Los Angeles-based comic Ian Edwards has one of the most coveted CVs in comedy: he's appeared on shows like Def Comedy Jam, Show Time at the Apollo and Bad Boys of Comedy; he's written for shows like Saturday Night Live and The Boondocks; and he has a weekly show at the legendary Laugh Factory in addition to appearing on the current season of Punk'd. It's no surprise he's got so much under his belt already, since he started his stand up career when he was just 21 years old, choosing comedy over the fast food gig he'd been working.

Edwards be performing this Tuesday, November 1 at The Paramount with Sarah Silverman and friends at the highly anticipated "Live From N*****head (Stripping the paint off of good old fashioned racism!)," a night of comedy in response to Rick Perry's recently revealed, really racist choice of home decor. Who better to take on Perry than a comic known for his unapologetic takes on race and society? (He's got more than a few bits on interracial issues, for example.)

We talked to Ian about why politics are funny, how writing and stand up relate and what he's learned from the evolution of the comedy scene.

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How did you get involved with this event?

Sarah called me nigga... no, she hit me up about it, and once I knew she was serious I decided to take part.

For you, why is politics an interesting topic to explore in comedy? What do you think comes from examining current events in this context?

Politics are an interesting topic, independent of comedy. It so popular it has its own channels, like sports. The World Cup is every four years and people get into it—they buy flags, rep their countries and cheer for their teams. Politics is becoming just like that, a sport. The politicians know it. You can see them jockeying for playing time. The Republican candidates are tall, lean and tanned. They all have a retired quarterback look.

Have you been keeping up with the current election news so far?

How could I not. They interrupt shows on the Cartoon Network to give you reports.

As someone outside of Texas, what (if any) impressions do you have about Rick Perry?

Everything I know about him is from news interviews and debates. My gut instinct tells me that even if he was the governor of New York, he wouldn't be my type of candidate.

This particular event is going to be focusing on the use of a word that’s often censored, even when reporting on it in this context (and, in fact, the posters for the event censor it as well). Is there any plan for how this is going to be handled at the show itself? Do you think there are real ‘rules’ for what can and can’t be said, and what contexts it’s ok to broach these kinds of things in?

I'm black so I can say the word without repercussions. There are no rules for me. Basically, I'm fortunate to be the race of the worst racial slur ever invented. Good luck everyone else.

What’s it like preparing for a show with such a focused topic? How is it different than preparing for a weekly show?

Preparing? Who's preparing. Nah, it's a little different because there's a topic that I'll have some material for, but for the most part I'll be doing my act.

You’ve been asked, if you could roast any celebrity, who would it be—if you could roast any politician, from any time period, who would it be?

I wouldn't roast any one from the Jim Crow era backwards, because there were no laws to protect me from them, so it would have to be someone more current. It would probably be former vice President Dick Cheney.

You got into comedy at a young age; what are some of your fondest memories from that time when you were just getting started? Were you interested in writing first, or stand up?

I got into stand up first. I had no idea writing on TV had anything to do with it, because I never had the inclination to read TV show credits.

A few years, after I started, I was hanging out with a few comics after a show. You know, just kicking it. We did this every night for years. We wasted a lot of time telling bad jokes, and dreaming, a tradition comics continue today. One night, one of the comics mentioned he had like 200,000 sketches written. I was like, what? Why? He said, "In case one day I get a job writing on Saturday Night Live, I don't wanna struggle coming up with ideas every week. I'll be prepared." His words struck me. They made total sense. From that point on, I wrote down every sketch idea or premise that popped into my head and built up a bank. A few years later, I submitted those ideas and premises and got my first writing job.

What advice would you give someone trying to break into comedy now, in 2011—has that landscape changed in the years you’ve been performing?

I'd advise them to write. Set time aside every week to write. Most importantly, go over your set after a show. You can learn so much through recall, about yourself and comedy, like why a joke worked or didn't, or the mood you told it in. Other joke ideas will pop into your're head because your staying involved with the material. It's not just about getting on stage, it's finding out what you learned while doing it.

Comedy has changed. You have got to get internet savvy. There's Twitter, Facebook, iPads and smart phones now. Ten years ago, none of this existed.

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See Ian Edwards this Tuesday, November 1 at The Paramount with Sarah Silverman and friends.