Nick Cannon

Nick Cannon has built a multifaceted career as an actor, comedian, rapper, and entrepreneur, earning acclaim through film roles, stand-up routines, and sketch comedy. He entered the world in 1980 in San Diego, California, and first gravitated toward performance near the age of eight after his grandfather supplied him with initial musical instruments that sparked his creative path. During his teenage years he relocated to Los Angeles, where he honed his stand-up skills at the Laugh Factory, the Improv, and the Comedy Store. This groundwork led to his breakthrough on the Nickelodeon sketch series All That, followed by guest spots on Kenan & Kel and The Parkers before he transitioned to the big screen in the 2002 marching-band drama Drumline.

After establishing a presence on television and in Hollywood, Cannon ventured into music by signing with Jive Records. His first major release arrived in late 2001 as a cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s 1988 single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” featured on the Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius soundtrack alongside Lil’ Romeo and 3LW. In early 2003 he issued his self-titled Jive debut album, fronted by the single “Your Pops Don’t Like Me (I Really Don’t Like This Dude),” with the follow-up “Gigolo” featuring R. Kelly becoming a major commercial success. During 2005 he struck a deal with Motown Records to establish his own Can I Ball Records imprint, although the planned sophomore album Stages ultimately went unreleased.

Three years after his marriage to Mariah Carey, Cannon returned with the 2011 comedy project Mr. Showbiz on his N’Credible label. A second stand-up album, the explicit F#ck Nick Cannon, surfaced in 2013 via New Wave Dynamics. The following year he delivered the ironic EDM set White People Party Music, complete with dance-oriented tracks and contributions from Miami rapper Pitbull, Fatman Scoop, and additional guests. Around the same period he initiated divorce proceedings from Carey following six years of marriage, with the dissolution finalized in 2016. That year he also began coursework at Howard University and issued the mixtape The Gospel of Ike Turn Up: My Side of the Story. In 2017 his third comedy special, Stand Up, Don’t Shoot, debuted on Showtime.