Anaiah Rasheed Muhammad of Zulu denies allegations of abuse, band's upcoming shows cancelled

Allegations of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse have been made against Zulu vocalist Anaiah Rasheed Muhammad. Singer-songwriter Simpson released a statement on Instagram detailing her experiences with Muhammad which reads in part,

”I am choosing to make my own experiences and this information publicly known now for the sake of my mental and emotional health, to liberate myself from the pain of suffering in silence, to warn others, and hopefully to enact some kind of change surrounding this man.
Since moving in with Anaiah a year ago, the nature of our relationship quickly transformed and mutated into a violent one. Starting as punching and kicking under the guise of ‘rough housing’ that would leave entire sides of my body battered and bruised and difficult to move, which set the stage for continued grooming to see what I’d be able to tolerate. In April of last year we had an encounter that was initially consensual which resulted in me being so traumatized, I was gaslit by him into thinking I was on my period until I was able to visit a healthcare provider after a subsequent encounter where he choked me so hard it left a big bruise near by neck down to part of my collarbone, and I knew after showing it to someone I needed to seek help.
I communicated with friends about this, asking what to do, if this was weird, and spent some time in detail about how dangerous this situation actually was. I did all the things he wanted to do, I hung out where he liked and with his friends, and he could control the people I was around.
Knowing something was deeply, deeply wrong, I began sharing my experiences and feelings with people who may know of someone else harmed by Anaiah, and I uncovered an extensive, horrifying pattern of abuse I was the latest victim in. Some of their abuse took place also in the same space we were living in together. Other victimes including but not limited to other musicians or sisters from the mosque he attends.
Anaiah built a persona for himself: charismatic, friendly, respectful, principled — which make him very trustworthy to an outsider’s perspective, but women and femmes who he has used this performance to, to pursue and coerce/pressure them into sex with him, know him as the opposite. When describing how they were feeling after these situations occurred, their feelings ranged from blindsided, uncomfortable, confused, violated, to being triggered to mental instability from the interactions. His personality, like a switch, changed when he didn’t get what he wanted. He previously punched holes around the apartment, drove recklessly with me in the car, has threatened to harm himself, on an occasion with his weapon, to others and to myself. While I am aware of the issues he platforms and the ways he presents himself as charming, sensitive, and intuitive, it does not shock me that only people who have been involved with him intimately know about or are even aware of this side.
[…] After changing addresses, phone numbers, and choosing not to revisit spaces this man frequents to avoid any interaction, I finally feel safe enough to share this much. This does not cover the full scope of all experiences and detail all of the grooming, manipulation, and coercion that took place over the past 2 years. I still very much feel unsafe in certain places in LA, including religious settings, out of fear of running into him or any of these people who I know are enabling his behavior again. The impact of fleeing this situation has been utterly debilitating and affects me day to day, every single day.”

Muhammad responded to the allegations in an Instagram post that reads in part,

”I want to address the false and deeply troubling accusation that has been made against me. Forgive me if my words aren’t perfect, as I’m trying my best to navigate my speech. I wanted to put this out immediately but did not want leave a lackluster message. First off I want to start by saying that I categorically deny ever engaging in any form of physical abuse. Violence towards anyone, especially partners, is completely against my values, and I would never harm anyone.
As a person and as a Muslim, my faith and moral values guide my actions every day. Islam teaches respect, integrity, and accountability, and I strive to uphold these principles in my life. I strongly condemn any form of physical or sexual assault, and I would never and have never engaged in such atrocities. The claims against me are not only untrue but also deeply damaging — to me, my loved ones, my band and those who have supported me throughout my life.
Furthermore, I want to make it absolutely clear that I have never engaged in any form of coercion, manipulation, or isolation toward this individual. At no point have I ever tried to control her environment, interfere with her personal life, or restrict her in any way. I have also never encouraged or allowed anyone- friends, acquaintances, or otherwise to harass, intimidate, or gang-stalk her. Any suggestion that I have done so is entirely false and contradicts the values I live by.
After our falling out (and for context, we were not in a romantic relationship and was upfront about this, as well as communicated with each other on that understanding) I made every effort to keep my distance from this individual out of respect and to avoid further conflict. Despite the false accusations, I have remained committed to resolving matters in a mature and dignified way. I even attempted to mediate through an imam, offering an opportunity to have a respectful and neutral conversation to resolve discrepancies we had in our overall communication. However, she was not willing to meet, and I respected that decision without further pursuing it. I am fully prepared to defend myself against these claims and will cooperate with any necessary process to clear my name.”

The PRP posted an Instagram story from former Zulu drummer Don Brown in which Brown addressed the allegations writing,

”for everybody who asked me do I still play for Zulu, this is why I don’t”.

As reported by Stereogum, Zulu performed in Sao Paolo, Brazil on Sunday (the day the allegations became public) without Muhammad present and their upcoming shows in San Jose and Mexico City have been cancelled. You can see both posts in full below.