(AllHipHop News) Rapper Silento is taking legal action after he was banned from leaving Dubai due to a financial dispute with a concert promoter.
The “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” star was reportedly supposed to play two shows in the United Arab Emirates in mid February, but the shows never took place so local promoter Makki Taj El Sir Abdel Halim, who took the issue to court, called for the star’s team to reimburse performance fees, travel and marketing costs.
His team eventually paid the court so he could leave, but the singer isn’t taking the court drama lying down and is planning to take legal action over the dispute.
“I paid the court, but now I’m counterattacking on everybody in the situation,” he told TMZ.com at Los Angeles International Airport. “I’m taking legal action with everybody who was a part of that fake case.”
Confirming he was seeking money, he added, “I missed a lot of shows and a lot of fans think I wasn’t showing up because of just being me but it was his fault that I didn’t show up… they tried to make a fake case on me saying that I took some money or I didn’t show up at a show when the promoter didn’t follow through with the requirements for me to do a show.”
He claims that the promoter was supposed pay for requirements such as flights and hotel and he failed to do so which is why he didn’t do the concerts.
Silento, real name Ricky Lamar Hawk, also said because of his age, he was not detained nor was his passport obtained.
“I was not detained. I did not give my passport up at all. I’m considered a minor in Dubai so when they figured out I was 19 they automatically dismissed the case. I couldn’t leave but they couldn’t take my passport or come arrest me because I was underage,” he fumed.