BASKETMOUTH QUITTING COMEDY?

Bright Okpocha, professionally known as Basketmouth, Nigeria’s seasoned, highly prolific and arguably most popular stand-up comedian has announced his plans to step out off the limelight sooner than we’d have expected.

Basketmouth [44], disclosed this during an interview with Hitz1039fm on Tuesday that he’d be retiring from ‘office’ in 5 years. The star revealed that he came to this decision last year.

“For the past six years, I’ve just been floating. Last year, I told myself and my team, you know what, I am going back to comedy. I want to do five years, and I am quitting. I am quitting in 5 years. I have got five years to do this, and I am done. I will still be cracking jokes, but it wouldn’t be a professional thing,” he said.

“I can quit. There is a plan. The way I planned my life, I said when I got to 50, I would drop the mic. Definitely, I will be cracking jokes every now and then but it will not be a ‘professional’ thing for me. If you see me doing a gig, it is just me doing pro bono but I will not charge anybody to perform again.”

The father of three added that he is now into movies, series, and concert production.

“I want to experience something new, and I want to be remembered for something else other than comedy,” he added.

“I am into TV right now — movies, series concerts, and production. I want to start a new journey, I want to experience something new. After five years I would have spent 31 years in the game. That is a lot of time and pretty much more than half of my life. I want to do something else and be remembered for something other than comedy.”

While reflecting on his career on the interview and it’s challenges, he stated having some difficulties with the Nigerian industry’s mode of operation for comedians; he was being forced to run a line of work he did not want to.

“I was being forced to do what I don’t want to do. I am a standup comedian and not an MC. But in Nigeria, they want the two. That is not my design,” he said.

“Staying relevant isn’t a problem, and that is not my problem but for other people. For me, I just enjoy the ride. Getting to the top is not easy, but staying there is very difficult. I have to stay fresh and everyone is looking at you, waiting for your mistakes. You cannot forget who you are.”

For the comic, fame is not everything since he would love to live like a normal person without everyone paying attention to his every move.

“I am human, and I want to be free. That is the life I want to live. After 50 years, I want to be free and leave the space and live a normal life.”

With the clock ticking down on his career path as a comedian, we are excited to see what five years has in store for him.