Glitz

Julius ‘D genius’ Agwu is unquestionably one of Nigeria’s finest stand-up comedians with local and international recognition.  The Port-Harcourt-born entertainer has continued to prove that he has all the qualities to be one of the most sought after entertainers in the industry. In this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO,  Julius speaks on his career.

What was the experience like when you first took stand-up comedy out of the country to the rest of the world?
I realised that the Nigerian community and Africans out there never knew that the comedy industry was growing rapidly back home in Nigeria. I had to take stand-up comedy to them because I discovered that Nigerians abroad are workaholic. They hardly find time to rest. They want to work day and night to make more money. Even when the white men are going on break, Nigerians won’t go. The white men crave for holiday after work but Nigerians don’t want to have a break. So, we decided to take comedy to them so that they can relax their minds with humorous jokes.

What you started then has become a fad in the industry today; most comedians now take their shows abroad. Does that mean you guys make more money when you take shows abroad?
One thing I have noticed about Nigerians is that we love to associate with success. We don’t care to know what the originator of that idea went through before he could arrive at what people see as success. When we started, we never knew it was going to be acceptable like it is today but whether you like it or not, comedy has become a means of livelihood to a lot of people.

Means of livelihood that has been hijacked by mediocres?
In every profession, there are professionals and mediocres. You can’t rule that out my brother. It is left for the consumers to decide who they believe in. But I’m not disputing the fact that every comedian, no matter how bad your jokes are, has his or her own audience.  That is what I tell anybody who tells me he wants to be a comedian; you need to search inward to confirm this is your calling. You don’t just dabble into comedy because your friends have made it in it.

What do you mean by calling?
The truth is that everybody can tell a joke, not everybody can perform a joke. I believe that comedians were not made, they were born. You have to have the raw talent in you, which is the innate ability to be funny. All you need to do is to nurture and embellish it for greater purposes.

What was your parents’ reaction when you wanted to come to Lagos?
My parents stopped paying my school fees when I said I wanted to go into entertainment. When I was to come to Lagos, my dad asked me to open my hands and spat on them. It was very irritating but he told me rub the saliva and say Amen. He blessed me that day and I thank God that I did not miss it, because that was the blessing my life needed to move to the next level.

Did you believe in the prayer when he said it?
I believed I was going to make it immediately it was said.

Did you at any point feel like returning to Port-Harcourt?
The challenges were so enormous that I almost quit. I have gone through a lot of challenges that almost forced me to stop but I thank God that I didn’t. That is why I give God the glory that I’m still relevant. At a point, I asked God, did you actually give me this talent? Why am I facing these problems? I asked God series of questions those days because I was totally fed up. But for God, I would have relocated.

Can you share some of the experiences with us?
It has been rough .We started Crack your Ribs in 2001, and over the years, we have been able to take it round some cities in Nigeria and some cities abroad. It has become an annual thing that we celebrate in the UK on the eve of the Notting Hill Carnival. We are planning to hit New York for the first time this year. I started as an actor. I have been doing stand-up comedy way back since my university days at Port-Harcourt. Then they used to call me,‘Jokes Apart’, the J was for Julius and the A was for Agwu. Anytime I got on stage to perform in school , the first thing I used to say was ‘hey! jokes apart’. From stage acting, I went into home video and I appeared in my first movie titled ‘Rattled Snake’ . But at a point, it was like I was begging people to feature me in movies, so, I got tired and had to move on. Then it was called Nigerian Actors Guild, (NAG). When I quit acting, I went into music and I wanted to come up with something different, so, I originated music-comedy- a fusion of music and comedy. It was a kind of video that you watch and laugh.

... But it appears that you have paid more attention to the comedy aspect of your life
When I was doing music-comedy, there were just a few television stations around but that has changed now. I can’t even count how many TV stations I have on my DSTV. That tells you that people now have varieties. You can’t tell me that you watch every programme on your TV at a time. May be you have not been paying attention to other things I do aside comedy. I have been able to juggle the two together.

Some people have argued that your appearance fees are very expensive, Why is this so?
I have paid my dues in the industry. I know what my mates charge per appearance. If you want the best at your event, you go for those who can add value to your event.  I know some people will say Julius Agwu is expensive but when you need quality people to anchor your event; those who can stand as the comedian and  MC at the same time, you should get the best brains for it. People don’t know that what we do is no joke. Like I said earlier, everybody can tell a joke but not everybody can perform it. We all have our peculiarities and that is one thing you can’t take away from us. Sometime ago, we had to step up the game so that the up coming ones could get shows.

Do you think you actually stepped your game to help them grow or you need to increase your fee to separate the boys from  the men?
I don’t know where you got that from but what we did helped these guys immensely. That decision  opened the door for many of them to grow, get shows and feed their families. I can tell you categorically that I had to step up to allow them step up too. We actually introduced diversity so that things can change from what it used to be. I know some comedians who have failed to move up because they are contented with being just a comedian; they can’t handle being a comedian and MC together. But God has given me the grace to cut across different categories. I can at entertain children, adults, Captains of industries and seminars. I attend symposia and seminars, how many of them can do that. In that kind of environment, you battle with communication and being funny. If you don’t have it, you will be rubbished. So, if people say my charges are expensive, they don’t know what I have gone through to get to this level.

You call yourself Julius ‘D genius’ Agwu. It has become a common thing among you guys to give yourselves different appellations. Is that also part of the stepping up agenda?
Everybody has the right to choose whatever title he likes. I did not give my self D genius. I just thought one day that my father didn’t do anything wrong to me, I should project the family’s name. I am the only one who doesn’t have a stage name, check my records. Some people meet me and say, what’s your real name because we know that Julius Agwu is your stage name.

Why don’t you have a stage name?
I don’t need a stage name. I want to project my family’s name. What values does a stage name add to my life?

Are you saying those who do it are not projecting their family’s name?
It is a matter of choice. I don’t have anything against it. I’m just saying this because you mentioned it. Mr Dele Olukoji gave me the name, D genius. In 2001 or 2002 during a show sponsored by the Society for Family Health in Nigeria Higher Institutions called Play Safe. . During the event, he noticed my dexterity in handling the event, and he said you are just the genius.

What is your perception about the comedy industry?
What is happening now is that everybody wants to make a name in the industry. And again, some comedians want to ride on your jokes without giving you the deserved credit. I have been in an event where somebody was telling the jokes I created. I don’t quarrel with that, but it does not take away the laughter if that person could just give a little credit. The young ones call it a live band, because a live band musician sings all sorts of music. I realise that it is taking away handwork from them. They are lazy comedians. Those days, when I was doing Life Line I remember making it a point of duty to create at least four jokes in a day. One major thing that has probably been helping me is the industry is spontaneity. The crave for survival at all costs is affecting the industry. 

Did you pass through any form of training when you were still cutting your teeth?
I didn’t pass through any school except God’s school. I come from a place where we don’t go out. An average Ikwere man is contented with building a house and collecting his house rent at the end of the month. We don’t believe in going out in search of anything. So, I took my coming to Lagos as a challenge and I told myself that I will make a name for myself and the family. I have always been an intelligent student since my secondary and university days in Port-Harcourt. I also believe in working hard, that has been my guide since I got to Lagos. When I got to Lagos, I preferred that the best thing to do was to be an armed robber, armed with my talents, stealing people’s pains, sorrows, frustrations and giving them laughter, joy and happiness.

Do you still spend thousands on shoes and clothes?
Aside from the fact that I come from a family where my parents were not wealthy. One thing that you can’t take away from my father  that he was very stylish. By the time I was making up my mind about coming to Lagos, the perception about comedians was that they will always look shabby. I decided that I was going to look good. Not just because it is a show business, but I needed to show for the business to come. 

Why do you people regard Ali Baba as the king of comedy, knowing fully well that he did not create comedy?
I’m sure Ali didn’t start calling himself the king of comedy. I don’t have any problem with that. As far as am concerned, Ali is like a figure that the younger generations see as the king of comedy in the industry. I don’t quarrel with him or anybody calling himself the king of comedy.

Don’t you think it will be proper to say he embellished stand-up comedy?
Anybody can cal himself anything.  If these names will bring money into my account, I will tell the whole world to call me ‘Julius D genius’. If Ali calls himself the king, I don’t have any issue with that. In fact, I do call him the king of comedy.

How does Julius plan to give back to the society?
You know I just woke up one day and I said to myself that God has been so nice to me. For someone who came from Port-Harcourt with nothing, no friends or alliance. I came into this town and I have been able to make a name for myself. I thought of how I could give back to God who has blessed me with such a creative ingenuity. On every Valentine’s Day and my birthday, I spend these two days with at the orphanages . That has been on for quite a while. Last year, I introduced what I called the Festival of Love, at a time when there were series of bombings in Abuja, which encourage the practise of love among the needy and the less privileged. 

What is your relationship with your colleagues like, is it true that there is so much hatred among you guys?
I must confess to you, I like your angle of this interview. No journalist has ever asked me questions like this before. This is very expository and I’m very impressed with the way you have handled this interview. I believe that this interview will be a delight for people to read. Unfortunately, we bring joy to the people but most of us are not really happy with ourselves. I just look at the industry one day and I felt like things can’t continue like this.

Tell us about your wife, is  it true that you actually beat Okey Bakassi to get her?
I met her at a wedding. Okey Bakassi and I went to a friend’s wedding. I guess we both liked her when we saw her but I was sharper than Okey, so I got her before him. After a while, we lost contact and we met again when I went home for my dad’s burial in my home town.

What pained you most about your father’s death?
I felt bad because he worked so hard for me to get to where I’m today but he didn’t wait to enjoy the good moments. It was a devastating experience.