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Comedian

Some people take a while to find their path. Comedian Lavell Crawford was one of those people. Growing up on the tough streets of St. Louis, he almost fell victim to the streets. "Growing up with a single parent - my Mom - it [was] rough," says the funnyman. "I got consumed in [that life] a little bit, [I was] fighting and trying to be a dope dealer - even though I wasn't good at my business."

Being a less-than-adequate street pharmacist proved to be a blessing; Crawford left the corner and tried his hand onstage, although he was rocking a different sort of crowd initially. "I wanted to be a rapper," he shares with a laugh. "But I wasn't no gangsta rapper, it was during that Krush Groove era - with the Fat Boys and all that!"

After leaving college and returning home to St. Louis, Crawford's girlfriend bet him that he wouldn't take the stage at an open mic. "It took me a month to get onstage at The Funny Bone in St. Louis, but once I got on I said, 'if I get one laugh, I'm gonna make it a career,' and here I am today, 18 years later." Crawford has spent the last decade or so gracing televisions on BET's "Comic View," and has become the frontrunner on this season's "Last Comic Standing."

"I love when people say I'm one of their favorite comedians, it makes my day," he confesses. With the upcoming "Larger Than Life Comedy Showdown" in Atlanta, Crawford gets to do what he does best in a city that he's come to love. "I love Atlanta, it's a great city; anytime you want to pay me to come down and make 'em laugh, I more than welcome the opportunity!" - todd williams

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