THE MULTIHYPHENATE ENTERTAINER AND ENTREPRENEUR TALKS ABOUT HIS JOURNEY TO STARDOM, BUILDING WILD ‘N OUT INTO A BILLION-DOLLAR BRAND, AND HIS QUEST FOR GLOBAL DOMINANCE
The punchline left the live studio audience speechless.
After mocking Nick Cannon’s musical catalog, Tyga pointed his microphone to the hushed crowd. The piercing silence was swiftly shattered when the audience and Cannon erupted into laughter. Without missing a beat, Tyga, the Compton-born rapper formerly signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, continued to roast Cannon, taking sharp jabs at his divorce from global pop star Mariah Carey. Cannon, however, took the digs in stride, striking back with a clever quip about Tyga’s past relationship with Kylie Jenner.
You want to talk about my ex?
Let’s make one thing clear: your ex is not even old enough to get up in here!
Cannon’s quick-witted comeback brought the exhilarating exchange to a climax, and the crowd clamoring for more. He then proceeded to pass the mic to another emcee, who kept the momentum going during a lively and comedic freestyle battle on Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out.
From his rap career to his romantic partners, no aspect of Cannon’s life is off-limits on Wild ‘N Out. The cast and celebrity guests routinely roast the show’s creator, executive producer, and host. Cannon, however, always gets the last laugh. Going into its 21st season, the hip-hop comedy improv show, which premiered on MTV in 2005, has ballooned into a massive billion-dollar franchise that includes merchandise, restaurants, live tours, and an exclusive sneaker collaboration with Nike’s Air Jordan. It’s one of the most successful programs in MTV’s recent history and one of the longest-running improv comedy shows on television. Furthermore, Wild ‘N Out is just one of many ventures that highlight Cannon’s ingenuity and business acumen, cementing his legacy as a multimedia and entertainment mogul at the vanguard of his generation.
The punchline left the live studio audience speechless.
After mocking Nick Cannon’s musical catalog, Tyga pointed his microphone to the hushed crowd. The piercing silence was swiftly shattered when the audience and Cannon erupted into laughter. Without missing a beat, Tyga, the Compton-born rapper formerly signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, continued to roast Cannon, taking sharp jabs at his divorce from global pop star Mariah Carey. Cannon, however, took the digs in stride, striking back with a clever quip about Tyga’s past relationship with Kylie Jenner.
You want to talk about my ex? Let’s make one thing clear: your ex is not even old enough to get up in here!
Cannon’s quick-witted comeback brought the exhilarating exchange to a climax, and the crowd clamoring for more. He then proceeded to pass the mic to another emcee, who kept the momentum going during a lively and comedic freestyle battle on Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out.
From his rap career to his romantic partners, no aspect of Cannon’s life is off-limits on Wild ‘N Out. The cast and celebrity guests routinely roast the show’s creator, executive producer, and host. Cannon, however, always gets the last laugh. Going into its 21st season, the hip-hop comedy improv show, which premiered on MTV in 2005, has ballooned into a massive billion-dollar franchise that includes merchandise, restaurants, live tours, and an exclusive sneaker collaboration with Nike’s Air Jordan. It’s one of the most successful programs in MTV’s recent history and one of the longest-running improv comedy shows on television. Furthermore, Wild ‘N Out is just one of many ventures that highlight Cannon’s ingenuity and business acumen, cementing his legacy as a multimedia and entertainment mogul at the vanguard of his generation.
Keeping Up With Cannon
Cannon uniquely embodies the past, present, and future of Hollywood. Once a child star, he has evolved into a modern-day renaissance man who’s navigated a successful 30-year career in television, radio, comedy, film, and music. From starring in cultural classics like Drumline to being a primetime TV and nationally syndicated radio host to serving as a network executive to landing a stand-up comedy special on Showtime to launching a production company and record label to helping artists like H.E.R and Kehlani at the inception of their careers, Cannon has been racking up wins—and dollars—across the board for years.
In addition to Wild ‘N Out, the 43-year-old multifaceted entertainer is the host and executive producer of Fox’s blockbuster reality competition series The Masked Singer and the morning radio show Cannon’s Countdown. As if that wasn’t enough, in February, he debuted Nick Cannon’s Big Drive on Tubi, along with Counsel Culture, a podcast where he discusses taboo topics with various experts and celebrities. Following a promising launch, the show announced a partnership with Amazon MGM Studios to air nine new episodes on Amazon Prime and Freevee in June. Cannon also tapped into the livestream craze with the premiere of The Daily Cannon on Amazon’s streaming platforms last year. But his dizzying track record of past and present gigs and productions doesn’t end there.
In April 2023, he teamed up with superstar comedian and actor Kevin Hart to launch Celebrity Prank Wars on E! In December, he premiered the docuseries Nick Cannon Presents: Future Superstars on VH1. All the while, he continues to write, direct, and produce independent films like She Ball (2020) and Miracle Across 125th Street (2021) under his production company Ncredible Entertainment.
Outside of entertainment—and frequent headlines about his unconventional family, which includes 12 children with six different women—Cannon has always stood on business. The self-proclaimed “entrepretainer” has launched several businesses outside of media, including a Los Angeles-based vegan soul food restaurant and a line of headphones that he claims has generated more than $250 million in sales.
A Young Cannon
Cannon’s ability to juggle multiple endeavors stems from his unorthodox childhood. The California native bounced between two homes, splitting his time living in a working-class community with his mom and grandmother in San Diego and his dad, a local televangelist in Charlotte, North Carolina. When in the South, he worked on his dad’s public access program, learning various aspects of TV production, including set design, lighting, audio, teleprompters, and camera work at 11 years old. In turn, he was rewarded with opportunities to produce and host his own comedy content whenever his dad had free studio time.
“I definitely had a very interesting upbringing,” Cannon recalls. “My stepfather was a drug dealer,” he affirms. “There was my mom’s side of my life in California, and then there was my dad’s side, who was trying to get his life right.” Despite challenges, he says being exposed to multiple walks of life gave him an advantage.
“I was able to see so much and learn so much [and] understand the different aspects of manhood, the different aspects of the streets, the different aspects of the church, and the different aspects of just life in general.”
While on the West Coast, he hitched rides to Los Angeles in pursuit of a comedy career. His drive and determination earned him auditions for Def Comedy Jam and Comic View. He also performed at open mic nights at The Comedy Store and Laugh Factory and eventually even opened for Dave Chappelle and Chris Tucker by the time he was 16.
“I’m a true believer in manifestation,” Cannon told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “One of the elements in Christianity is just having an unwavering faith. And I just always prayed a lot, and I had a faith in myself.”
Though he didn’t have a precise vision for his future, he knew from an early age that he was destined to become “an important fixture in entertainment.” “I did so many different things, from music to comedy to writing to producing to acting. I was like, something’s going to pop for me.”
And yet, even with a rapid rise to stardom, he remained grounded, embracing each opportunity with humility. “So many blessings were just coming my way. They were just all happening so fast that I was just like, ‘This is supposed to happen. This is the direction my life is supposed to go in.’”
His fierce hustle, coupled with a natural pizazz and charm, caught the attention of Will Smith, who signed him to a development deal under his production company. He also gave the eager teen a six-figure advance, which Cannon regretfully spent on a Range Rover.
“I wanted a Range Rover because Will had one. He told me don’t buy it – and he was right.” It wasn’t long before Cannon totaled the luxury SUV shortly before facing another crashing blow in his flourishing career. He had written a sitcom that Smith acquired, executive-produced, and sold to Warner Bros. After months of filming, Cannon’s show was slated to air on The WB after “The Jamie Foxx Show.” However, it never saw the light of day. The decision by network executives to shelve the show crushed his dreams and spirit. To make matters worse, he says, “I found myself living back at my mom’s house again, driving my mom’s car.”
Rather than giving up, Cannon channeled his disappointment into a steadfast commitment to make his mark in Hollywood. “It made me hungry.” Plus, he learned that he must “keep cooking while the pot is hot. Nothing’s guaranteed,” and “Don’t bet on anything until the check is officially cashed.”
Poised for greatness, the tenacious teen received his big break as a warm-up comic for Kenan & Kel on Nickelodeon. It wasn’t long before producers noticed his talent and offered him a seat in the writer’s room, making him the youngest staff writer in television history at just 17 years old. Cannon also became a recurring character on the network’s popular comedy sketch sitcom All That before landing his own spin-off series, The Nick Cannon Show, in 2002.
“I had made so much noise with my deal with Will that places like Nickelodeon started to really pay attention. So, it was just a no-brainer that they kind of just allowed me to step in and do my thing and be creative.”
Cannon’s grind was paying off. He was finally getting recognition and bigger opportunities to showcase his talent. “People may have [been introduced to] me at Nickelodeon, but I had already been kind of moving and shaking in the industry for years.”
The Businessman Behind the Lens
The world witnessed Cannon’s transition from a teen star to a young adult actor with the premiere of Drumline (2002) and Love Don’t Cost A Thing (2003). He also released a self-titled debut album that year. Despite an obvious talent for performing in front of the camera, Cannon gravitated back to creating and producing. At 22, he began developing a comedic game show rooted in hip-hop to spotlight underground comics.
“I just wanted to get my friends jobs more than anything. At the time, it was people like Kevin Hart, Kat Williams, Affion Crockett, DeRay Davis, Mikey Day. All these guys were just super talented young people.” He presented his idea to MTV, describing it as “a hip-hop version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?” but executives didn’t understand his vision. That prompted him to rent a comedy studio, round up his friends, and hire camera operators to shoot a pilot. Altogether, he says he invested anywhere between $100,000 to $150,000 to develop a proof of concept, which won over the network.
Four years after the premiere of Wild ‘N Out, Cannon was appointed as the chairman of TeenNick in 2009, making him the youngest TV chairman in history at 28 years old. There, he developed original programming and marketing for Nickelodeon’s teen-targeted division, leading the channel to its highest-rated and most-watched quarter ever with total viewers and teens between 12–17 in 2010.
Cannon, who held the position for 10 years before stepping down in 2019, simultaneously began hosting NBC’s hit reality show America’s Got Talent. Both experiences gave him an inside look into running a major TV network.
“It definitely opened my eyes to intellectual properties, how big a brand could be, [and] how a network maneuvers,” he said. “I learned a lot from Simon Cowell [and] created a great relationship with Howard Stern and Piers Morgan. So, it was definitely a great training ground,” he said of NBC.
A clash with NBC executives over creative differences prompted Cannon to abruptly walk away from the hosting role in 2016 after 10 seasons. Although many advised him to stay, he says leaving the network taught him the importance of “staying true to who you are [and] standing firm on not only your business practices but your creativity.” He added that he also learned the value of “remaining humble and not getting too full of yourself.”
During this time, the jack-of-all-trades reaped the benefits from the sale of Bluetooth headphones, which he released in 2009 in partnership with Monster. Cannon sold his headphones at retailers like Radio Shack and Walmart for as low as $32.99, making his product a silent competitor to the wildly popular Beats by Dre, which were being sold for $200. His headphones reportedly generated $100 million in 2009 alone.
Lessons From Cannon’s Class
Cannon’s decision to independently fund the pilot of Wild ‘N Out paid massive dividends in 2012 when MTV bought the property, leaving him with ownership of the IP. The comedy sketch series returned to television in 2013 following a six-year hiatus. In 2016, the show launched a national tour and partnered with Live Nation and Laugh Out Loud for an expanded 27-city arena tour in 2020. In 2018, Cannon opened his first Wild ‘N Out Sports Bar in Miami, before opening a second location in his hometown of San Diego in 2022. (The San Diego location has since closed.) He also opened an Ncredible gym in Los Angeles in 2020. Cannon says analytics and data show that the brand has earned more than a billion dollars since its creation.
Growing the brand, however, has not come without its share of ups and downs. In July 2020, the outspoken personality was terminated by ViacomCBS, which owned MTV, MTV2, and VH1 at the time, after making offensive statements about the Jewish community on his podcast Cannon’s Class. Cannon offered an apology but insisted on complete ownership of Wild ‘N Out, along with an apology from the company for cutting ties with him. Network execs refused to concede to his demands, leading Cannon to issue another apology and publicly engage with Jewish leaders to educate himself about the Jewish plight. He also donated to the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance before ViacomCBS announced in February 2021 that it had reestablished a working relationship with Cannon.
“Nick has not only apologized and taken responsibility for his comments, but he has also worked to educate himself and others through engagement with Jewish leaders and on his platforms,” an MTV Entertainment Group spokesperson told Variety. “Those efforts are of the utmost importance, and that’s why we have invited him to rejoin our team.”
“That moment was a learning experience,” he reflects. “I watched a lot of people abandon me. A lot of people bashed my name, called me certain things to discredit me, and ostracize me,” he said. “I kind of found myself in the middle of one community calling me this name and another community calling me this name. I was everything from a ‘sellout’ to ‘racist’ to ‘antisemitic.’”
Still, he maintains that his remarks were not made in malice. “At no point was I ever looking to hurt, offend, or disrespect anyone. I had no problem apologizing to anyone that I hurt, but also, when speaking truth to power, I stand on the truth.”
After making amends, Cannon renewed a stronger relationship with Viacom CBS. “It was a lot going on behind the scenes that actually strengthened the relationship more than anything. I mean, there’s some super solid people that have been down with me from day one that stood by me when the world was turning its back on me,” he said. “I kind of stood true and was willing to learn and grow and understand and took that whole experience as a lesson,” he added. “We’re really just all seeking understanding…on how we all can coexist and live together as a body of one. We’re not always going to agree. We’re not always going to see things from the same perspective, but there’s no need to villainize individuals.”
Looking back, he perceives the ordeal as a trial that has rendered him more measured and tempered. “Martin Luther King said it best [when] he said, ‘the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenges and controversy.’ That’s when you really see a man’s character.”
Keeping Global Expansion
With a proven track record for success and longevity, Cannon is focused on taking steps to bring Wild ‘N Out overseas. “To this day, it’s Paramount’s No. 1 digital brand across all platforms,” Cannon said during a live fireside chat at the May 2024 BLACK ENTERPRISE Disruptor Summit. This “shows that it still has life and continues to grow, even in a space where linear television is shaky and uncertain.” In addition to expanding Wild ‘N Out around the world, he plans to launch his own network that will stream the show’s 500-plus episodes.
“Young people are not necessarily watching television in its traditional form anymore, but they’re consuming content more than ever before. So, you’ll see many more platforms. I believe the Wild ‘N Out network is coming. The Wild ‘N Out universe, as I call it, has continued to expand.” Wild ‘N Out has long served as a platform for emerging talent and he is taking that same blueprint to the Mother Land.
“Last week, I was in Botswana, and we just launched Wild ‘N Out Africa,” he said at the Disruptor Summit. “When you think about the careers that have been launched and discovered off of Wild ‘N Out here in the States—like I said, the first time a lot of people ever saw Katt Williams, Kevin Hart, Mikey Day, Pete Davidson, Matt Rife, DeRay, Corey Holcomb…DC Young Fly—you never heard of these people before you saw them on Wild’ N Out. Now, there’s a whole continent of 1.5 billion people that I can kind of tap in and find some new talent there.”
Cannon’s Ncredible Legacy
The father of 12 also emphasizes the importance of nurturing well-rounded, good-natured individuals. “My goal is to continue to help build their character so no matter how much money they obtain, they treat people with love, respect, and kindness.” Cannon, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2012 and has suffered from life-threatening blood clots in his lungs as well as kidney failure, adds that he wants to his legacy to be defined by how he cultivated safe environments filled with love, compassion, and kindness.
“When it’s all said and done, I think my goal is just to make people smile. Everything that I do is just really to offer a good time.” Ultimately, he wants people to “enjoy life, be present, and live in the present.”
To achieve this, he intends to remain in the driver’s seat, forging his own lane and maintaining a creative autonomy that empowers him to inspire others on his own terms. Instead of chasing checks, this phase of his Career is dedicated to uplifting fellow creatives, unifying diverse communities, and leveraging his talents to heal.
- Written by Selena Hill
- Digital Layout: Deven Robinson
- Art Direction & Graphic Design: Todd Chapman
- Video Production: Edwian Stokes
- Photography: Katherine & Mariel Tyler
- Videography: John P. Wheatley