Comedian Ali Siddiq bringing life lessons, 'The Custom Fit' Tour to Lubbock

Ali Siddiq can keep your attention. The 52-year-old comedian has lived an interesting life, and uses it to capture the imagination of audiences. It's a simple formula: standup in front of a crowd and talk about his real-life experiences in a different town. All the while, he finds humor in all of th

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Ali Siddiq can keep your attention.

The 52-year-old comedian has lived an interesting life, and uses it to capture the imagination of audiences. It's a simple formula: standup in front of a crowd and talk about his real-life experiences in a different town.

All the while, he finds humor in all of the anecdotes, and the people in the venue smile or laugh because they can relate to the real-life humor.

Siddiq plans to bring that blend of narrative and anecdotes to Lubbock as he continues his almost three decades on the comedy scene as part of “The Custom Fit Tour” at 8 p.m. Sept. 25, at the Helen DeVitt Jones Theater inside Buddy Holly Hall.

The next day, he'll trek to Midland for an 8 p.m. Saturday performance at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.

"I'm excited to come to West Texas," Siddiq said Tuesday, Sept. 22, by phone. "Haven't been out there in a very, very long time. ... Not since the beginning of my career. I'm excited for all of the stories that are going to be new to them. Even the new specials that I recorded, they haven't seen any of the material. I'm going to be able to draw from a plethora of hours."

Some of Siddiq's most diehard fans may point back to his big break being on cable television, following a now-famous spot on Ari Shaffir’s Comedy Central web show “This Is Not Happening” back in 2015. The show, which featured comics telling true stories, was built for long-form comedy. Siddiq’s story revolved around being unprepared for a prison riot and became an online hit and led to a full-length special on Comedy Central. The video, posted 11 years ago on Comedy Central's official YouTube account, has 15 million views.

His ascent in the profession continued thanks to some sound advice from his mentor, D.L. Hughley, whom he spent years as an opener and host for his formative years in comedy. Hughley is most known for being the original host of BET's ComicView from 1992 to 1993, as one of the "Big Four" comedians in The Original Kings of Comedy and from the ABC/UPN sitcom "The Hughleys."

"He told me, when I was a very young comic, he said: the funniest you'll ever be is how honest you want to be," Siddiq said of what he took from Hughley. "So, I don't even have an act. I'm just, me. And it's been working out very well, for me. Just being authentically me.

"I'm just drawing from my own personal life and what goes on with me from the day-to-day."

Ali Siddiq, a storyteller and stand-up comedian, is scheduled to bring his show, 'In the Shadows,' to the Crown Theatre in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Siddiq parlayed the appearance, and his life experience, into a series of personal comedy specials that he released independently, staying away from traditional outlets such as Comedy Central or Netflix.

“The Domino Effect,” a four-part series, was released via Siddiq’s YouTube channel between 2022 and 2024. He released three more the following year, including “My Two Sons,” which garnered an 2026 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety — marking the first time an independently produced YouTube special was nominated and won the honor.

"I would be walking around with these things in my head, these experiences, bottling them up," Siddiq said of what made him comfortable telling the world of his personal life stories. "And I'm like, I need to at least let this stuff out. "The same thing I would talk about in the barber shop, talk about with my friends.

"And they would say that this is what everyone is going through. ... You can probably be a beacon of light for people by telling your story. Letting people know that they're not by themselves. So, that's what I started doing."

“My Father,” Siddiq’s newest special, which premiered on Father's Day, surpassed four million YouTube views. Most of the talking points from the special revolved around his upbringing in Houston and his complicated relationship with his father, David 'Odi' Wright, who passed away on Valentine's Day in 2018 following a heart attack.

"My DM is usually filled with stories of how I helped them through hard times," Siddiq said of getting positive or negative feedback from telling true stories. "How I've given them insight of how to deal with a relative or a child. I think I'm fulfilling the other part of my goal, to be helpful to people."

Back in April, Siddiq added three Webby Awards to his résumé for his special, "Ali Siddiq: Rugged.” The special secured Best Video and Film Comedy, Best Video and Film Individual Performance and the People’s Voice Award.

Rounding out his work, Siddiq released Ali Siddiq: From Inside, which is anything but a comedy special. It's a powerful and real conversation filmed inside a county jail. The message is aimed at breaking the cycle of incarceration and confronting the mindset that leads to repeat offense.

As for what to expect Friday night, Siddiq kept things simple and honest.

"If you like long-form stories and you can follow a storyline, and you can pay attention. ... If you've got a good attention span, you're going to love me. If not, I don't know what to say," Siddiq said, laughing. "If you have ADHD, I'm not your person."