Michael Blackson says he always wears a dashiki when he performs because it separates him from other comedians.
The African Student Organization hosted Blackson on Thursday night at the Union Theatre for an African Talent Showcase.
Blackson, who is from Ghana, shared his abrasive, expletive-heavy brand of sexually-charged and interactive toilet humor with a crowd of about 100 students.
Blackson has frequented BET’s “Comic View,” appeared on HBO’s “The Bad Boys of Comedy,” which rap star Diddy presented, and had a role in the movie “Next Friday.”
Blackson based his humor around his African heritage and the differences between his experience growing up in Ghana and living in the United States.
He included jokes about American pop culture and his family.
Blackson said he gets his material from exaggerating the truth.
Blackson said he came to the United States from Ghana in the mid ’80s with his mother, an evangelist, who came to preach the gospel.
He said years later there was an emergency back in Ghana that required his mother to return, but she didn’t have the money to bring Blackson back with her, so she left him with her friends.
Blackson said he became interested in comedy after high school and was discovered performing at open-mic nights in Philadelphia.
Blackson said he has integrated his African background into his routines because it makes him unique.
“There are so many comedians out there,” Blackson said. “I need something to set me apart.”
He said his African roots are important to him and thinks blacks should embrace their own African heritages.
“Every black person should travel back to Africa,” Blackson said. “There’s so much technology now that you can trace it back to find out exactly what part of Africa you came from.”
Tim Mulaula, ASO president and music education junior, said the program originally scheduled a dance and rhythm ensemble, but at the last minute the Programming Support and Initiatives Fee committee told them it had exhausted its funds and could not pay for it.
“I’m disappointed because the dancers would have brought a little more flavor,” Mulaula said. “Michael was funny, and he’s African and a representative from our country, but the dancers would have given us something that a lot of people haven’t seen.”
Mulaula said the program cost $3,500 dollars. Blackson received $3,000.
 
Contact Rebekah Allen at [email protected]