Meet Kojo the Comedian

If laughing grants you a longer life then be prepared to live for an eternity.

We’ve had the opportunity to sit down with one of UK comedy’s fastest rising stars Kojo the Comedian. He recently relocated to New York in a bid to gain global recognition with his comedy. But he’s now back on the British scene with a revamped monthly show, which is filmed for MTV Base. Here is what he had to say about his journey so far.

Muso’s Guide: You just re-launched your Sunday comedy show; what triggered the move from Cork’s to Sound Club in Leicester Square?

Kojo: Cork’s had served its purpose; we had hosted the show there on a weekly basis for five years and that’s a long time. Cork’s is an amazing establishment, but as the show grew, we gradually built into something else. Sound catered to what MTV needed, in terms of making a television show. But the show hasn’t lost its edge and I think it’s still raw, which is what I want on TV. We now include musical acts like Kano, showing that it’s not just about comedy. The formula is Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘n’ Out meets Def Comedy Jam.

MJ: So you’re celebrating your five year anniversary - how does that feel?

Kojo: That’s the only thing that makes me proud because it shows young black London, that there is an opportunity to do more things other than rapping. Even I used to MC when I was young due to my friends, and many of the young comedians we see today may have chosen that route themselves if it wasn’t for the Comedy Club. We’re five years deep and there is no black promotion in this country that has gone on for that long. That makes me proud.

MG: Why do you think your show has had such a successful run?

Kojo: Because I filled a gap. There was a need for laughter every week, especially with the world being the way it is and it changed a lot of lives. Veterans like comedian Slim have been doing this for years and its going to be nuts for him when this show finally airs on TV. It was important for me to bring him back because he was one of the people that started all of it.

MG: You have a successfully merged with MTV in a way; do you think that’s the future of UK comedy?

Kojo: It’s not the future but it’s definitely a steppingstone. Why have a great idea but not show it on TV, there’s no point of being a comedian and just sit at home. I can now get a booking from a comedy club in Aberdeen because of MTV Base filming my show The Fresh Prince of Hackney. People will call me from Scotland and tell me to come down and the club will be absolutely rammed!

Kojo: Who inspires you, are there any comedians that you would say influence you?

MG: I’m more influenced by business people rather than artists right now. I’m inspired by Russell Simmons every day, he’s my idol. I’m motivated by 50 Cent, I like his aggression and I like the flamboyance of P Diddy. So all three of these people become Kojo, bits and pieces of them. I think you need all of the characteristics mentioned to be successful and respected, you have to let people know when they’re taking the piss out of you, especially as a comedian.

MG: You’re a very funny guy, but you still manage to talk about the current and serious issues that affect the British youth. Do you think that’s why young people relate to you?

Kojo: I don’t try to be a comedian who over-thinks things. I talk about everyday situations like running for the bus and missing it or falling over in the street and styling it out. I am however getting more serious with my comedy now because I believe that I’m here for a reason. I don’t have to prove that I’m funny anymore since I could easily do a show with a 1000 people, which is why it’s now important for me to talk about things that hit the bone.

MG: You’re a frequent user of Facebook and Twitter, how important are these internet community sites to you and your work?

Kojo: I’m going to rinse those web sites until they ask me to pay! People always ask me why I have 5000 friends on Facebook because I surely don’t know all of them. But my point is that they know me. I’ve got people all the way in New Zeeland laughing at my statuses and the more people that know me, the more impact I can make. My status on Facebook usually says all kinds of things and people love it because somebody can always relate. The internet is really a good a market tool for what I do. I try to test it out as much as I can and I’m actually trying to formulate a talk show from it.

MG: Why did you decide to move to New York, have we lost you forever?

Kojo: No not all, I’m out there on an educational trip and everything I do over there is in aid of what I need to do here at home. I want to bring as much energy back to London because there are so many gaps to fill here. I went to New York for a couple of months and came back and revamped the show, which is now on MTV Base! That’s stemmed from me being around people like Nick Cannon and Russell Simmons. Imagine what I’m going to do when I meet Will Smith!

MG: Have you learned anything over there?

Kojo: I now know what hustle is and what it feels like to be broke and not have anything. People here in the UK complain about being broke and you still see them out raving in clubs. When you’re truly broke over there it’s real and I actually have a newfound respect for homeless people. Their hustle is the same as mine because I live in a world where I don’t have a 9-5, so I have to go out and look for work just like they have to look for food. I have to go and create that opportunity and you only know how that feels when you are in that position yourself.

MG: You were the first British comedian to be featured on a Def Comedy Jam tour, how did that collaboration with Russell Simmons emerge?

Kojo: That’s through to the internet and YouTube as well as working with Americans for a long time by bringing them down to Cork’s. We put up a clip from a show when we had Dave Chapelle come down onto YouTube and people went nuts. It had about 6 million hits! Gina Yashere was the first British person to do a Def Comedy Jam Show, but doing the tour was different because it was live and time consuming and I got to host it and work alongside Russell and Stan Lathan.

MG: I already knew most of the comedians from previous work, which made me feel right at home. The show we did in Brixton was by far the greatest show I’ve ever been on, I’ve never been a part of anything amazing like that in my life. It was really good to get that opportunity and build that network.

MG: You’re launching your DVD soon. Tell us about that?

Kojo: The DVD is called Live Your Life and it’s an insight to what I’m really about. It will show you what my projects are, what I do on a day to day basis and how I run my business. The grand finale is a performance and it was important for me that it was filmed at Cork’s, because that’s where it all started. Live Your Life is actually a compilation and I’m featured on the first DVD, we then go on to follow a different comedian on volume two.

MG: It seems like you’ve done everything now, what can we expect from you in the future? A fragrance, a clothing line?

Kojo: (Laughs) Yeah, get my new cologne. I actually just did an audition in the states for Martin Lawrence. It’s a stand-up comedy show which will air on TV, and I got the role so stay tuned for that! I’m trying hard at building a brand and one thing I know is that if you’re successful at what you love then you can do whatever you like in life.

You can catch Kojo’s Comedy Funhouse every month and the show is filmed and broadcasted by MTV Base. For more info visit the following site: www.kojotv.com