The young British rapper Slowthai, aka Tyron Kaymone Frampton, has taken his country by storm with incendiary political rhetoric and equally fiery live shows. His album Nothing Great About Britain is up for the Mercury Prize, handed out annually to the UK and Ireland's best album, and at the ceremony tonight he left a major impression.
Each of the nominees gets a chance to perform on Mercury Prize night. Onstage tonight at Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London, Slowthai ended his performance by pulling a fake severed head out of a bag, doctored to look like newly elected UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson was a key influence behind the Brexit movement and is buddy-buddy with Donald Trump, and therefore Slowthai, a Northampton native of Irish-Barbadan descent, is among the most vocal of his many critics on the left.
Slowthai also shouted "Fuck Boris!" numerous times throughout the performance, and as journalist Laura Snapes points out, he has posted a pre-order for some graphic "Fuck Boris" T-shirts in his web store. (Snapes also notes that host Lauren Laverne followed the severed-head bit by announcing, "Slowthai, with his own views there.")
Watch footage of the decapitation stunt below. I am extra curious to see who wins now!
https://twitter.com/skinofthesea/status/1174777572909076486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
View this post on InstagramFUCK BORIS TSHIRTS OUT NOW!!!!!! LINK IN BIO SHOP.SLOWTHAI.COM
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UPDATE: Here's video of Slowthai's full "Doorman" performance leading up to the head incident.
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