Laugh Now: The 9 Comedy Kings Of 2014

King Of Digital: Spoken Reasons
In the digital era, a joke can go a long way. The one comedian who has best capitalized off of the Internet is Spoken Reasons. Since stepping on the ‘Net in 2012 via his YouTube channel SpokenReasons, his buzz has generated such wattage that in 2013 he transitioned from small to big screen with a featured role in the Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthey cop comedy The Heat. He even recently partnered with Russell Simmons to launch digital network All Def Digital.

King of Legacy: Marlon Wayans
How you start is just as important as how you finish. Descending from comic royalty, Marlon now aims to push forward the family name with additional original comedy series production, like the new Haunted House franchise that he wrote and directed, and a late-bloomer foray into stand-up.

King Of Stage: Hannibal Buress
A comedian whose heady humor connects with a myriad of audiences, Hannibal Buress is today’s best example of comedy being boundless. Though only 30-years-old, he’s already filmed two Comedy Central specials (Animal Furnace and Hannibal Buress: Live from Chicago), and consistently sells out shows from Brooklyn to Milwaukee.

King Of The Box Office: Kevin Hart
We’re all undeniably in the midst of the Kevin Hart era. The little big man has come a ways from his first major look, guest-starring on former FOX sitcom Undeclared. Hart’s spirited hilarity has reached and made millions worldwide—whether via standup (Laugh At My Pain) or comedy film (Think Like a Man). This year alone he preps to star in a minimum of six films; his first film for 2014 Ride Along, co-starring Ice Cube, brought in $48 million in its opening week.

King Of The Land (People’s Champ): Mike Epps
Sometimes the crown chooses you. With roles in comedy classics such as Next Friday and Hangover, as well as unforgettable cameos on hip-hop projects for MC’s like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and Eminem, Epps has remained a fan favorite. After years of giving his loyal followers consistent material to laugh at on and off stage, Epps has managed to cave out his own space in the world of laughter.

King Of Radio: Rickey Smiley
Though he hasn’t stopped telling jokes on stage Rickey Smiley has ventured off into the business of radio. With his nationally syndicated morning radio show The Rickey Smiley Show, Rickey has used his broad notoriety to inspire a TV One series loosely based around his life in entertainment.

King Of The New School: Lil Rel
Every generation has their leaders and the next one just might be Lil Rel. After filming his half-hour special for Comedy Central’s stand-up series The Half Hour, and being casted for the short-lived In Living Color reboot the thirty-something Chicago-native seems primed to detonate. On Feb. 1st catch him on Showtime for the return of Shaq’s Comedy All-Stars and gauge how his crack-ups stack up to the vet sets of Mike Epps, DeRay Davis, Deon Cole, and King Henry Welch.

King Of Queens: Cocoa Brown
Often times the king is a queen. For years we’ve watched royal women like Monique, Sommore and Wanda Sykes rule stages, but the new First Lady is looking like Miss Brown. After paying dues for years, constantly exiting torn stages, Cocoa finally caught the attention of Hollywood. 2014 will see her make her big screen debut in the Tyler Perry film Single Moms Club.

King Of Likes/Interaction: Lil Duval
Under the handle @lilduval, the Florida-native has best exhibited the power of a social media network. The man born Roland Powell, found his spaceship after the Internet success of his “The Hood State Of The Union” web series. With current his buddy Charlamagne, Duval has used his online influence––360,000 followers on Instagram, 820,000 on Twitter––to land not one, but two MTV show deals (Guy Code and Ain’t That America).