In this personal and eye-opening interview with Nick Cannon, the multi-hyphenate and truly self-made multi-millionaire television personality – actor – musician – deejay – media mogul opens up about transcending his childhood circumstances to become one of the most successful forces in all areas of the entertainment industry.
As a teen, armed only with creativity and drive, Cannon was compelled to propel his family out of financial instability. What was initially born out of necessity, flourished into one of the most epic and aspirational success stories of recent Hollywood-lore. Now add dedicated student at Howard University to his resume. Nick Cannon is unstoppable.
Among myriad other projects, Cannon is taking his hit long-running MTV series, Wild ‘N Out, on the road with a twenty-five date North American tour, running from August 16–Oct. 6th. Cannon and the Wild ‘N Out cast are doubling down on their MTV antics with a live and wilder than ever, uncensored version of the television show that hybrids improv, rap battles and hip hop culture.
In this candid conversation, we go into taking Wild ‘N Out on the road, family, and how he protects his personal space in the storm of celebrity.
TME: You’re now taking your hit MTV show Wild ‘N Out on the road with your Nick Cannon Presents Wild ‘N Out Live tour. The show is all about poking fun at others and being able to laugh at yourself. How do you deal with people who take themselves too seriously and have trouble laughing at themselves?
Nick Cannon: I don’t feel I have to necessarily deal with or construct a rapport in that situation. With Wild ‘N Out you know what you’re going to be presented with because that is the theme of the show, not taking yourself too seriously and having a good time. People who may not see it that way, I’d approach it delicately (laughs). But usually, if they are coming on the show they want to be a part of it and they know what it is at this point, because our show has been on for so long. There have been times where people will ask us not to mention certain things, like, “Stay away from this or that,” so we respect that. We always want to be as respectful as possible, especially if there is anything that someone is sensitive about.
TME: When it comes to a rap battle or a roast, where do you think the line should be drawn, or is there no line?
Nick Cannon: I believe it’s all about humor. If it’s said in a spirit of humor and it’s supposed to be funny, then nothing’s off limits. If it’s just to be mean or demeaning and disrespectful, no one wants to see someone get bullied; that’s never okay. Our show is all-inclusive and giving an opportunity for everyone to laugh at themselves. If we’re not laughing, we’re crying, right? The idea is to say, “Hey, let’s laugh and joke about our differences, embrace those differences, and make light of it in order to get over it. If it becomes something hurtful, that’s too far, and we’re never looking to do that.
TME: Can you recall a specific instance in your life where you were able to use humor to overcome something painful?
Nick Cannon: As broad as it seems… everything! I do that on a daily basis. Everything from the fact that I was one of the smallest kids in my school, and that I come from a low-income family, living in government housing; all the things that one could get made fun of for at school. I would flip it and make the joke before the bully could make the joke.
I always had to deal with being the smallest kid in class, but I would tell everybody that although I was the smallest kid, I had the biggest mouth! Taking that perspective helped to build my confidence up at an early age. On a daily basis, if something is bothering me, I’ll probably be the first one to joke about it.
TME: Where did the confidence come from to tackle so many different things from comedy to music to acting to DJing, and being a successful businessman?
Nick Cannon: It most definitely came from my father and my grandfather. They’re strong alpha-type males. My father was in the world of ministry, and my grandfather was a tough in the streets type of guy. When you come from a big presence like those two, and even with a last name like Cannon (laughs), there’s a lot in a name. Even though my father wasn’t there all the time, it was his presence when I did get a chance to be around him. There was a strong presence and a strong confidence to him.
TME: Did he and your grandfather actively instill lessons in you by way of conversation, or was it simply learned by osmosis?
Nick Cannon: All the time! When you come from a line of preachers, there were always motivational speeches, sermons, and bible verses; and even models [of behavior] to live by. I was told since I was a baby that I was more than a conqueror, that I could do anything if I put my mind to it. So, as a kid, I probably had that idea inside of me that the average kid didn’t have.
TME: At what age was your spiritual awakening where you started asking some bigger questions, like, “Who am I beyond what I do for a living, and the personality of Nick Cannon the world knows me by?” or “What am I here to give to the world?”
Nick Cannon: It’s funny, but even as a young guy I was always intrigued by that, because I grew up in an environment where I was exposed to religion and spirituality at a very young age. It made me ask questions, and then when I didn’t get the answers that I wanted, I started looking within and doing my own research rather than following the flock. I would say this was as early as my adolescent years. Obviously, we grow daily, but it was in my early adulthood that I started to realize that I was in control of my own destiny, that I had to make my mark, and my true purpose had to be implemented. This was based off my own sense of spirituality.
TME: And tell me if this is accurate, because you never know when you read things, but you began doing stand-up comedy at the age of fifteen?
Nick Cannon: That’s when I started doing stand-up professionally. The first time I was ever on stage, I was eleven. It began as just churches and talent shows. But professionally, I became a regular in the comedy clubs when I was about fifteen.
Allison Kugel: And by seventeen you were writing for and starring on the Nickelodeon comedy series, All That. Was there a drive in you to financially rescue your family?
Nick Cannon: Yes, that was the main goal. With Nickelodeon, I was making five hundred dollars a week, and that was everything at that time; I thought I was rich. I was now able to help put gas in [my parents’] car to make trips up to LA. I could buy food. I could buy an outfit and pay my mom’s rent. That was a dream come true. It was always that idea of wanting to provide for my mother, and for others in the family. The more I began to work, the more I was able to do that.
TME: I know you’re currently a college student at Howard University, which is amazing. Did you earn your bachelor’s degree yet?
Nick Cannon: Not yet. I’m in my junior year.
TME: You’ve said you’d like to go on to get your PhD. Do you know what you’d like to get your PhD in? And how do you plan to use that degree, or is it just to have as an accomplishment?
Nick Cannon: I’d like to do more work in the community, and I’ll probably become a professor. People are always like, “Man, when are you going to write a book?” I’m not ready to write a book, because it would just be one of those celebrity memoirs, which is fine, but I feel that I have so much more to offer than just to tell people my biography. I feel like once I develop the skills that I’m researching and accomplishing with academia, then I’ll really have something to say. At this point, I’m gathering a wealth of knowledge so that when it is time to spit it back out, it’s valid in a strong way.
Allison Kugel: Professor Cannon! What would you like to teach one day as a professor?
Nick Cannon: Right now, I’m studying Criminology, but I’m also studying in the school of Divinity; and I’m in the school of Communications. Obviously, I’m in the field of Communications. I consider myself somewhat of an expert on the media (laughs) and [media] content, so you never know. I feel that if I can put all those things together, whether it’s Sociology, Criminology, these are the things that are prevalent to me at the moment.
TME: You appear to be inexhaustible. Does celebrity ever exhaust you?
Nick Cannon: No, not really, because I don’t really look at it like that. To me, all that stuff is “the matrix,” and not real life. So, I’m tireless when dealing with it. When you come into the matrix, it’s not your real emotions, it’s not your energy. It’s the façade and what people want to see, and the fodder. The things I get exhausted by are real life. Things like media and celebrity, that stuff doesn’t really affect my real and true life. If it should make its way into the actual core and to my family, I would deal with it in a manner where we would find the truth in it and handle it from that point so that it never really gets out of hand.
TME: At a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards from a couple of years back, you and Mariah were walking the red carpet with the two kids and there were a million people screaming and camera flashes going off. At one point the camera flashes were irritating Moroccan’s (Nick and Mariah Carey’s seven-year-old son) eyes and he was rubbing his eyes and looking away. Do your kids know what’s going on? Do they know who you are, and why there’s so much chaos that surrounds you at these events?
Nick Cannon: Yeah, my kids are well versed in what’s going on, and they embrace it and love it to a point where they’re excited to put on the outfits that match. They’re excited to go down the red carpet. At times, just like any kid, they appear to be bashful or annoyed, because that’s what seven-year-olds do (laughs), but at no point is it ever an issue. If they don’t want to go somewhere or don’t want to do something, it’s never forced upon them. I think it’s in their DNA, because they love it and they embrace it.
TME: Who has been your greatest mentor in the entertainment industry?
Nick Cannon: The person I’ve connected with the most, who has taught me the most and established so much for me in this business was probably Will Smith. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for that guy. His hands-on approach and being a big brother and a friend early on in my career was everything. He gave me my first record deal, he gave me my first television deal, and it’s the way he leads by example. Will is the most successful, nicest, most inspiring person you’d ever want to meet.
TME: Let’s go back to this Wild ‘N Out Live tour. Are you going to be on stage at every stop on the tour, and how will it surpass watching Wild ‘N Out on MTV?
Nick Cannon: At every stop on the tour, I’ll be hosting and conducting the entire show! This live show is going to be much more raw. It’s giving you the experience you see on TV, times ten. You’ll be watching it with the energy of being in a full arena, and we’re bringing whatever city we’re in to life.
We’re bringing the famous rappers and it’s a full concert. We’re bringing your favorite cast members and you’re getting a chance to hear their stand-up and laugh. It’s way more powerful, because there’s no standards and practices like on TV, and there’s no commercial breaks. It’s just right there for an hour and a half; pure laughter and music and hip hop, and you get to see your favorite Wild ‘N Out games as well. It’s also super interactive with the audience. And surprise guests will be popping in and out the whole time at every stop on the tour.
TME: When you’re alone in quiet moments, no cell phone or television, what kinds of thoughts dominate your mind in those quiet times?
Nick Cannon: I’m still; I’m quiet. When I do have those alone times, I allow my spirit to be still. For me, that’s not really a thinking time, because I’m always working and thinking and planning. When I do get that alone time, it’s about allowing myself to just… BE. I go within and meditate and listen.
TME: What do you see as your spiritual mission here on this earth, and how is it expressed in all that you do?
Nick Cannon: To attempt to bring joy, and to bring joy in a way where my legacy will be, “That was somebody who made a lot of people smile.” Whether it’s through entertainment, whether it’s through philanthropy, or with family, the goal is to bring joy to as many [people] as possible and leave my mark by doing that.
TME: And what do you think you are here to learn?
Nick Cannon: To learn how to do those things through the examples that were laid before me. How to implement joy and happiness in my own life, and how to express it to others.
Wild ‘N Out Live Fall 2018 Dates:
Aug. 16 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center (Click here for tickets)
Aug. 17 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena (Click here for tickets)
Aug. 18 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena (Click here for tickets)
Aug. 19 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
Aug. 23 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center (Click here for tickets)
Aug. 24 – Boston, MA – TD Garden (Click here for tickets)
Aug. 25 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center (Click here for tickets)
Aug. 26 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 6 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 7 – Baltimore, MD – Royal Farms Arena (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 8 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 9 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 14 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 15 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 16 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 20 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 21 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 22 – Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 23 – Dallas, TX – Verizon Theatre (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 26 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 28 – Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 29 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena (Click here for tickets)
Sept. 30 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center (Click here for tickets)
Oct. 5 – Portland, OR – Moda Center (Click here for tickets)
Oct. 6 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena (Click here for tickets)
Tickets for Nick Cannon Presents Wild ‘N Out Live! 25-date North American tour are available through ticketmaster or visit axs.com for a complete list of tour dates and cities. Visit NickCannon.com to keep up with news and upcoming events. Season 11 of the television show Wild ‘N Out is airing on MTV.
Walt Disney Animation Studios revealed a brand-new teaser trailer this morning for “Zootopia 2,” the highly anticipated sequel to 2016’s Academy Award®-winning “Zootopia.” Featuring glimpses at new and returning characters, the trailer reunites rookie cops Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman) and teases a new team-up with a mysterious pit viper, Gary De’Snake (voice of Ke Huy Quan).
In the film, which opens only in theaters on Nov. 26, Judy and Nick find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when Gary De’Snake arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, they must go undercover in unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before. According to Disney Animation chief creative officer and director Jared Bush, who also wrote the script, a larger world is in store for fans. “We are beyond excited to welcome everyone back to the outrageous, expansive animal metropolis of Zootopia, and take audiences on a hilarious, wild ride into parts of the city we’ve never visited before,” said Bush. “Whether it’s the marshes of semi-aquatic mammals, the vast desert dunes, or even greater mysteries beyond, our heroes, Judy and Nick, will meet a lot of new friends, and discover even more about the world, themselves, and a brand-new snake in town.”
Added director Byron Howard, “The trailer features the original song ‘ZUTU’ by Zootopia’s finest lemming techno group, LEMEEENS. Fresh from touring with superstar Gazelle as her opening act, members Hans-Peter, Gūnther, Spielt, and their DJ, Spaß, created the song to mark the occasion and welcome the world back to the City of Zootopia!”
From the Oscar®-winning team of Jared Bush and Byron Howard (directors) and Yvett Merino (producer), “Zootopia 2” also features the voices of Fortune Feimster, Quinta Brunson, and Shakira, who returns as Gazelle.
You have to admit that the majority of horror media has some prime real estate. Here at ThatsMyE, we appreciate the aesthetics amidst the blood and gore! Here are our top 10 beautiful horror houses:
10 Amityville (1979 and 2005)
Here we have the most notorious Dutch colonial house in the world. The lauded address of 112 Ocean Avenue comes, suspiciously, fully furnished! The house’s most distinctive features are the two quarter-round windows located in the attic. These windows have been known to glow red on occasion, which adds to the overall ambiance of the surrounding lake. The lucky residents can choose whether to be terrorised by James Brolin or Ryan Reynolds.
Property also comes with a demonic pig christened ‘Jodie’ by a previous resident.
9 The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
Located just outside the revitalised town of Southington, Connecticut, this fabulously presented two-floor house has an extremely interesting history. The house’s best feature is its spacious basement, complete with its own embalming table at no extra cost! This table makes a fun toy for any children in the property.
We strongly advise that if any tenants happen to find any historic post-mortem photographs around the property, DO NOT throw them out, as they will more than pay for your rent.
8 The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
We are delighted to present this beautiful gothic mansion aptly named ‘Hill House’. Boasting a grand staircase, numerous statues, and sprawling grounds, you will feel like you are in a gothic novel!
Hill House includes the use of the ‘Red Room’, which is said to be extremely therapeutic but is not accessible to everyone.
The property also includes a permanent clockmaker to repair the numerous grandfather clocks included in the property. A bonus for any busy family.
7 Secret Window (2004)
This immaculately presented cabin, located in upstate New York, screams cosy. Perfect for any individual wanting to get away from it all. After a few weeks, you won’t even feel like yourself!
6 The Others (2001)
This spacious country mansion located on the Channel Island of Jersey is the very epitome of privacy! Extremely secure with locks on EVERY door. An ideal home for growing children; your little darlings will make friends around every corner. The previous owners are extremely welcoming, with many fun games and songs, they will become a part of you!
5 Casper (1995)
Now this is an extremely unique property. Known as ‘Whipstaff Manor’, its unique silhouette, floor-to-ceiling windows, spiralling staircases, and intricate ceilings are to DIE for.
The property also comes with four roommates who make it feel like home. A rowdy bunch, but they do a great karaoke night. Property also comes with a personal, transparent chef and a hidden lab.
The house imposes a midnight curfew.
4 American Horror Story: Murder House (2011)
1120 Westchester Place is colloquially known by the adorable nickname of ‘Murder House’. Located in an upmarket LA neighbourhood, its gothic revival style gives it extreme curb appeal, you will never want to leave!
The house’s previous tenants are still extremely attached to the property, and even your new neighbours will want to visit again and again.
The property does boast a spacious basement, but we would advise any new owners to limit their use of this space. Just keep the Christmas decorations there or something!
3 13 Ghosts (2001)
This property is a rare find! Made almost entirely of glass! The exhibitionists among you will love it! Don’t worry, though; the bathrooms are hidden, so your privacy will only be invaded by the permanent residents of the house. The 13 residents are feisty but welcoming, each with their own unique personalities and quirks.
This avant-garde design will make you feel like you are living in a work of art! Also included in the sale are pairs of LED glasses to help you see and interact with the permanent residents of the house. Unfortunately, there is not enough for the entire family.
2 Paranormal Activity (2007)
Have you ever wanted a property with a driveway, porch swing, pool, and a hereditary demon? Well, this is the house for you!
Complete with an ultra-modern kitchen (easy access to knives!), a high-tech security system that will absolutely protect you…and an ensuite in the master bedroom! After viewing this San Diego home, you will want to invite the whole family around!
The resident demon (likes to be known as ‘Toby’) will even help you shift furniture, how helpful is that?
1 The Grudge/Ju-on (2002)
Located in the Nerima District of Tokyo, this immaculately presented traditional two-storey Japanese house (we don’t recommend viewing the third level).
This family home boasts many sought-after Japanese design features, such as shoji screen doors and tatami mats, which are offset beautifully by the presence of an onryō, a traditional Japanese ghost, for a traditional Japanese home!
This house is so magnetic that previous visitors and residents will pop in from time to time. We strongly advise that if you hear a rattling type groaning noise, do not look in its direction. Potential owners must like cats.
Recently orphaned stepsiblings Piper and Andy find themselves farmed out to an adoptive mother with a sinister hidden agenda.
Welcome back, Horror fans, to another outing from the fine folks at A24 films, the second film from the Philippou brothers. Bring Her Back is a film heavy with tragedy and grief, but also a good deal of child abuse, so be aware of all kinds of serious trigger warnings. Make sure your cutlery is out of children’s reach, and let’s dive into this!
So poor Piper (Sora Wong) is mostly blind, and clearly looks disabled with her wandering eyes and twitchy countenance, and the cane she clearly hates but definitely needs. Despite her shortcomings, Piper is a generally happy girl and always tries to (sorry) look on the sunny side of life, especially with her older step-brother Andy (Billy Barratt), who always has her back. Andy and Piper share a special bond; never once does Andy indicate he’d rather be doing anything other than protecting and helping Piper. Indeed, one of the major plot moments of the film is the secrets concerning their shared father that Andy always tried to keep from Piper. But we’ll get to that. Right now, it’s Andy and Piper, armed with truth and grapefruits against the world, especially when they come home from school together and find their father dead in the shower stall.
They say children are quite adaptable and of course Andy would have to be if he expects to take care of both himself and Piper when he turns eighteen in a few months, but until then, the state wants to separate them and send Andy off to fend for himself on his own, and send Piper to a foster mother called Laura (Sally Hawkins). Andy, of course, is having none of this and does his best to insist that they be sent off to Laura together, which secretly relieves Piper. And really, expecting someone as disabled as Piper to adjust to the death of her only surviving parent, lose her beloved brother, and settle into foster care all by herself pretty much all at once, is just ridiculous and asking for trouble.
So it seems Laura holds a whole bunch of open secrets in her place of residence, but the one at the forefront is the loss of Laura’s beloved blind daughter, Cathy (Misha Hewyood). Laura already has a foster child in residence, the so very weird-looking and even weirder-acting Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), mostly mute but oddly following Laura’s cheerful commands with the starved gaze of a needful animal. Laura still lives in the same home where her beloved Cathy died, drowned in the now-empty pool, while the locked shed nearby holds many secrets, with her cat Junkman occasionally providing discordant music whenever Oliver gets hold of him.
Laura claims to be a counselor and has worked for the state with adoptive children for years, though seriously, she never should’ve stayed employed anywhere near children, for reasons
that become apparent rather quickly. You see, Laura has plans for Piper, and since Andy is intruding on those plans, the first thing she has to do is gaslight the ever-loving hell out of him, to get him institutionalized and out of the way. This woman tries to insist on the observance of strange old customs at the kids’ fathers’ funeral, yet also helps them assuage their grief by getting both Piper and Andy entirely drunk at her house afterwards.
Laura encourages Andy’s horrified revisiting of the trauma his father inflicted upon him, takes it upon herself to ensure Andy is exhibiting several major classic symptoms of childhood tendency towards murderous behavior, and encourages Piper to cling to her in fear, from the purported actions of her own brother. Laura also has a tendency to ignore or apparently forget there’s a whole other foster child in her care, despite Oliver’s nasty eating habits and horrific appearance, which sets up a whole other case for Andy to mistakenly mistreat yet another person in his life, when Piper and Laura go out for a girls-only jaunt and Andy takes it upon himself to try and feed cantaloupe melon of all things to the red-eyed little terror. Things go from bad to so much worse when Andy tries to take Oliver to a doctor, and as soon as the demon-child crosses the white line that encircles Laura’s house, all shrieking hell breaks loose.
Timing seems to be crucial to the plans Laura has for Piper, especially since Oliver’s apparently insatiable hunger is rising and his thin veneer of humanity is peeling off, and as it begins to rain and the pool fills, Laura is also coming apart at the seams in her desperation to have her daughter back.
The film deals very heavy-handedly with some very weighted subjects, but at the forefront is of course, child abuse by elders they’re supposed to have trusted – Andy and Piper’s father, with his shower terrorism and hushed-up abuse; Wendy from the state adoption agency whose sole job it is to make sure those kids are placed with safe, reliable foster parents actually capable of taking care of them; even especially Laura herself, in her murderous demonic rampage but really, only with the best of intentions dear. Sure, there is an overlay of supernatural pretext and demonic goings-on in the film, but by and large, the real monsters are the human adults treating the kids this way.
Laura’s very real grief at the loss of her beloved Cathy embodies the sentiment that ‘no parent should ever have to outlive their own child’, which in no way excuses the lengths Laura is going to, to Bring Her Back.
Decide how far you might go with such a question, and see Bring Her Back, in theaters now!
Zootopia 2 | Teaser Trailer
Top 10 Horror Houses
Bring Her Back
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