Michael Blackson

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Michael Blackson
Blackson in 2019
Born
Kojo Bediako

(1972-11-28) November 28, 1972 (age 51)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
Years active1989–present
PartnerRada Darling
Children4
Websitemichaelblacksonfoundation.org

Michael Kojo Blackson ( Kojo Bediako, born November 28, 1972) is a Ghanaian-American actor, and comedian based in the United States. His stage surname is a parody of pop singer, Michael Jackson.

Early life[edit]

Michael Kojo Blackson was born Kojo Bediako on November 28, 1974, in Liberia to Ghanaian parents.[1][2][3][4] His family lived in the slum of Clara Town in Monrovia.[5] He spent his young years in between Monrovia and Ghana before relocating to the United States in the mid-1980s. His father died in 2008.[6] Michael lived in Newark, New Jersey, when he was 13, and then settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when he was 15. He began pursuing comedy after his coworker at Domino's suggested he start open mic.[7] He made one of his first appearances on screen as a student extra in the 1989 film Lean On Me.[8]

Career[edit]

In 2005, he released a comedy sketch CD entitled Modasucka: Welcome to America.[9] Also in 2005, he made an appearance on the TV series 30 Rock, P. Diddy Presents: The Bad Boys of Comedy on HBO,[10] and starred in a commercial for Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central.

In 2011, Blackson appeared on Starz's Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand-Up and Showtime's Shaquille O'Neal Presents All Star Comedy Jam.[11][12]

In 2019, Blackson appeared in the "Wakonda" official music video by Akon.[13]

Personal life[edit]

On July 31, 2021, Blackson proposed to his girlfriend, Rada Darling, during a radio interview on The Breakfast Club, they continue to be together as partners.[14] On November 24, 2021, he became a U.S citizen.[4] Blackson is the uncle of Miami Dolphins cornerback Eli Apple.[15] As part of his work in philanthropy he built a school in Ghana that was commissioned in early January 2023. The school, which is eponymously named Michael Blackson Academy, is located at Agona Nsaba in the Agona East District of Ghana’s Central Region where he grew up.[16]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Next Friday Customer #1
2006 Repos Coffee Video
The Last Stand Comic #6
2007 The Savages Howard
Black Supaman Akon Video
Banana Leaves Chuks
You're Triflin Michael the Comedian Video
2008 Internet Dating Akeem the Dream Video
2009 The Mail Man Mohammed
What We Do Taxi Cab Driver Video
2010 My American Nurse 2 Freddie
Ex$pendable - Video
2011 Threading Needles Landlord
2012 In Sickness and in Health Yusuf TV movie
2013 One Night in Vegas Mr. Roland
Coffin Dodgers (Voice) Short
Mutumbo the Lost Prince Mutumbo
2014 Kony Montana Kony Montana
2015 Tooken Fake Akon
More Money, More Family Bootleg
2016 Meet the Blacks Mr. Wooky
2018 Easy Money Caine
The Stuff Security Guard
Nobody's Fool Thug
Got My Hustle Up Michael
Sliders Caine
2019 Angel and the Mailman Akin
I Got The Hook Up 2 Officer Midnight
The Lick Movie Kofi
2020 American Dream John
2021 Coming 2 America Nexdorian Lieutenant
Someday Isles Principal
The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2 Mr. Wooky

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Snaps Himself Episode: "Episode #1.1"
2000 ComicView Himself Episode: "ComicView: New Orleans Party Gras"
2005 The Bad Boys of Comedy Himself Episode: "Episode #1.6"
2006 30 Rock African Man Episode: "Jack Meets Dennis"
2008 ComicView Himself Episode: "ComicView: One Mic Stand"
2009 1st Amendment Stand Up Himself Episode: "Cortney Gee/Mark Viera/Ronnie Jordan/Michael Blackson"
2011-12 Are We There Yet? Various Roles Recurring Guest
2014 The Arsenio Hall Show Himself Episode: "Episode #1.145"
2015 In the Cut Customer Episode: "The Ball's in Your Court"
2017 50 Central African Traveler Episode: "Amistad Travel Agency"
2017-18 Leave It to Stevie Himself Episode: "Standing Down" & "The Game of Faith"
2017-19 Wild 'N Out Himself/Cast Member Cast Member: Season 8 & 10 & 12 & 15
Hip Hop Squares Himself/Panelist Recurring Panelist
2018 BET Social Awards Himself/Host Main Host
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta Himself Episode: "I'm Telling"
Rich Africans Michael Main Cast
2019 Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards Himself/Host Main Host
Transitions Kodjoe Episode: "Nigerian Nightmare"
Dr. Blackson Dr. Blackson Main Cast
2020 Casting One Mo' Chance Himself/Judge Main Judge: Season 1
2021 VH1 Couples Retreat Himself Main Cast: Season 1
MTV Cribs Himself Episode: "Michael Blackson/Ashlee Simpson & Evan Ross/Johnny Weir"
2022 Sherman's Showcase Fada Episode: "Sherman From Africa: Live from Lagos"
2023 The Michael Blackson Show Mr. Michael Blackson Main Cast

Music Videos[edit]

Year Song Artist
2008 "Dat Baby Don't Look Like Me" Shawty Put featuring Lil Jon and Too Short
2014 "Sugar Daddy" LeLe XO
2020 "Czar" Busta Rhymes featuring M.O.P.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Blackson, Michael [@MichaelBlackson] (June 5, 2012). "#MyNameWasSupposedToBe Kojo Bediako but immigration told me they couldn't pronounce it" (Tweet). Retrieved November 6, 2023 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Michael, Blackson [@MichaelBlackson] (April 4, 2012). "The 1st 1 in da NYC area dat can tell me what day of da week I was born gets 2 tickets. Hint, My middle name is kojo" (Tweet). Retrieved November 6, 2023 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Blackson, Michael [@MichaelBlackson] (May 10, 2012). "I was born in west Africa, my mom had me on the plane between Ghana n Liberia, I'm Ghaberian" (Tweet). Retrieved November 6, 2023 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ a b "Michael Blackson Becomes U.S. Citizen, Says It's a Dream Come True". TMZ. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  5. ^ Blackson, Michael [@MichaelBlackson] (October 11, 2011). "If u r in Liberia please go to klara town which is part of monrovia n give my cousin $90, he just called me" (Tweet). Retrieved November 6, 2023 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "Michael Blackson on Instagram: "This is the first time I'm showing ya a pic of my real dad. I'm not sure what happened between him and my mom but my sister has been in…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  7. ^ Michael Blackson Addresses His Haters, Trashes Kevin Hart + More, archived from the original on December 15, 2021, retrieved June 20, 2021
  8. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  9. ^ "Modasucka. Welcome to America". Retrieved October 23, 2018 – via Amazon.
  10. ^ "P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy DVD news: The HBO Show with Underground Comedians Doin' Their Thing Comes to DVD Soon - TVShowsOnDVD.com". November 4, 2008. Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  11. ^ "Friday finale of Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment on Starz". Monsters and Critics. September 10, 2009. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  12. ^ "'Shaquille O'Neal Presents: All-Star Comedy Jam - Live from Dallas" (Press release). Prnewswire.com. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  13. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Akon - Wakonda (Official Video)". YouTube.
  14. ^ "Comedian Michael Blackson proposes to girlfriend on 'The Breakfast Club'". TheGrio. July 22, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  15. ^ Patrick Magee (December 21, 2012). "Eli Apple is still roasted by Saints fans, and his uncle, Michael Blackson, understands why". nola.com. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  16. ^ "Blackson opens school in Ghana in January 2023". January 7, 2023.

External links[edit]