Pouya and Fat Nick, the‘Ren that is so-called and’ of rap, built their brand name on being lovable knuckleheads. But year that is last one of these ended up being quietly accused of intimate attack.
Tarpley Hitt
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In October of 2013, a thin kid that is white Kevin Pouya uploaded a video clip to YouTube called “How to obtain Free Donuts. ” The movie opens on Pouya, appearing just like a preteen Travis Birkenstock, dealing with the digital digital camera. “Check it away, look it over, you get free donuts, from Dunkin’ Donuts” he says, “This is how. No. Money. Recommended. ” The camera follows Pouya and a friend as they order at a drive-thru window, grab a box of glazed, and speed off without paying, cackling out of the lot over a piano soundtrack straight from The Sims.
Miami rapper Pouya’s early YouTube show, Nick and Pouya Show, produced together with his best friend and longtime collaborator, Fat Nick, had been filled up with pranks such as this one—silly, unscripted, low-budget, funny and then those included. But almost couple of years later on, after Pouya scored large number of streams on SoundCloud, somewhat more body mass, and a spot that is coveted South Florida’s rap scene, he nevertheless cited their YouTube show since the beginning of their job.
“Comedy ended up being our initial thing, ” Pouya stated of their partnership with Fat Nick on No Jumper, a well known hip-hop podcast whose interviews with underground rappers act as a type of litmus test for long-lasting viability. But even yet in their thing—writing that is second the, melancholy pubs now similar to South Florida rap—Pouya and Nick constantly branded on their own as amiable goons. The set have a comedy that is classic differential (Pouya plays a skeletal David Spade to Nick’s Chris Farley), fast banter, and a dark, cartoonish sensibility, leading one author to dub them the “Ren and Stimpy of rap. ”
Into the time since, the duo became regulars into the sphere of SoundCloud rap, having a title sign in the brand new York Times’ definitive article about them and constant commercial success. In 2016, Pouya https://speedyloan.net/installment-loans-vt featured on “Dat $tick, ” the breakout solitary from Indonesian MC deep Brian (then Rich Chigga), who now figures on the list of biggest names in rap. Round the time that is same Pouya dropped Underground Underdogs, which climbed iTunes’ hip-hop charts for almost a week. Later on, his 2017 collab with Fat Nick, Drop away from class, implemented suit. Then Five Five, a mixtape that is well-received in March (called for the rapper’s height), prompted Pouya to announce a month-long trip across European countries for early this autumn.
But final September, amidst their job growth and simply a fortnight before Harvey Weinstein’s misconduct that is sexual caused a cataclysm of #MeToo moments, the rappers’ reputation took a change when it comes to severe, whenever a 22-year-old tattoo artist filed a police report, accusing Pouya as well as 2 people in their entourage of sexual attack.
A spokesperson wrote on Pouya’s behalf that the rapper categorically denies engaging in non-consensual sexual conduct with anyone in a statement to The Daily Beast. He claims not to experienced sexual experience of the accuser, and also to be “prepared” to just simply just take her allegations to court.
“Mr. Pouya is confident that a fundamental research associated with facts will expose why these claims are false, ” the representative penned, “and when proof is evaluated these allegations are going to be determined to possess been created by a disingenuous person who is searching for attention underneath the umbrella of the #MeToo movement. ” The authorities report ended up being filed on 24, 2017 september. The #MeToo motion became popular after 5, 2017 october.
The story starts in very early 2015, whenever Pouya rose to SoundCloud semi-fame after releasing a few singles, such as the popular track “Get Buck” (۲۰۱۳), as well as 2 mixtapes, Stunna (2014) and Southern Side Slugs (2015). The BMX-blogger, hip-hop tastemaker, and recently accused sexual assailant Adam Grandmaison, better known as Adam22 though still largely unknown, Pouya’s small but rabid following earned him a spot on No Jumper, speaking with the podcast’s notorious host. (Grandmaison denies the allegations. )
When you look at the episode, the then-20-year-old Pouya described growing up in Miami together with his grandmother, fulfilling Nick within the 7th grade, and becoming fast buddies. They skated, made videos that are quick their YouTube channel, and soon after, after both boys dropped away from twelfth grade, broke into rap.
The pivot from comedy to music wasn’t random—Pouya and Fat Nick had been buddies with users of Raider Klan, the hip-hop collective spearheaded by an musician known as SpaceGhostPurrp, whom helped place Southern Florida music regarding the map.
Pouya’s No Jumper look proved instantly popular–then among the show’s most viewed—and when you look at the following months their job gained energy, prompting Adam22 to ask the rapper back once again to the podcast simply 10 months later (“His career is continuing to grow like crazy, ” the host had written when you look at the show records. ) Element of that appeal stemmed from Pouya’s silly schtick (he and Nick are laughing throughout) and from their frankness. The rapper talked freely about anxiety, despair, and intimate insecurity, but in addition about explicit intimate escapades that take on an ominous tone in light of this allegations against him.