Nigerian comedian, Bright Okpocha, popularly known as Basketmouth has disclosed his intention to retire from comedy to focus on building his own industry.
He explained that he did not plan to become a comedian as he initially started with rap and then moved on to drums and music. He realized that he had inadvertently become a comedian and decided to build his own industry. Basketmouth mentioned that he had already delved into other areas such as movies and music concerts, and had stopped doing stand-up comedy and event anchoring six years ago. He plans to retire from comedy in five years to pursue his dream of building his own industry. He said: “When I started comedy, when I start my career na rap I start with. Then I started playing drums. From drums, music come dey improve small small. My first music wey I produced na like in 1995. “That was the time I tried to blend hip-hop and afrobeats. But we no sabi do am so e no too work. But we tried. “When I come discover say I dey do comedy na by chance. I no plan comedy because comedy just dey. But when I come dey see everything, I come say ‘okay Bright, you need to start designing how you want do this thing (comedy). “My intention na to build my own industry. I no wan dey part of the industry per se. Which is why, if you notice over time, I don put head inside sitcoms. I don put head inside movies. I’m working on a movie right now. I don do music concerts. I dey do comedy shows. I see say I don dey touch everywhere. I don release album.” “Then e reach one point, I tire. I say ‘this is not honest’ because e no sweet. What I was blessed with was the talent of being a stand-up comedian. I no be MC. Na IK dem, all those people, dem be MCs. We come force ourselves. E reach one point I say I no dey do again. Six years ago, I come dey run away from MC events. “As I come resumed (MC), I resumed this year fully. I come say ‘Bright, you no go fit run five years, you no go fit run the rest of your life doing comedy so put your time frame to five years so you can have time to do it. E fit no even reach five years. So you go fit get time to focus on other things’.” Basketmouth added: “To be honest, I feel say I don build the foundation for everything wey I want do. No be where I want dey be this o. There’s a plan but I need to do all these things.”
