Who Is Gabriel From Claim To Fame? The Contestant Says He Looks Nothing Like His Celeb Bro
"Claim to Fame" Season 2 certainly started off with a bang (yes, we're looking at you, Carly Reeves), but not every contestant's identity has been easy to guess — especially when it comes to those who look nothing like their relatives. Enter, Gabriel.
At the start of the ABC competition, Gabriel told his co-stars that his brother was a San Diego-born sporting star with an NAACP award under his belt. Unfortunately for anyone hoping to seek out his celebrity doppelganger, however, he also shared that he and said brother couldn't look more different. Way to add to the mystery. That said, things got interesting when, as noted by AV Club, he went on to reveal one of his lies. That is, his brother wasn't an athlete, after all. Just like that, NAACP winners' lists became the homework of "Claim to Fame" enthusiasts far and wide. And, even though guessing could have been even more difficult sans category or resemblance, a pretty sound theory came up as to whose family tree the reality contestant was a part of.
Here's a hint: Gabriel's relative has a ton of other relatives. So many that he's become the subject of countless headlines and jokes for it over the past few years. So, just who is Gabriel's claim to fame?
He's Nick Cannon's younger brother
This "Claim to Fame" contestant wasn't kidding when he said he and his brother look nothing alike. He's Nick Cannon's younger brother, but without his clues, one would be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
Having said that, even if his last name wasn't used on "Claim to Fame," (or if he didn't mention his twelve nieces and nephews), Gabriel hasn't exactly shied away from his celebrity connections in the past. Quite the contrary, over the years, he's opened up about their family connection in several interviews. More specifically, though, he's also addressed how being related to Nick affected his personal identity when he was younger.
Speaking to Rapzilla back in 2017, Gabriel explained that when Nick shot to fame and people learned that he had brothers, many expected to see a resemblance. However, he pointed out, "I'm a 6'3 dark skinned dude and don't look like Nick and you see their faces and feel like they're disappointed." Understandably, that began to take a toll on his sense of self. "I completely lost who I was," he recounted, revealing that in the absence of physical similarities, he began trying to be more like Nick, personality-wise, just to gain others' approval. "I always felt like I had something to prove," he said. In a piece for King Solomon's Mine, he doubled down on that. "Who I was created to be had to take a back seat to what everyone wanted to see," he wrote.
... and he's an artist, too
Another thing Gabriel Cannon revealed in his interview with Rapzilla was that he'd made music with Nick Cannon from a young age. "We had a group when Nick was 12, I was like eight, called 3YB (3 Young Brothers). We planned all these performances and the lights would go out at church and we would sequin our LA Gear sneakers," he reminisced. Later on, they'd work together again in the Def Jam-signed Rydaznrtist, and even opened for Nick's former wife, Mariah Carey, back in 2010. However, they ultimately ended up going their separate ways.
That's not to say Gabriel has walked away from music altogether, though. Far from it, as he wrote for King Solomon's Mine, he dug deep to reconnect with himself. After speaking to his other brother, Caleb Cannon, he began embracing his spiritual side through gospel music. "I'm just trying to use the thing I was taught to glorify the Name of the King," he said.
Time will tell when Gabriel's "Claim to Fame" co-stars are able to pinpoint his famous relative. However, there's a reason why he's gotten so far in the competition already. He and Nick may share DNA, but after years of trying to be who others expected him to be, Gabriel is finally his own person.