UK rapper Slowthai was given the trophy for the fan-voted Hero Of The Year award at the NME Awards Wednesday night and the rapper then took his award as an invitation to cause a ruckus. Slowthai made a scene during the awards ceremony. The rapper inappropriately grabbed host Katherine Ryan on stage, heckled an audience member who called him out, lit to light a cigarette inside, then started a fight with a man in the crowd. Slowthai was even escorted out of the event by security. The rapper then apologized the next day to Ryan and his fans, expressing his embarrassment over his actions and promising to “do better.” But while the rapper may be regretful of his actions, fans are taking his apology with a grain of salt.
Slowthai began the night with a performance of “Deal Wiv It” with his collaborator Mura Masa. During the rowdy performance, Slowthai dropped his pants and mooned the crowd. While the playful act was an unconventional sight for an awards ceremony, Slowthai was just getting started.
The rapper took the stage to accept his Hero of the Year award from host and comedian Katherine Ryan. But Slowthai wasn’t about to give your average acceptance speech. Instead, the rapper turned his attention towards Ryan, lit a cigarette, and began making lewd comments about the host during his speech. When one audience member voiced their discomfort, Slowthai addressed the heckler with anger. “Thank you for ruining my speech,” he said before throwing his microphone into the crowd. The audience, equally outraged, threw the microphone back. The rapper then escalated the situation by tossing a full glass of champagne to the crowd, then jumping down and starting a fight.
https://twitter.com/ChairmanBuoy/status/1227725776335884289?
It’s just kicked off at the NME Awards #Slowthai 😬 just after he won hero of the year #NMEAwards2020 pic.twitter.com/rKmUOXSuhB
— Vin (@V1nesh) February 12, 2020
https://twitter.com/bitsommar/status/1227786047326691331
The next day, Slowthai apologized to Ryan and his fans for his actions. Ryan dismissed his apology, saying she knew he was kidding.
.@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
(2/2) katherine, you are a master at your craft and next time i’ll take my seat and leave the comedy to you. to any woman or man who saw a reflection of situations they’ve been in in those videos, i am sorry. i promise to do better. let’s talk here.
— 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
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
Fans, although, didn’t let him off the hook so easily.
Nah mate, I think you showed your true colours last night.
— Field Recorder (@fieldrecorder) February 13, 2020
KSI watching slowthai ruin his career pic.twitter.com/tFDBxjAc1D
— georgianna big banana 🍉 (@georgeiscool69) February 13, 2020
Ok I’m gonna say it cos it seems like loads of my musical peers have bottled it
SlowThai ur a slimy prick and though I love ur music the way you acted towards Kathryn Ryan was pure Weinstein vibes.
Get to fuck mate
1/2
— Reverend&TheMakers (@Reverend_Makers) February 13, 2020
slowthai winning hero of the year then going on to harass a woman and try and fight someone in the crowd is like winning the nobel peace prize then immediately starting ww3
— Memeulous (@Memeulous) February 13, 2020
