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Talented artiste and comedian, Ann Onuwa Egwuenu aka MC Extralarge, bares her mind on sundry issues in the entertainment industry, including marriage and love, relationship, in this interview with TONY OKUYEME

How long have you been into stand-up comedy?
My name is Ann Onuwa Egwuenu, popularly known as MC Extra Large. I am from Aniocha North Local government area of Delta State. I am from a family of four. My journey into comedy started in 2001, when my friend, that is the father of my daughter, used to tell me that he knows than I am educated but something that would give me food and make me better in future is in me.

Then I looked at myself to find out what that thing is; and later got to know that I have this gift of making people laugh, entertaining people. So I decided to go to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba Lagos, to study and brush up my talent.

I studied journalism, and when I came out, I worked with some newspaper organisations. I did a supplementary with Punch newspaper, and later on I decided to stand on my own. So, I started from club shows, organizing shows with my friends.

And I have a good brother, Eddie King, who is from my place. He has a studio at Ikeja, so I began to brush up with his help. Also, from there I began to widen my horizon in journalism, went into voice over, presentation on radio, marketing and all that. But notwithstanding, the comedian thing, I continued doing it until I got born again.

When actually did your career as a comedian began?
I started comedy in 2013 with a friend called MC Bumping and Yellow Man. Before then, I was already in a platform called Youths for the Defence of Initiative. There I was trained as a human right activist, and from there I was doing MCs for everybody. It was when I met MC Bumping and Yellow Man was when the real comedy thing came out.

How did you come about the nickname MC Extralarge?
It was because of my stature then. I was really big. In fact, somebody insulted me with that name. I was on a red carpet in a show, when somebody said: ‘Wao, this one is extra-large’.

They were actually mocking me because I was so big. I actually came in there to perform. So, later I looked at it and said, ‘this name is unique’. Then I decided that I was going to make the name a household name.

That was how I started answering MC Extra Large. Some people actually mocked me with the name because I was big and busty, shapeless. So after the show, I got home I was so angry, I told my daughter – I have only one child – about what happened, that somebody insulted me with that name, and that I was going to make that name a household name, and she yes that the name is unique. My daughter’s name is Miracle; she is 15 years old, and in SS3. She is into showbiz too. She is a dancer and a singer.

So, how has it been?
It has been so wonderful. It’s just that when I got born again in 2014, everything reduced. So I am still doing comedy but not the way we used to do it, where we go to clubs, go to concerts, shows and all that, but now I am back again.

What is your take on developments in the industry?
It is good, but I found out that a lot of jokes that we crack don’t have much impact in the public because a lot of us don’t sit down and be creative. We use what happened in the church, instead of us to use the joke to re-orientate the people, we instead yab pastors. I will say that I am a self-made comedian.

Marriage, love and relationship
God ordained marriage. It started from Adam and Eve. It is just that the situation we find ourselves and the platform that we the youths find ourselves today, is not really pleasant. So it is not as if marriage is not worth it. So, my take is that, young men and women, God says that a man and a woman shall come together and become one. And that they should live according to the will of God. So, for me, marriage is good and necessary.

What about love?
For me, love is sacrifice. If you say you love me, you will sacrifice for me. It is on both sides; when I sacrifice for you, you sacrifice for me. That is what love is about. But many people don’t see it that way, they believe it is a one-sided thing, and that it is the woman who is hunting for love. No, the Bible says husband love your wife, and that wife should submit to their husbands.

What is your view about Nollywood?
They have a lot of platforms, they are not really in one platform because of greed. We have talents in this country, we have great actors and actresses, but because of greediness and lust for money they don’t want to bring out those things that are in then. What they are after is money. Also, most of the story lines, I don’t really like them. Before you even start watching a movie, you know what is going to happen at the end. No suspense.

What about the music industry?
Our music industry is really working fantastic. God has really been taking care of the industry. But we still have some mediocres who just go to the studio, not even thinking of lyrics. They are supposed to be doing music with lyrics that will have positive impact, not showing phonographic videos to blow. Good lyrics, is key. When you listen to Ebenezer Obey’s music, for instance, there is nowhere that you will play it and it will not be relevant, as if it was released yesterday; the same thing with Osita Osadebe, Sunny Ade, and others. So what we need in Nigerian music is value.

How I Became MC Etralarge-Ann Onuwa Egwuenu

Talented artiste and comedian, Ann Onuwa Egwuenu aka MC Extralarge, bares her mind on sundry issues in the entertainment industry, including marriage and love, relationship, in this interview with TONY OKUYEME

How long have you been into stand-up comedy?
My name is Ann Onuwa Egwuenu, popularly known as MC Extra Large. I am from Aniocha North Local government area of Delta State. I am from a family of four. My journey into comedy started in 2001, when my friend, that is the father of my daughter, used to tell me that he knows than I am educated but something that would give me food and make me better in future is in me.

Then I looked at myself to find out what that thing is; and later got to know that I have this gift of making people laugh, entertaining people. So I decided to go to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba Lagos, to study and brush up my talent.

I studied journalism, and when I came out, I worked with some newspaper organisations. I did a supplementary with Punch newspaper, and later on I decided to stand on my own. So, I started from club shows, organizing shows with my friends.

And I have a good brother, Eddie King, who is from my place. He has a studio at Ikeja, so I began to brush up with his help. Also, from there I began to widen my horizon in journalism, went into voice over, presentation on radio, marketing and all that. But notwithstanding, the comedian thing, I continued doing it until I got born again.

When actually did your career as a comedian began?
I started comedy in 2013 with a friend called MC Bumping and Yellow Man. Before then, I was already in a platform called Youths for the Defence of Initiative. There I was trained as a human right activist, and from there I was doing MCs for everybody. It was when I met MC Bumping and Yellow Man was when the real comedy thing came out.

How did you come about the nickname MC Extralarge?
It was because of my stature then. I was really big. In fact, somebody insulted me with that name. I was on a red carpet in a show, when somebody said: ‘Wao, this one is extra-large’.

They were actually mocking me because I was so big. I actually came in there to perform. So, later I looked at it and said, ‘this name is unique’. Then I decided that I was going to make the name a household name.

That was how I started answering MC Extra Large. Some people actually mocked me with the name because I was big and busty, shapeless. So after the show, I got home I was so angry, I told my daughter – I have only one child – about what happened, that somebody insulted me with that name, and that I was going to make that name a household name, and she yes that the name is unique. My daughter’s name is Miracle; she is 15 years old, and in SS3. She is into showbiz too. She is a dancer and a singer.

So, how has it been?
It has been so wonderful. It’s just that when I got born again in 2014, everything reduced. So I am still doing comedy but not the way we used to do it, where we go to clubs, go to concerts, shows and all that, but now I am back again.

What is your take on developments in the industry?
It is good, but I found out that a lot of jokes that we crack don’t have much impact in the public because a lot of us don’t sit down and be creative. We use what happened in the church, instead of us to use the joke to re-orientate the people, we instead yab pastors. I will say that I am a self-made comedian.

Marriage, love and relationship
God ordained marriage. It started from Adam and Eve. It is just that the situation we find ourselves and the platform that we the youths find ourselves today, is not really pleasant. So it is not as if marriage is not worth it. So, my take is that, young men and women, God says that a man and a woman shall come together and become one. And that they should live according to the will of God. So, for me, marriage is good and necessary.

What about love?
For me, love is sacrifice. If you say you love me, you will sacrifice for me. It is on both sides; when I sacrifice for you, you sacrifice for me. That is what love is about. But many people don’t see it that way, they believe it is a one-sided thing, and that it is the woman who is hunting for love. No, the Bible says husband love your wife, and that wife should submit to their husbands.

What is your view about Nollywood?
They have a lot of platforms, they are not really in one platform because of greed. We have talents in this country, we have great actors and actresses, but because of greediness and lust for money they don’t want to bring out those things that are in then. What they are after is money. Also, most of the story lines, I don’t really like them. Before you even start watching a movie, you know what is going to happen at the end. No suspense.

What about the music industry?
Our music industry is really working fantastic. God has really been taking care of the industry. But we still have some mediocres who just go to the studio, not even thinking of lyrics. They are supposed to be doing music with lyrics that will have positive impact, not showing phonographic videos to blow. Good lyrics, is key. When you listen to Ebenezer Obey’s music, for instance, there is nowhere that you will play it and it will not be relevant, as if it was released yesterday; the same thing with Osita Osadebe, Sunny Ade, and others. So what we need in Nigerian music is value.
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