What should’ve been a celebratory night at the NME Awards quickly turned sour, as slowthai was reportedly left the event following altercations with both the host and an audience member.
The trouble began right at the onset, as slowthai and Mura Masa opened the show with a collaborative performance “Deal Wiv It”. As the song came to a close, slowthai proceeded to moon the crowd.
Later, while accepting the fan-voted award for Hero of the Year, the rapper harassed the evening’s host, comedian Katherine Ryan. He began by asking her to smell his cologne and then propositioned her. “If you want to do something, see me later,” slowthai told Ryan as the crowd looked on. “You ain’t never had no one play with you like that.” Ryan sought to defuse the situation by making sarcastic comments like, “You are like the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.”
Once Ryan exited the stage, slowthai turned on the crowd, accusing an audience member of “ruining” his speech. When an audience member called slowthai a misogynist and threw a drink in his direction, slowthai jumped into the crowd and attempted to fight the individual in question. Security intervened and escorted slowthai out of the event, according to NME.
Ryan later addressed the situation on social media. “He didn’t make me uncomfortable,” she tweeted. “This is why we need women in positions of power. I knew he had lost from the moment he opened his mouth like any heckler coming up against a COMIC – not a woman – a COMIC. I was operating 2/10. What a sweet boy. I defused it.” In another tweet, she wrote, “I’m the kind of woman he can say whatever he likes to! He’s fun.”
Update: slowthai has apologized for his “shameful actions, writing in a tweet, “there is no excuse and I am sorry. i am not a hero.”
.@nme please forward my award to @kathbum for she is the hero of the year. what started as a joke between us escalated to a point of shameful actions on my part. i want to unreservedly apologise, there is no excuse and I am sorry. i am not a hero. (1/2)
— tyron. (@slowthai) February 13, 2020
I knew you were joking and congratulations on your very award-worthy album! I hope you know that a bad day on social media passes so quickly. Everything will be better tomorrow. Xx
— Katherine Ryan (@Kathbum) February 13, 2020
Last week, during his US TV debut on Fallon with Mura Masa, slowthai showed he can push boundaries, but tonight he clearly crossed them. Watch clips of the incidents below.
Why slowthai, why pic.twitter.com/zt8aSWDs8A
— G-Force (@officialgham) February 12, 2020
@slowthai pic.twitter.com/MBtxPv0ZFa
— Insta: @audi_odane_poetry (@AudiOdane_) February 12, 2020
He didn’t make me uncomfortable.
This is why we need women in positions of power. I knew he had lost from the moment he opened his mouth like any heckler coming up against a COMIC – not a woman – a COMIC. I was operating 2/10. What a sweet boy. I defused it.
Tonight was fun!https://t.co/BBMPZpIvhy
— Katherine Ryan (@Kathbum) February 13, 2020
He was fine. I’m the kind of woman he can say whatever he likes to! He’s fun xx
— Katherine Ryan (@Kathbum) February 13, 2020
Slowthai Leaves NME Awards After Harassing Host and Fighting With Audience Member [Updated]
Robin Bacior
