Reports indicate that South African rapper Emtee has been receiving death threats for the past two years. The latest threat was said to have come in the wake of the death of DJ Sumbody. According to a Twitter blog called MDN News, Emtee was sent a text message that read “DJ Sumbody is dead, You are next.” This came after Sumbody was gunned down late in 2022.In response to Sumbody’s death and the threats he has been receiving, Emtee expressed his fear for his safety, saying that “it’s not safe, man.” He told the blog Zimoja that he had been ignorant for a long time and that Sumbody’s death woke him up to the reality that he is not safe. The rapper revealed that he always walks around with expensive jewelry, and he cannot afford to put his life at risk and tempt people.
“I am always walking around with expensive jewellery. I can’t afford to put my life at risk and tempt people,” Emtee said. “I also need to remember who I am; I am Emtee. I am not just some normal guy who can just walk around freely. I would love to live like that, walk round the streets and not be recognised, but I am not that guy. Someone made me realise that this is not the way to go, and Sumbody’s death made me aware that I need to be safe and remember who I am.”
Emtee is not the only rapper who has expressed concern for his safety. Following Sumbody’s death, fellow rapper Cassper Nyovest also revealed that he had decided to beef up his security. Cassper stated that he was no longer feeling safe, as he acknowledged that people out there are hungry.“I am not just some normal guy who can just walk around freely. I would love to live like that, walk round the streets and not be recognised, but I am not that guy,” Cassper said. “Someone made me realise that this is not the way to go, and Sumbody’s death made me aware that I need to be safe and remember who I am.”
Unfortunately, these incidents of violence are not isolated cases. Many artists in South Africa have been victims of crime and violence in recent years. Just last year, award-winning musician AKA lost his fiancée, Anele “Nelli” Tembe, in a tragic incident that sparked public outrage. Music executive Nota Baloyi has also come under fire from some rappers, with Emtee and others wishing death on him. Nota had made some dangerous speculations about the death of AKA, pointing fingers at his friends.