Nick Cannon loves CES and his BlackBerry Passport

Nick Cannon loves the limelight, but he’s very comfortable working behind the scenes. It’s a balancing act that defines his career at this point: while he’s active in front of the camera and makes time to release the occasional record, he writes and produces for television through his entertainment company, and recently released a line of headphone and a tablet. The success of all his ventures may of course vary, but he’s prolific in a way that many stars at CES aren’t.

Cannon was tapped to fill the role of Entertainment Matters Ambassador at CES this year, an admittedly vague position that obliges him to push for Hollywood to get more involved with what’s being showcased at the show. He took time this week to sit down with us in The Verge Lounge on the convention floor to talk about the tech he loves, what weirds him out, the future, and why he loves his BlackBerry Passport.

(No, I did not ask about Mariah Carey.)