Cedric the Entertainer returns home for NYE comedy jam

Comedian, actor and producer Cedric the Entertainer has always been a bit of a renaissance man. With nearly 30 years in the entertainment industry, the Berkeley native has shined as a comedy staple in Hollywood, and he wraps up 2024 with his New Year’s Eve Comedy Jam on Dec. 31.

“I’ve been doing this thing for a long time for St. Louis, so I’m just coming to rip it down and have a good time,” Cedric says.

Joining Cedric on stage for the end of year stand-up comedy showdown are DL Hughley, Deon Cole, Earthquake and Michael Blackson. Cedric (Cedric Antonio Kyles) says the show rarely stops in St. Louis. This year, it was only right to end the year in his hometown.

“We convinced the promoter to come and end it at the crib, so on New Year’s Eve, we’re coming to turn out,” he says.

In May 2023, Cedric performed in St. Louis alongside Mike Epps and Hughley during the “Straight Jokes! No Chaser” comedy tour. However, the comedian says he doesn’t visit home as often since his mother, Rosetta Boyce Kyles, died in 2015.

However, being in St. Louis for New Year’s Eve feels special for Cedric who says the holidays were his mom’s favorite time of year. He looks forward to driving through his old stomping grounds near the Riverview Circle, spending with his granddaughter and coming to town to “make folks laugh that ain’t seen me in a minute.”

Cedric says Hughley, who starred alongside him in the hit 2000s comedy special “The Original Kings of Comedy” with Steve Harvey and Bernie Mac, is his designated “emotional support comic.” The pair both hosted the hit show “Comic View” for a stint in the ‘90s, embarking on several tours together that have led to a lifelong friendship.

“We’re just really great friends,” he says. “Usually whenever there’s somebody big and I’m doing an arena, you can almost believe DL is going to be on that show.”

It’s been a long time since Cedric the Entertainer made his debut in stand-up comedy. Despite the changing seasons of life, Cedric says he’s remained dedicated to the hustle and grind of show business. His CBS series “The Neighborhood” is heading into its seventh season with a Big Apple spinoff starring Tracy Morgan called “Crutch” premiering in 2025 on Paramount+. He’s also making magic behind the lens as a producer on the Bounce network show “Johnson.” Cedric hosted season 12 of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and starred in hit films like “Barbershop,” “Ice Age” and “Madagascar.”

Today, Cedric says he maintains the same mentality he had when he was a young, ambitious comic driving across the Midwest looking for opportunities in comedy clubs.

“Even though I started to become successful, I always just kept the attitude that I have to hustle for the next the next goal,” he says.

Born in Jefferson City, Missouri, the 60-year-old entertainer has always identified both St. Louis and Caruthersville, Missouri, as his home. His family moved to the latter when he was young, and he finished up his secondary education in St. Louis at Berkeley High School before launching a comedy career that would land him on shows like “The Steve Harvey Show,” “The Proud Family” and “The Boondocks.”

Although he’s rubbed elbows with everyone from Spike Lee to President George W. Bush, Cedric the Entertainer remains “so St. Louis.” His daughter makes sure to grab a box of fried rice every time he visits home, and the comedian swears the White Castle on Kingshighway and Natural Bridge is still the best location in the city. He spends most of his time in Los Angeles where he channels his comedic swagger into his many on-screen roles. However, Cedric says the most important role he plays is that of a solid, Black man in his everyday life.

“I just try to represent this thing that I feel like people could be proud of when they see it, and it will hopefully be motivational to guys and girls to see somebody just out here grinding,” he says.

While Cedric is known for his gut-retching, laugh-inducing observational comedy, the comedian is serious about his goals. He says he’s always creating and expanding brands like AC Barbeque, his line of premiums rubs and sauces he co-owns with fellow comedian Anthony Anderson, and his wine company Setta by Cedric the Entertainer, which he named in memory of his mother.

The comedian says his goal was to expand his empire beyond comedy, and he encourages the people in his hometown never to be afraid to try something outside of their scope. Because it just might turn into a success story.

“Sometimes you’re better at one thing than the other, but you did it all,” he says. “You just tried it, and you failed. You got success. You hit. You missed. But that’s the story.”