Rema

Rema's first Coachella performance began very late within a 45-minute slot, with faulty microphone and monitoring equipment, extensive use of backing tracks and a shortened set. The performance was heavily criticised online.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Following his sold-out show at London's O2 Arena, some audience members and internet users accused Rema of using satanic imagery because of a black horse, masks, a giant bat and a dark aesthetic.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

At the Dreamville Festival in North Carolina, Rema stopped his performance when monitoring and sound problems disrupted Calm Down. He criticised organisers because the sound had worked for other artists but failed when an African artist performed, and threatened to leave the stage.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

In Atlanta, Rema interrupted his concert and left the stage, explaining that the heat, sound quality and venue arrangements prevented him from giving fans the show they deserved. His departure divided audiences between support for his professional standards and frustration over the interrupted performance.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

A planned concert in Addis Ababa was cancelled following an opposition campaign by Ethiopian Orthodox Church leaders and worshippers. Critics pointed in particular to stage imagery, a necklace depicting a burning church and other symbols they considered satanic or offensive.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

In another series of tweets, Rema criticised artists who, according to him, owed money to their stylists or misled producers about revenue from songs. The remarks sparked debate about commercial practices in Nigeria's music industry.

Attribution

Personally implicated

Rema published a lengthy series of messages addressing his relationship with the industry, his image, his family background and his father's death. In particular, he asked the Edo State PDP to explain the circumstances of the death, increasing the political significance of the episode.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Attribution

Personally implicated