Ilta-Sanomat reports that the Jore & Zpoppa duo will skip the Emma gala.
Jore & Zpoppa is nominated in three different categories. JULIUS KONTINEN
River & Zpoppa -duo will not participate in the Emma gala in March, reports Ilta-Sanomat. Confirm the decision to IS Cecilia Jokela From the Kaiku Recordings label.
At the beginning of the year, the brothers found themselves in the middle of a big uproar, when the crime background of Zpoppa, aka Cigalo Ezang-Lubuma, became public. The man has been convicted of several violent crimes over the years.
Most of the acts of violence were committed a decade ago. In one of the cases, the victim received injuries that required surgical treatment.
The rapper has told the district court himself that his relationship with drugs was strong in 2015. Ezang-Lubuma said that he used drugs and behaved violently. Violence also appears in criminal convictions.
The most recent criminal sentence was handed down in the Helsinki Court of Appeal in August 2024. Ezang-Lubuma was sentenced to three and a half months of conditional imprisonment and a fine for money laundering. He had helped transfer criminal money for compensation in the summer of 2020.
Ezang-Lubuma’s brother, performing under the stage name Jore Jordan Muyima Ezangia has not been convicted of a crime in the last 10 years.
The duo took an indefinite break in mid-January.
– Let’s take the things written about us in the papers seriously and take a moment to relax with the gigs, the artist duo’s Instagram post said.
The Jore & Zpoppa rap duo is nominated at the Emma gala in the band of the year and newcomer of the year categories. The brothers are also nominated for band of the year in the public vote. The duo’s performance at the gala was canceled already in January.
The Emma gala will take place at Espoo’s Metro Areena on March 7.
Assistant director of the Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland ry responsible for the Emma gala Tommi Kyrä told Iltalehte in January that Zpoppa’s background has no influence on the Emma nominations.
– The incident has been happening for years and since the person in question has settled the punishments imposed by the court, we have no reason to take further action, Kyyrä commented earlier.
Source: Ilta-Sanomat
