3.3 million followers on Facebook. Over 423 million views on YouTube. 4.2 million TikTok likes.
Bigg Jah (real name Jahdai Pickett) has put up those gaudy social media numbers with no studio or agency backing and a relatively small team. The do-everything entertainer — who can write, act, direct, produce, and everything in between — has been posting content online almost nonstop for the past five years, doing what he calls “hood good comedy.” It’s all paying dividends now.
He’s built a synergy map that extends past his wildly popular social media franchises like “Inner Thoughts” and “The Lesbian Homie.” There’s also merch (with a new piece dropping almost every month) and with the world re-opening, perhaps comedy shows again.
Next, Bigg Jah is trying to parlay his massive social media success into feature films. He originally studied film in college and planned to take the traditional route into the industry — shooting a short film, winning movie festivals, and signing with an agent. But the rise of social media gave Bigg Jah an alternative AND independent route into the business.
You’ll want to listen to my interview with Bigg Jah to get more insight into his creative process and meteoric rise on social media. Here’s everything we covered in this Trapital episode:
[3:14] What Does “Hood Good Comedy” Mean?
[5:36] Lasting Impact Of 90s Comedy Movies
[7:36] Navigating Different Entertainment Mediums (Social Media, Film, Comedy)
[11:49] Being Forced To Go The Independent Creator Route
[14:59] Acting Vs. Directing Vs. Writing
[18:18] How Bigg Jah Chooses What Type Of Content To Make
[21:06] What’s Behind Bigg Jah’s Success On Facebook?
[23:19] How Bigg Jah Has Leveraged Other Social Networks
[26:25] Bigg Jah’s Revenue Breakdown
[29:05] The Struggles Of Creator Burnout
[33:56] The Key To Bigg Jah’s Success
[43:55] Upcoming Projects For Bigg Jah
[45:44] How To Follow Bigg Jah
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: Bigg Jahh, @biggjah
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TRANSCRIPTION
[00:00:00] Bigg Jah: I'm not pressured to keep the series going, because I know that it works. I'm in it to create new stuff and see how it goes. I'm not a slave to the, "Well, this is what works. So let me just keep doing this only." No, I'm gonna push the envelope and push the line and I'm gonna see if they like this too. And what about this?
[00:00:15] I'm going to grab this and what if I do this? You know, so I don't have a problem with that. Plus I've done so much. I've done the series thing to a degree now I wanna move on to something else. I want to challenge myself to do another character or another storyline that see if people like that.
[00:00:36] Dan Runcie: Hey, welcome to the Trapital podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, ente
