Bronx natives Desus Nice and The Kid Mero established themselves as comedic duo The Bodega Boys with their first podcast and web series, Desus vs. Mero, which debuted on Complex TV at the end of 2013. The show's set evoked a true Bronx bodega (cardboard, crates, bottles of fruit barrel juice), and the podcast accelerated the popularity of the two, who had each established cult internet followings, primarily on Twitter.
Before the podcast, Desus worked as a financial writer and and Mero as a teaching aide. Desus parlayed his Twitter into a headline-grabbing account with devoted followers, and Mero transitioned his signature blogging style (ALL CAPS) into a regular gig for Vice's music vertical, Noisey.
These days, the two are cast members on MTV2's Guy Code and Uncommon Sense, and their latest podcast (referred to as "art" both by themselves and their fans) is aptly titled The Bodega Boys, and includes the same riffing on life in New York, Black Twitter, knowledge darts, and "caucasity" as their first podcast.
As part of Home Sweet Home, Desus and Mero take us on a tour of the Bronx, with stops at a few of their early childhood homes, where Mero introduces us to the idea of Spanish cousins, Desus explains why you don't need an intercom in the Bronx (you just yell up, "Heyo!") and what a "Bronx tear" is (hint, it has nothing to do with crying).
For Home Sweet Home, Curbed talked to 30 engaging personalities across a range of industries to learn about where they grew up and what home means to them. Follow Desus and Mero on Twitter, and listen to the latest episodes of the Bodega Boys on Soundcloud.
Video Production by: Sarah Bishop, Ben Carey, Sara Intrator, Sara Masetti, Max Mellman, Anthony Morgan, Danush Parvaneh, Mark Olsen, Ryan Simmons
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