WHEREAS, Kevin Hart was raised in North Philadelphia near the intersection of 15th Street and Erie Avenue, where he lived in a one-bedroom apartment with his mother and older brother. His mother supported his family by working at the University of Pennsylvania, while his father dealt with various personal challenges; and
WHEREAS, Comedy resonated with Kevin Hart at a young age, and he decided to give stand-up comedy a try. He entered and won local amateur nights in Philadelphia, and Hart would bring his friends to his talent showcase performances hosted by the Laff House on South Street; and
WHEREAS, Hart has brought his comedy career from an amateur hobby to a grueling life on the road as an unknown comedian to now being the highest-paid comedian in the world. His five stand-up comedy specials have been bestsellers, and their accompanying tours have successfully taken stand-up comedy out of small clubs and into sold-out arenas and stadiums worldwide; and
WHEREAS,
In Kevin Hart: What Now?
(2016), Kevin Hart made history in Philadelphia, taking his outsized personality to film a groundbreaking performance in front of over 53,000 people at Lincoln Financial Field. It marked the first time a comedian had ever headlined at an NFL stadium. This was just one stop on a tour that became the highest-grossing comedy tour in history; and
WHEREAS, Hart’s magnetic persona consistently draws crowds to live venues and movie theaters. He has risen in the Hollywood ranks from stealing scenes in small roles to becoming one of the biggest comedy film stars alive. He has starred in films such as
Ride Along, Ride Along 2, The Wedding Ringer, Get Hard, and Central Intelligence,
each of which ranked as one of the top two highest-grossing films of their debut weekends; and
WHEREAS, Kevin Hart’s brand of comedy was described by Chris Rock as containing “the minute observations of Jerry Seinfeld, the family-oriented storytelling of Bill Cosby and the open-wound honesty of Richard Pryor”. From a 5-foot-5 frame comes boundless energy, an utterly contagious smile, and an honest vulnerability that at times, in the words of his comedy tour and special, is his invitation to audiences to
Laugh at My Pain
; and
WHEREAS, To improve the lives of youth in Philadelphia going through some of the same struggles as he did in his upbringing, Kevin Hart has shown extraordinary generosity. He has donated $250,000 to purchase new computers for School District of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation facilities. In partnership with the United Negro College Fund, he has sponsored four college scholarships valued at $50,000 each for Philadelphia high school students; and
WHEREAS, Kevin Hart is a favorite son of the City of Philadelphia. He is the hardest-working and most successful comedian in the business and, like Philadelphia legend Allen Iverson, demonstrates that greatness comes in all sizes. With all his success, Kevin Hart has never forgotten his Philadelphia roots, and the City is grateful and proud of all he has done in his young but illustrious career; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes and honors Kevin Hart as a Philadelphia comedy icon and designates July 6, 2017 as Kevin Hart Day in the City of Philadelphia.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of the resolution be presented to Kevin Hart as evidence of the admiration and respect of this legislative body.
End