Che Igbo/Insagram
Viral Instagram creator Che Igbo in New York
Che Igbo has always wanted to work in front of the camera to entertain others, and Instagram has given him the opportunity to pursue his lifelong dream.
Throughout the Knicks’ magical championship run, Igbo has gone viral several times with his off-the-cuff street interviews that were seen by millions on Instagram.
In the past three months, Igbo’s Instagram follower count has exploded from 9,000 to 66,000 during the Knicks’ playoff run, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
We spoke with Igbo about his goals, inspirations, and how Instagram is helping him pursue his lifelong dream of being an entertainer.
Hey Che, how do you get started in content creation?
How I started was give or take, 10-11 years ago. I can say even further because when I was a kid, I loved the camera. Someone always told me if you put a camera on this kid, he’s gonna make you millions, literally, because I was born to entertain. So 10 years ago, I just said, You know what? I’ve seen a lot of influencers I like, and I like the content they’re doing, and I’m just like, hey, I want to emulate what they’re doing and try to pick up what they’re doing. And I started by doing skits, then African skits, and different ones. I started doing a basketball concept because I realized I wanted to do a lot of stuff I love, and one thing about content is, like, yeah, there’s a whole bunch of content you can create, but then you want to create something you’d actually like to do.
What creators/influencers inspired you to get into content creation?
The original person who actually made me want to pursue comedy is an influencer, called Chief Obi.
Another influencer is Druski because, honestly, I feel like he and I have very similar personalities. And he actually was able to blow up on Instagram, too. Like, he used to do Instagram lives during quarantine, and now he’s hosting the Emmys or MTV.
He is the prime example of, yes, you can use Instagram as a platform to grow toward your dreams. You can use the Instagram platform to actually chase your dreams. And I’m literally doing it as we speak. I didn’t know it was gonna happen now, but it’s like, yes, Instagram is. Is one of the things that really allowed me to reach so many people. Because the thing is, my friends knew I was funny, but I didn’t know if everybody else or the world knew I was funny. And Instagram gave me the chance to show them, like, yes, this is Che Igbo, one of the funniest guys in the world, and you would love him to death. Like, literally.
How do you plan your content/skits?
Okay, so from my skit point of view, just me, it’s literally, I’m sitting down, chilling. If I have an idea in my head, I’ll either write it down or call my friends, Mr. Aphrica or Ace.Bank. So whenever I have an idea, I hit them up if they’re available and we get together and shoot.
The new content I’ve been making lately is the street interviews. I picked that up four years ago when the Knicks were just making it to the playoffs. And when I was there, I honestly didn’t intend to create any content. I just saw a camera, and I was just speaking my mind. I feel like that’s the fun about it. Just like there are random people, a bunch of people, with cameras, speaking their mind. And then, when I realized I could speak my mind, it started to gain traction. I was like, okay, I love the Knicks. All my friends love the Knicks. I live in New York City, so let’s make some videos in Manhattan. I went out with my friends, got a camera, and then we just started shooting different interview contests, talking to different people, and talking about how they feel. Because at the end of the day, all Knicks fans feel the same emotion. The ones that were there back in the day, we all feel it. And I was trying to get like the real expression from those people as well.
What advice do you have for small creators who want to get started on Instagram?
Oh, man. I love this question. Because this is the question that. I’m not gonna lie. There was a very high possibility that you guys were not going to see me or know about me because a couple of years ago, I quit. I quit because I didn’t see the results. I felt like I was getting too old to be jumping up and down. By the way, I’m 28. But it got to a point where just like, yo, I’m getting too, too old for this. Let me go get my life together. Let me go do what my parents told me. I’m not saying don’t listen to your parents, but if you have a dream, any aspirations, don’t stop. Stay consistent.
I’m telling you, nobody would believe that. Che, That was begging for 10k followers. I was begging for 10k two weeks ago. I was begging. Please, everybody, follow me, please. I’m almost at 10k. I’ve been working with this for 10 years of my life. I finally get to go to 10k. Then one month later, I’m at 50k. If this is not the sign for you to keep going and not stop. I don’t know what to tell you, buddy, because I believe in you guys as much as you guys believe in me. Keep on going. Keep on going hard and don’t stop, because your time is going to come.
Now that the Knicks have won the championship, what’s next for you?
This is going to be the best summer ever. I’m going to be celebrating the whole month, literally every single day. Like I’m either going to one place or another, but I’m going to celebrate. But I also really want to transition into the World Cup for sure. My family is very passionate about soccer. They love soccer. Like, my dad was a soccer player. I played soccer when I was younger, and we’ve been waiting for the World Cup for the longest. I never knew there would ever be a time when the World Cup would come to the USA. And then it’s crazy enough, it happens in 2026, when the Knicks win the championship. So it’s like they’re aligning, and then we have the Giants.
I feel like this year is just New York sports. I’m still going to do my content here and there because that’s how I began. I’m not going to stop on Instagram after everyone showed me love. So I’m gonna keep doing skits, but I’m so focused on promoting sports in general. And I feel like it’s because of what the Knicks did. I feel like, why are the Knicks the only ones who get to experience something like that? Why can’t the Giants experience great fandom, great parties, and great enjoyment? Why can’t the USA all come together during the World Cup. That’s a vibe.
The USA is gonna get that championship. The Giants will get that championship. The Nets are gonna get that championship. Any other New York team, man, everybody’s gonna get the championship. So we can keep on celebrating. Celebrating having more parties and more vibes, because that’s what New York does.