Zulu announce departure of singer following abuse accusations
Hardcore punk band Zulu have announced the departure of singer Anaiah Rasheed Muhammad following abuse accusations aimed at the musician.
Earlier this week, a person referring to themselves as Simpson accused Muhammad of both physical and mental abuse. She claimed to be a former partner and roommate of the vocalist. He was accused of kicking, choking, punching, gaslighting and verbally harassing Simpson.
In response to the claims, Muhammad issued a statement of his own and denied the claims against him. He wrote: “I want to start by saying that I categorically deny ever engaging in any form of physical abuse. Violence towards anyone, especially partners, is completely against my values, and I would never harm anyone.”
Muhammad also said: “I want to make it absolutely clear that I have never engaged in any form of coercion, manipulation, or isolation toward this individual. At no point have I ever tried to control her environment, interfere with her personal life, or restrict her in any way.”
As a result of the accusations, guitarist Dez Yusuf filled in on vocal duties when they performed in Sao Paulo on March 9th as Zulu performed with Muhammad. They have now cancelled all future shows and will put the project on hold for the foreseeable future.
In a new statement, they explained: “We are aware of the allegations brought forth against Anaiah. We stand in solidarity with all people who are victims of abuse, and condemn the mistreatment of those vulnerable in our communities. Our hearts go out to anyone who has experienced any form of physical or emotional abuse, assault, or any other act that has caused harm and taken their agency away from them.”
They also confirmed that members of Zulu have now “separated ourselves from Anaiah” and they will no longer be working with the singer “in any capacity”.
Zulu continued: “We want to acknowledge the allegations were never disclosed to us prior, and we were immediately concerned reading the detailed account. We were aware there were unresolved issues between the parties involved, but not the nature of the allegations.”
The group concluded: “We understand that this has been extremely upsetting and disappointing to anyone who supported this band, it’s message and what it’s represented. Upon our return home we have withdrawn from scheduled performances and will be officially putting this project on pause.”
The hardcore band, based in Los Angeles, formed in 2019 and released their debut album, A New Tomorrow, in 2023.
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