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Brockhampton perform new track ‘Tonya’ and announce new album on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Performance was the hip hop collective's first since they kicked out Ameer Vann over sexual misconduct allegations

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Thursday 21 June 2018 05:35 EDT
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Brockhampton perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Brockhampton perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC/YouTube)

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Hip hop group Brockhampton have made their first TV appearance since removing rapper Ameer Vann from their lineup.

The collective announced a new album The Best Years Of Our Lives following a relatively mellow appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on 20 June, where they performed a new track: "Tonya."

"Tonya" references the film based on the life of figure skater Tonya Harding, who was reviled as the blue collar, "white trash" competitor caught up in scandal after her ex-husband organised an assault on her rival Nancy Kerrigan.

It includes founding member Kevin Abstract's rap: "My ghost still haunt ya/ My life is 'I, Tonya'/Big eyed monster, only face to conquer/I hated songs about fame 'cause this stuff meant nothing/Until them headlines came, the first flight I'm jumpin'."

Brockhampton's decision to remove Vann from the group followed a series of allegations of sexual misconduct against the rapper by his ex-partners. One, singer-songwriter Rhett Rowan, called the rapper "emotionally manipulative and mentally abusive" and later accused him of having a sexual relationship with a minor, and "abusing women".

In a statement, the remaining members of Brockhampton said they were "lied to" by Vann and apologised to his alleged victims.

Vann responded to the claims in a series of tweets where he said: "Although my behaviour has been selfish, childish, and unkind, I have never criminally harmed anyone or disrespected their boundaries. I have never had relations with a minor or violated anybody's consent."

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