Rachel, the sister of the late Rebecca Ikumelo, has slammed popular musician, Asake for a tribute made to the deceased during his Sunday concert in London.
Rebecca and a security guard, Gabrielle Hutchinson, both died after sustaining injuries during a crowd surge at a show held by Asake in December 2022.
On Sunday, Asake held another concert in the city and paid tribute to his deceased fans before commencing his performance. At the show, he displayed pictures and videos of Ikumelo and Hutchinson. He also urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the police.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter to express her displeasure, Rachael, @Rachaeliku tagged the tribute as a “sorry excuse”.
According to her, the singer was yet to speak with their family since the incident happened.
She wrote, “What a sorry excuse of a ‘tribute’ from @asakemusik. My sister lost her life at your show and you haven’t spoken to a single member of my family since. But you can hold another concert in London less than 9 months later and play her videos as a ‘tribute’? RIP Rebecca Ikumelo”.
After the tragic incident, Asake had issued a statement to express his condolences to the family.
“I am devastated by the news that Rebecca Ikumelo, who was in critical condition since Thursday, has sadly passed away.
“My sincerest condolences to her loved ones at this time. Let us please keep her family in our prayers. I have spoken to them, and will continue to do so,” he said in the release.
When Twitter users pointed out to Rachael that the singer had, according to his statement, reached out to her family, she clarified that Asake did not seek her family’s consent before sharing videos of Rebecca.
“My point is, he should not be using her videos or giving a ‘tribute’ without speaking to my family beforehand for consent. I hope you’re getting paid to ride for Asake like this,” she wrote.
Asake was forced to cancel his December’s sold-out show at O2 Academy Brixton, after crowds of people, many of whom did not have tickets, attempted to gain access.
According to reports, ticketless fans tried to breach the venue doors, forcing the show to stop halfway. Unfortunately two people died and several others were hospitalised due to the surge.
