# Michael Blackson
**Michael Blackson** (born Jafari Ferguson, 1972) is a Ghanaian-born American stand-up comedian and actor who calls himself the "African King of Comedy" and is known for African-themed jokes, a bold stage accent, and trademark [Dashiki](https://www.edgepedia.org/dashiki) attire.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-blackson/) • [2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/michael-blackson-tickets/artist/1214303?tt_scene=anchor_view) He broke out nationally with a role in the 2000 film *Next Friday*, became a recurring favorite on MTV's *Wild 'N Out*, starred in his own BET+ sitcom in 2023, and opened a tuition-free school in his home village in Ghana that same year.[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about) • [4](https://www.voaafrica.com/a/hollywood-star-opens-free-school-in-ghana/6931787.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name and date | Jafari Ferguson, born 1972 in Ghana[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-blackson/) |
| Parents | A Ghanaian mother and a Liberian father[5](https://comedyhub.net/michael-blackson-biography/) |
| Comic debut | 1992[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/michael-blackson-tickets/artist/1214303?tt_scene=anchor_view) |
| Breakout role | The "Angry African Man" in *Next Friday* (2000)[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about) |
| Signature TV | Recurring cast member on *Wild 'N Out* (2005 to present)[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about) |
| Sitcom | *The Michael Blackson Show*, BET+, premiered July 27, 2023[6](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the-michael-blackson-show/) |
| Philanthropy | Tuition-free Michael Blackson Academy in Agona Nsaba, Ghana, opened 2023[4](https://www.voaafrica.com/a/hollywood-star-opens-free-school-in-ghana/6931787.html) |
## Early life
Blackson was born in Ghana to a Ghanaian mother and a Liberian father, and his real name is Jafari Ferguson.[5](https://comedyhub.net/michael-blackson-biography/) TV Guide and TV Insider list his birth place as Ghana and his birth date as 1972.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-blackson/) • [7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/michael-blackson/credits/3000309762/)
Accounts of his move to the United States differ in detail. Comedy Hub states that he moved in the mid-1980s and grew up in Philadelphia,[5](https://comedyhub.net/michael-blackson-biography/) while in a 2015 radio interview Blackson himself said he came to the states when he was 13 years old.[8](https://www.thetruthtoledo.com/pdf/2015/05132015pdf.pdf) In a 2025 Houston radio interview he recalled first settling in [Newark, New Jersey](https://www.edgepedia.org/newark-new-jersey), where classmates mocked his accent and his clothes, including what he called "$9.99 chicken flavor sneakers" bought at a grocery store.[9](https://theboxhouston.com/11780954/from-chicken-flavor-sneakers-to-comedy-king-michael-blackson/)
## Stand-up career
**Roots in clubs and contests.** According to Ticketmaster's artist biography, Blackson made his comic debut in 1992, was raised on [Eddie Murphy](https://www.edgepedia.org/eddie-murphy)'s comedic style, and developed his own stand-up skits at a young age. After moving to Pennsylvania in the early 1990s and testing jokes at local clubs, he entered comedy contests, where his performances attracted the attention of Ice Cube.[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/michael-blackson-tickets/artist/1214303?tt_scene=anchor_view) His self-styled nickname, the African King of Comedy, appears on his own website and in press coverage going back years.[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about) • [10](https://reviewsanddunn.net/michael-blackson-dc-improv/)
His stage persona blends West African sensibilities with American pop culture: storytelling rooted in the immigrant experience, improvised crowd work, and one-liners about relationships and life in his native Africa.[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about) • [2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/michael-blackson-tickets/artist/1214303?tt_scene=anchor_view) He performs in trademark Dashikis.[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/michael-blackson-tickets/artist/1214303?tt_scene=anchor_view) A review of a 2017 DC Improv show described "a natural comedic charisma on stage," recalling his first impression as Customer #1 in *Next Friday*.[10](https://reviewsanddunn.net/michael-blackson-dc-improv/) Ticketmaster lists a 4.3 rating out of 5 from 111 audience reviews.[2](https://www.ticketmaster.com/michael-blackson-tickets/artist/1214303?tt_scene=anchor_view)
His touring is active and extensive: his official site advertises more than 50 US shows for 2026, with a format of a 60 to 75 minute headlining set after a local host and one or two featured openers, and early and late shows at many venues.[11](https://michaelblacksonofficial.com/) His own promotional material credits him with selling out clubs and theaters across the US, UK, and Africa and touring three continents.[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about)
## Film and television
Blackson's screen career took off after *Next Friday* (2000), in which he played the aggressive, yelling "Angry African Man" in Pinky's record store, a role his own site calls his signature acting milestone.[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about) Later film credits include *Repos* (2006), *[Meet the Blacks](https://www.edgepedia.org/meet-the-blacks)* (2016), *I Got the Hook-Up 2* (2019), *The Stuff* (2020), and *Coming 2 America* (2021), where he played a Nexdorian Lieutenant.[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-blackson/) [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide)'s credit list runs to 32 acting credits, including *The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2* and *Sherman's Showcase*, plus writing credits for *The Arsenio Hall Show* and *Comic View*.[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/michael-blackson/credits/3000309762/)
**Television presence.** He has been a recurring, fan-favorite cast member on [Nick Cannon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-cannon)'s MTV and VH1 improv show *Wild 'N Out* from 2005 onward, and made guest appearances on [Comedy Central](https://www.edgepedia.org/comedy-central)'s *[Chappelle's Show](https://www.edgepedia.org/chappelles-show)* and NBC's *30 Rock* (as the African Man, 2006).[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-blackson/) Reality and talk appearances include Oxygen's *Living With Funny* with DeRay Davis (2016), *Hip Hop Squares*, *Love & Hip Hop Atlanta*, *Love & Hip Hop: Miami*, and *MTV Cribs*.[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about) • [7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/michael-blackson/credits/3000309762/) In 2018 he hosted the BET Social Awards.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-blackson/)
## The Michael Blackson Show
In July 2023, BET+ premiered *The Michael Blackson Show*, a sitcom starring Blackson as a Ghanaian immigrant who takes a teaching job at a tough Chicago high school and learns the ins and outs of Black American culture.[6](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the-michael-blackson-show/) The show is rated TV-14, ran for one season on BET+, and features April Parker Jones, Rhyan Hill, Bryce Clyde Jenkins, Notlim Taylor, Clayton English, and Terri Abney alongside Blackson.[6](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the-michael-blackson-show/) The four first episodes, titled "The First Day," "The First Day Part 2," "Introducing Miguel," and "Family Ties," became available on July 27, 2023, and the series streams on BET+, Paramount+, and Apple TV.[6](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the-michael-blackson-show/) • [3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about)
## Music, podcast, and social media
Blackson released the comedy album *Modasucka, Welcome To America* in 2005, and hosted the comedy podcast *MODASUCKA with Michael Blackson* on The Black Effect Network.[12](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621222983) His Instagram sketches and viral clips have built a large online following, and his own site credits this presence with helping broaden mainstream appetite for African voices in stand-up.[3](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about)
## The Michael Blackson Academy
In 2023, Blackson opened the Michael Blackson Academy, a tuition-free school in his home village of Agona Nsaba in central Ghana.[4](https://www.voaafrica.com/a/hollywood-star-opens-free-school-in-ghana/6931787.html) Speaking to VOA's Red Carpet host Jackson Mvunganyi in January 2023, he discussed the importance of education and described growing up in [West Africa](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-africa).[4](https://www.voaafrica.com/a/hollywood-star-opens-free-school-in-ghana/6931787.html) Through the Michael Blackson Foundation, an "Interviews for A Cause" program lets organizations request an interview or podcast appearance with a minimum donation of $5,000, with every dollar directed to expanding and sustaining the academy.[13](https://www.michaelblacksonfoundation.org/donate-1/ifc)
## References
1. [Michael Blackson, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-blackson/)
2. [Michael Blackson Tickets, Ticketmaster](https://www.ticketmaster.com/michael-blackson-tickets/artist/1214303?tt_scene=anchor_view)
3. [About Michael Blackson, michaelblacksonofficial.com](https://www.michaelblacksonofficial.com/about)
4. [Hollywood Star Opens Free School in Ghana – Extended Interview, VOA Africa](https://www.voaafrica.com/a/hollywood-star-opens-free-school-in-ghana/6931787.html)
5. [Michael Blackson: Hilarious Journey of the African King of Comedy, Comedy Hub](https://comedyhub.net/michael-blackson-biography/)
6. [The Michael Blackson Show, Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the-michael-blackson-show/)
7. [Michael Blackson List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/michael-blackson/credits/3000309762/)
8. [The African King of Comedy Comes to Toledo, interview PDF, The Truth Toledo](https://www.thetruthtoledo.com/pdf/2015/05132015pdf.pdf)
9. [From 'Chicken Flavor Sneakers' to Comedy King: Michael Blackson, The Box Houston](https://theboxhouston.com/11780954/from-chicken-flavor-sneakers-to-comedy-king-michael-blackson/)
10. [Throwback Tuesday Concert Review: Michael Blackson, DC Improv, Reviews & Dunn](https://reviewsanddunn.net/michael-blackson-dc-improv/)
11. [Michael Blackson Live 2026, michaelblacksonofficial.com](https://michaelblacksonofficial.com/)
12. [Michael Blackson, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621222983)
13. [Interviews for A Cause, Michael Blackson Foundation](https://www.michaelblacksonfoundation.org/donate-1/ifc)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians › American stand-up comedians, contemporary › Stand-up comedians born 1970–1979*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license