We hung out with stand-up comedian Azhar Usman for our latest installation of Mystic Moments. Said to be "untouchable" by comedy legend Dave Chappelle, Azhar's unique and raw style of comedy has left audiences rolling. His new one man show Azhar: Ultra American pushes the boundaries of comedy. The show has earned 3 weeks of sold-out shows in Chicago and critical acclaim.
As we hung out with him grooming his massive beard and rocking comedy sets in Chicago, Azhar shared some mystic gems with us on his spirituality and his love for the art of stand up comedy.
On Stand Up
"The best thing about stand up comedy for me that inspires me to keep pursuing this craft is the fact that it's the best art form that I've come across that allows me that allows me to just tell the truth. There's only one rule, it's got to be funny. But if a comic is funny, a comedian can say anything. And that to me is an utterly intoxicating proposition."
On Spirituality
"Art to me is spiritual and my spiritual commitments and my spiritual life is extremely important to me. Making my art a reflection of what's on the inside is really my goal. That's my prayer is that God keeps filling my heart with love and what is love? Love is a selfless desire that others should receive good and that you don't want anything in return from them."
In conclusion, Azhar is one of the most humble intelligent artists we've ever come across. We're super excited for his next steps as he ramps up his show Ultra American for more US cities and his re-occuring role on the second season of the Amazon series "Patriot."