“I Didn’t Start Comedy to Be Seen as Intellectual,” says Layi Wasabi
Popular Nigerian skitmaker, comedian and actor Layi Wasabi has said he never set out to be labeled an intellectual, but simply made content that came naturally to him.
He made the statement on the Joey Akan Experience podcast recently, explaining that his comedy career started with stand-up after people told him he was funny during his school years.
The AMVCA-winning creator said audiences later branded his work “intellectual comedy,” a tag he never intentionally pursued.
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“Honestly, when I started comedy, I wasn’t aiming to be seen as an intellectual,” he said. “I just did comedy in a way that felt natural to me. It was amazing that people noticed my style and called it different, called it intellectual comedy.”
The 25-year-old law graduate noted that he created comedy for himself first, before it connected with viewers.
“I didn’t start with that intention. I think I made comedy for me. Then it found an audience. I didn’t create comedy for people,” he said.
Still, Wasabi admitted that being called an intellectual comedian brings pressure, describing the label as both “a cross and a crown.”
“I find the intellectual tag very burdensome. It’s a cross as much as it’s a crown,” he said.
“There are things you might be scared to explore once you’ve been labeled an intellectual. You know? There are jokes you might find funny, but then you think about the audience you’ve built,” he explained.
“Now everybody’s watching. You’ll think, ‘Oh, Joey Akan is a fan, so maybe I shouldn’t post this kind of comment.’ You carry that burden. So yes, it’s a crown, but it’s still a cross,” he added.
Wasabi, who is from Osogbo, Osun State, said making content that looks effortless actually takes heavy research, fact-checking, and a commitment to staying informed.
“Now you have to put in deeper work before releasing any content. You have to research, fact-check, and think things through more,” he said.
“But there’s a lot of effort behind being effortless. There’s serious research. You also have to keep your mind updated because using the same knowledge for too long makes it stagnant and stale,” he added.
The satirical skitmaker also pushed back against actor and filmmaker Daniel Etim’s claim that skitmakers are not actors.
According to Wasabi, acting skills are essential to making strong skits.
By Abdulbaqi Jibreel Ajao
