If longevity is the name of the game, then Cedric the Entertainer, has been able to master it.
The St. Louis native has been a staple in our households for almost 30 years with his soulful brand of humor that we instantly recognize because it makes him feel like the favorite funny cousin or uncle that we love to watch cut up at the family reunion.
His hit CBS sitcom, The Neighborhood, was recently picked up for a sixth season, and he has several other projects going on, like a recently released book, a wine venture, and an intimate, all-encompassing Ced Talk tour that gives fans up-close access like never before.
N’DIGO recently caught up with the King of Comedy to discuss his comedy influences, his upcoming Ced Talk event in Chicago, and the early stage name that almost got him sued by one of the world’s biggest corporations.
N’DIGO: Three words to describe who Cedric The Entertainer is?
Cedric the Entertainer: Stylish. Humorist. Driven.
Who were some of your comedic influences that made you want to pursue comedy?
Well, Richard Pryor, of course, was one of the greats. Eddie Murphy was definitely one of my favorites. And then I’d have to add the late great Robin Harris, who performed to me like an uncle or cousin. He’s the one that made me realize that I can do comedy based on someone who performs like that. Chicago’s own!
Was there an a-ha moment when you knew for sure you’d make it in this business?
I was working in the corporate world and told my mother I wanted to be a comedian. She was really happy that I had this big corporate job. And then, I told her a joke that I’d written. I remember we were staying in the house that I grew up in and I told her a joke and she laughed so hard. She went to the ground. She was all the way down to her knees and was laughing so hard. And I was like, “Yeah, that’s it! If I can make my mama laugh like that, then that’s it”. And that’s my truest and realest a-ha moment.
Is it true that you once went by the stage name of “Cheerio” and almost got sued by the maker of the cereal?
Yeah, man. I used to go by “Cheerio” for a very short period in my career. It was another comedian when I was coming up that went by the name “Kodak.” I thought it was pretty cool that Kodak went by this big brand name that we all knew. So my name is Ced, and it starts with a C, and I started thinking about what goes with that. And I’m thinking of course “Cheers” goes with laughter and so….Cheerio! So I decided to go with that, and then true story: General Mills sent a cease and desist letter basically telling me that wasn’t going to fly. They wasn’t getting ready to let me go by Cheerio.
Tell me about your new book, Flipping Boxcars.
Flipping Boxcars is a book that is loosely based on my grandfather, Floyd “Babe” Boyce, whom I never met, but I’ve heard so many stories from my mother and uncles, and I just would imagine what his life was like. So, this is a fictional tale that I created from some of the few stories I’ve heard that have become folklore in our families. I was able to create a fictional world based off some real things into a great crime caper and story of a man who was on a journey trying to figure out his life, how he was going to be, and stand on his own two feet in post World War II but Pre-Civil Rights America. It’s a dope book and story. My first novel, so I need everyone to go get it!
You also have a wine collection; please tell us about that as well.
Setta wine is something I developed in 2019 with Napa Wine Valley and we just introduced the California Setta white and red. The name Setta is short for my mother’s name of Rosetta and that’s what it is. We pulled that from her name. My mother wasn’t a big drinker but she would enjoy a glass of wine every now and then. She would say “Toast a glass with a touch of class” and we write that on the back of the bottles as a way of me to honor her and pay tribute to her and what she brought to my life. She was a reading teacher and specialist that would help kids so we donate proceeds of the wine to literacy programs all around the country and even the world. Shout out to my partner Ian Devereaux of Smith Devereaux Winery. Wines can be ordered on www.smithdevereux.com.
What can fans look forward to in your upcoming Ced Talk event in Chicago?
Ced Talk gives us the opportunity to be up close and intimate, ya know? I’ve performed for many years on stage. Oftentimes, you see me up there telling jokes, but you don’t have the exposure to be able to ask me questions or just have that personal feeling up close. We’ll have a conversation. I’ll talk about the process of writing the book. I’ll talk about what’s going on in the industry right now. I’ll talk about some of the shows I’m developing and have been a part of and give you a sneak peek of some stuff that’s coming up. It’s just really an up close and personal opportunity to chit chat and fireside talk with everyone.
What are some of your favorite things about Chicago?
I really love the city of Chicago. Y’all got a million wonderful restaurants. It’s stylish here. You know I’m from St. Louis, so you know we dig style. Chicago has always been a place where people are gonna do it up and bring their own flavor to the game. I also love Chicago in the summer. The skyline. The people. The energy. I love going out and cruising on the river and onto the lake. The club life is always fun. Chicago is one of the top cities in the world to go out and enjoy yourself in. It’s like New York, but it’s clean. It’s like San Francisco, but it’s swaggier. It’s L.A. without being L.A. at all. It’s truly one of my favorite cities in the world. I always tell people that.
Constantly working and touring can be wearing on your mind and body; how do you maintain your mental health and/or self-care?
Thankfully now, I’m at a point where I actually work because I love it. It’s not an arduous thing for me. I feel very blessed that I’ve had the opportunity to find my life’s passion. Getting up, being creative, having the opportunity to perform live and create TV shows and movies is really just a blessing. I have a really simple life, I got a great wife, great kids, and a really simple household. I have a great core group of friends and partners that I’ve had for a long time that I trust. We keep it real simple with each other. Those are the places that I feel comfortable and I don’t worry about too much. My life is really not that complicated so I don’t carry a lot of stress. The touring and all the stuff that keeps me busy is just what I like to do.
Please talk a little about the success of The Neighborhood and what it means to you.
I love The Neighborhood. It’s been such a blessing to do. It’s one of those things where I was creating other shows under my deal with CBS. They had the show already and had been developing it.but it needed some work to get it to where we can put it on. We sat down in the room and got really creative. I had a come to Jesus meeting with the original creator of the show and we worked until we were able to settle on what we felt like the show could be together and it has been a wonderful success. We just got picked up for a sixth season but right now we’re on strike so once the strike is settled, I am looking forward to going back to work on it. There are even spin-off ideas being floated around because of the success of the show so we all just love and appreciate the fanbase for loving on it.
What are your thoughts on the emergence of AI technology and how it will affect the entertainment business?
AI…artificial intelligence is a unique thing; I mean, to have the tools to be able to do something quicker and faster is very unique, but I’d be remiss not to acknowledge that if you took out that human creativity, innovation, the human spirit that comes from someone else to write a song…it’s just not quite the same. You can use AI to take my joke rhythms and the way I do a cadence and get it to write a joke or whole story based on what they think Cedric the Entertainer is, but it will be missing that human factor. I just think it’s very important to know and remember that these tools, our phones and laptops, and technology as a whole, are things we can use for good, but they don’t go back in the box. A lot of people wish we could go back to the good old days, but is a VHS or cassette really the good old days? I definitely love literally having thousands of records on my phone I can enjoy at the drop of a dime. Yes, I want the artists to get paid and compensated properly because these songs are their intellectual property. So that’s the thing: sometimes the tech companies can act like their technology is the ONLY reason these things exist, but they have to use our creative IPs in order to sell something. Somewhere, there is a disconnect on who is participating and why they’re participating at that level. And that’s especially true with film and television. Music kind of has a better hold on it than TV and film, where it’s been really, really shady for many years. So, hopefully, reasonable solutions can be made. As for AI, I don’t think we can put it back in the box now that it’s out. It’s here to stay.
Best advice or words of wisdom for those aspiring comedians?
I always tell people you have to get on that stage. If you want to be an entertainer of any type, don’t worry about getting paid and what somebody is not giving you. Just do it because you love it. If you’re a songwriter, write songs. Don’t worry about if someone is gonna pay you for them. Just write songs. The more songs you write, the greater your muscle will be. Same thing with jokes. Write jokes. Perform jokes. Look for opportunities to go on stage and perform them. Don’t worry about who getting more and who’s getting what. Don’t concern yourself with that. The thing about art is…your artistry. Your individuality. Individuality is what people will be attracted to and remember. Those are the things you’ll eventually be able to count on to make money and survive and be able to do this. Your fanbase will know exactly who you are and once they love that, they’ll love it forever. It ain’t about being hot because you can get hot and then people miss the point. You’;ll be the it dude for a moment and then two months later they’ll hardly be able to tell you what you did and why. You always wanna write from a real authentic place that when you tell a joke it lands so real that people cant deny it and they’ll always remember it. People always remember and recite my joke “I can’t call another man “Delicious’ ‘! I’m a grown ass man, dog”. That’s one of them ones that will stick forever.
Favorite quote or affirmation?
One of my favorite quotes (that I always loved) came from my mom. It was basically about having good credit. She would always say, “Your good name walks in a room before you do and lingers long after you’re gone.” I always think of that, and when someone says my name in a room, and I’m not there, does it bring a smile? Does it bring about confidence? Does it bring about assurance? Do they recognize it with love, pride, and great intent? Or does it give a visceral, bad taste in your mouth? These are the things that your credit is. I’ve always thought that was a brilliant quote, and I love my mommy for giving it to me. I work hard to make sure that Cedric The Entertainer’s name rings solid whenever someone hears it, and it makes you laugh and feel good and say, “That’s my dude! That’s a good brother!“
What’s next for Cedric the Entertainer?
I’m just staying creative and developing business ideas in addition to doing what I do. Anthony Anderson and I have the AC Barbecue brand that’s growing. We have barbecue rubs, sauces, and everything in Walmart, so if you enjoy barbecue, you must check it out. We’ll be doing a lot of great events with restaurants and virtual kitchens, and pop-up stores in the neighborhoods. We’ll introduce our utensils soon with spatulas, tongs, etc. We’re looking forward to growing it to a national barbecue brand and just showing our people we can do these things. That’s what it’s all about. Also, maybe a little music in the future. I’ve been having fun writing songs. I have a style I like to call Soul Swing. It’s my own flavor, so hopefully, everybody will dig it, too. Hey, I’m just outside right now. Y’all know where to find me. I’ll holla!
Ced Talk comes to Chicago on September 25th and the Harold Washington Cultural Center in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
For more information, please visit www.broadwayinbronzeville.com.
