Meet Se Joe, Haitian Filmmaker & Comedian Extraordinaire
"I’m more than just a comedian. I’m a creator."
By Marjua Estevez via VIBE Viva
Se Joe is on a journey, a personal alchemy of sorts. The kind that awakens a deep desire and passion to live with a greater sense of purpose.
Born Joseph Ducasse, the 20-something, years ago, obtained a Bachelor’s in Biology with an emphasis in Chemistry to blindly fulfill his family’s ultimate wish of becoming a doctor. However, Joe’s insatiable appetite for culture, love of laughter and mastery behind the lens, catapulted him to stages around the world where he could tell gut-busting jokes in Creole, a source of pride for the Haitian-born humorist.
When he’s not telling jokes, editing music videos with finesse or schooling an international fan base with his Word of the Day series, he’s filming in his native Ayiti and documenting the latest world tour of superstar songstress Emeline Michel.
True to the millennial way, Joe’s startup on YouTube had taken him much further than he initially thought. He’d grown with a public so fond of his work (and charm) that he was prompted to create his now-wildly successful comedy hub SeJoe.com. With influences like Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy and Paul Mooney – all of whom “kept it real” with the world – and a new move to the Big Apple, Joe’s getting ready for his next big act. Get acquainted.
The space I occupy in this world:
I’m more than just a comedian. I’m a creator. I produce videos, I produce entertainment, and I produce education. That’s what I do.
My MLK moment (realizing the dream):
I’m more of a Malcolm X guy. [Laughs] I really haven’t had any MLK moment, because I don’t dream per se. Whenever I think about what I want to accomplish in life, [it] never comes to me when I’m asleep. It comes to me when I’m awake. Dreams, I think, are for people who wish something would happen. Someone maybe waiting for God or a sign to accomplish what they want to see come into fruition. But me, I’m a go-getter. So, if I want something, I just go and make it happen.
The hardest project I have ever worked on:
Pretending I wanted to be a doctor. I think that was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Pretending to my family that I was going to be some plastic surgeon, or something. Other than that, I haven’t had too many hard projects. I would say I’ve been challenged a lot, but I always overcome my challenges.
My biggest personal win:
So far, everything I’ve accomplished in my career has been “winning.” However, I’d say the biggest win was having the courage to follow my personal desire versus doing what my mother and everyone else wanted me to do.
My creative flow necessities:
Marijuana. [Laughs] A little smoke and the ideas just come to me, honestly. I don’t abuse it, of course, but I like to use it in my creative zone, because that’s when my ideas seem to come in all at once. So far, the results been marvelous.
I am currently working on…
A documentary for international artist, Emeline Michel. This is my first time producing a full-length film. I’m very excited to make it my best work, yet.
My mentor is…
A mentor is someone who gives you good advice about life, someone who maybe guides you in the right direction in what you want to accomplish. So, I think I have a couple or several people who I seek when I need some direction or a second opinion. Allaix Augustin is a close mentor of mine, someone who I go to often for advice. Bianca Salvant, my co-producer, she’s always there whenever I have any doubts or need a second opinion—third, fourth, fifth opinion. Fred St. Amand Jr. is a cousin of mine and someone whose opinion I really value. Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy and Paul Mooney are influences, so in a sense, they’ve guided me too.
My definition of a boss:
A boss is someone who barks orders and doesn’t really do anything. He or she just barks orders and wants to feel powerful or in control. That’s my definition of a boss. A boss is not a team leader or a team player. He’s just there to make sure the machine is running.
My life mantra:
The words “f*ck it.” I love those words, because I honestly live by them. I don’t give people free rent in my head, you know what I mean? Whenever people try to come at me with negativity, I just say aloud, “f*ck it” and everything sort of subsides and appeases me in a sense that I don’t have to worry about whatever B.S. tried to make its way into my life. Those are some good words. You should try [saying] it sometimes and then just walk away. See how that feels.