Nathaniel Stroman, known professionally by his stage name Earthquake, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and radio personality. He hosts a radio show entitled Quakeshouse for SiriusXM and Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud Network. His first Netflix special, Chappelle's Home Team - Earthquake: Legendary, was produced by Dave Chappelle and his Magic Lemonade production entity in February 2022.
Earthquake performed a half-hour HBO special as part of the series One Night Stand, which first aired on August 26, 2005. During the 2000s, Earthquake made multiple appearances on The Howard Stern Show, including visits in 2005 and 2008. His film credits include a small role in Kevin Smith's film Clerks II (2006), and a supporting role in the film The Longshots (2008). His television appearances include a recurring role on the CBS sitcom The Neighborhood (2018âÂÂ2021), starring Cedric the Entertainer, as well as cameos on South Side (2019), In the Cut (2017), and other programs. Earthquake's additional television credits include a recurring role as Chris' uncle Mike on Everybody Hates Chris. He voiced Root the Rooster in the 2006 CGI film Barnyard and in the video game of the same title, and continued to do so on the television spin-off Back at the Barnyard. Earthquake reprised his voice role as Uncle Mike in Everybody Still Hates Chris.
Nathaniel âÂÂEarthquakeâ Stroman was born in Washington, D.C.; his mother gave him the nickname âÂÂEarthquakeâÂÂ. She said: âÂÂAny time you take all the precautions not to have a kid, from the diaphragm to .... a condom, and you still have a child, there's nothing else you can name that child but a natural disaster."
He enlisted in the United States Air Force after graduating from Ballou High School. Later he explained that he joined the military to get out of his mother's house.
Stroman enlisted in the Air Force on the day after his high school graduation. As stated by Stroman to Matt Ehlers of the Raleigh News & Observer, âÂÂMy mother argued with me, hollered at me, and I wasn't getting a check, so how hard could basic training be?âÂÂ.
In the early 1990s, Earthquake started off doing gigs in small clubs. By 1993, he co-owned Uptown Comedy Corner in Atlanta's vibrant Buckhead entertainment district. While there he continued to hone his skills as the much sought-after house host and featured some of the greatest minds in stand-up. Later he opened a club of his own, Earthquake's Comedy Corner II, in Dallas, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, respectively. In 1997, Earthquake got his national break when he was asked to join the Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam Tour.
Earthquake started his career in the Air Force talent show âÂÂTops and BluesâÂÂ. In 2002, Earthquake joined Latham Entertainment Presents Comedy Tour. In 2004, he signed a deal with ABC to create his own sitcom called Earthquake, which later fell through, although in 2005 he performed one of his most popular shows, About Got Damn Time. In 2007, he appeared in All Star Def Comedy Jam, and in 2008 appeared at the TBS Comedy Festival Lollapalooza. In 2009, Earthquake starred in Shaquille O'Neal's All Star Comedy Jam special. In 2011, he made a guest appearance on TV One's Way Black When.
Earthquake started off in radio, contributing every Tuesday and Thursday on The Steve Harvey Morning Show, and was known to fill in as a personality while Steve Harvey was on vacation. In 2013, Quake joined 107.5 WBLS as a full-time radio personality, weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with DéjàVu. He left the station in February 2016.
In April 2013, he appeared on ABC's The View in a special segment of stand-up comedians showcased by the cast of The View as their personal favorites; Quake appeared on the show as the favorite of Whoopi Goldberg. Comedian John Mulaney included About Got Damn Time on his list of his favorite comedy albums, saying, "just trying to mix Spalding Gray and Earthquake and Bernie Mac into some kind of amalgam has been the goal of my career."
Earthquake is married to Rashida Miller.