
Christian comedian Akintunde, whose résumé includes stints as a writer/creative consultant for BET’s late night smash The Mo’Nique Show and monologue writer for Chris Tucker and It’s Showtime At The Apollo, has signed as an artist with Georgia-based Arrow Records (Music That Pierces The Heart™).
The first comic signed to the label, Akintunde will work with Arrow in the creation of studio recordings, live performances, and special projects for the burgeoning Christian comedy market.
Currently set to headline the 2011 “Rebirth of Comedy Tour” (a partnership between Arrow Entertainment and No Joke Entertainment), Akintunde is launching “The Search for the One,” a nationwide talent quest for a bright, young, faith-based comedian to open shows along the tour route. Akintunde is a key player in the Rebirth of Comedy brand, which is projected to extend across multiple media platforms.
A charismatic, provocative, and hilarious live performer, Akintunde is in great demand on the America’s comedy circuit having appeared on six national tours in the past four years, including It’s Time 2 Laugh Christian Comedy Tour (2007), Gas Too High Comedy Tour (2008), TBS Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns – Brown Bag of Comedy Tour (2009), Creflo Dollar Change Experience Conventions (2009-2011), Radio One Family Comedy Tour (2010), and The Rebirth of Comedy Tour (2010).
Born Akintunde Warnock on October 23, 1971, he first tapped into his God-given power of comedy as a means of disarming bullies in junior high school. By 1995, Akintunde was taking his stand-up seriously enough to be make an actual living making people laugh.He criss-crossed the country’s comedy circuit and appeared on BET’s Comicview and in the Turner South series That Comedy Show.
In 1999, Akintunde became a Christian and began to accept the idea that he was working for God, first and foremost, and that his mission was to spread the Word through the comedic instincts he’d been so freely given.
In 2003, he was named joke/monologue writer for the syndicated television series It’s Showtime at the Apollo and in 2004, penned monologues for the annual BET Awards Brutally Honest, Live at Right Direction, and launched a national tour under the same moniker. Shortly after teaming up with fellow comedian Chris Tucker, as monologue writer for the 2005 NAACP Image Awards, That same year Akintunde recorded his first live comedy album.
Akintunde expanded his tour schedule which culminated in two live DVD recordings in 2006, a year that included televised appearances on The Word Network, TBN’s Praise the Lord, and The Gospel Music Channel.
He debuted “It’s Time 2 Laugh,” an all new Web series, in 2007 and, in 2008, premiered his syndicated radio show, The Akintunde Show, in Washington, DC, through his company No Joke Radio. In 2009, Akintunde performed at the Stellar Awards and the Trumpet Awards, as well as the Change Experience Tour, with Pastors Creflo and Taffi Dollar. Akintunde was a welcome addition to the Change Experience performance rosters for 2010 and 2011.
A happily married father of five, Akintunde hears the love of God in the sound of laughter and is sharing his gifts through Arrow Records.