Celebrity Birthdays: Happy Birthday, Martin Lawrence!

Chance the Rapper, Akon and more celebrate this week.

You's a Wild Boy - Comedian Martin Lawrence has been one of the most successful from the comedy world — transitioning from  stage to TV and eventually making the switch to being on the big screen and producing his own television shows for the next crop of comedic geniuses. Here's a look at some of Martin's craziest roles.(Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

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Martin Lawrence: April 16 - The actor and comedy icon celebrates his 49th birthday this week. (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Da Brat: April 14 - The hip hop pioneer turns 40 years old. (Photo: Prince Williams/FilmMagic)

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Da Brat: April 14 - The hip hop pioneer turns 40 years old. (Photo: Prince Williams/FilmMagic)

Damien Dante Wayans: April 15 - The Second Generation Wayans star celebrates his 34th birthday.  (Photo: BET Networks)

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Damien Dante Wayans: April 15 - The Second Generation Wayans star celebrates his 34th birthday.  (Photo: BET Networks)

Photo By Photo: BET Networks

Flex Alexander: April 15 - The former dancer and One on One star turns 44 this week. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Flex Alexander: April 15 - The former dancer and One on One star turns 44 this week. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Chance the Rapper, @chancetherapper - Tweet: "Everything I do would be impossible without Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."A young rap prince salutes the esteemed freedom-fighting King on his nationally celebrated birthday, which marched in this past Wednesday (Jan. 15). (Photo: Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)

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Chance the Rapper: April 16 - Hip hop's newest star turns 21 years old. (Photo: Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)

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Akon: April 16 - The prolific singer/rapper celebrates his big 4-0. (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

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Akon: April 16 - The global hitmaker celebrates his 41st birthday this week. (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta)

Photo By Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Alek Wek: April 16 - The Sudanese-British model celebrates her 34th birthday.(Photo credit: Fernando Leon/PictureGroup)

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Alek Wek: April 16 - The Sudanese supermodel is stunning at 37. (Photo: Fernando Leon/PictureGroup)

Photo By Photo credit: Fernando Leon/PictureGroup

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: April 16 - The NBA legend turns 66. (Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

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Kareem Addul-Jabbar: April 16 - The former basketball player and sometimes actor is 67 this week. (Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Redman: April 17 - The former Def Jam rapper celebrates his 44th birthday. (Photo: Jason Kempin/WireImage)

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Redman: April 17 - The former Def Jam rapper celebrates his 44th birthday. (Photo: Jason Kempin/WireImage)

Photo By Photo: Jason Kempin/WireImage

Kimberly Elise: April 17 - The talented actress turns 47 years old this week. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Kimberly Elise: April 17 - The talented actress turns 47 years old this week. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Lela Rochon - Also playing another one of Lymon's widows, Emira Eagle was Lela Rochon. Following Why Do Fools Fall in Love, the actress worked sporadically in film and TV. She's been more busy raising her three children with directing hubby Antoine Fuqua.  (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Lela Rochon: April 17 - The Waiting to Exhale star and wife of director Antoine Fuqua is 50 years old. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Victoria Beckham: April 17 - The former Spice Girl-turned-fashion designer turns 37.(Photo credit: L.Martinez/JpegFoto/PictureGroup)

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Victoria Beckham: April 17 - The former Spice Girl turned fashion maven celebrates her big 40th birthday.  (Photo: L.Martinez/JpegFoto/PictureGroup)

Photo By Photo credit: L.Martinez/JpegFoto/PictureGroup

Tami Roman on how being on Basketball Wives really affected her:  - “I was very depressed last summer. I was dealing with some things that were going on with my mother and everything that was happening with the backlash from the show. I started eating everything under the sun. I blew up to about 190-ish pounds. I’m a tall girl, so I wear it well, but I was bordering between [size] 14 and 16 in my clothes.” (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)

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Tami Roman: April 17 - The Basketball Wives star celebrates her 44th birthday. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)

Photo By Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards

America Ferrera: April 18 - The Ugly Betty star is beautiful at 30. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

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America Ferrera: April 18 - The Ugly Betty star is beautiful at 30. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

James Franco: April 19 - The multi-tasking celeb celebrates his 35th birthday. (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

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James Franco: April 19 - The multi-tasking celeb celebrates his 35th birthday. (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

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Suge Knight: April 19 - The former Death Row CEO and controversial hip hop figure turns 49. (Photo: Steve Markus/Landov)

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Suge Knight: April 19 - The former Death Row CEO and controversial hip hop figure turns 49. (Photo: Steve Markus/Landov)

Shemar Moore - The multi-racial Criminal Minds actor revealed to us that, for him, racial taunting began at a young age. "I still remember the first time someone called me n----r. I was six," he says. "I remember how different everyone made me feel when I was in school. 'Why does your hair look like that, why is your skin that color, how come your mom is white, how can you be cousins with so-and-so?'"(Photo: Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

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Shemar Moore: April 20 - The Criminal Minds actor still looks great sans shirt at 44. (Photo: Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

Carmen Electra - The former model and television personality celebrates her 39th birthday.\r\r (Photo credit: Gregg DeGuire/PictureGroup)

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Carmen Electra: April 20 - The '90s icon is still smokin' at 42. (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/PictureGroup)

Stephen Marley: April 20 - Bob Marley's son — a talented musician himself — celebrates his 42nd birthday. (Photo: Roger Williams/UPI Photo/Landov )

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Stephen Marley: April 20 - Bob Marley's son — a talented musician himself — celebrates his 42nd birthday. (Photo: Roger Williams/UPI Photo/Landov )