KEVIN HART SPEAKS HIS MIND AT A PRESS CONFERENCE

Kevin Hart performing at the Grand West Casino in Cape Town. PICTURE: Kevin Kwan

WHILE other international acts use locals for opening acts when performing in South Africa, US comedian Kevin Hart has opted to use his "family".

The 36-year-old comedian tonight will perform his last leg of his What Now tour at the Dome in Johannesburg alongside three comedians, Joey Wells, Will 'Spank' Horton and Na'im Lynn from his Hart Beat Production company.

Dressed in black during a press conference held at Multichoice City in Randburg, defended his use of US acts saying he was "not as well informed" about local comedians and used guys from his company because, "there is a rhythm to my show and these guys help put a rhythm in that".

"If something isn't broke you don't try fix it what people should know about me is that I am loyal and I am big on family and the people that are with me are now family. We have been together for ten plus years and those comedians that open for me they are part of my company," said Hart.

The 1,63m tall comic who arrived in the country on Friday with about 20 man entourage including his fiancée Eniko Parrish, opened the floor with jokes about his much talked about height.

"Tell everybody I am tall, right that down and tell them I came out here and appeared to be a lot taller than what you thought I was," he joked.

During the 58-minute long conference, Hart touched on issues about the media's perceptions of countries he has traveled to since beginning his tour in April last year, discussed his content as "relatable" and said his visit to "South Africa was long overdue".

"This was on the to do list and it didn't happen for quite some time because I thought the timing wasn't right and I am glad I was patient about it and waited until now because it paid off and it's turned out to be something really special," he said.

When asked about his production requirements which included a dressing room with scented candles, a bartender and a "full bar set up" including eight bottles of ciroc vodka, two bottles of Patron Silver tequila and other beverages...

Hart said: "When you are in a dressing room at the end of the show that dressing room gets very crowded and when it gets crowded it gets hot, when it gets hot people sweat, when people sweat people start to stink so the scented candles takes the stink out the room .

"It is not about me calming myself, there is no method to the madness, I don't like stink. I would much rather a scented candle be in there so I can say this is what it is... and sometimes that smell could be me, I just got off stage," he laughed.