Each month, we will speak to an athlete, celebrity, designer, or non-Hip Hop entertainer about what Hip Hop means to them. This feature is intended to showcase how far-reaching the influence of Hip Hop culture has grown in the past 50 years and how much the culture means to so many.
This month, we spoke with comedian and actor Tommy Davidson.
Tommy is a multihyphenate performer whose talent spans stand-up comedy, acting, and music. After building a strong stand-up following in Washington D.C. and opening for music icons like Patti LaBelle, he transitioned to Hollywood and became a household name as a breakout star on the groundbreaking sketch series “In Living Color.” This success launched three Showtime comedy specials and led to memorable starring roles in feature films like Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Juwanna Mann, and Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, as well as his long-running voice role as Oscar Proud in Disney’s The Proud Family franchise.
Today, Davidson continues to dominate across multiple platforms, co-headlining sold-out arena comedy tours nationwide alongside Katt Williams and Mike Epps. He is set to star in the BET series Varnell with Martin Lawrence, and frequently guest stars on sitcoms like Poppa’s House and The Ms. Pat Show. Also a musician, Davidson recently hit the top of the Jazz charts with his single “Stronger,” a collaboration with Earth, Wind & Fire.
SO TOMMY DAVIDSON, WHAT DOES HIP HOP MEAN TO YOU?
“It means mission accomplished. You’ve got a group of African Americans that come out of the depression, come out of World War II, and go to the cities in America. New York City being one, D.C. and Philly being the other two. We created music that creates a movement, a phenomenon, and millions and millions of dollars in wealth. So our faith pays off, and we know that there’s a job to do, and we can do it anytime we need to.”
Follow Tommy Davidson on Instagram.
