Comedian Jerry Minor was born on October 4, 1969 in Memphis, Tennessee. Having spent his childhood in Flint, Michigan, he began performing stand-up with sketch groups in Detroit, before joining the mainstage cast of Second City Detroit. He began performing comedy for television in 1996, when he appeared in several sketches for Mr. Show with Bob and David. Four years later, he became a featured player in Saturday Night Live, where he became known for his character Grand Master Rap, and his impressions of Jimi Hendrix and Al Sharpton. However, he was fired after one season, along with Chris Parnell, because producer Lorne Michaels wanted to hire new cast members without going over budget.
Minor then appeared in numerous shows for cable channel Comedy Central. He had guest roles in Reno 911!, Primetime Glick, Crank Yankers and The Man Show. Also, he was a regular performer in Crossballs: The Debate Show, a series which parodied political debate programs on cable. Outside of the channel, he had a guest role in Arrested Development, and appeared on films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Rob Burgundy and Son of the Mask.
In 2006, he took a minor role in another sitcom, Lucky Louie. He played the role of Walter, the neighbor of Louie (Louis C.K.) and Kim (Pamela Adlon). Despite steadily rising ratings and a supportive fan base, critics were not as warm in their reception, and HBO subsequently cancelled the program. The following year, he appeared in another sitcom, Carpoolers, where he played beleaguered husband Aubrey Williber. This time, the series suffered from poor ratings and was subsequently cancelled after one season.