Chico Bean
Chico Bean, born Anthony Jamal Bean, is an American comedian and actor from Washington, District of Columbia. He is best known as a recurring cast member of MTV's Wild 'N Out, where his improvisational comedy and rap battles became a major part of his public profile. He is also associated with The Freestyle Funny Comedy Show and the 85 South Show podcast.
Family life
Chico Bean was born Anthony Jamal Bean in Washington, DC. His uncle gave him the nickname "Chico," which he combined with his surname to create his stage name. He was raised by his mother after his father was killed on the streets of Washington when Chico was about two years old.
Bean has said that he lost six family members to gun violence. These experiences influenced his determination to build a better life and leave a lasting legacy. He has one daughter, Pierce Chanel.
Freestyle Funny Comedy Show
Bean began his stand-up comedy career in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2007. He drew attention after opening for comedian Chris Wiles, then joined B-Daht and Darren Brand to form The Freestyle Funny Comedy Show. DeMar "OsamaBinDrankin" Rankin Sr. later joined the group.
The group performed stand-up at comedy clubs, colleges, and universities. Its work established Bean as part of a collaborative comedy scene before his television breakthrough and connected him professionally with B-Daht and Darren Brand.
Wild 'N Out
Nick Cannon discovered Bean at the Fresh Faces of Comedy stand-up show in 2011 and encouraged him to pursue stand-up comedy. Bean later auditioned for the fifth season of Wild 'N Out, eventually joining the recurring cast after auditioning three times. He has remained closely associated with the MTV, VH1, and MTV2 improv comedy series.
Bean became known on the show for his "Sucka MC Battles" with Karlous Miller. He also attracted significant online attention for a Wildstyle battle involving rapper Safaree in the season seven "T-Pain/Safaree" episode. After filming season nine, Bean was named the show's Most Valuable Player.
Television, hosting, and podcast work
Bean has appeared in Wild 'N Out: Wildest Moments and Guy Court, as well as on Steve Harvey, HuffPost Live Conversations, and the TruTV game show Trivial Takedown. He also worked as a writer and actor on The James Davis Project, including writing for James Davis's pilot for E!.
Bean is part of the 85 South Show podcast with fellow Wild 'N Out cast members DC Young Fly and Karlous Miller and former cast member Clayton English. In October 2020 and 2021, Bean, DC Young Fly, and Karlous Miller hosted the BET Hip-Hop Awards.
Quick facts
- Chico Bean opened for comedian Chris Wiles before forming The Freestyle Funny Comedy Show.
- Nick Cannon discovered Chico Bean at the Fresh Faces of Comedy stand-up show in 2011.
- Chico Bean auditioned for Wild 'N Out three times before joining the cast.
- Chico Bean became known for his "Sucka MC Battles" with Karlous Miller on Wild 'N Out.
- A season seven Wildstyle battle involving Chico Bean and Safaree surpassed 20 million views on YouTube.
- Chico Bean was named Most Valuable Player after filming Wild 'N Out season nine.
- Chico Bean, DC Young Fly, and Karlous Miller hosted the BET Hip-Hop Awards in 2020 and 2021.
- Chico Bean worked as a writer and actor on The James Davis Project.
- Chico Bean is part of the 85 South Show podcast with DC Young Fly, Karlous Miller, and Clayton English.
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