COMEDY CENTRAL ANNOUNCES TALENT, PREMIERE DATE FOR HARLEM RENAISSANCE-INSPIRED ORIGINAL STAND-UP AND MUSIC SERIES THE NEW NEGROES WITH BARON VAUGHN AND OPEN MIKE EAGLE BASED ON THE LONG-RUNNING LIVE SHOW

• Eight-Episode Series Premieres on Comedy Central with Simulcast on BET Friday, April 19 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT
• Each Episode to Feature Stand-Up Sets, Original Song and Music Video from Open Mike Eagle and Guest(s); Music Videos and Songs to be Released Digitally with Each Episode
• Premiere Episode Includes Guest Appearance by Hannibal Buress
• Stand-Up Talent Include Chris Redd, Donnell Rawlings, Lil Rel Howery, Sasheer Zamata, Dulcé Sloan, George Wallace, Sam Jay and Many More (below)
• Musical Talent Include Method Man, MF Doom, Danny Brown, Phonte, Lizzo, Father, and Sammus; The New Negroes Theme Song Produced by Madlib

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NEW YORK, March 21, 2019 – Comedy Central today announced the premiere date and stacked talent list for The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle, debuting on Friday, April 19 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central with a simulcast on BET. The full schedule and talent list is below. Each episode will include stand-up performances from three different comedians and will conclude with an original music video featuring Open Mike Eagle and a guest recording artist, with some guest-actor appearances.

The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle is a socially aware stand-up and music series showcasing a collection of new and established comedians and musicians. According to Vaughn and Eagle, the pair took inspiration for the series and title from the term “New Negro” as popularized during the Harlem Renaissance, referring to Black Americans speaking up, telling their own stories, and affirming their various identities to dismantle outdated assumptions and beliefs.

“Our series gets its title and its mission from a book named ‘The New Negro’ by Alain Locke,” said Vaughn and Eagle. “That book was a collection of essays, poetry, fiction, and music from a generation of emerging artists credited with launching the Harlem Renaissance. In other words, it was a place where black people shared their lives, their perspectives, and their ideals. It was a place where black people could define themselves instead of being defined by others. Our show aspires to do the same with stand-up comedy, music, and music videos. We’re paying homage to that original movement by inviting comedians and musicians to do what they do best: speak.”

The newly launched Comedy Central Stand-Up YouTube channel, Comedy Central Stand-Up social-media accounts, and the CC App will feature clips and exclusive extended stand-up sets from each episode. Full episodes of The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle will be available the day after premiere on the Comedy Central App, cc.com, on-demand, and download-to-own platforms. Fans can follow the social conversation about the series on Twitter via @StandUp and Instagram via @ccstandup.

Recently, Vaughn and Eagle brought the live version of The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle to SXSW 2019 for a show featuring Sam Jay, Josh Johnson, Dulcé Sloan, Phonte, with a special appearance by Hannibal Buress. Vaughn and Eagle also recorded exclusive Comedy Central digital content on site to be released closer to premiere.

Eagle, Vaughn, Rob Anderson, Lance Bangs, Funny Or Die’s Mike Farah, and Gary Sanchez Productions’ Betsy Koch are Executive Producers for The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle. Anne Harris and Kellyn Parker are executives in charge for Comedy Central.

Featuring an expertly curated line-up of series and specials, Comedy Central is the epicenter of stand-up. From its Friday Night Stand-Up anchor on television to its social platforms, from 24/7 access on Comedy Central Radio and the Comedy Central App to home assistants, fans of Comedy Central stand-up consumed over 10 billion minutes of stand-up content in 2018. The recently launched Comedy Central Stand-Up channel on YouTube is a gold mine of both original material and exclusive clips for fans looking to revisit a classic special from a legendary comedian or discovering a new favorite performance. Available on-air, online and on-the-go via the Comedy Central App, Comedy Central (www.cc.com) is the #1 brand in comedy and is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned unit of Viacom. 

Talent and Premiere Schedule (all premieres are 11:00 p.m. ET/PT):

April 19, 2019

• Stand-Up: Chris Redd, Shalewa Sharpe, Langston Kerman, Hannibal Buress (guest)
• Music: Danny Brown
• Music Video Special Appearance: Jake Weisman, Steve Agee, Chris Powell, Madison Shepard, Marcella Arguello, Kyle Mizono

April 26, 2019

• Stand-Up: Donnell Rawlings, Ed Greer, Lil Rel Howery
• Music: MF Doom

May 3, 2019

• Stand-Up: David Gborie, Candice Thompson, Tone Bell
• Music: Phonte
• Music Video Special Appearance: Keith Lucas, Kenny Lucas (The Lucas Brothers)

May 10, 2019

• Stand-Up: Sonia Denis, Sasheer Zamata, Clayton English
• Music: Lizzo
• Music Video Special Appearance: Candice Thompson, Andy Kindler

May 17, 2019

• Stand-Up: Naomi Ekperigin, Kevin Avery, Alonzo Bodden
• Music: Father
• Music Video Special Appearance: Brodie Reed, Jamie Loftus

May 24, 2019

• Stand-Up: Dulcé Sloan, Yassir Lester, George Wallace
• Music: Method Man
• Music Video Special Appearance: Quinta Brunson, Tawny Newsome, Malcolm Barrett, David Maxime, Kevin Avery

May 31, 2019

• Stand-Up: Richard Douglas Jones, Sam Jay, Ian Edwards, Moshe Kasher (guest)
• Music: Sammus

June 7, 2019

• Stand-Up: Josh Johnson, Will Miles, Dwayne Kennedy
• Music: Phonte as Percy Miracles