Jay Pharoah Has Some Things to Say About His SNL Firing

We hadn’t heard a ton from Jay Pharoah since he was let go from SNL last summer, but now he’s opening up about his not-so-nice feelings regarding his former employer.

On New York’s Hot 97 yesterday, the comedian spoke up about his firing, saying, “You go where you’re appreciated. If you have multiple people on the cast saying things like ‘you’re so talented’ and ‘you’re able and they don’t use you, and it’s unfair and it’s making us feel bad.’” Pharoah gave an example of his being underutilized, saying his pitches for more Obama sketches in his last year were ignored, and that it felt like the writers “gave up” on the character.

He continued, “Whatever they want you to do, they expect you to do. I’m a little fiery, too … I’m not a yes n***a.” He also said he nearly lost his job in advocating for the hiring of more black female cast members like Leslie Jones and Sasheer Zamata.

For more from Pharoah on his firing, his general SNL experience and what he’s up to now, go ahead and check out his entire appearance on Hot 97 below.