US Rapper in hot water following UAE concert 'no-shows'

An American rapper has been banned from leaving the UAE after no-showing at two concerts he was contracted to play in the Emirates, according to local media reports on Thursday.

Ricky Lamar Hawk - better known by his stage name Silento and most famous for single "Watch Me" which reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 2015 - has been ordered by Al Ain Civil Court to pay Dh300,000 after he failed to perform at two scheduled concerts in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in February.

"After we reached an agreement and the contracts were signed, Silento did not show up at Bounce Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Rotana for the events," Makki Taj El Abdel Halim, owner of Al Ain events company Mackie Entertainment, told The National.

Mr Halim told the UAE daily that the two concerts cost a combined total of $9,000.

Hawk is not permitted to leave the country until the amount is paid, according to Gulf News, and has been ordered to surrender his passport to authorities.

However the 19-year-old is said to be disputing the legal ruling.

A message posted on the Instagram profile of one manager, representing the singer in the Middle East, has claimed that Hawk only failed to show because he had not received his payment fee, also claiming that promoters who made the booking had fallen short in pledges to "pay for hotels, transportation, and per diems".

As of publication the matter remained unresolved.