Comedian and skit maker Josh Alfred, popularly known as Josh2Funny, has backed rapper YCee’s controversial comments about what he described as an “Olodo Uprising” in Nigeria.

Josh2Funny made the remarks while discussing the growing popularity of online content creators and what he described as the changing nature of comedy. He said:

“What YCee said is straight-up the truth. There’s an uprising of the Olodo people. Now, it’s a blessing and a curse. When I started, it was easy for people to call me part of the Olodo Uprising. My character, ‘Mama Felicia’, didn’t make any sense. It wasn't a well-articulated comedy. I was just fooling around. Comedy has never been something that is supposed to be intelligent.”

He added:

“The so-called elite might call it ‘stupid’, but it built a million-dollar industry called Nollywood. It’s just that social media has now exaggerated it. The person in question, Peller, you see him all the time. If it were when there was no social media, nobody would know what he does. So, it is easy for trolls to come for him because his life is in public. Also, some people are envious of him for being blessed without a degree or quality education. But what would you have him do? Should he become a thief because he doesn’t know how to speak good English?”

YCee had sparked the debate in June when he criticised what he saw as the growing celebration of internet virality and ignorance over education and intellectual achievement. He described the trend as an “Olodo Uprising” and referred to the growing influence of online personalities as “Peller culture.”

The rapper, however, said his comments were not intended as a personal attack on Peller, but as a criticism of a wider culture in which sensational online content is increasingly rewarded.