British rapper slowthai caused a stir at the Mercury Prize ceremony last night by holding up an effigy of Boris Johnson’s severed head.
Wearing a ‘F*** Boris’ T-shirt decorated with lewd images of the Prime Minister, the award-nominated artist, held up the provocative mask on stage at the Eventim Apollo in London.
After stripping to the waist, during an energetic performance of his song Doorman, he held the decapitated mannequin and shouted: ‘F*** Boris Johnson. F*** everything’.
Slowthai was nominated for his album Nothing Great About Britain, which casts a critical eye over life in the modern UK, and was one of the favourites for the Mercury Prize.
According to Mail Online the BBC live feed cut away from the rapper as he held up the effigy, but the audience responded with rapturous applause as slowthai left the stage.
Awards host Lauren Laverne apparently addressed the stunt without comment, saying: ‘slowthai, with his own views there.’
After the performance, slowthai, whose real name Tyron Frampton, took to Twitter to promote a £25 ‘F*** Boris’ T-shirt along with another lewd picture of the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is yet to comment.
The video below contains swearing:
If @slowthai doesn’t win, we riot. #FuckBoris#mercuryprize pic.twitter.com/LOWJQh8LZq
— Andrew Trendell (@AndrewTrendell) September 19, 2019
But not everyone was as thrilled with the stunt as the live audience, which had a mixed reception on social media.
‘#slowthai making the BBC real uncomfortable. Well done, son! #mercury prize,’ wrote one fan.
A critic of the stunt wrote: ‘Only heard of @slowthai because the only way he can get noticed is by holding a decapitated head of the PM. Pathetic. #mercuryprize’
Slowthai was one of 12 artists shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, which was won by London rapper Dave for his album Psychodrama.
Among the judges was Stormzy, who raised his own profile by criticising then prime minister Theresa May during his performance at the Brit Awards in 2018.
Stormzy similarly urged the crowd to join him in a chant of ‘F*** Boris’ at Glastonbury this summer.
Mr Johnson laughed it off by joking that the rapper had actually said ‘Back Boris’ but was let down by the acoustics.
The Inglorious rapper has also previously taken aim at Theresa May in his lyrics and urged his followers to target her with the social media hashtag #brexitbandit.
The Boris Johnson stunt wasn’t the only political message of the night.
Rock band Foals, who also performed, shared their concern about climate change on the red carpet holding up a sign: ‘No music on a dead planet.
