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Kevin Abstract has spoken about the effect kicking Ameer Vann out of Brockhampton had on him, saying it “fully fucked me up”.
Vann was a founding member of the band but was removed from their line-up in May 2018 after he was accused of sexual abuse.
The rapper has always denied the allegations and addressed them in a tweet at the time, saying: “Although my behaviour has been selfish, childish, and unkind, I have never criminally harmed anyone or disrespected their boundaries. I have never had relations with a minor or violated anybody’s consent.”
Abstract recently sat down with producer Rick Rubin for an interview for GQ. When Rubin asked him about traumatic events in his life, he replied: “The most recent one that has really stuck with me was kicking our friend out of the group.
“That fully fucked me up cos it’s someone I’ve known since I was 14 – almost a decade – and just fully cutting someone off in front of people, the audience, it’s a wild thing and something you think about every single day.”
Asked if he had seen Vann since, Abstract said he had run into him somewhere and had a quick interaction, which he described as “heartbreaking in a way”. He added that he didn’t regret the group’s decision to part ways with Vann, but wished they’d had “more time to talk”.
“I wish that I didn’t make the decision so quickly, even if we made the exact same decision. I wish there was a little more time to talk.”
Discussing the effect Vann’s departure had had on him, Abstract said he was having an “identity crisis”. “It’s made me more insecure as a leader, as an artist, question what I’m capable of creatively,” he explained. “I’m not saying it’s gonna stay like that forever – I’m just recognising it.”
The Brockhampton leader released his solo album ‘ARIZONA BABY’ last April, the follow-up to 2016’s ‘American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story’.
Meanwhile, Shia LaBeouf is making a film about Abstract’s life. The script for Minor Modifications was published on screenwriting website The Black List earlier this year.
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