Atlanta native DC Young Fly stands out as one of the top comedians in the nation. When he’s not on tour our hosting TV specials, DC Young Fly is true to his hometown and one of the biggest fans of the Atlanta Hawks.
DC Young Fly recently teamed up with the Hawks for his new podcast, “Hawks AF,” also “Hawks And Friends.”
On launch day, DC Young Fly spoke with ADW about his new venture.
Let’s just talk about the collaborations between you and the Hawks. How did it come about?
I just love sports first of all. As I kept coming to the games, I started to realize that something was missing here. How do we bridge the community with the Atlanta Hawks? I want to be ATL’s version of Spike Lee and what he is for the Knicks. The passion that I have for my city is unmatched. And then, plus the passion that I have for the game, and especially for us to win, is unmatched. The Hawks started seeing the energy that I was bringing to the arena. The Hawks media team was trying to figure out a way to incorporate me into their system. And we came up with the “Hawks And Friends” podcast.
The first episode is with rapper J.I.D. You talk about music and his background in sports. How do you want this podcast to stand out?
Some podcasts are more gossip. We want to show you more and present the work that’s put in to be successful. For me to have the platform, I want to say thank you. When the guests feel that they are recognized, it makes them want to come to the arena. It makes them want to be a part of the Hawks. We’re gonna do this for many years.
Who is on your top of your wish list for guests to be on “Hawks AF”?
Josh Smith, Dominique Wilkins. We got to have Lou Will. Anybody that’s really from the city because Atlanta is a mobile hub. It could be somebody that’s done things in the past who can give information. It’s a lot of information that is out there in the world that a lot of people don’t know. How do we inform the people? And on how do we incorporate that into the 2024 Atlanta Hawks?
There are also some inspirational moments in your podcast with J.I.D. Why is it important to add those moments with the sports and comedy?
A lot of times, you have to be prepared to be told no so you can understand how to succeed. And I just read today Wallo said, ‘Man, you have to get prepared for all of the doors that’s gonna be slammed in your face.’ A success story is not a real success story without overcoming adversity. And I think that’s what we have to get people prepared for. Adversity is gonna come, but you gotta be ready. It’s like with this podcast. We get to navigate and tell people’s story, and tell the people that’s listening how they overcame adversity and how they’re still here today.