Bright Okpocha, better known by his stage name Basketmouth, has explained why he wants to give up comedy.

According to The Daily Post, the multi-talented entertainer announced his intention to leave the crib-cracking business in a few years last year.

Basketmouth stated on a recent episode of the podcast The Honest Bunch, which is hosted by media personality Nedu, that he intends to leave comedy to concentrate on his goal of founding his own business.

He said: “When I started comedy, when I start my career, rap is what I start with. Then I started playing drums. From drums, music comes dey improve small. My first music that I produced was in 1995.

“That was the time I tried to blend hip-hop and afrobeats." But we no sabi do am so e no too work. But we tried.

“When I come discover say I dey do comedy na by chance. I no plan comedy because comedy just dey. But when I come and see everything, I say, Okay, Bright, you need to start designing how you want to do this thing [comedy].

“My intention is to build my own industry. I no wan dey part of the industry per se. Which is why, if you notice over time, I don't put my head inside sitcoms. I don't put my head inside movies. I’m working on a movie right now. I don't do music concerts. I do comedy shows. I see people saying I don't touch everywhere. I don't release an album.”

Basketmouth said he stopped doing stand-up comedy and event anchoring six years ago, but many didn’t notice.

He said he quit because he wasn’t enjoying the MC job and struggled with it a lot.

He said: Then, at some point, I tire. I say ‘this is not honest’ because it is not sweet. What I was blessed with was the talent to be a stand-up comedian. I no be MC. Na IK dem; all those people, dem be MCs. We force ourselves to come. E reach one point I say I no dey do again. Six years ago, I ran away from MC events.

“As I resumed [MC], I resumed this year fully. I come and say, ‘Bright, you no go fit run five years; you no go fit run the rest of your life doing comedy, so put your time frame at five years so you can have time to do it. E fit no even reach five years. So you go and get time to focus on other things’.”

Basketmouth added, “To be honest, I feel like I don't build the foundation for everything I want to do. No be where I want dey to be this o. There’s a plan, but I need to do all these things.”