Slowthai pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape on Thursday (15 June), stemming from an alleged incident that occurred in September 2021.
The British rapper born Tyron Frampton appeared in court for the first time on Thursday alongside his co-defendant Alex Blake-Walker, who also pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and two sexual assaults.
Both Frampton and Blake-Walker were released on bail ahead of their trial, which is scheduled to begin in July 2024, the BBC reports.
In May, Frampton was charged with the oral and vaginal penetration of a woman without her consent in Oxford during an alleged rape that happened in September 2021; Blake-Walker was accused of raping the same woman as well as a second complainant.
In the aftermath of the accusations, the Mercury Prize-nominated rapper was quietly dropped from the line-ups at the Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds festivals. The BBC notes that Slowthai also removed himself from an 8 July Wembley Stadium gig in support of Blur.
Addressing the rape allegations in May, Slowthai said in a statement: “Regarding the allegations being reported about me. I categorically deny the charges. 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 asked his supporters not to “comment about this situation” and to “respect the process and privacy” of his family.
The rapper, who is originally from Northampton, came to fame in 2019 with his critically acclaimed debut album Nothing Great About Britain. He followed that with 2021’s Tyron and his third album UGLY, which arrived in March of this year.
This article appeared originally in Rolling Stone.