I Gave My Stage Name To Bright Okpocha …Former ‘Basket Mouth’, Ernest Essien Reveals

Bright Okpocha, popularly known as Basket Mouth, can perhaps be said to be one of the most celebrated and entertaining Nigerian comedians of all times, but not many people know that he got his stage name from another comedian named Ernest Essien who was originally known as Basket Mouth.
Ernest Essien now MC Miracle revealed this in a recent interview posted on the social media, he said Bright Okpocha did not steal the name. Sometime in 2000-2001 Basket Mouth approached me during one of the Plantashun Boiz’s concert at D-Denon Isaac Johnson in Ikeja and he introduced himself to me as Basket Mouth and told me he heard I was also using the name. I was already an established entertainer then..
“There and then, I asked him if he liked the name and his response was in the affirmative. I told him to keep the name, so I changed mine, most of my friends, including my wife did not approve of this; they said I sold my birth right to him”.
On whether the name affects him, he said: “Definitely yes, because I had to begin a rebranding process, getting to let my clients and fans know about it, it took a lot of time, money and convictions, but since they got used to it, it has been great to convince.
Fielding questions on his relationship with Basket Mouth, Mc Miracle said: He is my himself, my younger brother who is doing very well for himself, in fact I feel proud that I allowed him use the name and he has always shown me respect whenever we meet. Way back we cover up shows for each other. I remember one particular incident when he had to go for an interview in American embassy to get visa and also had to perform at Pall Mall in Calabar, he called me and I went to cover-up for him. We have cordial relationship though we hardly see often because of our busy schedules”.