Nick Cannon Archives

You’re the newest host of America’s Got Talent. What do you think makes for true musical talent and what do you think the industry is looking for right now from its new performers?
People are looking for something new at the end of the day, and I think when people can do something new and unique to get people’s attention, that’s what is needed. There’s so many people that follow the trend, and then it gets to a point where it gets a little stale. So, in music; I mean, whoever’s the new trendsetter, that’s who people follow.

Do you see any new trendsetters out there now?
There’s so many young people doing some interesting stuff with hip-hop right now… I’m a fan. I like underground rappers — Cory Gunz is a young kid that’s been really doing his thing. I’m a Gym Class Heroes type of fan, even though they’re not new, but they’re definitely trendsetters. The new group, LMFAO — they do some new electro-hip-hop new sounding stuff.

You get to work with David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne. What can you tell us about that?
They’re all great people with amazing personalities. I would say Sharon [Osbourne] is one of the most pleasant women that you can ever meet. David Hasselhoff is crazy and loves life, and to me, [he is] the epitome of cool. I mean, every time I’m there, I’m like: “Hey, that’s Michael Knight, he’s the coolest dude in the world!” And then, I mean, Piers [Morgan] is just a real smart dude and plays his position very well.

You were in a rap duo when you were a teenager called Da Bomb Squad. How do you think the overall rap industry has changed since you were just starting out, and do you think it’s changed for the better?
I think it’s definitely going to a better place. We’ve been through our ups and downs, but -people understand that hip-hop is here to stay. What I love about it, and what I feel like it’s always maintained and worked through, is being able to have different types of hip-hop, just like different types of rock. I mean, you got your hardcore hip-hop, you got your hipster hip-hop — it’s such a grand culture at this point where it’s not just all about the music. So I believe it’s in a great place and I believe it’s gonna continue to thrive.

You did stand-up comedy at the Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store when you first moved to Hollywood. What was that like and how did the experience of doing that at such a young age help you later?
It just kind of made me who I am today, when you think about it, cause I was a kid in a world of adults. One thing about being a stand-up is it’s a one-man show. You gotta do everything. You’re the producer, writer, director, and the actor. You just gotta be out there and perform and give your all. It’s such an honest form of art that it just taught me so much, and it kind of prepared me for manhood at an early age.

So you’ve also done some acting in Drumline and Bobby and recent stuff like Day of the Dead and American Son. What does acting offer you that your other gigs don’t?
Well, acting allows me to step outside of myself, [my] persona or what people may think of me, you know as Nick Cannon: The Entertainer. The beautiful thing about acting is that you can just dive into the character, strip yourself of everything, and just get in there and perfect your craft.

Is there like a specific kind of role that you think would be a great challenge?
Yeah, I mean, there’s a bunch of roles out there like that — I’m attached [to star in] the Arthur Ashe project. There’s a bunch of stuff. I mean I’d love to play a role like Marvin Gaye or Richard Pryor, someone of that caliber.

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