(AllHipHop News) Rapper Earl Sweatshirt has canceled plans to tour Australia to mourn the death of his poet father.
South African native Keorapetse Kgositsile, a noted writer, and political activist, passed away on January 3, days before Earl was due to head Down Under to perform as one of the opening acts for British pop stars The xx.
Those shows begin in Melbourne on Saturday followed by dates in Brisbane, and Sydney, but Earl will no longer be hitting the stage, according to promoters at Handsome Tours.
“We regret to inform that, due to the recent passing of Earl Sweatshirt’s father, he must cancel his appearances as support for The xx this month,” reads a statement reads. “We sincerely apologize to those affected by this cancellation and send our sincerest condolences to Earl Sweatshirt at this time.”
The Odd Future star, real name Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, had also been booked to headline a separate concert in Melbourne on Sunday, but organizers of that gig have confirmed it has been pulled, too.
Earl took to Twitter a day after his dad’s death to pay tribute to the 79-year-old by posting a picture of Kgositsile onstage at an event.
“thank yall for your thoughts and love,” he captioned the picture.