It’s no secret that Nick Cannon has proven himself as a multi-hyphenate businessman.
The actor, musician, producer, and television personality got his early start in the late 90s starring on Nickelodeon hit series “All That,” where he also became the youngest staff writer in television history, according to Biography. He later went on to star in the self-titled “Nick Cannon Show” and Black staples “Drumline” and “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” by the early 2000s.
Nick Cannon’s early introduction to the entertainment industry was a snapshot of his bright future ahead — from “Wild ‘N Out” to “America’s Got Talent,” “The Masked Singer,” and more, he made his mark. In 2009, he even launched his own multi-media company NCredible Entertainment.
But, who inspired him to reach these heights?
“When I was in high school, I was looking up to guys like Diddy who could diversify and market himself. We see what he’s done and the opportunities he’s created and made for so many of us. Every time I looked up, as much as I knew I wanted to entertain, I was always wanting to be a guy that was kinda moving the pieces behind the scenes,” Nick Cannon told AfroTech.
Wild 'N Out Phenomenon
Nick Cannon’s climb to the top has allowed him to open doors for other creatives to shine. Wild ‘N Out is a result of Cannon betting on an intuitive idea and a collective of rising social media stars that has paid off.
“I’ve turned ‘Wild ‘N Out’ into a billion-dollar business, and that’s only because of the entrepreneurial efforts that we put forward,” Nick Cannon told AfroTech. “There were many times when people didn’t believe me from the beginning. I funded ‘Wild ‘N Out’ on my own because MTV didn’t understand it or know what it was. Therefore, I kept the ownership for years until the big boy came around and I had to charge them double for the bag.”
He continued: “We built this and now we’re doing restaurants. I am opening up a Wild ‘N Out Sports Bar, it would be our second one. Now we’re doing the true flagship one in my hometown of San Diego that opens this month. We also have brick-and-mortar ‘Wild ‘N Out’ and the next one is going to be in Harlem.”
Cannon Returns To Music, New R&B Project On The Way
Nick Cannon is no stranger to making pivots. Now, he is following the frequency of his career leading him back to music.
“Music is more than my first love, it’s in my DNA, it’s my family, it’s my connection to the culture,” Nick Cannon said.
With over 30 years of experience as a musician and musical projects under his belt dating back to 2003, Nick Cannon has returned with a new project titled “Raw N B: The Explicit Tape” set to release Friday, Feb. 18.
The album will contain 12 tracks including “A Player’s Prayer Intro (Midnight Service)” featuring K. Michelle, “F.A.I.T.H.F.U.L.” featuring Brandy, and a Mariah Carey sample for “Alone.”
Fans can expect Cannon’s second single from the new album to drop just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The tape will reportedly answer the world’s burning questions surrounding Cannon’s relationships and serve as an outlet for the star to take control of his narrative.
“With someone being so controversial, always in the blogs, and the tabloids every day, I thought, let me continue to use music as a therapeutic method to speak my truth and share what I’m going through. When people are going through some of the more challenging times in their life, that’s when they make the best music,” he said.
What’s Next
At just 41-years-old, Nick Cannon shares he has accomplished everything he set out to do. However, the star may have left one goal off his list.
Boasting years of experience in the production arena and a newly launched self-titled syndicated talk show already on airways, a network could possibly be the next step for Cannon’s media powerhouse.
“I think networks are the more dinosaur model of how to present content where now it’s streaming platforms or the ability to create your own universe. Whatever the definition of the network is in the future, I want one of those,” he said.