‘For de people’
Lauderhill TikToker ‘Haitian Papi’ shows Caribbean pride in comedy videos
Internet comedian “Haitian Papi” makes funny videos that embrace his Haitian culture, turning the tables on those who teased him about his ethnicity growing up. Now that his videos have cultivated an audience, it’s he who has the last laugh.
“I need to be speaking for de people, by de people and to de people,” the young comedian says to the camera in an exaggerated Haitian accent before jokingly ranting about the way Haitian people give directions or how some people still have bad breath with a mask on.
Such is typical of “Haitian Papi” videos, which have garnered tens of thousands of views and have captivated close to 44,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. Because of his on-themoney portrayals of the mundane aspects of Haitian American life,
Caribbean people can laugh over shared experiences, and others can better understand and appreciate Haitian culture.
“Haitian Papi” is the stage name of Louidmyer Louissant, a 23-year-old from Lauderhill who plays for local church bands and works as a pharmacist tech. Offscreen, fans recognize him because he wears his culture on his sleeve — he usually sports a
shirt, pants or a mask with the Haitian flag — or he has a baseball cap that says “PAPI.”
In a 2017 video that solidified his popularity, he pretended to be a Haitian DJ who constantly interrupts party music with business promotions. The video caught the attention of Broward-based Haitian American rapper Kodak Black, who reposted the video on Instagram and called Louissant to tell him how much he enjoyed the skit. Louissant thanked him for the shoutout.
“From that moment, I realized that I was doing something special,” he says.
Sometimes in his videos, Louissant will act out Haitian versions of pop culture like “The Haitian Last Supper” or “If Will and Jada Were Haitian.” Other sketches poke fun at relatable family scenarios that many Caribbean Americans know all too well, like being woken up by a family member singing church hymns at 6 in the morning or not being able to go to sleepovers.
“Regardless of if you’re Haitian or Jamaican or Guyanese or Trinidadian, as long as you’re from the Caribbean, we can all relate,” Louissant says. “The only thing that’s really different is the shape of the island.”
Haitian Papi’s content mostly focuses on Haitian American life, but he includes English translations of Haitian Creole phrases and comedy catered to a wider audience in the hopes that non-Caribbean people can also have a laugh and learn something new about Haitian culture.
Louissant started posting videos the summer before his senior year at Fort Lauderdale High School as a way to stave off his boredom. But when he heard from his friend group that his videos cheered them up on tough days, his purpose changed.
“I realized that I wanted to bring a positive influence to people and make people smile and laugh,” Louissant says. “That brings joy to my heart.”
That’s why he tries to keep his video content uplifting and family friendly, he says.
Amber Woozencroft, 23, says it lifts her spirits when she hears Louissant say his famous “for de people, by de people and to de people” line in his videos.
She first met Louissant at church when they were both kids, and they’ve been friends ever since. Woozencroft is Jamaican and Italian, but as the mother to a 4-year-old part-Haitian boy, she knows she can watch Louissant’s videos to learn more about Haitian culture.
“It’s not just the funny content that keeps us going back, but I think he’s got a really pure heart too,” she says.
Medlyne Zamor, 31, who lived in the Miami and Broward areas in the ‘90s, says she loves watching Haitian Papi videos because of how he’s breaking down barriers and misconceptions about Haitians.
“I never saw a Haitian comedian or entertainer like that growing up,” says Zamor, who now lives in Atlanta.
She says that growing up in Florida, some of her classmates were scared of her because of negative stereotypes about Haitians being poor and dangerous. Films typically depict Haitians as Zoe Pound gang members and butcher the Haitian language, she says.
She likes Louissant’s work because it shows Haitians as upstanding people and shines a light on a variety of Haitian characters, like parents and old people.
“He’s very courageous and entertaining and very relatable,” she says.
Zamor says she wants to see more people like Louissant gain bigger platforms to provide accurate representations of Haitian people and culture in entertainment.
“I feel like when you actually have real Haitians to tell our stories [and] to act our own lives, then it’ll give the other viewers an opportunity to really see us for who we are,” she says.
Louissant says he wants to stay humble despite the praise he’s received. He credits his childhood friends, nicknamed the “Pikliz Brothers” after a spicy Haitian slaw, for supporting him even as they’ve physically drifted apart in their adult lives. And he’s always learning and drawing inspiration from seasoned local comedians, like entertainer Zoe Poze.
Although Louissant doesn’t know if he’ll make comedy his full-time career, he says “it’s something that’s going to be with me for the rest of my life.”