On this day in comedy on July 28, 2005 Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out debuted on MTV.
This long running, on and off sketch comedy, improv series features up & coming comedians as well as seasoned vets. Hosted by its creator, Nick Cannon, Wild N Out is a ratings champion and holds the record for MTV2’s biggest premiere.
The basic premise is two teams are pitted against each other in a series of improvisational games. One squad is captained by Cannon and the other by the celebrity guest, who also usually performs the show’s musical number. Examples of the games are:
Let me Holla: Squad members use pick-up lines on a girl and good ones get a bell.
Turn up for what: When the audience replies, “Turn up for what?” the comedian better have a funny line or it’s crickets.
Got props: Use props in a wrong scenario and your squad gets a buzzer and not a bell.
Remix: Gives each squad a chance to show off their ability to remix a song or nursery rhyme. The audience picks the winner of this round.
The audience also picks the winner of ‘R and Beef’ where the audience also makes the suggestion for the problem.
In Pie or Die squad members get custard to the mug if they use a word incorrectly in a freestyle rap.
Talking Spit forces members to hold water in their mouth while opposite squad members try to make them laugh.
In the game Family Reunion squad members introduce audience members as family members and of course the ones with most laughs wins the round.
Eat That Ass Up is a competition to see who can do a given dance the best.
Plead the Fifth has the captains in a cage answering questions posed by the opposing squad. If the captain doesn’t or can’t answer the question they can plead the fifth, but the more you punk out the less chance of winning.
At the end the winning captain gets the championship belt.
Coming in at a half hour running time, Wild N Out has been called a hip hop version of Whose Line Is it Anyway?, launching and enhancing the careers of Corey Holcomb, Affion Crockett, DeRay Davis, Spanky Hayes, Kevin Hart, Dominique, Bruce-Bruce, Cedric the Entertainer, Earthquake, Luenell, Brandon T Jackson, Loni Love, Lil Duval, Sommore, Orlando Jones, Katt Williams, Mike Epps, Charlie Murphy, Darrel Heath, Deon Cole, Karlous Miller, Chaunte Wayans, Billy Sorrells, Nate Jackson, Michael Blackson, Rip Michaels and many more. Musical artists and guest athletes have included Lil Jon, Kelly Rowland, Three 6 Mafia, Big Boi, Warren Sapp, Fat Joe, Sean Paul, Bobby Brown, Common, Serena Williams, E-40, Marques Houston, Amar’e Stoudemire, Joe Budden, Method Man, Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Mariah Carey, Big Daddy Kane, Rick Ross, Nelly, T. I., Michael Strahan, Ne-Yo, Wiz Khalifa, Young Jeezy, Akon, Chris Paul, Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat and 2 Chainz.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
Check out this clip:
