Desus (a.k.a. Desus Nice, a.k.a. Daniel Baker) and Mero (a.k.a. The Kid Mero, a.k.a. Joel Martinez) are both Bronx natives who first met during summer school as teenagers. They didn’t reconnect until much later in 2009 when they both, individually, found fame on Twitter for their witty social commentary. At the time, Mero was working as a teacher’s assistant and Desus was a columnist for Black Enterprise under the name C. Daniel Baker. The two caught the attention of Complex, leading the platform to commission the podcast Desus vs. Mero in December 2013, which then became a web show in April 2014. While at Complex, the two also independently launched their podcast Bodega Boys, which is still running. After a 13-month run, they made the leap to MTV, signing a development deal with the network and appearing on programs like Guy Code, Uncommon Sense and Joking Off. Then in 2016, the duo signed up with Viceland and premiered Desus & Mero.
Viceland propelled the duo to fame, with the show translating the energy of their Complex incarnation onto a bigger stage. While sitting in front of a taxidermied bear dressed in Timberland boots and a Yankees hat, the duo rattle off jokes and commentary on pop culture, breaking news and everything in between. Since its October 17, 2016 debut, Desus & Mero has featured a wide variety of guests, including Issa Rae, Seth Rogen, Jimmy Fallon, Larry Wilmore, Jerrod Carmichael and Rachel Maddow, among others.
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