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MISTA MO is a gifted Stand-up Comedian, TV Host and Writer, but above all he is an innovator who is breaking ground in Canada with his original brand of heavy-hitting comedy. Unlike many other comedians, MISTA MO doesn’t necessarily make light of controversial issues. Rather, he explores them and points out the obscurities often overlooked in day-to-day life. In essence, the shattering of blissful ignorance is his punch line. Otherwise known as Morgan Smith, MISTA MO is best known for his off-the-wall antics on The Comedy Network’s long-running series, Buzz. The funnyman has also maintained a successful career as an underground stand-up comedian for over a decade. Born in Kingston, Jamaica on January 29, 1972, MO came to Canada when he was nine months old. He started his career early as a child performer, entertaining audiences at church and school. Music was his first love, so naturally he joined choirs and participated in school bands. In elementary school, he was not the class clown people might expect he once was. On the contrary, he was the introverted “oddball” who observed things quietly but was very inquisitive, all the while keeping his opinions to himself. In youth, religion played a large role in MO’s life. The son of a Pentecostal church minister, he had absorbed the gospel effortlessly and was called upon to teach younger children in Sunday school. But when he reached his late teens, too many unanswered questions prompted him to renounce such quasi-religious celebrations as Christmas festivities, and he began to question the faith that was imposed on him since birth. He became an agnostic and graduated from being labeled the “family outcast” to now often being referred to as the “black sheep” of comedy. MISTA MO takes pride in the fact that he “teaches the gospel according to Mo,” as he has based much of his stand-up material on religion’s inconsistencies and society’s foibles. Controversy has shadowed MISTA MO from one performance to another. Dissecting other’s perspectives has sometimes sparked hostility and brash rejection. Blatant racism, especially in some rural towns, is an occurrence that he is much too familiar with, yet he delivers his uncensored material with no regrets. In fact, his hatred of censorship was one of the forces that beckoned him to the stage. MO boldly challenges the conformist way of thinking, causing some audience members to re-evaluate society’s standards and others to nervously squirm in their seats. Although his abrasive content has had him banned from numerous colleges in Ontario, he vows to never alter his material to satisfy a booking agent—he has to be true to himself. His unwillingness to forfeit the integrity of his shows often makes club owners cautious of booking him as well. MO has even sacrificed his safety to practice his craft, dodging beer bottles from an audience member who felt insulted by a performance. Not only has he been verbally attacked for speaking out against the war in Iraq, he has also been on the receiving end of death threats from so-called religious zealots. He tugs on morality’s strings unapologetically, earning him a reputation as self-indulgent, outspoken, dark and twisted. Nonetheless, his indisputable wit and humour never fail to leave his audiences in hysterics. Additionally, life a troublemaker has had its perks. His guerilla comedy style on Buzz has earned him a Gemini award for best writing in a comedy series, and he has been honored with an editor’s choice award. He was also nominated for the Gemini’s “People’s Choice Award” as Canada’s favourite comedian, proving beyond a doubt that he is among the country’s comedy elite. His comedic philosophy can be read in his syndicated column, titled CONTROVERSIAL EDGE. His live social satires can be enjoyed at select campuses, comedy clubs, theatres and concert halls throughout the country.

Mista Mo's website