Epps made a name for himself in Atlanta at the Comedy Act Theater. The owner of the club suggested Epps move to New York to build his act, and within a week, Epps caught a Greyhound to the Big Apple. He was 21 years old. While breaking into the city's conventional comedy clubs proved difficult, the Def Comedy Jam phenomenon stimulated an underground black comedy scene in which Epps excelled. By 1995, Epps ended up on the Def Comedy Jam tour, and starred in t