Katt Williams released his memoir, “Nine Lives, No Wives, and 69 Concubines,” on Oct. 20. The comedian is promoting it with a live tour while he develops Kemet Movie Works, a studio he is building on the former Fort McClellan Army base in Anniston, Alabama.
What Simon & Schuster Published on Oct. 20
Simon & Schuster lists the book as a 336-page hardcover with a $30 list price. It carries the Gallery/13A imprint. Shaquille O’Neal wrote the foreword. The publisher describes the memoir as “raw, unfiltered” and says it follows Williams from homelessness to Hollywood. The description covers his break from a Jehovah’s Witness upbringing as a teenager, his early hustles, his rise in stand-up, his self-funded tours, his business independence, his fatherhood and his legal battles.
Williams is an Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian. The publisher’s biography lists his 2018 Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for “Atlanta” and his breakout as Money Mike in “Friday After Next.” It also lists his specials “The Pimp Chronicles Pt. 1” and “Great America.”
The jacket carries blurbs from three entertainers. Actor Keke Palmer wrote that “Katt is one of the kindest guys I know.” Actor Samuel L. Jackson wrote that the genius of Williams “ain’t for everybody.” Comedian Luenell wrote that she hopes the book gives readers insight into “the Man, not the brand.”
How the Katt Williams Book Tour Works
The book tour includes two remaining dates. He performs at The Tabernacle in Atlanta on Oct. 22 at 8p.m. and at Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., according to the author page at Simon & Schuster. The author page gives venue capacities for the two remaining dates: 1,637 at The Tabernacle and 1,097 at Parker Playhouse. Adding those gives 2,734 seats, a calculation from the published capacities. The author page does not report ticket sales.
Where Kemet Movie Works Stands at Fort McClellan
The memoir lands while Williams is turning a former military post into a production campus. His publicist, Amy Sisoyev, confirmed in November 2024 that he had bought a former military installation in Alabama, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on the acquisition in its own coverage.
The newspaper said the property appeared to be the Cold War-era barracks area of the decommissioned Fort McClellan. It listed 90 acres, 30 concrete buildings with about 3 million square feet of indoor space, 10 barracks and two gymnasiums. The paper said the purchase price was not disclosed and that the property had been listed at $1.5 million the year before.
Williams spoke to GQ about the move. “It’s just not fair to put all that pressure on Tyler Perry,” he said, in remarks the AJC quoted. Perry converted much of the closed Fort McPherson in Atlanta into Tyler Perry Studios. The AJC placed Williams among celebrity studio owners that also include 50 Cent and Robert De Niro.
The company now operates as Kemet Movie Works. Its website lists sections for facilities, investor information, original productions and location supervisors, and carries the tagline “Poised to redefine the entertainment industry in the Southeast.” The site does not list acreage, leadership or a news archive.
Why Miles College is Part of the Studio Plan
Alabama television station WVTM 13 carried original reporting in February on a partnership between Williams and Miles College, a historically Black college in Fairfield, Alabama. Miles College President Bobbie Knight announced at the school’s homecoming that the college had signed a memorandum of understanding giving students a chance to learn about artificial intelligence and augmented reality. Knight told the station that many jobs that exist now will not exist in five years because of those technologies.
WVTM reported that the former base has two soundstages built for virtual production, computer-generated imagery and immersive sets. Williams told the station the partnership benefits both sides. “In conjunction with Miles College, it just gives us an opportunity to deal with the best and the brightest,” he said.
Williams also said artificial intelligence could keep costly animation and visual effects work in the region rather than sending it overseas. He said the studio aims to use the technology without cutting its workforce. WVTM reported that the number of jobs the studio will create is unclear. Anniston resident Doretha Walker told the station she had not expected the post to draw attention. She compared its potential effect on jobs and the local economy to Tyler Perry’s studio in Atlanta.
What Else Williams Has on the Calendar
Netflix said in a corporate announcement renewing its podcast lineup that Williams will debut an original podcast later this year. The release gives no title or launch date. The same page names Williams as the star of the recent Netflix stand-up special “The Last Report.”
The week therefore holds three separate business lines for one performer: a hardcover memoir from a major New York publisher, a ticketed live tour, and a studio campus with an academic partner. The publisher’s own description stresses self-funded tours and business independence as book themes.
Kemet has announced no opening date. The last listed tour date is Oct. 25 in Florida, and the book is on shelves at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Bookshop, Hudson Booksellers, Target and Walmart, according to the Simon & Schuster author page.
