i'm a virgin

Budding stand-up musical comedian, Otolorin
Peter Kehinde, aka Kennyblaq, is beginning to
stamp his feet on the entertainment industry

as a genuine article. The Lagos-bred multi-
talented greenhorn, has created a niche for
himself by uniquely re-branding the fusion of
music and comedy, started by the likes of
Julius Agwu and Klint de drunk. In this chat
with Showtime Celebrity, he speaks on his
career, challenges, s3x, and dynamics of the
Nigerian entertainment industry.
How did the journey begin?
It all began in 2008, when I did an event for
a group of people who organised a beauty
pageant tagged Miss Ejigbo. It was the first
time I held a microphone to speak in the
public. It wasn’t something I planned for,
the organisers just came to my house and
invited me to be part of the rally for the
pageant, saying they’ve noticed I’m funny,
jovial and have a good voice. I accepted and
did it. During the rally, I spoke and sang
using the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba accents,
which thrilled and impressed people a
lot. After the event, I was applauded,
compliments flowed in from all angles that I
was funny and able to carry the audience
along while thrilling them with hilarious jokes
and occasional infusion of music.
I
was later told I possess the required skill to
become a successful comedian, but as that
time, what I really wanted to do was to sing,
record songs, drop musical videos and
become a popular artiste like Olamide,
Davido, Wizkid and the likes, but people kept
encouraging me to give comedy a try
because they believed I had what it takes to
be a comedian. A week after the Miss
Ejigbo beauty pageant, I was invited for
another event tagged Laughter night. I
played the role of a mascot at the event,
painted my face, wore funny costumes and
did stuffs like Baba Sala (Moses Olaiya) of
those days with a big belly just to look
funny. I was actually shaking because it
was my first time on stage, but at the end
the audience was thrilled and the organisers
were impressed. It was at that point I began
to give fulltime comedy a thought. So, since
then till now I’ve been doing my comedy
thing and God has been faithful.
How did your family members react to your
choice of career?
At first my parents refused because most of
the events I was invited to were late night
shows, and it was always a weekend thing,
so whenever I was invited for a show my
parents refused because they felt it was
going to be in a bar or club where people
drink and smoke. Also, at that time, my
parents saw the entertainment industry as a
corrupt entity, so they didn’t want me to get
involved because they felt once I do, I’ll
have to smoke, drink, draw tattoo on my
body and get involved in other vices just to
feel among. But I was able to convince
them that I won’t forget where I’m coming
from or the values and teachings I’ve learnt.
I told them this was what I had a passion
for and wanted to do. They also began to
see that I was getting so much love from
people, people wanted to associate with me
because I was doing comedy. So my parents
had a change of mind and said “okay, let’s
give it a trial and see the outcome”.
Any regrets so far?
There were times I regretted going into
comedy at all because the kind of comedy I
do is fused with music and at that time
people had not come to terms with that
brand of comedy, so occasionally when I’m
performing and I don’t get the expected
applause or feedback, it would make me
very sad. Imagine hearing comments like
“he’s not funny”, or people are just busy
pressing their phones while I’m cracking
jokes, I felt so bitter that I wanted to quit
and just face music. I later told myself that I
was going to do one more event and if it
wasn’t successful then I’ll quit comedy.
Ironically, I got the referral for my next
show at the event that made me never want
to quit. It was a birthday where I got my
first standing ovation for doing comedy, I
was so happy because of the magnitude of
response I got from the audience. I then
said to myself “life is not a bed of roses,
there would be high and low times”. These
experiences opened my eyes to the basic
dynamics that life hold for everyone. I’m
proud to say that my regrets of the past are
now becoming an advantage for me.
What shot Kenny Blaq to limelight?
I think it was my brand of comedy that
people saw at the Calabar festival in 2011.
My brand is a fusion of music and comedy,
skillfully and artistically laced together to
form a brand that is unique. The 2011
edition of the Calabar festival was my first
big event, the stadium was filled with a
mammoth crowd I had never performed in
front of before. The video of my
performance went viral online and people
began to ask “who is this guy”. Seeing that
kind of response, I had to step up my game.
To the glory of God, I was invited for the
next edition of the Calabar festival.
How would you rate your success so far?
I think I’m just starting. Before now, when
I’m called up on stage to perform people
hardly scream, but now when I’m done there
is always a standing ovation. People didn’t
know me until recently, and I think it was at
Yaw’s Shalanga, I wasn’t even introduced, I
just went on stage and people began
screaming my name saying they love me,
that was when I said to myself “Kenny Blaq,
you’re getting there”. People are becoming
familiar with my brand and face and I’m
happy about it. Even at Pencil Unbroken, I
also wasn’t introduced; I walked out to the
stage when the lights were not even on, yet
everybody started shouting, it was more like
when Wizkid or Davido comes on stage.
Should your fans expect a show from you
soon?
For now I’m doing a series of fans’ hangout,
I want my fans to be informed about the
brand, know what I’m up to, get up close
and personal. But I’m planning on doing my
own annual comedy show soon, I’m not sure
if it’s going to be this year or next, but there
are plans on the way, just be on the lookout.
What does sex mean to you?
I’m a virgin so I don’t know what s3x is
(laughs).
Is Kenny Blaq in love?
Yes o, I’m in love with my twin sister
(laughs), she is the love of my life for now.
After I lost my mom in 2012, my twin sister
has been my mom and everything, she’s
been so supportive. That is not to say I
don’t have female friends, I do, I even have
a lot of female friends and fans that want to
date me. But because I still want to be
relevant in the industry in the next 10 or
20yrs, I don’t have time for a relationship. I
want to work, work, and work. I’ve been in
relationships before but they didn’t work
because I didn’t have time for the girls. I
think a lady deserves attention in a
relationship; her man should always be
there. It doesn’t mean I don’t have free
times, I do, but even in those free times I
still work. Relationships in the entertainment
industry hardly work, if you have to date
someone in the industry, it has to be
someone who understands the nature of the
job because some partners are very jealous
and need real attention. So, right now I just
want to wait till when I find someone who
really understands because I don’t want to
break any girl’s heart. I don’t even have a
heart, it’s kpomo that is there (laughs).