Over the years, a few talents have stood out in their chosen field. One such person is Basketmouth, a comedian in the entertainment industry who has become a household name. Known for his originality and hilarious personality, both onstage and offstage, Basketmouth is a man of many talents.
Oh yeah, that’s right; you probably didn’t know he was into rapping once, did you? Or even drumming. I can see your confusion is steadily mounting as you wonder if we’re still referring to the same Basketmouth that you know, so let’s just get into what you are here for.
Basketmouth: Early life
Basketmouth was born Bright Okpocha on September 14th, 1978 in Lagos State as an indigene of Abia State, Nigeria. He completed his primary and secondary school education in Apapa, Lagos, after which he moved on to the University of Benin, Edo State to study Sociology and Anthropology.
In 1991, Basketmouth discovered his skills in drumming, which he engaged in for five years. Toward the end of this period in 1994, he took up rapping, forming a seven-man group called Da Psychopaths. The group went for shows in 1995, but they broke up before they released any content.
Following the disbandment of Da Psychopaths, Basketmouth went on to form another rap group with his brother Godwin and friend Muyiwa Ola-Phillips known as Da Oddz. This new group also performed at a couple of shows but failed to break through because their brand of rap was not accepted in Nigeria.
It was during this period that Basketmouth gained admission into the University of Benin. After the crowd booed Da Oddz off the stage, Basketmouth decided to hang his mic as a rap artiste and begin his career as a standup comedian.
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Basketmouth: Comedy Career
Despite his newfound conviction regarding his career, Basketmouth’s first attempt at standup comedy was a disaster; the crowd got irritated and booed him off the stage. However, like the proverbial ram that backs up to gain more momentum, Basketmouth went to research what brand of comedy could sell in UNIBEN, and made a comeback later that year.
This was the beginning of his career and acceptance into the world of standup comedy. His professional act started at the turn of the century in the year 2000, along with his big break, which came when he met Ali Baba. He performed at Lagbaja’s monthly concert at Motherland on October 1, 2000, and made his 1st appearance at the renowned Nite of a 1000 Laughs.
Aside from his comedy acts, Basketmouth also got into event management. He and his friend Bayo Adekeye packaged and promoted shows featuring the likes of Plantation Boiz, Remedies, and several other artistes. It was during that period that Laff n Jamz was conceptualized.
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Laff n Jamz: The Big Break
The concept came to life on November 1, 2000, and featured Ali Baba, Mandy, Teju Babyface, Paul Play Dairo, and a host of other artistes. Immediately after UNIBEN’s Laff n Jamz, Ali Baba asked Basketmouth to come down to Lagos to expose his skills. And while it was hard to combine studies and standup comedy, Basketmouth managed it.
Basketmouth’s emergence in Lagos can be traced back to his performance in 2000 at a concert called Hanging With the Home Boys. His performance wowed the audience and he won their acceptance.
Plantation Boiz asked Bright to anchor a monthly show that took place in Ikeja after he featured them in 2000. This was when he started impacting Lagos’ entertainment industry. Things got bigger when Tequila Events invited Basketmouth to perform alongside Julius Agwu on a tour that hit over 30 higher institutions across Nigeria.
Basketmouth extended his activities to the monthly Motherland concert, after which Ali Baba introduced him to Opa Williams. The latter was the one who featured him on Nite of a 1000 Laughs.
Basketmouth became a household name when he featured in international concerts that witnessed the likes of Beyonce, Akon, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, and many others. His first international gig was in Europe in 2003.
After this, he stayed off the foreign scene until his performance in Atlanta at the 2006 Nigerian Reunion. This performance led to a series of other performances and bookings in the United States and other countries.
In 2005 and 2006, Bright won the National Comedy Award and awards for Best Standup Comedian of the Year. He was nominated in the 2021 maiden edition of The Humour Awards Academy alongside fellow comedian Mr. Funny.
He has also organized popular comedy shows across the world, the most famous being Basketmouth Uncensored.
Other ventures
Acting
Apart from being a comedian, Basketmouth is also an actor, starring in the 2016 Africa Magic show “My Flatmates”. He started his comedy web series titled Papa Benji in December 2020.
In 2022, he appeared in the hugely successful, Nollywood cinematic movie, The Brotherhood alongside Falz, OC Ukeje, and Tobi Bakre.
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Music
Still determined not to let his music dream die, Basketmouth founded the record label Barons World Entertainment in 2014. He released the highlife album Yabasi in November 2020 as a soundtrack for Papa Benji. The album featured artistes like Phyno, The Cavemen, Waje, Duncan Mighty, Ladipoe, Flavour, and Bez.
Bright also released another album Horoscope in 2022, which featured guest artistes like Johnny Drille, Simi, M.I Abaga, Buju, Peruzzi, Oxlade, Reekado Banks, Falz, Magnito, Illbliss, Dremo, and Flavour.
Ambassadorships
He is also currently a brand ambassador for Glo and signed a multimillion contract with MTN. His other endorsement deals include Malta Guinness, KIA Motors, Sure Bet, Ping Express, and a number of other well-known companies.
Basketmouth is also into charity with his nonprofit, “The Bright Okpocha Foundation,” which he founded in 2014. With this, he aims to spread holiday joy to individuals who are spending the holidays in hospitals.
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Personal and Marital Life
Basketmouth met his wife, Elsie Ngowi Uzoma, in 2003. The couple met for the first time when Bright was at the University of Lagos to promote his first big performance Basketmouth Uncensored; this happened to be Elsie’s alma mater.
Their relationship did not officially begin until they met again in 2004 at a bar in Lagos. They dated for a few years before their marriage in 2010 at Giwa Barrack in Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
However, after twelve years, the couple announced their separation in December 2022. They have two daughters and a son together.
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Basketmouth Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards | Best Africa Magic Original Comedy Series | My Flatmates | Nominated |
| 2006 | National Comedy Award | Best Stand-Up Comedian | Won | |
| 2005 | National Comedy Award | Best Stand-Up Comedian | Won |
Conclusion
So, there you have it; the Life and Times of Bright Okpocha, a.k.a. Basketmouth. A comedic maverick, he has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages. These include The Just For Laughs Festival In Montreal Canada and The Comedy Central Special.
He has also headlined the Comedy Store and worked with internationally acclaimed comedians like Red Grant, Melanie Camacho, Jeff Ross, Hanibal Buress, and Deray Davis.
