Nigerian comedian Bright Okpocha popularly known as Basketmouth has opened up about the rift between himself and Ayo Makun also known as AY.
There have been long-running speculations about the relationship between the two great comedians who have never worked together.
However, during a recent interview on Ebuka Obi-Uchendu’s Black Box Interview series on Bounce Radio, the conversation of alleged disunity among comedians in Nigeria came up.
Which led to Ebuka also bringing up the alleged comedy beef with AY during the conversation. Basketmouth revealed that he fell out with his fellow comedian because he messed with loyalty.
“I’d have stayed where the competition is. I still do standup comedy but not with great energy because I’m targeting all-around entertainment now. My competition is me. There’s nothing [like a feud] between AY and I, he said.
“He came in my space; messed with loyalty by saying something to my lawyer Magnus that I told him in private. It was nothing but it was enough to cause a rift and have me put up the walls. We made peace and he apologised. I have no single problem with AY as claimed. We don’t talk.”
Basketmouth however, played down the situation and revealed that they have settled it and moved on. “We made peace and he apologised,” Basketmouth said.
Basketmouth also mentioned that he did not lure Bovi away from any potential business deal that he could have had with AY.
“I did not snatch Bovi. Bovi is not a girl,” the comedian said stating that he met Bovi in Abuja at a show for the first time and they both connected from that point.
“Bovi and I went to Abuja. He performed. I was blown away. When he was done, we talked about what he could do better. We’d been friends but that was the first I saw him perform. I didn’t know any background story,” he said.
“I proposed that we do business together and we clicked. I was already hearing claims before and after the settled rift with AY.
He made it clear that he and Bovi are friends and they have a connection clearly every doubt that might have been perceived towards them.
Basketmouth emphasized that his concern in the industry now is increasing his audience and not feud with other comedians.
In his words “My concern is increasing my audience, not feuds. How do I make viewers follow religiously? I have a film coming, a special coming next year ‘The Voices In My Head’, a sitcom coming to TV, another album. These I worry about.”
