Here’s Your Favorite New Comedian, Ian Edwards

It’s your call, but you should probably check out comedian Ian Edwards. His premiere album 100% Half Assed dropped this week. It is the first release on the new comedy label from Conan O’Brien’s production company, Team Coco. Edwards, who’s family moved to New York from Jamaica when he seventeen—currently writes for Two Broke Girls. He’s also written for Adult Swim’s Black Dynamite, SNL, and The Boondocks.

His comedy is strong, well-polished, and undeniably undiplomatic. He rides the line by offending all-comers with his polished jokes and casual delivery.  Edwards, who nearly had a career as professional soccer player, found his calling in comedy after a stranger told him he was funny. I recently chatted with Edwards who had this to say about communicating via his ‘irreverent’ style:

“I just used humor as a way to communicate with people. I realized that people responded well to humor. At work, around my friends, I used to be funny. One day a stranger told me, ‘You’re funny; you should do comedy.’ It was something I never thought of until the moment a stranger said it. When they said it, I just took the advice of a stranger. It set the course of my life. I said, ‘Alright, I’m going to do comedy.’  I never wavered or second-guessed it.

[On his irreverent style:] I’ll take it all. I know what I’m doing. I mean I’ve seen people’s faces in the audience when I say certain things, so I can’t deny that they think it’s irreverent. I could choose a different style, but it wouldn’t be me.”

Last week he appeared on Conan to promote the new album. Decide for yourself if his irreverence is worth your reverence.