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How Seyi Ademeso Turned Awkwardness Into the Meshkiey Brand
Some people spend years trying to avoid awkward situations. Seyi Ademeso has built a career out of creating them, in the identity of Meshkiey. The content creator has turned everyday social discomfort into a distinctive style of comedy, earning an audience that recognises him for his unconventional approach to skits.
But there is more to Seyi than the character who seems willing to embarrass himself for a laugh. Beyond the camera, he is a creative strategist, entrepreneur and businessman with ambitions that stretch far beyond social media. In this exclusive, we sat down with him to talk about the journey, the person behind the persona and what he hopes to build next.
Hello Meshkiey. How are you feeling today?
I’m feeling good. Honestly, I’m grateful. I’m excited to have this conversation and reflect on the journey.
Before Meshkiey became the person people know online, what were you like growing up? What kind of child were you?
I think I’ve always been a very observant person. Even growing up, I noticed little things about people, the way they behaved, the way they spoke, the funny things people did without realising they were funny.
I was also quite expressive. I wouldn’t necessarily say I was the loudest person in every room, but I definitely had a personality. I liked making people laugh, and I enjoyed doing things differently.
Looking back, I think a lot of the things people now associate with Meshkiey were actually already there. The difference is that I eventually found a platform where I could turn those traits into something creative.
When did you start creating, really? What made you pick up your phone and start creating in the first place?
I started creating around 2016, and honestly, there wasn’t some grand master plan behind it. I think I just wanted to create. I had a phone, I had ideas, and I was fascinated by what people were doing online. At the time, content creation wasn’t necessarily viewed as a serious career path the way it is today.
My early content was very different from what people know me for now. I was experimenting a lot, trying different formats and figuring out what felt natural to me. I didn’t have the polished understanding of branding or storytelling that I have today.
I was basically learning in public. I was creating, posting, seeing what people responded to and slowly discovering my voice.
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Your seemingly awkward and creative style, Meshkiey, has become a character of its own. When did you realise that the things that might normally be considered unconventional could actually become your creative strength?
I think the realisation came gradually. At some point, I noticed that the things I thought were too awkward, too embarrassing or too unconventional were actually the things people remembered.
Instead of trying to fit into what I thought a content creator should look like, I started asking myself, “What if I lean completely into this?”
That became Meshkiey.
The awkwardness stopped being something I needed to hide and became a storytelling tool. I realised I could take an everyday human behaviour, exaggerate it, put myself in an uncomfortable situation and make people laugh because, somewhere inside, they recognised themselves in it.
That’s when I understood that being different wasn’t necessarily a disadvantage. It could actually be the brand.
Is there ever a point when you’re making a skit/content and you feel like “Nah, I can’t do this,” or has Meshkiey, as a character, shielded that part of you?
Absolutely. There are definitely moments where I’m standing somewhere and thinking, “What exactly am I about to do?”
But I think Meshkiey has given me a bit of freedom. The character comes with a level of shamelessness because once I decide on an idea, I’m willing to commit to it. And sometimes the funniest part isn’t even the joke itself; it’s watching me put myself through an incredibly awkward situation with a completely straight face.
So yes, Seyi sometimes thinks, “This is crazy.” Meshkiey says, “Let’s do it.”
So how much of Seyi is actually in Meshkiey?
A lot. Meshkiey is exaggerated, but he’s not fake.
The humour, the awkwardness, the observation, the willingness to do something ridiculous–those things are genuinely me. What I do for the camera is amplify certain parts of my personality. Seyi is probably more reserved and thoughtful in certain situations, while Meshkiey is like, “Let’s make this as awkward as possible and see what happens.”
So I wouldn’t say Meshkiey is a completely different person. He’s really just Seyi with the volume turned up.
People mostly know you for your pieces of content, but you do a lot of other things. What does a day in your life look like, and what are the things that you do in it?
My days are honestly quite chaotic because I wear a lot of hats. There’s the content creator side of me, where I’m thinking about ideas, shooting, editing, meetings and brand campaigns. Then there’s the creative strategist side, where I’m working on campaigns, digital strategy, brand communication and helping businesses figure out how to communicate with their audiences.
I also run a greenery somewhere in Lekki, Lagos, CLASSYFLOWERY, so there’s a business side to my life that people don’t always see.
What has creating content taught you about yourself that school or a traditional career probably couldn’t have taught you?
Content creation taught me that there isn’t always a straight path to success. I studied International Relations at Covenant University, and I also have a diploma in French, so technically I could have followed a very conventional career path.
But content creation taught me how to build something from almost nothing. It taught me communication, marketing, storytelling, negotiation, resilience, business and, probably most importantly, how to understand people.
It also taught me that you can be talented and still fail. You can make something you love, and nobody cares. You can have a great idea and execute it badly. And that’s okay.
You learn, adjust and keep moving. I think that’s one of the biggest things the internet has taught me: You don’t necessarily need someone to permit you to start building the career you want.
What has been your proudest moment of your journey so far? Are there also challenges you’re trying to overcome?
I think my proudest moment isn’t one particular award or one particular number. It’s the fact that something I started experimenting with years ago has become an actual career and a recognisable identity.
The audience growth, the awards, working with major brands and seeing people recognise Meshkiey without me having to explain who I am–all of those things mean a lot.
But I’m also proud that I’ve been able to evolve beyond just being the person in front of the camera. I’ve become a strategist, producer, creative and entrepreneur.
The challenge now is growth without losing the originality that got me here in the first place. When people start expecting a particular version of you, it can become easy to play it safe because you know what works. I’m still trying to push myself creatively while building something sustainable beyond just social media.
If we have a conversation again five years from now, what would you like to be able to say you’ve done that would make you feel, “Yes, this is what I was working towards”?
Five years from now, I want to look back and feel like I didn’t waste the opportunity I had. I want Meshkiey to become bigger than just a social media personality. I want to build intellectual property around the character, create bigger productions, work across different forms of entertainment and continue developing as a creative.
I want Meshkiey to be recognised beyond Nigeria. I want to have created bigger projects, worked with incredible people and built things that have a life beyond Instagram or TikTok.
When the cameras are off, and there is no audience to entertain, what does Seyi Ademoso want for his life?
When the cameras are off, Seyi wants a good life. I want peace. I want meaningful relationships. I want to be able to take care of the people I love. I want to travel, experience things, build businesses and have the freedom to make choices without constantly worrying about survival.
And I want to be proud of the person I’ve become, not just because people know Meshkiey, but because Seyi himself is happy with the life he’s built. I think that’s the real goal. The internet sees Meshkiey. People see the funny guy, the awkward guy, the guy willing to embarrass himself for a video.
But at the end of all of that, I’m still just Seyi. And I want Seyi to have a life that is just as fulfilling when nobody is watching.
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All photos culled from Seyi Ademeso’s Instagram.
