PHUNNY BUSINESS: A BLACK COMEDY chronicles the rise and fall of ALL JOKES ASIDE™, which for a decade, was the preeminent Black Comic showcase in America. This mostly unheralded "star factory" impacted American Pop Culture in a huge way, giving early exposure and early paychecks to major talent like Steve Harvey, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx, MoNique, Bernie Mac, Carlos Mencia, D.L Hughley, Cedric The Entertainer, Adele Givens, Melanie Comarcho, Mike Epps, JB Smoove, Ali LeRoi, Aries Spears, George Willborn, Sheryl Underwood, Laura Hayes, Bill Bellamy, Craig Robinson, Deon Cole, Earthquake and Tommy Davidson, to name just a few. An equally impressive list of celebrities like Michael and Juanita Jordan, Scottie Pippen, most of 'Da Bears', Tommy Hearns, Barry Sanders, Boyz 2 Men, Maxwell, MC Lyte, Vivica A. Fox, Doug Banks and many other luminaries could be found laughing it up in the audience.

All Jokes Aside was the brainchild of 29-year-old Delaware native and Morehouse graduate Raymond Lambert. In the late 1980's, armed with his new MBA, Lambert was working in the "exciting" world of high finance and being mentored by Chicago's legendary Chris Gardner. Yeah, that Chris Gardner, the guy Will Smith portrayed in the Hollywood movie THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS. The only problem... Lambert was bored and unfulfilled. He wanted to do something entrepreneurial and creative.

One night while visiting friends in Los Angeles, Ray went to THE IMPROV, a famous stand-up comedy club owned by the legendary Budd Friedman. Inspired by that experience, Ray decided he wanted to be less like Chris Gardner and more like Budd Friedman, but with more soul. How tough could it be to run a PHUNNY BUSINESS? Comedians seemed like "nice people" and Ray loved to laugh. Thus began a journey that would put Ray, a showbiz neophyte, in business with some of the biggest names in comedy and eventually, in conflict with a city known for its racial politics.

With his decision to switch careers made, Lambert contacted college buddy James Alexander and together they developed a business plan around a void they had identified in the Chicago entertainment market. Simply put, there were no comedy clubs booking minority acts on a regular basis. Their club would make a name for itself showcasing Black talent and entertaining Black audiences in an upscale environment.

On August 9th, 1991, with no experience running a comedy club or any other kind of business, Ray and James borrowed money from James' mother and opened All Jokes Aside™. For most of a decade, their three hundred-seat club at 1000 S. Wabash in Chicago's South Loop became one of the premiere comedy clubs in the country.

Along the way, Lambert and Alexander would learn hard lessons about the entertainment industry. They would also learn about Chicago, still one of America's most segregated cities. Because they were new to the "Windy City" and unfamiliar with how it "worked", Ray and James didn't realize that choosing to open their club in a South Loop location, a traditionally Black area, would later marginalize their ability to move North to a more "diverse" location. They had branded themselves a "Black" comedy club and would carry that legacy with them when they attempted to broaden their clubs appeal.

Sadly, after almost a decade, All Jokes Aside™ officially closed. Like other clubs across the country, it had fallen victim to the end of the "stand-up craze," but there were other, more disturbing reasons for its demise. Local businessmen and potential new neighbors thwarted their attempt to move the club North to the more "diverse," upscale, entertainment district. Turning to Chicago politicians for help seemed logical but white politicians were indifferent and black politicians wanted "consideration" or were openly unsympathetic. One infamous Black alderwoman actually professed her loyalty to one of Chicago's more dominant white comedy institutions. This hostile environment and mounting legal bills spelled the end for All Jokes Aside™. "While we were disappointed to see our club close," said owner Lambert, "we were delighted to see the artists we encouraged go on to impact the entertainment industry and pop culture in such a major way".

The artists haven't forgotten "the best little club no one ever heard of" and have been sitting down in front of our cameras to share their memories and re-live the glory days of All Jokes Aside™. Using stills, archival performance footage and interviews, PHUNNY BUSINESS: A BLACK COMEDY chronicles the rise and fall of All Jokes Aside™ and salutes the legendary showcase for it's major contribution to comedy history. Will the club ever re-open? You never know, it's a PHUNNY BUSINESS, but a television series as well as a reunion special are currently being developed to accompany the release of the documentary. Producers for All Jokes Productions, LLC are John Davies, Raymond Lambert and Reid Brody.