The London carnival – one of the most important after that of Rio – turned tragic: a young rapper was the victim of a fatal knife attack.
« It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Takayo passed away last night. » In a Twitter post published on Tuesday August 30, manager Chris Patrick announced the death of his client and friend Takayo The 21-year-old rapper, known as TKorStretch and from Bristol, was stabbed during the Notting Hill neighborhood carnival in London. He was then accompanied by his sister and friends.
The three-day event, which celebrates Caribbean culture and reputed to be the second carnival in the world after that of Rio, was the scene of multiple incidents. In all, 200 arrests were recorded by the London police, including 46 for assault, 36 for receiving drugs, 33 for possession of a weapon, 27 for disturbing public order and eight for sexual assault. At around 8 p.m., the Metropolitan Police in London were reportedly informed that a 21-year-old man had suffered stab wounds.
First aid was reportedly given to Takayo Nembhard and then he was transported to hospital, where he died of his injuries. A murder investigation has been opened. In an Instagram post published on the rapper’s account, specializing in drill music, Chris Patrick says he met TKorStretch two years ago. The then 19-year-old rapper had traveled from Bristol, accompanied by his father, to meet the manager.
“This meeting took us on a journey… we recorded great music together. His talent was infinite and I can tell you he was close to greatness!” he recalls. “TK was a good boy, a good guy and what happened breaks my heart,” concludes Chris Patrick.
The artist’s companion, pregnant, also delivered a touching message on her Instagram account to the attention of her late boyfriend: « I love you with all my heart and I’m so happy to be able to share something so special with you and I know I will see you in him every day. »
GRM Daily, media specializing in British urban music, also paid tribute to TKorStretch. Several of the titles of the artist, who used to perform masked, had been published on their YouTube channel like Gaza and Woah. “Originally from Bristol, he was one of the few representatives of his city in the United Kingdom and had a great career ahead of him”, testifies the media on its website. The title Flamenco Dance, published on the Pressplay Media channel, was the most viewed of the artist and accumulated more than 500,000 views.
