Macaroni Himself drops out of college to chase comedy bus

Dejaun Anyanwa has been on the comedy bus for some time and he is convinced that he will soon reach his destination -- 'Success Boulevard'. The aspiring comedian goes by the name Macaroni Himself, which is not to be confused with Macaroni, the Portland bus driver who got some amount of popularity following a bizarre incident on a flooded roadway.

"Me look pon all a the people dem doing comedy, me see them have some comedic name weh bring some interest to them, like Bully Beef and Mackerel. So me think about it, and see say me love macaroni from I was a child, so from there the name Macaroni Himself come," the Morant Bay High School past student said.

The 27-year-old, who is of Nigerian descent, said he grew up as a shy and reserved individual, but it was through self-exploration that he discovered his true self was a comedian. "At one point in my life, I suffered from depression, and people used to tease me about my last name, and I had no one to make me smile, so I just want to be the person who will make someone else smile. I want to bring others joy, that is why I do comedy," he said.

Macaroni Himself said he was a final-year student at the Vocational Training and Development Institute, where he was reading for a bachelor of science degree in information and communication technology, when he decided to quit school in 2015 and focus on comedy.

"When me deh a school, the fire I have for comedy and entertainment did a override what I was studying and I know that I just wanted to entertain people, that is more fulfilling to my soul, me feel the upliftment," said Macaroni Himself, who insists that he is following his passion.

Career Boost

He feels that the lockdown caused by the novel coronavirus gave his career a boost, and he is now seeking to build on the foundation that has been laid.

"Yuh see right now, me use the time to entertain people who are at home. Everyone is hampered to stay at home, so it is the best time for acts like me to put out videos. COVID has assisted in my process in pushing my career," expressed the St Thomas native.

His comedic influences are Oliver Samuels, Ian 'Ity' Ellis and Alton 'Fancy Cat' Hardware, and he hopes to become an established comedian and musician in Jamaica.