Slowthai Acquitted: The Challenge of Overcoming ‘Cancellation’

Patrick Gibbs KC, Slowthai’s defense counsel, informed the jury that even an acquittal would not erase the accusations, stating, “He’ll be cancelled for the rest of time.” Upon the foreman’s reading of the not guilty verdicts, the rapper collapsed in tears in the dock, having been acquitted of three counts of rape following a three-week trial at Oxford Crown Court. At that particular moment, the primary focus for most individuals present in the courtroom, including the rapper’s friends and family, was the relief and joy associated with the words “not guilty.” However, in the weeks ahead, Slowthai, whose real name is Tyron Frampton, is expected to strategize a path to overcome his “cancellation” and restore his standing as a highly regarded artist in UK rap music. His debut album was released in 2019. Subsequently, he released two additional critically acclaimed albums, including UGLY in 2023, which earned a five-star review from Thomas Smith of the NME, who described it as the rapper’s “most exhilarating project to date from front to back.” Shortly after the release of his third album, however, the Grammy-nominated rapper faced charges of rape. He was promptly removed from the line-ups of Glastonbury Festival, as well as Reading and Leeds, in the immediate aftermath. Eighteen months later, a jury of his peers has cleared him of these charges, allowing him to resume his music career. Marcus Johnstone, a criminal defence solicitor specializing in sexual offences, stated: “Winning a criminal case [and being found not guilty] is often not the end, but the start of the real problem actually.” He added that “Celebrities in particular experience being ‘cancelled’ when they find themselves accused of a sex crime.” Johnstone further remarked, “They go from hero to zero overnight.” To anticipate the potential reception of a Slowthai comeback, examining comparable cases may prove insightful. In 2019, Oritse Williams, a member of the group JLS, faced trial on accusations of raping a woman in his Wolverhampton hotel room following a concert. Williams asserted in court that the encounter was fully consensual, leading to his unanimous acquittal after only two hours of jury deliberations. Two years subsequent, JLS reunited for a 29-date comeback tour, performing for over 350,000 attendees. Since his acquittal five years prior, the musician, who has also released solo music, has observed his career recover to, and potentially surpass, its former prominence. Conversely, the English singer-songwriter Rex Orange County represents another scenario. Prior to being charged with six counts of sexual assault in 2022, the musician was broadly considered a prominent figure in modern indie music, having released critically acclaimed albums that achieved top ten positions in both the UK and US charts. All charges against him were dismissed later that same year; however, the singer opted for a two-year hiatus from music, concluding earlier this year with the release of his fifth studio album, The Alexander Technique. Nevertheless, the album has not attracted comparable interest to his prior works, spending only one week on the UK album chart and peaking at 151 in the US. Despite the dismissal of the charges, Rex Orange County has, to date, seemingly struggled to shed his “cancelled” label and revitalize his career. While the experiences of Oritse Williams and Rex Orange County might offer guidance for Slowthai’s future career decisions, the ultimate success of his comeback will be determined solely by the general public. Marcus Johnstone expressed that he believes there “may be some hope” for the Northampton-based rapper. He elaborated, stating, “His attraction is to a certain demographic who may not see the need to ‘cancel’ him.” Johnstone further suggested that Slowthai’s future songwriting would be “inspired by what he has endured.” In his 2021 song CANCELLED, Slowthai posed the question: “How you gonna cancel me?” On the track, he rapped, “Said I won’t come back, I must be cancer, ain’t got much longer, then I made a comeback.” Slowthai will now be anticipating the realization of the comeback he foretold in a song three years prior, or he will otherwise discover the answer to “How you gonna cancel me?”. For updates, BBC Oxfordshire can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.