STAGE COLLAPSE: Emtee STAGE COLLAPSE: Emtee
Award-winning rapper Emtee’s reputation was left in tatters after a social media storm again painted him as an artist who does not respect his fans, promoters and talent.
In a video that has gone viral, Emtee is captured collapsing on stage while allegedly inebriated at a show in Lephalale, Limpopo at the weekend.
The rapper, whose real name is Mthembeni Ndevu, was seen falling on his back while attempting to perform during a music concert.
The Roll Up hitmaker had to be escorted off the stage by security guards and the police, with speculation making the rounds that the rapper was drunk or high.
The Star made several attempts to contact the rapper’s management team and record label, only to be sent from pillar to post.
Ambitiouz Entertainment public relations manager Gaba Sebego yesterday said the label might release a statement, but she was unable to say when.
A source close to the rapper said: “I am not sure whether his management can talk to you, but all I know is that he is in Durban trying to rest.”
Disappointed fan Karabo Moreole tweeted: “Imagine paying R200 to watch drunk Emtee fall twice on stage.”
Fellow rapper Cassper Nyovest weighed in on the matter, urging musicians to “stop playing with the gift” and “drop the drugs”.
“Sometimes we are hated for trying to show * ****s the light. God gave us a chance to make something of ourselves. We got families to feed, ni***s. Let’s not play with the gift. Let’s not laugh at each other as well, Let’s help each other. That cool sh*t is done. Drop the drugs,” tweeted Nyovest.
Brand expert and former artist manager Vivian Chuene was
shocked, and found that it was in bad taste for management to allow an
artist to perform at a concert while inebriated.
“It’s shocking, man, to see where our music and hip-hop music industry is going with people like Emtee. It is in the hands of people like Emtee, and it’s a sad thing to look at.
“There is a lot of education that needs to go into our South African artists; they need to be workshopped, whether physically or mentally, and all other aspects.
“I woke up and saw the video doing the rounds on social media. The first thing I thought was one: already it has such a huge impact on the brand that Emtee has built; I guess he didn’t even build the brand on his own, but there is an entire team effort that goes into building his brand. All that work has gone down the drain because of one small incident,” said Chuene.
She added that brands would not want to associate themselves with someone who compromised their products in that manner.
“We can all see that he was inebriated. Secondly, it is going to affect his bookings. Promoters won’t want to touch him because he is going to come to a show and he is not going to give them what they paid for,
and risk leaving fans disgruntled.
“It is in bad taste for an artist to set foot on stage in that state. It was disrespectful to both his brand and his fans.”
Previously, Ndevu was in the media for reportedly exposing his penis while urinating, live-
streaming the act on Instagram.
Chuene, a DNA brand architect, dismissed the possibilities that the rapper may be suffering from a medical condition, but felt it should have been a call from management to prevent him from
performing.
“If he was suffering from any medical condition, I would not even advise him to go on stage in that condition because it affects his performance entirely,” she said.
“There is a lot that artists don’t take care of generally, and yes, the psychological state is part of it.
“Most artists just go on about
their day.”
Making an example with the Vodacom Durban July weekend, by the time artists end the weekend, they are so exhausted that they literally have nothing left in them, Chuene said.
@Zwane_2li2ls