After numerous years in the entertainment industry, Walter Latham has orchestrated countless high end business deals with celebrities ranging from Pamela Anderson, Chris Tucker, Robin Williams, and Whoopi Goldberg. However, none of these affairs compare to his tumultuous relationship with Hip Hop and fashion entrepreneur Sean P. Diddy Combs.

After making a name for his company and urban comedy, Latham became the hottest commodity in the live stand up comedy and film industry.  Countless studios and businesses execs relished at the idea of him sharing his expertise, including P. Diddy himself.

As a means of breaking into the comedy realm, Combs sought after Latham to partner the hugely successful P. Diddy Presents: The Bad Boys of Comedy, sponsored by Diageo, who later inked a deal for the representation of Combs for their popular alcoholic beverage, Ciroc.

The benefits of the collaboration were plentiful, airing two seasons on HBO and subsequently selling out theaters across the nation, Bad Boys of Comedy achieved the success both Latham and Combs expected.

However, the road to victory was long and plagued with disagreements between the two CEO’s.  Each businessman, both thriving in their own right, possessed an innate gift to lead and a mind to produce creative projects.

By working closely with Combs for almost two years, Latham was able to witness the price many celebrities pay for their careers and ultimately developed a new attitude, “I will produce great television and be the best entrepreneur, but you can keep the fame” states Latham.

As he walks into his office filled with family portraits, awards that reflect his many successes, and celebrity posed pictures with: Pam Anderson, Richard Pryor, Chris Tucker, and others; Walter Latham, CEO of Latham Entertainment can’t help but go down memory lane when walks through the door.

From an outsider looking in, they would surely believe that he was living “the life.”  However, Latham constantly struggles with the idea of how he paved the way for most of today’s urban comics, yet some refuse to return a phone call.  When asked how he felt about the achievements of the Kings and Queens prior to his project, he answered;

I’m very proud and happy for their current success, however, one of the biggest lessons is to lock up talent when I got into business with them.  I can not afford to make more people famous and not have a part of their future after me.

While some may view this statement as arrogance, they don’t realize privately owned promoter companies are becoming few and far between.  Mega promoters like Live Nation and AEG are beginning to monopolize the industry through purchasing venues and partnering with Ticketmaster, which makes it impossible for smaller companies to even think about competing with the large offers to artist.

While Latham could take the state of the industry as downfall, he remembers he changed the comedy industry forever with the ground breaking “Original Kings of Comedy.”  From humble beginnings where he once had an artist not show up, Latham, took all the mishaps, criticism, and challenged himself to put his company and urban comedy on the forefront.

By 1998, Latham solidified his presence by placing four headlining comedians on one bill (Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer, and DL Hughley), which by the completion of the tour sold out  847 venues and grossed more than $11 million dollars in ticket sales.  Many promoters questioned the outcome of Latham’s brainchild.  In fact, Walter describes his negative experience, “Every promoter I asked said it would not work.  They said the same 3000 people who came to see one the comedians are the same that came to see all. Why did I think 18,000 would come?”

After the success of “The Original Kings of Comedy,” Latham went on to create a comedic franchise which included: “The Queens of Comedy,” “Latin Kings of Comedy,” and “The Bad Boys of Comedy.” Although Latham capitalized on his brand, he now focuses on producing television specials and finding untapped talent. Since his string of hits in the early part of the decade, black comedy has taken a turn for the worse.  “I believe the state of urban comedy is in need of revitalization.  There is no black comedy out that means anything, and that’s where opportunity lies.” says Latham.