Comic called HaHa’s no joke

This week’s episode of “Renaissance Man” is dedicated to those people living in their mom’s basement. My guest was once dwelling in his mother’s subterranean space, where, in 2013, he started making online comedy sketches. Now, he has more than 7.5 million Instagram followers, a bona fide stand-up and acting career, and a fan base that includes Snoop Dogg, Chance the Rapper and yours truly.

And my Motown brother Carlos “HaHa” Davis has some advice for big dreamers who were once in his situation.

“The only thing I would tell them, that I stick to all the time, is never allow anybody to tell you what you can’t do,” he told me. “Because when I was down there grinding for three and a half years, she was telling me, ‘It’s time you go get a job.’ ”

He insisted he was going to “pop off.” But it didn’t happen immediately.

“So I say, now, don’t even let your mom tell you what you can’t do. I mean, obviously, we got to listen to our parents, but we can’t allow them to tell us what our dreams are.”

Known as “Big Fella” (which inspired the name of his podcast, “F3LLAS”), he grew up on the gritty, crime-ridden east side of Detroit, which he said helped him learn how to hustle. But he’s also immensely talented and driven. To make it out of that area of the city is a steep climb. To make it to Hollywood from there, well, that’s like scaling Mount Everest.

Martin Lawrence and Bernie Mac were the early entertainment influences that made him want to be funny. “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the

Hood” was a masterpiece.