Nick Cannon is a man of many talents, one of them being his ability as a rap artist.
However, the media mogul, who once built a credible, but short-lived run as a Hip-Hop star, says the genre doesn’t impress him anymore and that he considers himself more of a musician and producer. “To define me is to confine me,” the Cali native told HipHopDX. “I never thought I was a rapper. That’s why I think I just kind of never — I wouldn’t say I didn’t take it seriously, but I was more focused on being a producer, a musician.”
Despite his success as a rapper, Cannon admits his heart was never fully devoted to the craft, as he was eager to explore and challenge his creative boundaries. “I feel like even when I started I was evolving as a musician, you know, everything from production, being a piano guy, guitar, playing various instruments and stuff. I was always on that,” the proud father explained. “Rhyming words was never that exciting to me.”
The Wild ‘n Out star continued, adding “So when people make fun of me, I don’t care — anybody can do that. I’m not impressed by anybody who can rhyme words together. TikTok has proven anyone can do it.” While he may not be as invested into the art of rhyming as he once was, Cannon remains a fan of those who put thought and skill into their craft, such as rapper Symba, who he’s currently on the road with as part of the Future Superstar Tour.
“When you think about someone who really raps, you think of somebody like Symba,” Mr. Nickelodeon said of the Bay Area rapper. “That’s an art form and it’s a young man’s game.”
He continued to give the artists in the art form their just due, but noted that the playing field and point of entry is lacking in comparison to prior times. “I commend and salute all poets and storytellers. Those are the greats,” Cannon said. “But just being able to put some words together over a beat, anybody could do that. Literally, Dr. Seuss has turned us all into rappers.”
In 2003, Cannon released his self-titled debut album, which spawned the hit single “Gigolo” featuring R. Kelly. The track was the biggest commercial success of the comedian’s music career, peaking at No. 24 on the Hot 100 and cracking the Top 10 on the rap charts. In addition to R. Kelly, the album included features from Ying Yang Twins, Biz Markie, Nivea and more.
In terms of the producton, the lineup included A-List boardsmen such as Diddy, Just Blaze, Trackmasters, and Mario Winans. A decade later, in 2014, he returned with his sophomore effort White People Party Music, with Future, Migos, Kehlani, Pitbull, and Akon.