Entertainment

How Failed Movie Gigs Turned Me To Cab Driver In U.S – Nigerian Actor

Published

2 years ago

August 9, 2023

Nollywood actor Joseph Benjamin has revealed that failed movie gigs turned him into a cab driver after he moved to the U.S.

The 46-year-old disclosed that he relocated to the US after someone promised him movie gigs, but the individual later disappointed him.

He made this known while appearing on the latest episode of the Teju Babyface Deep Dive podcast hosted by comedian Teju Oyelakin.

He said, “I got to America on a promise that I had some gigs waiting for me. So I thought I was going to have a soft landing there. I packed up everything from Nigeria, bought a one-way ticket, and came to America.

“I was put in a well-furnished house and all of that. Then two days later, the person who I was supposed to book a deal with said to me, ‘Those our financiers have pulled out. They have an issue.’

“So, I said, what do I do? He was like, ‘From next month on, you will have to start paying rent in this house.’ The amount of the one-month rent was equivalent to a one-year rent in Nigeria.

“I’m like, ‘I’m not earning any money so what do I do?’ I don’t know what to do. So, shot into that life, I had to figure out what to do. I had nowhere to go. Nothing to turn to.

“My phone was buzzing, like, ‘When are you coming back to Nigeria? We have this gig for you.’ $1,500 was all I came to America with. How do I buy a ticket to go back to Nigeria?”

Benjamin also disclosed that he drove Uber, Lyft, and delivered Amazon packages to pay his bills in America.

“And then someone gave me a car. I’m like, What do I do with the car? And they said Uber. I was driving for Uber and Lyft to pay my bills.

“I carried a lot of Nigerians, my name on the Uber App was Joseph. The moment they get in or three minutes into the journey, they know I’m the one.”

“One woman even had to call her husband, and she ended up taking pictures with me. I even had some people say to me ‘Boss you will make it.”

Entertainment

‘There Was No Blueprint For Me’ – Wizkid Claims

Published

2 days ago

November 25, 2025

Editor

Nigerian singer Wizkid has sparked controversy after claiming that he had no blueprint while coming up as an artist, despite having emerged through ace singer Banky W’s imprint.

The Ojuelegba crooner made the statement in a snippet of his upcoming HBO documentary Long Live Lagos.

“There was no blueprint for me. I had to build a structure for myself,” he claimed.

His comment sparked debate on social media, with many insisting that it not only downplayed Banky W’s impact on his career but also disrespected the great Nigerian musicians who paved the way for the new generation of artists.

Wizkid, however, admitted elsewhere in the documentary that Fela Kuti inspired him to pursue music.

“Fela Kuti was instrumental to why I believe I could really make music,” he said.

Some of the reactions on X include:

Franko_Nero wrote: “I still vividly remember the day that Bankole [Banky W] announced on a show that he wants to introduce a boy wonder, a germ in the making. Today, this ungrateful child is claiming otherwise. If Banky knew that today would come, I am sure he would have chased him far away.”

Arhcent said: “This guy is erasing the role Banky W and EME played in his career. The person Banky picked from school into the studio is saying ‘I had to build a structure for myself.’ God sees all.”

Duke of Isoko wrote: “If he never built a structure, Banky probably wouldn’t have noticed him. This dude came out with his own style of music, dressing sense, etc., but I understand that English is a problem in this place.”

Sir Dickson opined: “People are debating this with reference to Banky’s impact in his life. There is no real context to that. I believe he was speaking about his style of music. He reinvented himself. Wiz has never denied Banky’s impact, nor can he. Let’s calm down.”

Entertainment

‘I Am Not Shy, I’m Just Laid Back’ – Olamide Addresses Misconception

Published

2 days ago

November 25, 2025

Editor

Famous Nigerian rapper Olamide Baddo has addressed the misconception that he is shy.

Speaking in a recent interview with Ada’s Room, Baddo explained that he isn’t shy but laid back.

“One thing I wish people could understand about me is I am not shy, I am just laid back,” he said.

The host asked: “What is the difference between shy and laid back?”

Olamide responded: “Shy is when you don’t have the confidence and the charisma to stand people or look them in the eye or have conversations with them.

“But being laid back is you just don’t want to be bothered. People think I am shy but I am not.”

Entertainment

Why I Stopped Going To Church – Actress Ariyiike Dimples

Published

2 days ago

November 25, 2025

Editor

Nigerian actress and media personality, Ariyike Owolagba, popularly known as Ariyiike Dimples, has revealed why she stopped attending church.

Featuring in a recent episode of the Open Up podcast, the movie star shared that she stopped going to church for three years after a church elder questioned her fashion sense.

She stated that the elder told her she would go to hell for wearing a pencil skirt to church, which the elder considered indecent.

The actress said she was frustrated by the experience and quit church.

“In my community church, you see only elderly people. You barely see the young ones. The young ones have gone to other churches. It was too serious. Yes, you can have your doctrines, but there is a way you can simplify it for young people and take them in without judging them.

“The reason I stopped going to church was because I wore a pencil skirt to church and an elderly woman said I will go to hell fire. I was shocked and felt wrongly judged so I stopped going to church for 3 years. And thankfully, I was already out of my parents’ house.

“The woman reported me to my dad. I had to take picture of the skirt and send to my mum to prove that I wasn’t dressing indecently. But my dad believed in the ideology of a community raising a child. So, I chose to avoid the community church so that they won’t see me,” she recalled.

Ariyiike Dimples, however, added that she is still a practicing Christian despite quitting church.