Busta Rhymes canceled his Blockbusta Tour just a week before he was supposed to perform its first show. The rap legend has not yet released a statement or has commented on the tour’s cancellation, leaving fans confused. Ticket buyers are still unsure of the tour’s status and whether or not Busta will reschedule the dates. Unfortunately, rappers canceling tours is nothing unusual in the hip-hop world. Many artists have canceled concerts for a multitude of reasons, including low ticket sales, health concerns, and other personal matters. Even after the COVID-19 Pandemic halted the live music industry, we are still seeing many rappers canceling their tours. In light of Busta Rhymes’s recent tour cancellation, we are looking into other rappers who have abruptly canceled tour dates. Take a look at the list below.
Kanye West
Toward the end of 2016, Kanye West embarked on his Saint Pablo Tour of the United States where he debuted a flying stage. He later extended the tour, adding an entirely new leg of U.S. show dates. West eventually started to behave unpredictably onstage. He ranted about voting for Donald Trump and his relationship with JAY-Z. Kanye then began a pattern of abruptly ending his shows after performing just a few songs. He cut a New York date short following news of Kim Kardashian’s Paris robbery.
Additionally, he suddenly ended a California show after losing his voice. Kanye West ended up canceling the second leg of his Saint Pablo Tour, citing stress and exhaustion as the official reason. He has not toured since.
Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj and Future were set to co-headline The NickiHndrxx Tour in 2018 in support of Queen. However, both rappers canceled the North American leg of the tour just a month before the two were scheduled to hit the road. According to Live Nation, “Minaj decided to re-evaluate elements of production,” calling for more time to rehearse. Future and Nicki Minaj never rescheduled The NickiHndrxx Tour. Minaj later relaunched its European leg as The Nicki Wrld Tour, with Juice Wrld opening. Minaj ended up canceling some of the Europe dates due to technical difficulties and extreme weather conditions.
Read More: Nicki Minaj Tour 2024: Dates, Tickets & More
Chance The Rapper
Before canceling, Chance The Rapper initially postponed his Big Tour to spend more time with his family following the birth of his second daughter. He pushed back his supporting tour for his 2019 debut album, The Big Day, from its scheduled start in 2019 to 2020. Shortly after, he announced the arena tour’s official cancellation on December 15, 2019. He acknowledged his fans’ disappointment but promised to reschedule the dates for 2020, which did not materialize. Lil Yachty and Chance's younger brother, Taylor Bennett, were scheduled to open.
BROCKHAMPTON
The first instance of BROCKHAMPTON canceling a tour was in 2018. The rap group canceled their Stereo Spirit Tour following the departure of Ameer Vann after allegations of sexual misconduct. Fast forward to January 2022, BROCKHAMPTON abruptly announced their “indefinite hiatus” as a group. They also said they would be canceling their Here Right Now Tour, on which they were set to embark over a month later. That same year, BROCKHAMPTON released their supposed final album and played their “final shows” in London and California.
Little Simz
Less than a month before its first concert, Little Simz canceled her 2022 North American tour. The British rapper was supposed to play a series of shows in the United States in support of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. She addressed the unfortunate cancellation in a statement, saying that “touring the U.S. for a month would leave me in a huge deficit” and that “being an independent artist, I pay for everything encompassing my live performances out of my own pocket.” Following the release of NO THANK YOU later that year, Little Simz toured North America in 2023, though she did not rebook shows in many cities.
Conway The Machine
Out of his Griselda contemporaries, Conway the Machine is one rapper who is notorious for canceling and postponing tours. Back in 2022, he canceled his I’ll Tell You Later Tour, delivering the news via Instagram. Just 11 days before the Griselda rapper was supposed to begin, he acknowledged the bad news but did not cite a particular reason. Some fans speculated low ticket sales despite the recent release of Conway’s acclaimed album, God Don’t Make Mistakes. Last year, he toured in support of his latest album, Won’t He Do It, despite postponing the dates after injuring his leg.
J Hus
In addition to Little Simz, there are many other instances of UK rappers canceling tours. Last year, J Hus announced his biggest run of concerts to date, including two shows at London’s O2 Arena. Hus was promoting his latest album, Beautiful and Brutal Yard, with tour dates around the UK. However, the rapper canceled the entire tour less than a month before its start date. Ticket buyers received an email citing “unforeseen circumstances,” as well as a message from J Hus. He thanked fans for their support, expressing that he was “gutted to not bring the B.A.B.Y. Tour to you this year but excited to share big news of shows next summer.” So far, he has yet to announce any future UK shows.