOOD JR.: Nothing. What we're doing is following in footsteps. When Bernie Mac did the show, when Steve Harvey, and all of these guys from Def Jam lore did the show, they were bringing truth from their experiences in life. That's all the new comics are doing. We've seen life, we've lived life, here's our story. And everybody's story is different, and I think that's what makes us unique.

HBO: How do you relate to Russell Simmons?

WOOD JR.: 'Russell Simmons' it's almost like saying, Q-tips. You know his name is the product, you know what I'm saying? Q-tips aren't cotton swabs, they're the name. And his name is synonymous with Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam. But you know, I love Russell Simmons because he created Run DMC. I grew up on that music. So he's a big icon for music to me. But this, Def Comedy Jam, is a damn institution.