I don’t support cheating, just creating content— Edo Boy

n n

Content creator, Bobby Oseyi, popularly known as Edo Boy, tells PELUMI KAZEEM about his career and other issues

n

What would you like people to know about you beyond the character they see on social media?

n

I am from Uromi in Edo State. I am a graduate of the University of Benin, where I studied Statistics, and graduated with a second class degree.

n

What were you doing before you became known as a social media personality?

n

I was just a random guy. I finished from Fejoy Secondary School in Lagos in 2014, and I had to stay at home to work. I stayed at home for three to four years before I gained admission in 2017.

n

I have always been acting, especially in church drama groups and as part of extra-curricular activities. Anything that involved acting, you would always see me there. I never did comedy while growing up; I was just acting.

n

When did you first become interested in comedy and content creation?

n

I started becoming interested in comedy and content creation when I was in 100 level at the university. What inspired me were people like Sydney Talker and my friend, D General. People were always creating content in school then, and I used to watch them. I liked what they were doing and felt I could also create content since I had already started doing that before university.

n

I remember going to Sydney Talker’s hostel and telling him that I would like to speak to him and learn whatever he could teach me about content creation. He advised me, and from there, I started creating content. I was doing things to put out there, then I met D General and we started working together.

n

Was there a particular moment or skit that made you realise you could build a career from content creation?

n

Yes, there was a moment that made me realise I could build a career from content creation, and that was when I got my first music advert. I think they sent me N10,000. That was the first money I got from content creation because the artiste wanted to use my song in his skit.

n

That was the moment I knew I could build a career from it because if I could get N10,000 from this, I could also get N1m from it.

n

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while trying to establish yourself as a content creator?

n

There was no support. I wasn’t getting the support I needed. Another challenge was creating content and not having followers or views. I was putting a lot of work into it and getting very few views.

n

Shooting content and going to different locations were also challenging. You would want to shoot, and people would chase you away because they didn’t want you to use their gates or streets for content. Those were the challenges I faced. There was no engagement. The only thing that could encourage you was knowing that people liked what you were doing.

n

Was there ever a point when you considered giving up?

n

Yes, there was a point when I thought about giving up. I think that was around 200 to 300 level in school, when the whole thing was becoming stressful because I was trying to combine it with my education. It was choking, and I just thought about giving up.

n

What kept me going were the friends I had while in school because they were also into content creation, and they advised me not to stop.

n

How did you come up with the name “Edo Boy”?

n

When I came up with the name, I wasn’t creating content. In fact, I wasn’t really active on social media. I was just using Facebook.

n

“Edo Boy” came because I didn’t want to use my real name on Facebook. I just wanted to represent my state. I wanted to identify with where I’m from, and today, I’m grateful I made that decision.

n

How much of your background and personal experiences influence the kind of content you create?

n

My identity comes through in my content. My background influences my content a lot. I grew up in a poor home. I lost my dad quite early, and also lost my mum in 2017, so I’m an orphan. Back then, it was just me, my brother and my mum.

n

Edo State is a very influential and peculiar state. We have a lot of funny characters from there and a lot of slangs, so it impacted my content one way or the other.

n

A lot of characters, both girls and boys, exhibit different behaviours, so I just tap into everything.

n

How different is Edo Boy from who you are in your everyday life?

n

Edo Boy online is different from Edo Boy offline. They are two different people. People have seen me and said, “You’re not even the type of person I thought you’d be.” Some see me in real life and say, “Wow, you look more handsome in person,” while some people see me and say, “You look so humble online, but offline you have pride,” and vice versa.

n

Offline, I’ll say I’m an introvert. I hardly go outside. I’m just always shooting content. My personality online is very different from offline.

n

One thing many people strongly associate with you is your use of Ronaldo and the “GOAT” theme in your skits. How did that concept begin?

n

Yes, people associate me with Cristiano Ronaldo because of my content, and that’s because I created content about it. I’m a big Ronaldo fan, and I love him so much. Though I’m not a Manchester United fan, I’m an Arsenal fan. I have always believed that Ronaldo is the greatest player of all time over Messi.

n

Back then, I created content and wanted to create a “GOATed” move in the skit, like a bad-guy move. So, I put on a Manchester United jersey with number seven and “GOAT” on it. There was also a sound I came across a year before I shot the skit which said, “Nah why we dey always call am GOAT, he dey always turn up.”

n

I was looking for a sound to use at the end of the skit, and I remembered that sound. That was how I used it.

n

That was the beginning of it. I created the move and the whole niche came, and it was different. It was something no one had done before in the entertainment industry. I believe that combining sport and comedy skits into one makes me stand out.

n

To make it in the industry, you have to be unique, and I was unique. Manchester United fans love me, Ronaldo fans love me and football fans in general love me.

n

I also related the whole content thing to cheating because it’s one thing that happens in relationships, and I think that was what made the Gen Zs like the content.

n

A big thanks to the guy who owns the sound. His name is Averio. One thing I did when it blew up was make everyone know that I’m not the owner of the sound. I told the audience about who owns the sound. I am always thankful to God because I think the Ronaldo niche changed my life.

n

At what point did you realise that the Ronaldo/GOAT persona had become a recognisable part of your identity?

n

I go out there and people call me “GOAT”, “Ninja CR7”. People are always calling me, “He dey always turn up.” People associate me with Ronaldo. From the beginning, I have always loved Ronaldo. I knew I was already being recognised as that GOAT.

n

What has been the funniest or most unexpected reaction you have received from people because of your Ronaldo-related content?

n

The funniest reactions I have received from people because of my Ronaldo-related content are a lot. There are different reactions, like people saying, “How far, come turn up for me, o,” “I wan cheat, o,” and “Ninja CR7, I love your content, o.”

n

In fact, I went out one time and one guy said he wouldn’t leave me until I did that move for him.

n

How has becoming a recognised social media personality changed your life outside the Internet?

n

Becoming a social media personality has changed my life a lot, and that’s what I don’t really like because there are some places I can’t go anymore.

n

Sometimes, I could be in public doing my thing and someone is just filming me or looking for something to post about me to trend. Sometimes, I feel like I’m not free when I’m outside. I try to be fast with everything I do because I want to go back to my house.

n

When I go outside, people believe I am a walking bag of money and they just want to extort one. It has really affected a lot. I can’t go to some places I’d love to go.

n

You know they say everything has advantages and disadvantages. I just see that as one of the disadvantages of being a social media personality.

n

Has fame affected your relationships with friends and family?

n

Yes, it has affected most of my relationships, especially with people I knew before I became popular. Most of them feel like when you’re popular, you’ll start snubbing them. Only a few will understand you and still vibe with you.

n

It affected a lot of my friendships. I am no longer friends with some of the people I knew before.

n

In life, you tend to be friends with people that you have the same goal or motive with. But, it has not affected my relationship with my family.

n

What is the biggest misconception people have about you because of the personality they see in your skits?

n

The misconceptions are a lot. Some people feel that because of my skits, I always turn up for guys and help men to cheat on their babes. So, people say this guy doesn’t like girls, he’s a playboy; it’s only boys he likes.

n

They also say I am promoting cheating in relationships. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions about my skits.

n

But, that’s a lie. I am a cool guy, and I don’t support cheating in relationships. I support girls and guys. I love both Ronaldo and Messi; it’s just football banter.

n

Social media comes with pressure to constantly create and remain relevant. How do you deal with that pressure?

n

I don’t allow the pressure to get to me. I started creating content in 2018, I blew up in 2022, and this is 2026; I’m still creating content.

n

I don’t allow the pressure to get to me because when you allow the pressure to get to you, that’s when it gets too hard. I keep taking one step at a time, and that’s how I’ve been coping till now.

n

If the pressure is not getting to you, you can always be yourself and remain relevant.

n

What has been the most rewarding part of your journey so far, and what has been the most difficult?

n

The most rewarding part of my journey is that I was able to create something out of nothing. Like I said, I lost my dad and mum. I have been able to create something out of nothing with the help of God.

n

The most difficult thing is being consistent because it’s not easy.

n

Looking ahead, what are your plans for your brand, and are there other areas of entertainment or business you would like to explore?

n

Definitely, I am moving into sport, creating content about football, talking about players, teams and the sport in general. I just started that last year.

n

Also, in the area of fashion, I would like to create a brand that people can buy and look good.

n n