Slowthai has appeared in court after being charged with two counts of rape.
As reported by The Guardian, the British rapper (real name Tyron Frampton) was charged with oral and vaginal penetration of a woman without her consent.
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The incident allegedly took place in Oxford, England back in September 2021, but no other details were made available.
Slowthai spoke only to confirm his real name when he appeared in front of the Oxfordshire magistrates, as well as his date of birth and address in his native Northampton.
Prosecutor Adam Yar Khan informed the magistrates that the rape charge must be heard at crown court, and that it remained an “indictable-only” offense.
Slowthai was bailed out and will appear before crown court in June. The 28-year-old denied the allegations against him in a statement shared on Twitter on Tuesday (May 16).
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“Regarding the allegations being reported about me. I categorically deny the charges,” he wrote. “I am innocent and I am confident my name will be cleared. Until then I will apply my energy to ensure this is concluded swiftly and justly.”
He added: “I ask that my supporters don’t comment about this situation and respect the process and privacy of my family during this time.”
Slowthai rose to fame with his critically acclaimed debut album Nothing Great About Britain in 2019, which peaked at No. 9 on the U.K.’s albums chart and was nominated for a Mercury Prize award, losing out to Dave’s Psychodrama.
Two years later, he topped the chart in his homeland with his sophomore effort Tyron and earned his first Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording thanks to his “My High” collaboration with Disclosure and Aminé.
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He’s also worked with the likes of A$AP Rocky, Tyler, The Creator, Denzel Curry, Skepta and Gorillaz, and most recently dropped off his third album UGLY in March 3.
In an interview with Complex following its release, Slowthai said the project was meant to “broaden his horizons” as an artist.
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“I want to broaden horizons and open their eyes to different music,” he said. “You got to love yourself and let people know they’re not alone — I want them to live with the album and grow with it. All of us have something ugly, so love yourself as is.”
HipHopDX gave UGLY a middling 2.8 out of 5 in a review, with writer Peter A. Berry citing its “bland writing for the indie rock-leaning songs” and Slowthai’s “general lack of dynamism as a singer.”
