The cries of college students could not be heard over laughter as comedian Nick Cannon and others from the popular MTV comedy show “Wild ’N Out” cracked jokes to a packed audience.
The show stopped by Reynolds Performance Hall on 8 p.m. March 2 before continuing the tour to universities around the East Coast.
The show was full of improvisation, rap battles and stand-up comedy from comedians Deray Davis, Karlous Miller, Matt Rife, Conceited, RIP Michaels, Hitman Holla, Chico Bean and DC Young Fly. The music for performers was provided by DJ D-Wrek.
“The amount of talent that it takes to be on the show, each of these individuals is remarkable,” Cannon said.
“If you can get that much talent in the room and present it in a way that anything can happen and it’s an energetic environment, people are drawn to it and that’s what we tried to do here tonight.”
Students picked up on the energy and environment that the
comedians brought to the stage, especially fan and freshman Jaelyn Cooper who recently began watching the show.
“I thought the show was hilarious and well put together,” Cooper said. “My favorite part was the comedic acts, particularly Deray Davis and DC Young Fly.”
The content of the performance hit home for students because most of the jokes were centered on childhood memories like playing outdoor games with neighborhood friends and parents reminding their children of their rightful place.
“I think that’s what the show was really all about. Touching the people,” Cannon said. “Especially young people like those in college because I think those young people needed to be rewarded.”
Aside from the plentiful jokes and countless comedic roasts, performers talked about life’s hardships. They discussed the importance of relationships and being honest and true to themselves.
“At certain times, you get frustrated and the motivation is not there, but you actually have to
use that to work harder and never give up on your dreams. I was taught that as a kid and nobody is going to work harder than me,” Cannon said.
Wild ’N Out came back bigger and better than ever due to constant requests from fans. The show filmed four seasons before returning in 2013 after a six-year hiatus.
Cannon said that he had to be a grown-up for a little bit to take care of his number one priority, his children and family. He realized that he had never had as much fun producing as a television executive than being on “Wild ’N Out,” so Cannon told MTV to bring the show back and re-energize and they did.
MTV2 called “Wild ’N Out” its highest-rated series ever as it continued to bring A-list celebrities into the comedic world.
“The show is different. There’s nothing like it on television. We took the young vibrant energy that’s in hip-hop and mixed it with classic improvisation and comedy,” Cannon said.
Tour dates can be found on Wild ’N Out’s Facebook page as well as MTV’s website.
This article originally appeared in the March 9, 2016 print edition of The Echo.
