Hi everyone how are y’all doing? Great I hope. Y’all know that I love showcasing young people with exceptional talent on this platform. Trust me, I caught a big fish (literally) this time around. *wink*
This young man is vibrant, educated, talented, versatile (pls borrow me another word).. Since he came into the comedy world, he’s been able to carve a niche for himself, in such a short time.
Personally, I watch his comedy skits often, and I also recommend them to my friends (he has to pay me for the advert..lol). Although it took me a while to track him dowm for an interview, but he gave me a humble reception when I finally did.
I’m pleased to introduce to you, the guy who got most Nigerian celebs as followers on his IG page, (due to his funny videos) AphricanApe. Enjoy….
For the purpose of this interview, could you please tell us your name and what you do?
My name is Dami Olatunde, but I go by the name of AphricanApe. I’m an actor, comedian, host, and MC.
Could you please tell us a bit about your educational background?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, as well as an MBA, and also a Master in Management Information Systems.
I know you live in Florida, were you born and raised there or where?
I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. I came to Miami, Florida in 2005 to attend college.
What was childhood like for you?
My childhood was pretty much like that of the average African kid. The whooping, the strictness, etc.(Lolz)
Did you stumble on comedy or it’s something you’ve been doing for a long time?
I’ve not been doing comedy for a long time, neither did I stumble on it. I guess I always had a little funny in me, but never really pursued it until Instagram opened up the opportunity to upload videos.
For how long have you been a comedian and what else do you do aside comedy?
I have been making funny videos on Instagram and Facebook for about a year now, however I started doing standup just about 6 months ago. Aside from comedy, I’m an Accountant for a college here in Florida.
How did your parent react to you choosing to be a comedian with all your degrees?
It’s funny because their response was totally different from what one would expect from typical African parents. They actually supported and got on #TeamAphricanApe. I guess the way I presented it to them is what made it not seem so bad. At the time I told them about it, I was getting a little well known all over, and my fan base was growing rapidly. I told them the opportunities that were being granted to me, and how much I enjoyed doing comedy. I guess that helped.
I know you have lots of followers on facebook, instagram, twitter and so on, how are you coping with your fans especially the ladies?
The attention is pretty cool, I won’t even lie. Lol. But my main focus is to remain humble despite how big I get. So when fans reach out to me, I try to respond to them as often as I can. It always amazes me though, when I respond to some of them, and they go “omg you replied” lol.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Hopefully, in the next 5 years, I see myself as the Kevin Hart of that time. My ultimate goal is to become a comedic actor in Hollywood like Kevin Hart.
How do you combine your regular job with your entertainment gigs?
For now, the entertainment gigs are pretty much just on weekends. So I work Monday through Friday as an Accountant, and I travel over the weekend to do gigs.
Who is your role model either in the entertainment world or the outside world?
Kevin Hart!!! He is without a doubt doing his thing right now. I’ve always been a huge fan of his though, even before he got as big as he is now. He is my biggest inspiration in the entertainment world right now.
How did you come about your nickname, Aphrican Ape, and what prompted you to use that particular name?
I’m a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Ape is significant to us, as it represents strength – like the strong black male gorilla who is the leader of the pack, so we refer to ourselves as Apes. The “Aphrican” part is pretty much African (self-explanatory) with a PH twist. Hence, AphricanApe.
I saw your open mic ad with Michael Blackson, could you please tell us about it
It was a comedy show that a lady in the entertainment industry put together for her birthday celebration with Michael Blackson as the Headlining act. She reached out to me to be one of his openers, and I definitely could not pass on such an opportunity. I went out there and did my thing.
I saw (loyal fan) some of the comedy skits you did with your sister, is she a comedienne?
No she’s not. Dancing is more of her thing, that’s her talent. She dances very well. She came to America on summer vacation and I figured I could use some help for some of my skits, so I put her to work. Lol. She loved it.
A word for your fans
“I never hexperrerit, but God gave it to me…” lol. I want to say a big thank you to the new and old supporters who’ve been rocking with me from the start of #AphricanApeVideos. I won’t be where I am today without you all, so I really appreciate the love and support – tagging friends on Instagram and Facebook, reposting my videos, sending them to friends and family. Thank you all so much, I love you guys.
You can click Here to watch his comedy skits.
You can also follow him on IG & twitter @aphricanape06
P.S
Okay ladies, if you are wondering if Dami is single or not, go follow him on his Instagram page and you will find out for yourselves (I didn’t say anything o). Have a great day peeps. Ciao.
