Deceased concertgoer’s sister knocks Asake over video tribute

Asake, a well-known musician, has come under fire from Rachel, the sister of the late Rebecca Ikumelo, for a tribute he gave to the deceased at his concert on Sunday in London.

At an Asake concert in December 2022, Rebecca and a security guard named Gabrielle Hutchinson both suffered injuries that led to their deaths.

Asake performed at another concert in the city on Sunday. Before starting, he paid respect to his fans who had passed away. He showed images and videos of Ikumelo and Hutchinson during the show. A call to the police from anyone with information about the incident was also made by him.

Rachael, @Rachaeliku, expressed her displeasure by tagging the tribute as a “sorry excuse” on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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.