Rap superstar Ice Cube once held down one of the angriest mugs in all of hip-hop. While it was fairly rare to see the west coast legend without his impenetrable scowl, comedian Mike Epps broke the rappers gangsta-tough façade during a Def Comedy Jam gig in 1999, and got his big break as a result.
Epps got cast by Cube for 2000s Next Friday, one of many big screen roles that the hes landed over the past 10 years, including memorable turns in The Hangover and Jumping the Broom. The Indiana native has been working the standup grind for even longer, having slung salacious jokes about sex and drugs in comedy clubs since 1989. His laidback demeanor lends a conversational tone to his mic work, while his Midwestern drawl takes the edge off the raunch that usually gets folks rolling in the aisles.
Epps will pack his gags for a visit to Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd
Street, on Saturday, July 2.
Sat., July 2, 8:30 p.m., 2011