Slowthai has appeared in court, charged with two counts of rape.
The Mercury Prize nominated rapper, real name Tyron Frampton, appeared before Oxfordshire magistrates court via video link earlier today (May 16). He has been charged with the oral and vaginal penetration of a woman without her consent in Oxford, with the alleged incident occurring in September 2021.
Frampton spoke only to confirm his name, address in Northampton, and his date of birth. He has not entered a plea for the offences, but denied any wrongdoing in a statement later shared to social media.
As The Guardian reports, prosecuting lawyer Adam Yar Khan that the rape charge must be heard at crown court as it is an indictable-only offence.
“Regarding the allegations being reported about me,” his post stated, “I categorically deny the charges. I am innocent and 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.”
The rapper, who is originally from Northampton, came to fame in 2019 with his debut album Nothing Great About Britain, a critically acclaimed state-of-the-nation rap record.
The album was followed by 2021’s Tyron and his third album UGLY, which arrived in March of this year.
As it stands, Frampton is set to embark on a string of summer festival appearances including Glastonbury, a support slot at Blur’s Wembley Stadium show, and a main stage appearance at Reading and Leeds festival.