Nick Cannon : Young, Black, and Gifted

Born Nicholas Scott Cannon, on October 8, 1980 in San Diego, California, the rapper, actor, producer, and comedian that we know as Nick Cannon never ceases to amaze us. Cannon has been performing since age 8. At a young age, he founded the rap duo "Da Bomb Squad", which consisted of Cannon and his friend Steve Groves. The duo graced the stage as an opening act for several artists, including Will Smith, 98 Degrees, and Montell Jordan.

At age 16, Cannon moved to Hollywood and worked for such clubs as The Improv, The Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store before going on to land a job with the popular kids network Nickolodeon. He started of as a stand-up audience warm-up for the long-running Nickelodeon show All That. Cannon quickly impressed the network and was starring in the show by 1998. He went on to land his own show on Nickelodeon. Cannon created and starred in The Nick Cannon Show, as well as serving as the executive producer and composing the show's theme song.

Cannon's stint on Nickelodeon certainly proved to be productive, but the star did not stop there. He took his talents to various levels. Cannon's first leading role in a feature film came in the 2002 film Drumline, in which he portrays talented college freshman Devin Miles, an exceptional drummer who cannot read music and doesn't take orders from veteran band members too well. Cannon went on to star in such films as Love Don't Cost A Thing, a remake of the 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love, and The Underclassman in 2005, among various others.

In the midst of Cannon's acting pursuits, he never forgot about his musical roots. Cannon's self-titled debut album sold over 200,000 copies. The young superstar has collaborated with such artists as R. Kelly, Li'l Romeo, and 3LW to name a few. In 2003, Cannon toured with the hot R&B group B2K.

Currently, Cannon is the producer and host of the MTV show Wild N Out, an improv comedy show that first aired in 2005. In addition, he is the CEO of Can I Ball Records which has partnered with Universal Motown. Cannon is also looking to launch his clothing line this year, which he will incorporate into the hip-hop clothing line PNB Nation, which he recently purchased.

Additionally, his second album, "Stages", is set for release this spring. The album will feature the single "Can I Live", a compelling song about his young mother's decision to have him instead of an abortion. Cannon is also currently working on several film projects.

The bottom line is that Nick Cannon has a lot of irons in fire but he manages to add a little flavor to the all. Cannon is the ultimate triple threat and has often been compared to Will Smith. And while there may be some similarities worth noting, the truth is that Nick Cannon is a class act in a class of his own. He's still very young. And it's probably safe to say that we'll be seeing a lot more of him.