"Distasteful": Cassper Nyovest Slammed for His Alleged Homophobic Riky Rick Tribute

"Distasteful": Cassper Nyovest Slammed for His Alleged Homophobic Riky Rick Tribute

  • Cassper Nyovest has broken his silence after the death of Riky Rick, with whom he shared many moments in and out of the studio
  • Cassper took to his social media to share a screenshot of a TV interview that showed Riky standing behind him midway through
  • Captioning the pic, the rapper said he wasn't comfortable with another man behind him but was "cool" when he realised it was Riky
  • The post attracted a torrent of harsh criticism as many Twitter users criticised Cassper for his apparent homophobia and bigotry

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Cassper Nyovest has finally broken his silence in the wake of Riky Rick's passing. When the news of his fellow hip hop act and friend's death first broke, a large section of social media users questioned Cassper's apparent silence.

This came after the Siyathanda hitmaker replaced his Twitter Avi with a picture of the late star before keeping away from the microblogging platform on Wednesday. However, on Friday, Cassper posted a picture and reminisced about a bromantic moment with Riky, in which "Boss Zonke" appeared standing behind the former.

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Pearl Thusi sparks frank mental health discussions, SA shares a mouthful: "I'm not okay!"

"Distasteful": Cassper Nyovest Slammed for His Alleged Homophobic Riky Rick Tribute
Cassper Nyovest has been taken to the washers over his apparent homophobic Riky Rick tribute. Image: @casspernyovest, @rikyrickworld
Source: Instagram

Outlining the events of that day, Cassper said it was a screenshot of a TV interview, during which Riky crept up behind him. He recalled how "uncomfortable" he felt about another man standing behind him until he realised it was, in fact, none other than Riky.

He wrote:

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"As a man, I am very uncomfortable with another man touching me or worse, being behind me. So when Riky creeped (sic) up behind me in the middle of an interview, what I really wanna do is turn around and ask, 'Which one is this one now?'. Lol. But when I heard his voice, I chilled."

The post instigated a barrage of criticism for the rapper, with many tweeps calling him out for his alleged bigotry and homophobic stance. Others defended Cassper, arguing there was simply nothing untoward about not wanting a person of the same sex to invade one's space, and that shouldn't be considered homophobic.

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The tweet garnered almost 28 000 likes and 3 800 retweets, all while attracting nearly 800 comments. In a follow-up tweet that also gained massive traction, Cassper dismissed the slander directed against him and said it was something he had now developed a thick skin towards.

"Y'all wasting your time with me. I've long gotten over this hill. Bash away!!! I simply don't give a f**k!!! The same way yall don't give a f**k about me or my pain, I don't give a f**k!!! M***te a lona kaofela!!!! God knows my heart. I am free!!!"

Saffas air different views

The reception to the rapper's subsequent tweet was the same, attracting even more comments from his fans and detractors than the first. Briefly News takes a deep dive into the comments section to bring readers the polarising views.

@u_gunman wrote:

"Tones of homophobia in the first statement you put out about a 'friends' sudden death. Hai, he could've done better than this."

Read also

"Talking from the heart": Big Zulu sheds tears in emotional tribute to Riky Rick

@DanielTshifhiwa said:

"People saying the 'caption is distasteful' are once again looking for a reason to hate the man for no reason. If y'all took the time to actually check the same post on Insta or Facebook, you'll see there was more the caption and, obviously, it was too long for Twitter."

@ZandileHugo added:

"I think it's weird people who see weird captions don't you think? I mean Cass has lost a friend and you are out here expecting cute captions. Ninjani kanti nina?"

Pearl Thusi sparks frank mental health discussions

Elsewhere, Briefly News recently reported that actress Pearl Thusi is among the many Mzansi celebs expressing their heartache and shock over Riky Rick's passing.

This has reignited discussions around mental health and the role social media plays in exacerbating the psycho-social ill. The acclaimed rapper allegedly committed suicide at his north Joburg home before then-rumours about the incident surfaced online.

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Minnie Dlamini voices her heartbreak over Riky Rick's death: "Today's news could've easily been me"

Taking to Twitter in the wake of the confirmation of his death, Pearl, like many others in the entertainment space, cut an inconsolable figure.

The personality has, seemingly, now taken the onus to inspire frank conversations among her fans and followers, and her latest post ensures that there is no ambiguity in what is being asked of them.

If you are feeling suicidal or are thinking about hurting yourself, do not hesitate to call the SA Suicide Crisis Line at 0800 567 567.

If you are concerned that someone you know might be in danger of hurting themselves, please alert your local authorities for immediate assistance. You can also encourage the person to contact a suicide prevention hotline using the information above.

Help is available on the Suicide Crisis Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and counsellors can conduct calls in all 11 official languages.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tshepiso Mametela avatar

Tshepiso Mametela (Head of Current Affairs Desk) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is the Head of Current Affairs at Briefly News. He was a mid-level reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a general reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops organised by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism, including crime and court reporting. Email: tshepiso.mametela@briefly.co.za