‘AY not my friend’ — Basketmouth finally speaks on N30k debt

Basketmouth, the comedian, has finally opened up on his 17-year feud with AY Makun, his colleague. 

The ace comedians have been in the news for years over their lingering feud.

In a recent interview, AY said their years-long rift started over money he is yet to receive for a show he anchored for Basketmouth.

“Two weeks running, I hadn’t seen N30,000. Because I didn’t see the N30,000, I was starving in Iponri,” he had said.

“I decided to ask for N30,000 and he said this person hasn’t remitted. He said they were not happy.

“It was very funny to hear from them that this full payment has been made long before the event.”

Basketmouth, who had kept mum since AY gave his side of the story, broke his own silence on the latest edition of Nedu’s Honest Bunch podcast. 

Born Bright Okpocha, the 44-year-old said he has never been friends with AY. 

He said he got to know about AY after Ali Baba, the comedian, recommended his name for the ‘Laffs n Jamz’ show.

The comedian also described his colleague’s account of the N30,000 incident as “lies”, arguing that there was no client involved.

Basketmouth said they would have collaborated on more projects if not for the “things I heard which threw me off”.

“Number one, AY is not my friend. We have never been friends. I have never visited his friends. I have never personally invited him to my house. I have never called him once for a hangout. If you look around on social media you will never find a picture of me and him,” he said. 

“What happened was that Ali Baba called me and said ‘Yo bro, check this guy out. Put him on.’ So I put him on ‘Laffs n Jamz’ then. We would have started something together. But this is where I have to correct something. I lied. There was one time I threw one lie. 

“The reason I used style to mind my business was that when we were about to come together, I heard some things I was not supposed to hear which threw me off. I couldn’t tell him.  I gave him space because of that. 

“That incident of N30k, I have forgotten. But I often use it as a distraction and smokescreen. Because you know my kind of person. No client was involved. It was only me, him, and Magnus.

“He omitted that information. I know the move. The guy promotes shows. He needs to sell tickets.

“To be honest, I feel very bad for him. I pity him. A time would come in your life when you get to decide who would be in your circle. And I have done that long ago.”