Taking That Step

Comedy pays better than banking – Basket Mouth

In a recent interview with YES Magazine, Comedian, Basket Mouth talked about his lovely family and how Comedy has brought him good fortune and ever-rising fame. The ace Comedian admitted that Comedy had done everything good for him, asserting that Comedy pays more than banking job.

He said, “Comedy has done everything for me. Comedy has given me a reason to be a better person, a reason to work hard, because making people laugh is my dream; it’s an accomplishment for me, and comedy has given me a reason to do all these things.  Comedy has given me a career, comedy has put food on my table at the same time. It’s done everything. It’s done every single thing that I want. It’s even done more things than it’s done for a banker.”

He further asserted thus, “It gives me access to a lot of things. It helps me go by some stuff. I’m sorry to say this, but when there’s a long queue, the manager of the bank will say come to my office, take a cup of tea (Laughs) and let my people get the money for you. Comedy has made me more liberal, because I’m a very shy person.
“I like keeping to myself, but being a comedian and being out there in the public, being a public figure has given me that opportunity to be able to learn more about myself. I won’t lie to you, comedy has done too much for me. It’s everything I can ever wish for. I got into the game for the love, I got into the game for the passion, but I didn’t know that fame was going to come with it and that fame, trust me, every celebrity, every artiste, every famous person will say the same thing. It opens doors and that’s the truth.”

Talking about his wife and marriage, he said “I have got a wife. My wife’s name is Elsie. And I have got two kids – Janelle Ngozi Okpocha and Jason Chigozie Okpocha. The J came from my wife. She loves alphabet J. Jesus Christ! She’s very ‘churcheous’. Our marriage is going to last forever. And I can tell you that for sure, because of the kind of relationship I have with my wife. We dated for about 7 years, we fought, we have seen our ‘shit’. We have seen ourselves 100 percent. She understands me and I understand her.”

On how he creates time for his family, the Comedian said, “I live two lives. When I’m on stage, I’m Basket mouth,  when I’m at home, I’m Bright, the husband, father and I give 100 percent to fatherhood, I give 100 percent to marriage, I give 100 percent to everything that concerns the family and trust me, I’m a 100 percent family man. In fact, if I were doing a reality show, it would sell.
“What I do is, most times, when I’m out of the country or out of Lagos State and I come back, I cancel as many appointments as I can in Lagos and I do not leave my house.  That’s why you won’t get to hear oh, Basket mouth was here, he was there! I stay indoors, I stay with the kids, I stay with my wife. Whenever I’m in town, I give them my time and I probably take one day to knock business off. But I try as much as possible to give them every part of me.”