Emtee Predicts A Possible Set Sabotage Ahead of Back To The City

Emtee Predicts A Possible Set Sabotage Ahead of Back To The City. Emtee has stirred the pot on festival week with a pointed warning shot before stepping onto one of hip hop’s biggest stages.

Reacting to the final Back To The City line-up, the award-winning rapper suggested he could face time-cut woes or a narrative about tardiness, writing, “Watch them either cut my performance set or lie and say I was late.”

Back To The City returns to Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Saturday, 11 October 2025, marking 19 years of the festival’s imprint on South African hip hop. Organisers have billed this year’s theme as “Power in Numbers,” promising a sprawling culture day with music, graffiti, skating and battles, and a bill that pairs global legends with homegrown heavyweights.

Back To The City returns to Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Saturday, 11 October 2025, marking 19 years of the festival’s imprint on South African hip hop. Organisers have billed this year’s theme as “Power in Numbers,” promising a sprawling culture day with music, graffiti, skating and battles, and a bill that pairs global legends with homegrown heavyweights.

Emtee’s salvo adds a layer of intrigue to an already high-stakes showcase. Set times at mega-line-ups are notoriously tight, and delays can cascade across the run of show. Artists often juggle travel, soundcheck, and media amid shifting schedules.

One could read Emtee’s post as both preemptive self-defence and a push for transparency. If the Hustla’s set runs smoothly, the comment becomes a non-story. If time gets shaved or a timeline dispute emerges, his warning will feel prescient.