Bully Rapper Axed By Her Majesty's Government

I don’t know any of the people involved, but this did make me laugh since the whole thing takes place at the intersection of celebrity, irony, and vanity.  Apparently Dappy, star of the UK hip hop band N-Dubz has incredibly thin skin.

BBC Radio 1 listener Chloe Moody texted The Chris Moyles Show while the band N-Dubz was being interviewed, calling them “losers” and labelling Dappy “repulsive”. But then the next day she was shocked to receive a message from rapper Dappy saying: “Your [sic] gonna die”.  The BBC said Dappy took down Ms Moody’s number without producers’ knowledge.

The message went on to say: “U sent a very bad msg towards Ndubz on The Chris Moyels [sic] Show yesterday Morning and for that reason u will never be left alone!!! If u say sorry I will leave you alone.”

Ms Moody added: “I was wracking my brains trying to work out who it was, as I didn’t tell anyone I had texted the radio show.  “I didn’t think it would be him because I seriously didn’t think he’d be bothered.”  When Ms Moody did eventually answer his call she said she faced further insults.

“He was just ranting, saying ‘why are you saying this about me?’. If I had had a number one single and got a message from a nobody to a radio station I would not be too concerned. It obviously hit a nerve.”

In a prepared statement, Dappy – real name Dino Contostavlos – said: “I called her in the heat of the moment when I was angry, but that is no excuse for my behaviour. “I’m genuinely sorry. I’d also like to send my sincerest apologies to Radio 1.”

Despite making an apology through his management agency, who also offered her free N-Dubz concert tickets, Ms Moody said Dappy was yet to text her personally to say sorry.  Now why the hell would they offer this girl, free concert tickets to see a band that she labled as “losers” and “repulsive”.

As a result of the incident, N-Dubz have been dropped as ambassadors of anti-bullying charity Beatbullying.  The band had been embraced by Her Majesty’s Government. Last November, Dappy joined Schools Secretary Ed Balls to launch a Government campaign against “cyber-bullying” over mobile phones and the internet.

At the time, Mr Balls welcomed the release of an N-Dubz track called “RU Cyber Safe” as part of anti-bullying week and hailed the group as “great ambassadors” in the fight against bullies.  In light of the incident with Ms Moody, Mr Balls has changed his tune and responded: “This text message was completely unacceptable and it is right that he has not only apologised, but accepted there was no excuse for his behaviour.

“I know that many artists work with Beatbullying because they genuinely want to use their influence with young people to campaign against bullying.

“But that starts with ensuring their own behaviour sets the right example.”