13 February 2020
Newsdesk
Slowthai has been removed as the UK ambassador for Record Store Day following his controversial appearance at the 2020 NME Awards.
The 'Deal Wiv It' rapper was involved in an altercation with an audience member at Wednesday's (12.02.20) ceremony and also made sexual remarks towards host Katherine Ryan for which he has since apologised for.
He has now been "withdrawn" from the role as an ambassador and will not appear at this year's launch on March 5.
A statement released on behalf of Record Store Day organisers on Thursday (13.02.20) read: "You will have seen this morning's reports of Slowthai's appearance at the NME Awards last night. The resulting reaction on social media speaks for itself.
"The individual record shops who organise Record Store Day have spoken this morning and have unanimously agreed that Slowthai's behaviour and statements do not reflect their values and statements do not reflect their values or those of Record Store Day.
"On that basis we have withdrawn our invitation for Slowthai to be this year's Record Store Day ambassador and he will not be appearing at our 5th March event."
The 25-year-old artist had been accused called host Katherine, 36, "baby" and urged her to "smell [his] cologne" as he put his arms around her.
He went to say: "She wants me to tend to her flowers ... You ain't never had someone play with you liked I'd play with you."
Later in the evening as he collected his Hero of the Year prize, he lashed out at an audience member who had branded him "misogynistic" following his earlier behaviour towards the Canadian comic.
The rapper yelled: "Misogynistic? I stand for equality... if you can't take a joke, sit down ... Thank you for ruining my speech."
He then threw his microphone at the spectator and, after the man threw it back and called him a "wasteman", Slowthai then chucked his champagne glass into the crowd and launched himself off stage, with security holding him back following a brief tussle.
Record Store Day representatives confirmed that revised details of the curtain-raiser to Record Store Day 2020 will be coming in due course.
