The Original Kings of Comedy is a 2000 American stand-up comedy film directed by Spike Lee and featuring the comedy routines of Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac. Filmed in front of a live audience at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, the comedians give the audience their views about African-American culture, race relations, religion, and family.
The film was produced by MTV Productions and Latham Entertainment, and was distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was shot over the last two nights (February 26 and 27, 2000) of the Kings of Comedy tour with Harvey, Hughley, Cedric, and Mac. Its on-stage routines are intercut with brief sections of video footage showing the comedians backstage, promoting the show on the radio, at the hotel, and during a basketball game. The film spawned into multiple spin-offs and films.
A soundtrack containing performances from the film and hip hop was released on August 22, 2000 by Universal Records. It peaked at #50 on the Billboard 200 and #15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.