DLocal folks might remember him as Roland Powell, the self-described “cool kid” who graduated from First Coast High School. But the rest of the world knows him as Lil Duval, host of MTV2’s “Ain’t That America with Lil Duval.”
The show, which mixes viral videos with a celebrity talk-show format, debuted last month as the second-highest rated show in MTV2 history, right behind “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ’N Out,” which aired right before it.
It has averaged nearly 800,000 viewers and is the top-rated regularly scheduled cable show in its time period. Guests on the show have included Chris Distefano, Donnell Rawlings, Carly Aquilino, Draya Michele and Alesha Renee.
Lil Duval, who said he routinely has to explain to guests that his name is a tribute to his home county, started his comedy career in the late 1990s after moving from Jacksonville to Atlanta.
He caught the eye of Cedric the Entertainer in 2001 and went on the road with Cedric. That led to a couple of DVDs, appearances in videos for T.I., Yung Joc and Young Jeezy, performances on BET’s “ComicView” and, eventually, MTV2’s “Guy Code” and “Hip Hop Squares.”
He said he still has family in Jacksonville and comes back frequently — just last week, in fact. He’s hoping “Ain’t That America,” which was originally contracted for eight episodes, is renewed.
In the meantime, he’s wrapping up another MTV2 series, “Guy Court,” a 30-minute comedic courtroom series that debuts in the fall.
He’s also just finished a movie, “School Dance,” with Kevin Hart, Wilmer Vaderrama and Melissa Molinaro.
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