Accountability in Music • Page 180

who is that?

 

Apparently it's Nick Koenig, aka Hot Sugar.

Hot Sugar (musician) - Wikipedia

I don't find any stories on the internet referring to assault or misconduct involving him by a simple google seach of his name plus keywords like abuse, etc. So the first public disclosures of abuse, if true, may be the Instagram account that is linked to from the post above:

REAL HOT SUGAR 2 (@realhotsugar) • Instagram photos and videos

The @realhotsugar account has been up for maybe two days (the age of the oldest post currently displayed) and the profile bio says there was a previous account that was shut down. Every post tags Pitchfork and Vice. So maybe we'll see something there soon, or at least we can assume the person(s) posting are trying to get their attention.

The Instagram post above is from the account @thepom_poms, a project of Kitty Rae (Kitty (rapper) - Wikipedia ), and gives a detailed, personal account accusing Nick of abuse and assault. I am inclined to not doubt and to want to give unconditional support to people who say they are victims like this, but once pages go up that have numerous unnamed sources I'm wary of saying all are likely just as credible. Each allegation should be considered separately, but as soon as there is at least one credible source speaking out we should at least start with them and focus on them and the party they are calling out.

As this may be the first time that Kitty has communicated this publically (so far as I can tell from my brief searches) the focus of advocates should be on supporting her and getting appropriate attention to her story and to other credible sources. I can only suppose that is being done, but anything others can do here to help that would be a good thing to encourage.

 

For some reason the embed doesn't show up properly, but yes that's Nick Koenig.

 

She posted a lengthy tweet about it a couple months back too

 

Kitty posted some tweets around November 9th, starting with this one:

...and they refer to the original Instagram account real_hot_sugar which had gone up, naming the band and Nick, and Kitty's Nov 9th tweets also link to a cryptic post she made September 5th on her Twitter account:

...but the September post does not name Nick or the band (it has ironic, cartoonish censored bubbles where his name and other personally identifying information were written). I'm not sure if Kitty's named him publically before, as she refers to being concerned if she does so that she could be sued. This may be the first time he's gotten publically called out, or to the greatest extent to date, at least, with the real_hot_sugar Instagram profile to help corroborate her account.

That's all I know and I got all that from a few internet searches. I'll leave it at that, if anyone wants to add anything of course please do so.

 

She’s spoken our about him without naming him several times, always threatened with a lawsuit. But after this anonymous account popped up with many awful stories, she’s actually saying his name.

 

Yeah I think that sums everything up pretty well. I left a (p cheesy) supportive comment on that post on insta and she liked it so I hope she knows how much support she has

 

I think her comment on stage tonight introducing Motion Sickness was something like “this is about someone who loves video games and hates women”

 

https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/11/riff-raff-sexual-assault-trial

 

I'm having conflicting feelings about a show. My friend asked me to see the backstreet boys and she already knew I didn't wanna support them but still asked me to go. I reiterated that I don't want to support them and it's not rly in my budget rn anyway. She ended up buying tickets including one for myself without asking and I'm struggling if I should go. The ticket is already purchased so regardless if I go or not they are getting that financial support. idk how I'd feel going tho. Idk idk trying to navigate my own line and hypocrisies. Considering going but not like posting about it on insta or anything? Idek if I'd enjoy myself cause id feel all conflicted

 

this was after you reiterated your problems with going to see them? that's not cool!

 

Don't go, let someone else have the ticket.

 

And if you're not going to enjoy yourself, I'd rather just stay home and watch netflix lol. you gotta deal with traffic and then the process of going thru a line just to watch a band that you don't agree with anymore. it's honestly too much work to be uncomfortable

 

Yeah bail, that’s a shitty friend.

 

Will you be able to go without imagining Brian singing am I a Trump supporter yeah yeah

 

Trust your gut about stuff like this. If you don't want to go, you absolutely aren't obligated to.

 

Which is somehow not the most awful thing a Backstreet Boy has done

 

your friend bought the ticket without asking so it’s her problem now

 

Oof I’m sorry that’s a tough situation.

Yeah it’s been hard seeing everyone be so excited about it and expecting me to be (Bc ‘you’re like the queen of boy bands!’) but it’s just like gross to me now and I feel bad that so many people are supporting them.

I understand your uncertainty though. I would also feel conflicted if the ticket was bought for me and it’s already paid for. I personally wouldn’t blame/judge you for going in this situation but I also am with everyone else saying that if you’re not going to have fun don’t bother. And I can understand why it’d be hard to have fun.

 

Lol yeah she bought it after I said I was uncomfortable going which.... Okay. On the plus side the show is a Tuesday which kinda rules out going cause long drive and work. For an artist I love I'll make the long drive and take a day off or drive home the same night and die the next day, but not for a rapist and trump supporter byyyye

 

Yeah that's my take. Oh you spent your money when I asked you not to? Have fun.

Considering going but not posting about it on Insta? Lol, I wish I could navigate the mental gymnastics on that one. If you're offended by their behaviour, you should be acting in line with that, not trying to have a website full of strangers justify it for you in either direction.

 

I especially struggle with BSB because they were THE boy band for me growing up, but... as a survivor, I cannot (and in my opinion, should not) get over what Nick did and the way they responded to the allegations. Brian being a Trump supporter is just the icing on the crap cake.

 

Not posting it on insta as to not broadcast or upset survivors who may see a triggering public figure vs keeping it to myself. And I'm not looking for strangers to validate me I am asking members of this site I have interacted with for years and trust to get opinions on a matter I felt conflicted about but thanx 4 ur input boo!

 

She’s just navigating through a sticky situation that is a new territory for all of us so hold the judgement.
As for the “mental gymnastics”, it goes to show that there is a different line for everyone and people react differently. For some, that line is at financially supporting them. Other people feel okay enjoying art in private but don’t want to support them publicly in any way. All of these are valid feelings and reactions and we shouldn’t be shit bags to those who react differently than us.

I feel for you. *NSYNC is that band for me, as most people probably know. I didn’t even see their response to the allegations. It was just so slimy and real that there isn’t a single doubt in my mind that it happened exactly the way she said, so nothing he can say really matters I guess.
Also did not even know that about Brian. Gross.

 

No, you're totally right - it was bad enough to begin with, but the way the guys responded to it (ALL OF THEM) made it that much worse. Brian had the nerve to go the "women lie for money and fame" route IN AUGUST 2018. Backstreet boy BYE.