Los Angeles, CA

In the latest installment of Soulful Sundays, HipHopDX’s Editor-In-Chief Trent Clark chats with the always wise — and often underappreciated — Nick Cannon at Comfort LA in downtown Los Angeles.

“I keep a job,” the 37-year-old mogul states, having most recently hosted the Teen Choice Awards.

Over some soul food and elevated margaritas (made with Tequila Avión), Cannon drops “gems like a clumsy jeweler,” sharing his experience of being guided by Will Smith early in his career, detailing the cultural significance of Wild ‘N Out and more.

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When asked who Nick Cannon is, the veteran entertainer says he hopes he will ultimately be seen as “someone who affected culture.”

“I would hope that people will say, ‘Yo, that was a good brother who inspired the community, empowered people, and just made everybody smile,'” he notes.

When it comes to his career as a recording artist though, he acknowledges he is chronically underrated.

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“I think that’s because I’ve been so versatile and multifaceted in other areas,” he says. “It happens with Will Smith. [He is] one of the greatest ever, easily. He gave me my first record deal, my first television deal … he established everything for me in this game. I bought my first Range Rover with a check he gave me.”

He adds, “Every life lesson I could ever learn came from [Will].”

Cannon also reflects on Wild ‘N Out’s success, which Clark noted is Hip Hop’s longest-running TV program.

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“I honestly feel like what we’ve done for the culture — even beyond just Hip Hop culture — has never been done before,” Cannons says. “So many careers launched on so many platforms and to this day. [It is] just as relevant and just as hilarious.”

When it comes to the success of many of the show’s most notable alumni, Cannon remains humble.

“I never want to take credit,” he explains. “I just like being a part of a legacy and giving them a platform.”

With Wild ‘N Out as the topic of discussion, Cannon also addresses the much-publicized incident involving Azealia Banks.

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“I love that young lady for what she wants to represent,” he says. “But I think there’s some pain inside and that’s the misguidance around her … she got a lot of passion, but sometimes, it comes out the wrong way.

“What happened was she got embarrassed, you know what I mean? She was taking something that was meant to be a joke and she took it to heart … she felt like everybody was attacking her.”

Check out the entire Soulful Sundays episode above.

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