Listen up, comedy lovers! While the mainstream media keeps spotlighting the same handful of comedic superstars, there’s a whole universe of hilariously talented underrated Black comedians absolutely crushing it in 2025. It’s been my mission to attend comedy shows for the past several months and let people tell you, some of the best comedies of today are still unknown.
The comedy is an endless field and these creative beings are turning around it with unique ideas and ideologies that must be watched. So grab your drinks, settle in, and let me introduce you to the underrated Black comedians who should be on your radar this year.
The New Wave of Raw Storytelling
Well, from what used to be a scene with just simple setup punchline then another setup punchline, comedy now is more profound and personal. Several underrated Black comedians are leading this transformation.
Tia Monroe: Queen of Uncomfortable Truths
If you have not seen the combination of Tia Monroe’s social critique and comedy with a tinge of self-critical humor, then you are missing out. Her previous special Uncomfortably Yours that appeared on StreamFlix received little attention, but it is one of the most profound comedy special of 2016.
The host is Monroe; she makes the show seem relaxed; she is all about sharing stories of her failed attempts at finding a date for the next episode and in the next moment she is discussing the unfair distribution of wealth in our society. She does tremendous work in the way she affects the listeners finding herself iniated with the audience in a manner that is different from a performer and the audience.
“I do not feel like telling jokes that make you hallucinate and move on” Monroe said in a Podcast Interview. ”I want to tell jokes that makes the audience laugh for the first and then, make them think why they laughed the second and then possibly doubt their existence in the third and all of it in a humorous manner.”
Devin Washington: The Observational Mastermind
Not as filthy as some of his contemporaries, Washington has solid and witty punchlines, especially for someone so young: these observations about daily life should be performing in arenas by now. That is, he is a popular comedian but he has never gotten widespread success and fame on the platform.
Exciting part of the DC show is he was exposing the humor that one could find in these rather inane situations, like psychological warfare through group messages, or the unspoken etiquette of public transport. His explorations of how successive generations use technology made me very happy: “My nephew swears that The Cloud is a fairy, my parents believe it is Big Brother, I know that it is merely the computer of someone else that I rent”.
Digital Pioneers Breaking New Ground
While traditional standup remains the gold standard, several underrated Black comedians are carving out entirely new spaces in the digital realm.
Maya Jackson: The Short-Form Genius
The 5’3” comedienne Maya Jackson doesn’t fill theaters at the moment, but she has a devoted audience for her one-minute comedy clips on social networks. It’s however quite impressive how she is able to develop character arcs and provide social themes’ dash in brief clips.
Her series on customer service nightmares are hilarious, where she assumes the role of an embittered customer as well as the rude representative on the other end of the line. As for the character acting of Jackson, one can note that when he changes his posture and voice slightly, it is very clear that he is a different person.
Nevertheless, conventional comedy arbiters have been reluctant to warm to the Jackson’s talent, yet his millions of fans on social network are constantly growing. Their loss, honestly.
The Midnight Crew: Collaborative Comedy Redefined
While the kings and queens of individual vocal standups are a staple of comedic discourses, it is high time that spotlight was put on The Midnight Crew, comprised of Andre Powell, Kira Williams and Jerome Bennett for revitalizing ensemble comedy in streaming platforms.
Their up impromptu performances where they become really comedians and build entire set of characters and plot from a title suggested by the viewers during the broadcast is something unparallel to other current comic acts. Of their last few shows, “Digital Feedback Loop” epitomized how technology can act as an addition rather than as a hindrance to live performance.
There is lightning quick wit of Powell, slapstick humor by Williams and absolutely dry humor of Bennett that potential giant platforms should be competing for at this very moment.
The Truth-Tellers
In an era of carefully managed public personas, these underrated Black comedians are refreshingly authentic, often at the expense of broader commercial appeal.
Marcus Green: The Uncomfortable Truthsayer
You may want to look away when Marcus Green performs – or at least feel a little uncomfortable – that is the idea. His comical show/album titled “Inconvenient Laughter” dishes out timely jokes in gentle humor.
While discussing the subjects that most comedians stay away from, wealth disparity, environmental problems, and political dichotomy, Green’s perspective in the show feels topical for the year 2025. “Film comedy’s function is to make a light of a dark or uncomfortable situation, yet at the same time present the dark side of a light or comfortable one,” Green said during an interview. For everyone to be laughing jovially, I am the one duty bound not to do a good job.
He does a great job of comparing the corporate efforts in environmentalism to putting a band-aid on a shark bite – funny while also truthful.
Zora Reed: The Unapologetic Voice
Zora Reed is an artist, performer and comedian, but most importantly she is part of the marginalized community, Black lesbians, a group, which does not make her funny one-size-fits-all humor palatable for the mainstream culture. He is involved in dealing with themes of oppression and the life of a Black female in a society that is dominated by the white race.
The presentation is as laid back as his personality while telling the viewer that this is a no-holds-barred look at life when it really could be this simple. Her recurring segment wherein she shows how she talks to people by translation services, where she mimics common prejudices of people, has a humorous yet sad aspect for many viewers.
The Technical Masters
While heart and authenticity are crucial, let’s not overlook the underrated Black comedians who are simply masterful at the craft itself.
Lamar Johnson: The Callback King
It should be noted, therefore, that there is something typed and structured in Lamar Johnson that might mean more comedy than people realize. Using the “Circular Logic” stand up performance, an hour long, different audiences observed that the jokes set up much earlier in the show were paid off later in the show.
Johnson’s humour is methodical – he constructs massive gags where each piece intensifies the overall structure. “I can tell you that for my last performance, Johnson said backstage, while holding the interlocking frames: “I view my sets as puzzle boxes. “That is what I want and that is what I liked in spite of having helped, yet people are still having pieces of the same joke passed to them from different ends.”
Aisha Morris: Timing Virtuoso
Comedy is a thing of time and little has come close to equal Aisha Morris in the aspect of time management. Timing, an element that cannot be taught or learned, shows in her slow rhythm, occasional pauses and sudden increases to make jokes out of ordinary statements.
Morris especially proved her conducting skills of an audience with her recent theater tour. I particularly enjoyed her tale of airport security where she slurs certain words out into the booth and imparts other words in quick repetitions miming the paradox of contemporary travel.
Why Recognition Matters
While these underrated Black comedians are creating exceptional work regardless of mainstream attention, recognition matters – not just for their careers, but for comedy itself. This means that for instance when women, minority, black or any other form of diversification is not considered as self-evident the art form will not grow.
This has been rented through the emergence of the streaming platforms and the social media. The sad news is that they are still around, and the ones with any of the really attractive opportunities or the largest audiences.
Where to Find These Hidden Gems
For those who want to witness these talents, the following sites are useful:
All the comedians featured here have social media accounts where they post their content on a regular basis. Go to many smaller clubs across the country – it is quite often that better comedy is to be had in such places. Some are available streaming, but more often you will have to seek them out as they are not necessarily promoted on the main page.
The Last Laugh
As we move through 2025, these underrated Black comedians continue pushing boundaries, challenging perspectives, and most importantly, making people laugh in new and meaningful ways. This type of fantastic players and scenial artists ironically have received little attention from mainstream society for their accomplishments.
So the next time that you are scrolling through something new to watch or a live show to attend, do not rely on the algorithm to recommend these to you. Indeed your comedy meter will be well fed.
And who knows? If lovers of this kind of comedy as I do come out in large number perhaps these talented but humble comedians will not remain so humble for a long time. All the same, while I still hold the prerogative of boasting to have listened to them before they became mega superstars.
