90's Nostalgia Commemorative Issue April 2017 | Page 31

MADEFEATURES
MADEXXXX
a smile or just encouraging them. I'm all about the
youth because of where I came from and how I know
something like the arts changed my life, so I always
want to give that back. I always do things with the
youth to encourage them. A lot of times, they just
need somebody to tell them “I love you and I'm down
with you and you can make it.” You'd be surprised
at how many kids that have never even heard that
before. It will blow their mind.
And I would say one thing with me is consistency.
I'm consistent. Consistency is key. If it’s something
that you believe in and something that you want to
happen - be consistent with it. Don't just keep saying,
“Well...maybe.. I don't know.” You always got to say
“Okay cool. I can do it. I can make it. I can make this
happen.
MADE: That’s powerful and you’ve been pretty
consistent with Nickelodeon. Tell us about your
experience over the years with having a show in the
90’s and one currently today?
KEL: Oh, the experience is awesome. I mean, to be
on the show in the 90’s and then go back to the
networks that I got my start with gives me a whole
new outlook. With this newfound faith and my
beautiful wife, my main thing is when I go on set to
say "Okay well who can I reach today?" It could be
somebody in the parking lot who just had a bad day
and bringing some joy into their life.
I mean these kids are amazing. I always give them
advice. They're at the age that I was when I got
started. They call me uncle Kel (laughs). It’s just like
these are my little nephews and nieces and it's just
awesome. I wish I had that when I was younger.
People can tell you stuff but when they see it, like
when they see me opening the door for my wife and
when they see me hang out with her. They see what I
do. I do what I speak.
And the show is innovative. It's about two girls that
create an app. They blow up overnight and become
millionaires, and so I play a character that’s similar to
Kanye and 2 Chainz. He's a hip hop mogul and they
use his music in one of the games. I go to sue them
and they’re like “No, no - don’t sue us! You can own
the company with us,” so I end up owning this
company with two 14 year olds (Right, it’s a Nickel-
odeon kids show). So I own this company with these
two 14 year olds and I take them on wild adventures.
We go to the awards, I got a private jet, all this crazy
stuff but then also too we create these amazing
games and the games are available for kids in real life
so after they see it on the show that can go download
it on the App Store on Google Play and iTunes. It's
just really awesome. It’s really Innovative for Nickel-
odeon and really for what's going on for today as far
as social media and app downloads. It’s awesome.
MADE: That’s interesting because in the 90’s
obviously technology was so much different from
today. How has that changed your career at all in the
industry?
KEL: It's pretty much the same at Nickelodeon you
know? Social media has changed in terms of who you
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