Nick Cannon is a hustler. Mr. Mariah Carey has come a long way from his days on Nickelodeon’s All That. If you’re unfamiliar with his recent work, some of his many gigs include hosting America’s Got Talent, serving as chairman to Nickelodeon’s TeenNick network (where he controls all programming for the network), and running his own production company, Ncredible Entertainment. Oh, and remember his on-again-off-again rap career? Not to mention, he does it all while raising “dem babies”—2-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan, with his wife, Mimi.
After a five-year hiatus, the media mogul returns to MTV2 this summer (July 9) with the hilarious sketch-comedy show, Wild ’n Out. The original airing of the show became an instant hit several years ago, providing the first platform for several (now famous) comics, including Katt Williams, Dee Ray Davis, Affion Crockett and Mikey Day. Cannon hopes to provide the same ingredients for another success season.
“It’s quite exciting,” says Cannon. “It’s back by popular demand because the people wanted it, so we had to give it to them. It’s the same raw style of comedy, off the cuff improv. But at the same time I believe the game is a little different than it used to be. It’s going to be interesting to see the people who were on the show before interacting with some of these new young comics and the new talent we found online [and] on YouTube. We did a casting where we went all across the county. That’s the difference, to see those two generations on stage.”
So how does the TV exec, host, actor, comedian, husband and father juggle his time with his recent health issues? (Cannon was diagnosed with lupus in March 2012.) “Time management and having true structure,” he says. “If there’s one thing that’s out of place or off the schedule, then it all falls apart. If you have a team that actually understands there’s a certain amount of time for certain things, and you focus on that until it’s done, then it usually works out. [My illness only] seems different than others because I’m right in front of the camera. Family is always the number one priority.”
Just because Nick Cannon has been on camera for over the past decade doesn’t mean he’ll be putting his children on TV anytime soon. “Me personally, I wouldn’t put my kids on television,” says Cannon. “But to each his own. Most aspiring child actors or child stars have a passion for it. But as easy as it is for me to say that I wouldn’t put my kids in it, if I saw that they really really wanted to do and they had the drive, then I would fully support it. As long as there’s balance at home, then they could do whatever they wanted to do.”
Kimberly N. Wilson is a NYC-based lifestyle/entertainment writer and digital strategist. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park and completed her juris doctor from Howard University School of Law. Follow her on Twitter @kimberlynatasha.
