Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most important stand-up comedians of all time. Pryor won a Primetime Emmy Award and five Grammy Awards. He received the first Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1998. He won the Writers Guild of America Award in 1974. He was listed at number one on Comedy Central's list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians. In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him first on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.
Lewis Niles Black is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, and cultural trends.
Cedric Antonio Kyles, better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American stand-up comedian, actor and television host. He hosted BET's ComicView during the 1993–1994 season and Def Comedy Jam in 1995. He is best known for co-starring with Steve Harvey on The WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, as one of The Original Kings of Comedy, and for starring as Eddie Walker in Barbershop. He hosted the 12th season of the daytime version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2013–14 and starred in the TV Land original series The Soul Man, which aired from 2012 to 2016. He has also done voice work for Ice Age, the Madagascar film series, Charlotte's Web, Planes and Planes: Fire & Rescue. He currently stars on the CBS sitcom The Neighborhood. In 2019, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. is an American television presenter, comedian, actor, and producer. He hosts The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Family Feud, Celebrity Family Feud, Family Feud Africa, and the arbitration-based court comedy Judge Steve Harvey, and formerly hosted the Miss Universe competition. His accomplishments include seven Daytime Emmy Awards, two Marconi Awards, and fourteen NAACP Image Awards.
Darryl Lynn Hughley is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Hughley is best known as the original host of BET's ComicView from 1992 to 1993, the eponymous character on the ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys, and as one of the "Big Four" comedians in The Original Kings of Comedy. Additionally, he has been the host of CNN's D. L. Hughley Breaks the News, a correspondent for The Jay Leno Show on NBC, and a local radio personality and interviewer in New York City. In early 2013, D. L. Hughley landed in ninth place on Dancing with the Stars.
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American comedian and actor. Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined fellow comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L. Hughley in the film The Original Kings of Comedy.
The Bernie Mac Show is an American sitcom television series created by Larry Wilmore, that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001 to April 14, 2006. The series featured Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Vanessa, and Bryana.
Robin Hughes Harris Sr. was an American comedian and actor, best known for his recurring comic sketch about "Bé-bé's Kids". He was posthumously nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the film House Party.
Def Comedy Jam is an HBO television series produced by Russell Simmons, Stan Lathan, and Bob Sumner. The series was hosted by Martin Lawrence and Joe Torry in its first six seasons and by D. L. Hughley for its seventh and eighth seasons.
Faizon Andre Love is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles in the comedy films The Meteor Man, Don't Be a Menace, Friday, B*A*P*S, Elf, The Replacements, Made, Mr Bones, and Couples Retreat, as well as the voice of Sean "Sweet" Johnson in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and his role as Wendell Wilcox on The Parent 'Hood.
Nathaniel Stroman, known professionally by his stage name Earthquake, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist and radio personality. He presently hosts a radio show entitled, Quakeshouse for SiriusXM and Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud Network. His first Netflix special entitled Chappelle's Home Team- Legendary: Earthquake was produced by Dave Chappelle and his Magic Lemonade production entity in February of 2022.
Micah "Katt" Williams is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He played Money Mike in Friday After Next, was a recurring guest on Wild 'n Out, portrayed Bobby Shaw in My Wife and Kids, provided the voice of A Pimp Named Slickback in The Boondocks and Seamus in Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, and portrayed Lord Have Mercy in Norbit.
Kelly Perine is an American television actor, writer, director, producer, and comedian.
Jeremy Steven Suarez is an American actor, best known for his role as Jordan Tompkins on The Bernie Mac Show (2001–2006), and as the voice of Koda in Brother Bear (2003) and Brother Bear 2 (2006).
Adele Givens is an American comedian, actress and writer. Beginning her career during the late–1980s in comedy, Givens television appearances include The Hughleys, Moesha, The Parkers, Comedy Central Presents, Def Comedy Jam, Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, Martin, Tracey Takes On... and The Steve Harvey Show.
The Original Kings of Comedy is the soundtrack to the 2000 film, The Original Kings of Comedy. It was released on August 22, 2000, through Universal Records and mainly consisted of performances by the movie's four stars, Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley, but five original music tracks also appeared. The soundtrack peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard 200 and No. 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Walter Latham is an American film and comedy producer born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Latham, who is African-American, founded a comedy production company, Latham Entertainment, which helped launch the careers of noted comedians and comic actors, including Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey, and Mo'Nique. His releases, The Original Kings of Comedy, Queens of Comedy, Latham Entertainment Presents, and Bad Boys of Comedy have grossed more than $200 million worldwide. He currently resides in Franklin, TN with his wife and business partner,Yulonda.
All Jokes Aside was a comedy club in south-side Chicago which catered almost exclusively to the African-American sector. It opened in 1992 with 275 seats, and ran for "less than a decade". The club's success led to a Comedy Central series as well as a second location in Detroit. In 1994 the company had a turnover of $470,000.
"#1 Stunna" is the second official single by the Big Tymers, from their third studio album, I Got That Work. The single was featured in the 2000 stand-up comedy film, The Original Kings of Comedy, and its stars Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, and Cedric the Entertainer appeared in the music video. In that same year, it placed at number 24, along with the other lead single, "Get Your Roll On", on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. "#1 Stunna" also contains verses from Juvenile and Lil Wayne.
African American comedy has had a substantial role in American culture from minstrel shows, vaudeville, blackface, and coon songs to some of the world's most popular comedians, shows and filmmakers.
