Sizwe Sibiya
British rapper Pa Salieu has been dropped from performing at the closing ceremony of the 22nd Commonwealth Games following a last minute background check.
The 25-year-old rapper was convicted in March of possessing a bottle as an offensive weapon during a brawl in 2018 which ended with his friend Fidel Glasgow being stabbed to death.
He later admitted violent disorder and is awaiting sentence.
Salieu said he only received a call informing him of the decision to cancel him from the show after a background check was conducted on him a week before the ceremony.
“Yesterday I received a call to say that I’m being removed from the show because I ‘failed a background check’,” revealed the controversial rapper on Monday.
His trial for the incident in 2018 ended in March and he was originally due to be sentenced a month later. However the courts keep moving the date, often with less than 24 hours’ notice.
“This date has changed four times already, with the latest date now being set as 2 December,” said the statement, which also referred to the decision to drop his performance as something that had “no human common sense” involved, reports BBC.
“I can’t keep being silent about this stuff,” said the drill music rapper on Instagram, while sharing a video of his rehearsals.
“I’ve already had to cancel 90% of my shows this year because the Home Office won’t process the paperwork I need to travel abroad until my court case is finished.”
The closing ceremony for the Commonwealth Games will take place on Monday, 8 August at the Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, Birmingham.
Image source: @NME
