Nigerian actor, James Ikechukwu, better known as Jim Iyke, has revealed the reason behind his stage name.
The actor, in a recent interview with media personality, Temisan Emmanuel, of Tea with Tay podcast, said he wanted to name for himself.
He also noted that he doesn’t share the same last name with his six sisters.
Jim Iyke said, “We don’t share the same last name. My real name is James Ikechukwu Esomughua Okelue. Okelue is my great grandfather’s name and everybody goes with that last name.
“Of course, from day one I figured that part out before if I knew what was going on in the industry.
“I said that if I’m going to embark on this journey, I’m going to go alone. I’m going to go through the trials and ups and downs that comes with this journey and if it works, I’ll be the centre of it.
“If it doesn’t, I’d have exempted this people from whatever comes with it.
“I’ve had that strategy from day one and now, there’s an extension of it to my next generation; my sons.
“I said, how about if I’m so famous and I can’t walk around in public places, what would happen to my relationship with my sisters?”
He added “I took that decision then and said, ‘you know what? What can I take away from my name?’ James – Jim; Ikechukwu – Iyke. And that was it. Jim Iyke was born.”
