in tearful video, cupcakke quits music

Confusing — and frankly, alarming — fans, Chicago rapper CupcakKe has announced that she’s quitting music.

Over the weekend, CupcakKe drew a lot of attention over controversial tweets about pop singers Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, subtweeting the former Fifth Harmony member, “Your ‘fav’ that use to be in that lil pop group is racist but WBK,” and later with the descriptor, “The one that’s dating the fine gay guy.” She followed those tweets with another one more clearly directed at Cabello writing, “Yes sis …. I f*cked your man … & I did it on purpose since your [sic] racist ???? & that’s the TEA‼️ let’s tell the world become [sic] I grab the receipts.”

Oop.

After offering to ghostwrite for fellow rapper Saweetie, CupCakKe then drew the ire of K-pop fans who were angry with her for tweets criticizing K-pop star Chungha’s dancing ability. Hours later, in a raw Instagram Live video, draped in a bedsheet, CupCakKe tearfully announced that she was retiring from music altogether. She explained that she would be removing her entire catalog from streaming platforms and leaving social media for good. She pointed to her attacks against Cabello and Mendes as a desire to “get as much attention as possible to let y’all know that I will no longer be doing music. And all of my music will be coming off every platform.”

The reason? Her fear that her music was “corrupting the youth.” After witnessing a video of an assumed 13-year-old girl dancing to her music, the rapper worried that young people having access to her sexually explicit content was disturbing to her. “I just decided that’s it, I don’t wanna do music no more.”

CupcakKe has publicly struggled with mental illness, the most notable incident being a suicide scare that led to her hospitalization in January. With that in mind, this latest rollercoaster of events is a cause for alarm for many fans. The Chicago rapper has been open with fans about her struggles, and tweeted to let them know she was okay after a suicide scare that led her to be hospitalized in January, writing, “I’m finally getting the help that I need to get through, be happy, & deliver great music.”

@CupcakKe_rapper you are allowed to take a break. you are allowed to choose your narrative. you are allowed to rebrand.

you are loved. you are supported. you are gifted. and you are fucking beautiful.

take the time you need. cuz we need you here.

i’m here if you need to talk

— CHIKA (@oranicuhh) September 23, 2019