@V1nesh/TwitterSlowthai has been making headlines today after his controversial appearance at the NME Awards saw him attack a member of the audience after he was accused of being misogynistic towards host Katherine Ryan.
The 25-year-old took to the stage at the award ceremony at the O2 Brixton Academy in London last night, February 12, where he scooped the award for ‘hero of the year’.
It was all going well for the rapper, until he made several lewd comments toward Katherine, calling her ‘baby girl’, getting up close and personal with her, and asking her to smell his cologne. Footage showed him putting his arms around her and saying, ‘she wants me to tend to her flowers,’ while he also tweeted the word ‘SEX’, followed by a flower emoji.
It’s just kicked off at the NME Awards #Slowthai 😬 just after he won hero of the year #NMEAwards2020 pic.twitter.com/rKmUOXSuhB
— Vinesh (@V1nesh) February 12, 2020
When Slowthai got up to accept his prestigious award, he’d barely been on the stage for two minutes before a member of the audience called him misogynistic.
The rapper responded by shouting, ‘thank you for ruining my speech,’ before throwing his microphone into the crowd. The man threw the mic right back, which prompted Slowthai to chuck his champagne flute before launching himself off stage and being held back by security.
While the people of the internet were less than impressed by his performance, many were quick to praise Katherine’s handling of the ‘uncomfortable’ situation.
However, the comic has now spoken out and said she didn’t find the ordeal ‘uncomfortable’ at all, emphasising the fact that ‘this is why we need women in positions of power’.
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
‘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,’ she tweeted. ‘I was operating 2/10. What a sweet boy. I defused it.’
Katherine added: ‘Tonight was fun!’
Slowthai is known for being somewhat controversial after he held up an effigy of Boris Johnson’s severed head at the Mercury Prize ceremony.
The flag shaggers are going to have a proper melt down when they hear that Slow Thai just took to the stage at The Mercury Prize holding a decapiated mannequins head of Boris Johnson …. pic.twitter.com/ZBn1X56RdZ
— Andy Saunders (@mrasaunders) September 19, 2019
He stripped down while parading the fake head and shouted, ‘f*ck Boris Johnson. F*ck everything.’
At the time, Boris laughed off the performance and said the rapper had actually said ‘back Boris’ but was let down by the acoustics.
It’s fair to say Katherine handled the incident like a true professional. Perhaps the ordeal will force event hosts to take heed her advice and get more women on the bill.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.