I'm funny all the time —Laf up
Friday, 09 November 2012
Segun Ogundipe, popularly known as Lafup is one comedian that tries to stand out with his delivery of jokes whenever he is on stage. In this interview with ROTIMI IGE, he talks about his earliest influences and how he has advanced professionally, over the years.
Background?
MY parents hail from Ogun State but I was born and brought up in Lagos. I had my primary education in Lagos State (Premier day Nursery and Primary School, Palm Avenue , Mushin, Lagos) and had my secondary school education partly in Ogun (Federal Government College, Odogbolu) and in Lagos(Badagry Grammar School, Badagry). After a couple of JAMB retakes, I took up a diploma form to study Theatre Arts in the University of Ibadan. The exams went well and my practicals quite impressed the panel and I was given admission for diploma. Shortly after, the UME result was released I made it into it UI for the same course at degree level. So, I had to opt for that. In 2007, I had my Bachelor's Degree in Art and in 2009, I went back for a Masters Degree, which by God's grace, I'm done with. Right now, it is getting a PH.D that is in view.Let's see how that goes.
What values do you believe in?I come from a very humble background, and nothing else has inspired me to greatness as that. I'm an easy person to deal with if you are honest and trustworthy. I'm a social person, yet I take pride in solitude. I am a child of God. I appreciate life and I believe education is key to reaching one's full potential in life. I love my wife, my work and I believe it is worth it investing in children.
Tell us how you came about your stage name?It was a fresher's welcome gig back in school (UI). We had in the show, a couple of artistes and no comedian. I used to sing and rhyme back then. I remember that I would go around with my harmonica, trying to make cool sounds. The event got too filled with musical acts and people got a little bored. So, one of my friends went to the MC and told him that there was this friend of his present who could crack the audience up. He refused, but my friend would not take a no, and after repeatedly pestering the MC, he accepted and asked what my stage name was. My friend went dumb for a while and we were too far apart to cook up a name because up till that moment I always performed as Segun. So my friend just took a cue from one of my rhyme jokes where I would normally say, “U chopup, to live up,” so he said “LAFUP!” I left the hall with perhaps the loudest ovation that day and so the name stuck.
Is there any difference between the real you and Laf' up?Well, I must say Lafup is an extention of Segun. There's not much difference, Lafup the performer and Segun the manager/director/producer. The advent of contemporary art form has allowed us the luxury of being everything at once. I will not want to sound like some colleagues in the industry who would say their stage personality is different from the real them, just so they could be seen as 'serious'.
For me comedy is a serious thing. Lafup is an integral part of my being. It's a character though that I put on when I'm about hitting the stage. Even at home, I'm called Lafup. I am just me, funny, smart, real, loving and I take care of my responsibilities.
Tell us about your days in UI?Very nostalgic! It was the best of time, UI to me was exactly what a school should be. It built my confidence. I made numerous mistakes as an actor, as well as a comedian. I played major roles in several plays that my lecturer became my fan even at 200 level. That humbled me a great deal and lustered my mind to dream even more. Some things I had thought very impossible gave way. As at 200 level in school, my comedy show, Efrebor, was sold out at first trial and my partner and I were everyone's delight on campus. We would get invites to come perform our skit back in 2002/2003 when no one was producing comedy skit back then. We had plenty interviews on NTA, newpapers and all. UI practically got me ready for the bigger stage even before I completed my first degree. And I must say that all my lecturers, were my coaches. I owe it to them a great deal.
Two weeks after I left NYSC, I put up another Efrebor show and Trenchard hall, the biggest hall in UI as at then, could not take our crowd at all. It was right there that I said, its time go out, and since then, we have been holding it Jogor centre, Ibadan every Boxing day till date.
How did you discover yourself?Well it was at my sister’s birthday, after getting a generator with my money, I was again asked to drop some money so we could get an MC. I enquired how much they wanted to pay the MC and they said 300N. When I asked to see who the MC was, the guy that came with the DJ who wore palm-slippers. Not liking his appearance, I just said " Abeg gimme the mic" and that was it. These days I don't put 'abeg', I just get the mic.
What were your dreams growing up?I had many dreams as a child, maybe wishes. One of it was to dance with and like KSA which I was not able to do until October, last year. But on a more serious note, most of what I am today was what I dreamt as a child. But I have fresh and bigger dreams. You know there are some dreams you can't dream until you first conquer poverty.
How have you grown since then?Well as God has had it and as eyes have seen, I have grown.
THE dream is bigger, the speed doubles, I have my Masters now, which is the deal I had with my Dad. He said do whatever but school is important.
Too bad he's late now? But I'm glad he saw it happen in his dreams even before I started school at all. I am still a work-in-progress you know, but I know I have been an inspiration to a couple of people as some have been to me in my chosen career. It can only keep getting better.
You were able to successfully brand yourself and even export yourself from Ibadan to other places in Nigeria. How easy was that?Sincerely it wasn't easy, but from the onset, I was privileged to have worked with some people and some books have made me realise that your location isn't what God will bless me with, but the work of my hands. So I groomed myself, humbled myself, paid my dues and sharpened my skill to compete with any other comic brands in the industry.
Does comedy pay?YES! "If I'm lying, I'm dying" I no come count bridge for Lagos o.
How do you source your jokes? I just listen to things, people, nature, life, you too. I milk humour out of almost anything. Culture, politics, human emotions and all. Like I have also mentioned, "the lived experience", my life basically.
What other projects are you into?Well, those who know me know I believe in children, giving and education. And this is what my foundation Comedy4Change in Africa is about. We care about those homeless street children. We use our Christmas days which happen to also be my birthday to have fun, party with the street children in Ibadan giving them the hope and letting them know we really care for them always, not just on Xmas Day. We collect donations (clothing, food items, provisions) from people and get it to needy children. That's why every of my concert show gives a percentage to charity. Also, we promote the institutionalisation of comedy, we organise symposiums and conferences among academics and professionals in the comedy business in Nigeria.
Your greatest influences?First, God. Then my mother, all my teachers ever, Sam Adeyemi, a few comedians (Princess, Alibaba, Bunmi Davies, Gbenga Adeyinka, T.A, Owen Gee, Logan Murray, Cosby, to mention a few.), my Brand manager, Dare Idowu, and most importantly, my wife.
What would you have done if not comedy? A teacher, teaching performing arts/advertising in one of Nigeria's best universities. That's what I'll do instead. And I think I still will.
Where do you see your craft in the next five years? My craft in the next five years would be to have liberated more people from the shackles of poverty and brought many more than I can imagine to a better place of Grace that you won't have to open the pages of the Nigerian Tribune to see me because I will be on the front cover.
Some people say you look like Timaya...Well, I don't look like Timaya, Timaya looks like me.
What is your normal day like?
Relaxing at the pool side with my wife, listening to rhythms of Orlando Owoh and KSA with a correct bowl of Amala buried in Gbegiri and Ewedu. And If Manchester United has a match on that kind of day, they had better win, and I get to tweet about it. Yes, I love twitter.
posted by lafup at
1:22 AM
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