When will concertgoers learn that trying to hop on stage and messing with a performer will likely end with a punch to the face? Rapper Earl Sweatshirt was performing in Sydney, Australia, as part of his Ready To Leave Now Tour when a guy from the crowd came up behind him and tried to put their arms around him. The 21-year-old was understandably not thrilled with being surprised and accosted mid-song, and he quickly whipped around and started throwing punches at the intruder. Trash Talk’s Garrett Stevenson came to Earl’s defense and managed to get a couple kicks in. From afar it almost looked like the man was trying to hug Earl, but that is seemingly not the case.
“That fan is not hugging him,” a rep for Earl told Pitchfork. “He approached from behind and his arms are around Earl’s face and neck.”
“Earl was attacked as far as any artist performing onstage would be concerned that is ambushed from behind, not hugged,” another one added. Earl himself addressed the incident on Twitter.
keep your hands to yourself and don’t sneak up on niggas in the middle of soul bearing
— EARL (@earlxsweat) July 26, 2015
I’m not a tough guy!! I don’t like my personal space breached just like you. just respect niggas out here man not just me respect everybody
— EARL (@earlxsweat) July 26, 2015
Video of the scuffle can be viewed on a no-longer embeddable Instagram, which can be seen here.
