YMU Signs Writer & ‘Big Shaq’ Comedian Michael Dapaah

EXCLUSIVE: YMU has made another signing, this time bringing British comedian and writer Michael Dapaah into its fold.

The UK agency has signed the multi-hyphenate, who is best known for his viral comedy character ‘Big Shaq,’ whose song ‘Man’s Not Hot’ has garnered 410 million YouTube views and over 500 million streams to date. The single has been turned into memes, and kickstarted Dapaah’s rise as a cultural, comedic and viral figure. 

Dapaah first gained attention as the lead and creator of the hugely popular YouTube mockumentary series Somewhere in London (SWIL), which follows the journeys of young Londoners, including Big Shaq. Two seasons of the show have amassed over 15 million views.

Dapaah has also acted in BBC One drama Noughts + Crosses, which was an adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s bestselling novel. He has been a brand ambassador and collaborator with major brands such as Nike, Apple, Beats, Gymshark, McDonald, Uber, Google and the England soccer team.

“I’m excited to step into this next phase of my career, partnering alongside the multidisciplinary teams over at YMU,” said Dapaah. “I’m very much looking forward to building out the next evolution of my entertainment business, and shaping how that looks together.”

For YMU, the signing comes hot on the heels of a co-management agreement for model and presenter Leomie Anderson last week and the hire of corporate speaking and events appearances boss Georgia Milligan on Thursday.

YMU’s clients include Simon Cowell and Graham Norton, though the likes of Amelia Dimoldenberg, Nicole Scherzinger and Claudia Winkleman have moved to new agencies this year, and a number of agents have exited over recent months. Last month, it hired LADBible exec Drew Middleton to lead digital marketing and social strategy and Spotify’s Rhyanna Coleman to oversee podcasting output. Dapaah’s signing is the latest move in the new-look operation that has followed YMU getting new ownership earlier this year following a restructuring program in 2023.

“We are delighted to sign someone of Michael’s calibre – an international, elite multi-hyphenate, pushing culture forward and instigating conversation across platform and genre,” said Mary Bekhait, YMU CEO. “His extraordinary ability to create first class content and inspire global audiences is compelling and marks him out as a leader in the contemporary entertainment landscape. We are very excited to partner with his in-house team, led by Fola Adeyemi and propel his career further to even greater heights.”