All Star Comedy Slam

C-Dawg
Corwin O., or to his friends and fans "C-Dawg," is a fresh, new face on the comedy circuit. C-Dawg’s silly, carefree style of comedy is as fun to watch as it is to hear. He draws you into his hilarious comedy world with his likeable, animated storytelling and his flair for free-style that hooks audiences and keeps them eagerly wondering what he may do next. C-Dawg is a native of Atlanta, GA and follows the funny southern tradition of another Atlanta native, Chris Tucker. C-Dawg is also a key player in the improvisational troupe The Blacktop Circus, and is a regular host of The Uptown Comedy Club in Atlanta. C-Dawg has shared the stage with some of the best and brightest in comedy, including Chris Tucker, Jamie Foxx, Steve Harvey and Monique. He continues to tour comedy clubs, colleges and is nationally recognized as a favorite on BET's Comic View. C-Dawg is a definite must-see - he is funny, powerful, lovable and can be as commanding as a southern preacher or as silly as a six year-old.

Rene Garcia
Rene Garcia is just plain funny. His personal life experiences help create a fantastic act. His talent has quickly landed him commercials, he was featured on MTV Tr3s in 2009, was seen on NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2010 and you can currently catch him on Showtime in Jeff Garcia's stand up comedy special The Ten Dollar Ticket.

What makes Garcia’s show so unique is the fact that right away you realize this is no ordinary Latino comic. He immediately separates himself from the stereotypical Latin comic doing Latin humor. His comedy is not just for Latino audiences. He hits subjects that any race can relate to. His style has labeled him as the Latin Jerry Lewis by his peers and fans alike. “Just to be mentioned in the same sentence as a legend like Jerry Lewis is a great honor,” says Garcia. He has worked with acts such as Tommy Davidson, Ron White, Nick Swardson, Katt Williams and Bill Belamy.

Honest John
In June of 1987, John Basinger was working as a nurse and heading into a predictable middle age. Maybe it was midlife crisis that caused him to take the name Honest John and start running around Los Angeles telling jokes.

“I just went anywhere I could get on stage,” he recalls, “Club, coffee houses, bars restaurants, anywhere I could get up. After a while I was like a fanatic, I just couldn’t do it enough. I knew that this is what I was meant to do.”

Then, one Thursday night, a comedian named Gerald McQuirter invited him to an open mike at the Comedy Act Theater, one of the foremost black venues in the country.

“Actually, he dragged me along with him, just called me up and said, ‘Saddle up, John, we’re going.’ And I got up and slammed.”

Soon Honest John became a fixture on the black circuit in the Los Angeles area. “People would come up to me on the street and ask where I was going to perform next. It blew my mind.”

Triumphant appearances on BET’s Comic View, HBO’s Def Jam and Showtime at the Apollo introduced him to fans all across the country, leading to appearances at clubs and theaters nationwide and a two-year run on the Def Jam tour. He has also done many military tours in places as far away as Korea and Japan.

He has also guest starred on The Jamie Foxx Show, Lyricist’s Lounge and Showtime in Harlem. He can also be seen in films like The Wash, For Da Love of Money, Foolish and other urban comedies. As for the future, Honest John says he’s working on a comedy special and would like to do more acting. “I want to do some dramatic roles and do a lot of different characters - roles that are different than what I’ve done before. I want to challenge myself and stretch out. And, I’ll always do stand up. It’s what I was born to do.”

Lav Luv
When very young, Lav Luv found sanctuary being alone – behind a mic that is. Starting out hosting high school talent shows, Luv has been inciting laughter-infused riots for years with his bright blend of humor. Upon returning from service in the U.S. Armed Forces, he dove right into a career in comedy and was almost instantly recognized as a fresh face in the world of funny.

After a couple of open-mic nights at the Uptown Comedy Corner and several performances on Showtime at the Apollo, Luv had proven himself to judges and audiences, and his dream and destiny of becoming a legendary stand-up comedian began.

His name may not be as widely known as Chris Rock, but on stage his performances are comparable to a young Eddie Murphy, the man who coincidentally is Luv's idol. Though he doesn't have his own sitcom on the WB, Luv's resume is quite impressive.

Luv is also a part of the number one morning show in Columbus, GA, Foxy 105’s DJ Chip in The Mornings. He adds his clever, silly, yet insightful, thoughts on various topics, furthering the rising stars resume. In 2008, Luv added yet another accomplishment to his rising star when he beat over 200 fellow comedians to win season 3 of Bill Bellamy’s Who Got Jokes on TVOne. In 2009 Luv filmed his critically acclaimed one man special Lav Luv, I’m Gonna Get In Trouble in Los Angeles, CA.

He is currently a permanent host at Atlanta's Uptown Comedy Corner where he got his start years ago at his first open-mic night. He has performed on BET's Comic View on numerous occasions, as well as P. Diddy’s Bad Boyz of Comedy and concerts for the Isley Brothers, the Four Tops, R. Kelly, The O’ Jays, KEM, the Temptations and Ashanti. He has toured with such comedians as Tommy Davidson, Chris Tucker, Bill Bellamy and Jamie Foxx and has showcased for Cedric "The Entertainer," Bernie Mac and D.L. Hughley.

On stage, Luv is charming. Unlike most unkempt comedians of his time, Luv is suave in his tailored suits and rimless glasses, giving him the look of a new-wave preacher. And preach is exactly what he does – a comedic gospel that keeps audiences praying for more.

Alex Ortiz
Alex Ortiz is one of the hottest and most sought after comedians working today. He has headlined and been featured at comedy clubs such as The Apollo, Funny Bones and The Improv and he has toured in major cities all across the U.S. Over the years, Ortiz has shared the stage with comedy legends like Bernie Mac, Damon Waynes, Eddie Griffin, DL Hughley and Bobcat Goldthwaite, to name a few.

Recently, Ortiz has been seen on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, P. Diddy’s Bad Boyz of Comedy on HBO and at the Latino Laugh Festival with Pablo Francisco. Aside from winning the TKO Comedy Champion of 2002 on Showtime at the Apollo, he has toured internationally in Japan, Italy, Spain, England and Bosnia. Other media success includes multiple commercials.