Nick Cannon: Being His Own Man

Nick Canon says he laughs when people call him “Mr. Mariah Carey.” ‘That type of stuff is humorous to me,” he says. “The ‘Mr.Carey’ stuff is not an insult to me.” Cannon and Carey married two years ago in a top-secret ceremony in The Bahamas that surprised many in and out of Hollywood.

He says if he was not accomplished in his own right, he might worry when people refer to him as just Mariah’s husband.  “If I were an insecure individual or if that was true, that type of statement—that I am a ‘boy toy’ or ‘yes man’ and all that type of stuff—would bother me. “But anybody who knows me or talks to me for five minutes knows clearly that’s not the picture,” says Cannon, who is 29.

It is understandable that he wants to be recognized as an individual and not constantly associated with being the husband of an international superstar. By branding his own name, he can give people an insight into his character, letting Mariah fans see what he is really like. We could find out all types of things – for all we know, he could be a fan of reading http://www.poker.dk, or is a secret watcher of cartoons. It is only once we see behind the ‘husband of’ title’ that we can see more about Nick.

Cannon has established himself as an actor (in the film Drumline, for example); a recording artist and music producer; stand-up comic; radio personality; and TV host of America’s Got Talent.

These days, he is also building a business empire. Cannon is the CEO of his own multimedia company, NCredible Entertainment, and chairman of the Teen Nick television network.  Still, his marriage to Mariah Carey gets a lot of attention.

The two clicked when Carey cast him as a lover in the video for her single Bye Bye in 2008. They wed soon afterward (JET, May 26 2008). Some said it wouldn’t last more than a few months because of their age difference (news reports say Carey recently turned 41) and her megastar status. He’s heard all the rumors and speculation about their relationship.

“You can’t take any of it seriously.  As long as you are strong with who you are and put your family first within your household what people say on the outside is meaningless,” Cannon says. “I believe a marriage is a union where two become one. I am not worried about it.” He says age is not a factor in their marriage. “On the outside it may look like it, but it never comes up. We both have youthful spirits; we enjoy life.”

Cannon says they will have children when “the time is right.” “You can’t have a family and be all over the world. You’ve got to focus and get it right,” he says.  Meanwhile, Cannon’s work includes his expanding business pursuits.

He calls himself an “entrepretainer”— an entrepreneur first and entertainer second. “I’ve always had that business sense,” he says. “I grasped at a young age that the entertainment industry is definitely a business first.”

The San Diego native’s first TV gig as a teen was as a stand-up comedian warm-up act for Nickelodeon’s hit show All That. “Having deals at 15, I was a millionaire when most people were getting out of high school,” he says.

He enjoys helping other artist break into the industry or maintain their level of success. “I’ve always wanted to be behind-the-scenes,” he explains. “I love creating and doing things as a businessman more than anything.  It’s more than me being a star.  I am interested in helping others and helping them realize the greatness within themselves.  That’s more of my calling.  Of course, it’s nice being the biggest star that you can possibly be.  But it’s even better when you can help create stars.”

He says Will Smith is a mentor “who’s been like my big brother.”  Talking to older friends and mentors, such as Quincy Jones, Dick Gregory and Harry Belafonte, offers him priceless insight.  “I’ve always hung out with older people. You can learn more from a conversation with your elders than you can sitting down and reading books. They have the wisdom and it is great soaking up all that history.  They’ve been where I am going.”

Gregory tells JET: “Nick is one of the few young people known all over the world who, just like Frank Sinatra and Harry Belafonte did, reaches over and does things with his celebrity status to help others.  Nick also works hard to stay informed.  He knows that information is power and he goes out and seeks good information.”

Cannon recalls what motivated him to succeed. “I was a young person trying to escape a low-income environment and always wanted to accomplish things.  You have to be a self-generator; you have to create something for yourself.”

He credits his mother, Beth Hackett, for showing him by example how to rise above life’s obstacles.  “My mom is the strongest person I know, having a child, being pregnant while still in high school at 17 and making those sacrifices.  She ignored people who told her to have an abortion.  I’ve seen her overcome obstacles on so many different levels, being on welfare, having to go to night school, trying to provide for me. I learned strength from my mother.”

Hackett tells JET, “My son is a remarkable young man.  The happiest day of my life was when he was born.  He is a mother’s dream.  “I always tell Nick how proud I am of him.  He has such a huge and kind heart and always wants to share it with the world.  Nick is my greatest gift.”

Nick Cannon’s PORTFOLOIO

A leading role in the feature film
Drumline in 2002
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Founder and CEO of his own multimedia
company, NCredible Entertainment, which provides artist
management and has TV and movie projects in development,
including the feature film Straight Scared, featuring
rapper Soulja Boy.
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Working with new artist under his NCredible Entertainment.
They all have recording deals:

*School Gyrls: “They can sing, dance and act.
They can do it all.” (Island Def Jam)

*Aaron Fresh: “He’s amazing. He’s a mixture of
Chris Brown and Sean Kingston.” (Island Def Jam)

*RydazNrtisT: “They are like Boyz II Men meet
Jodeci. They toured with Mariah for the last few months.”
(Island Def Jam)

*Colette Carr: “She is a raw, over-the-top hip hop artist, like
Lady Gaga meets Eminem.” (Interscope)
********************

Chairman of Teen Nick, Nickelodeon’s new
24-hour TV network aimed at teens.
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Host of radio show Rollin’ With Nick Cannon
on New York’s hit station 92.3 FM during the
morning drive.
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Sought-after deejay at the country’s top clubs, where
he loves to play his favorite Mariah Carey songs,
including Fantasy and Obsessed.
********************

First Black actor to receive the Breakthrough
Actor of the Year Award at the Cannes Film
Festival for his role in Bobby, a fictionalized
account of the hours leading up to the
assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. (2007)
********************

Released a self-titled debut CD with the hit
Gigolo, featuring R. Kelly (2003) and has collaborated with
Kanye West, Mary J. Blige and Diddy.
********************

Appeared opposite his mentor and friend Will Smth
in Men In Black II (2002)
********************

Debuted Nick Cannon Presents Wild ‘N Out, an improv comedy show with
musical performances that he created, produced and hosted
in 2005. Aired for four consecutive seasons on MTV. Plans
are underway to return with the show with Cannon
as the producer.

Source: Ebony/Text: Nick Cannon Archives