'Def Comedy Jam' to Celebrate 25th Anniversary On Netflix

In July of 1992, HBO premiered Def Comedy Jam, a half-hour stand-up comedy series that was raw, uncut, and, as the kids would say today, "of the culture." Hosted by Martin Lawrence (with DJ Kid Capri providing the sounds on the 1s and 2s), this series was from the mind of Russell Simmons, and introduced a litany of African American comedy stars to the mainstream—including Lawrence, Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle, Bernie Mac, and Adele Givens—while murdering its competition in the ratings on Friday nights.

While there was talk back in 2015 that HBO and Russell Simmons signed a deal that would include a 25th anniversary special for Def Comedy Jam, Netflix announced this morning that they would be airing a Def Comedy Jam 25th anniversary special this fall. And because they are Netflix, the line-up features a who's who of black comedians, including Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Bill Bellamy, Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, and many, MANY more.

This shouldn't be seen as anything new coming from Netflix, who has easily become the destination for lovers of stand-up comedy, high-key dethroning HBO in that regard. They said they would be bringing new stand-up specials every week to their streaming service for the rest of 2017, and this year has seen two new specials from Dave Chappelle, one from Amy Schumer, and Tracy Morgan's return, as well as plans for two(!) specials from Chris Rock.

No matter how you slice it, Netflix getting this Def Comedy Jam special is a major coup; keep it locked for more information.