Daniel Baker (born May 18, 1981), known professionally as Desus Nice (), is an American television, YouTube, and Twitter personality.
He rose to prominence alongside The Kid Mero, with whom he worked as comedy partners for over a decade; they first collaborated on Complex TV's Desus vs. Mero podcast (2013–2014)How "Guy Code" Became A Comedy Breeding Ground. Fastcocreate.com (January 14, 2015). Retrieved on 2016-09-07.A Conversation Between Itsthereal And The Kid Mero. Noisey.vice.com (April 2, 2013). Retrieved on 2016-09-07.Desus & Mero Talk About New Show "Joking Off" And How They Met! Hollywire. July 8, 2015 followed by their long-running Bodega Boys podcast (2015–2022). Beginning in 2016, he was the co-host of the talk shows Desus & Mero on Viceland and, subsequently, Desus & Mero on Showtime (2019–2022).
Early life Baker was born on May 18, 1981, in The Bronx, New York City, to Jamaican immigrant parents. He was raised in the Wakefield section of The Bronx with his three siblings. Growing up, his mother was the senior librarian at the New York Public Library's Soundview Library branch. His father is a landlord.
Baker attended the nearby Pablo Casals Middle School in Co-op City, where he met Chris Hayes in the gifted program, before going on to attend Herbert H. Lehman High School. He earned a degree in Literature from the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
Baker enjoyed working with computers from a young age. His ability to fix his family's computer during his childhood earned him the nickname "Jesus", which he changed to Desus to reflect his first name.
He worked several jobs before joining Black Enterprise as a small business columnist, where he remained until 2014 before leaving to pursue a career in television.Weiner, Jonah How Desus and Kid Mero Went From Twitter Cranks to Comedy's Hottest Duo Rolling Stone. July 8, 2015
Career In December 2014, MTV announced that Desus Nice and The Kid Mero would be joining the cast of Guy Code for season 5, along with eleven other new cast members.‘Guy Code’ Returns For Season 5 With 13 New Cast Members. Mtv.com (December 15, 2014). Retrieved on 2016-09-07.The Kid Mero on MTV2's Guy Code. Vh1.com (February 9, 2016). Retrieved on 2016-09-07. They appeared on the first episode of season 5 which aired on January 14, 2015. After building a relationship with MTV and MTV2, Desus and Mero appeared on other shows including Uncommon Sense and Joking Off.zmtv.com/shows/guy_code/video/full-episodes/ MTV2's Guy Code season 5
On September 12, 2015, Desus along with co-host The Kid Mero released the first episode of their Bodega Boys podcast. They recorded their comedic takes on all things pop culture weekly at Red Bull Studios New York for several years before making the move to the "jam room" in Milk Studios.
On August 30, 2016, Viceland announced Desus & Mero which premiered on October 17, 2016. The half-hour show ran Monday through Thursday hosted by the Bronx-reared comedic duo.Viceland Sets Late-Night Talk Show, New Series Orders and Eddie Huang Renewal. Variety.com (August 30, 2016). Retrieved on 2016-09-12.Viceland’s ‘Desus & Mero’ Gets Showrunner & Premiere Date. Deadline.com (September 26, 2016). Retrieved on 2016-11-29. Its finale aired on June 28, 2018. Desus co-hosted Desus & Mero, which premiered on February 21, 2019, on Showtime and ran until June 2022.
The week of October 23, 2023, he was a guest host of The Daily Show.
In February 2026, Nice premiered Desus Pieces, an independently released series on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=357BU9erV9Y
Personal life Until 2022 Baker lived in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx, after which he moved to Los Angeles.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2013–2014 Desus vs. Mero HimselfWith The Kid Mero 2015 Guy Code Joking Off 2015–2022Bodega Boys 2015–2016Uncommon Sense 2016–2018Desus & Mero 2017 Neo Yokio Gottlieb (voice role) 2019–2022Desus & Mero Himself 2022 The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder College KG Leibowitz-Jenkins (voice role) Episode: "When You Wish Upon a Roker" The Captain Himself Sports documentaryJimmy Kimmel Live!Himself (Guest host)Episode: August 152023The Daily ShowHimself (Guest host)Week of October 23
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