Jamaican TikTok has been intense following the funeral of Marlon Samuels, popularly known as “41 Busshead.” Twenty-three-year-old Samuels, a rising sensation on TikTok, was fatally shot last December on North Lane in the western city of Montego Bay. Following his death, he received an outpouring of support from TikTokers and fans. However, on the day of his funeral, there were apparently only a few TikTokers in attendance.
Many social media users, including TikTokers Gotti and Pops YG, criticised several TikTokers for not attending the funeral. Amid the heated public criticism, Jamaican TikTokers Jayden, Roger, Ivany, and Tessa spoke out.
Jayden defended himself, expressing that Samuels’ murder made him fearful, which prevented him from attending the funeral. He explained that the cause of death seemed “personal,” and he thought something might have also occurred at the funeral. While some social media users accepted his reason, others insisted he should have attended.
Meanwhile, Tessa lashed out at the public while indicating that she did not have transportation and she had to work. She hurled expletives at the critics, telling them about their mother, and that she only wanted her family at her funeral. Her angry response sparked backlash from many viewers, who called her out for crying fake tears when Samuels was murdered.
Roger and Ivany were streaming live together when they responded to the critics. While Rajah explained that he did not personally know Samuels as he never even interacted with him on TikTok, Ivany stated that Samuels once disrespected her and were not friends. Therefore, she had no reason to attend the funeral. Their responses garnered mixed feedback from the public.
Meanwhile, Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj, who has been very active on the Jamaican side of the social media platform, also received criticism and defended herself.
When Pops YG and Gotti were criticising TikTokers for their lack of attendance or financial support, Gotti, Samuels’ friend, called out Nicki Minaj and told her, “Don’t f**k up.” While indicating that he did not want her money, he added that he wondered if she had used Samuels as a sacrifice.
Nicki Minaj clapped back, saying that Gotti had been capitalising on Samuels’ death. She also expressed that she would not be sending a lot of money whenever a TikToker dies, explaining that it might trigger more murders. The Superbase rapper also indicated Gotti’s story about Samuel’s murder sounded more fictional than true events, sparking her suspicion.
“There were certain things that I wasn’t gonna say about you that now I’m gonna say, boy, you rub me the wrong way, and if you want to know the truth, your whole story sounds like fiction. There is no way you let your friend get caught lacking like that,” Nicki Minaj said. The rapper stated that she believes that Gotti knows more than he said and mentioned that he wanted the “sacrifice money.”
