Aziz Ansari performs at Comix on January 9 and 10. Tickets are still available here.

Comedian Aziz Ansari studied marketing at NYU and came up through the city's underground comedy scene before earning his break as co-creator and co-star of MTV sketch show Human Giant. He's now departed for L.A., and is starring alongside Amy Poehler in an upcoming NBC sit-com from The Office executive producer Greg Daniels. Ansari is featured in the upcoming Judd Apatow flick Funny People, the new season of Scrubs, and about a million other projects. He spoke with Sound of the City through his preferred medium of email.--Ben Westhoff

Human Giant is indefinitely "on hiatus," and you've said that's because though MTV wants you to do a third season you're too busy because of your NBC show. Is that the real story?

The truth is Sway forced us off the network. Last year at the MTV Christmas Party, all the network talent took part in a "Secret Santa." Before the gifts were handed out, I was in the bathroom and heard Sway bragging to a friend about how he stiffed his secret Santa and didn't buy them a gift.

Later that evening, after gifts were handed out and Xzibit didn't get one. He was really bummed and took it personal. No one would fess up to not buying the gift and I finally blurted, "It was Sway. He's the asshole who didn't get Xzibit his secret Santa." Needless to say, Xzibit and I then beat the shit out of him.

The next day, I was told to pack my things and leave MTV. Sway saw me on my way out and said "Don't ever fuck with the Sway."