Raz-B Back on B2K Tour After Saying He Was Quitting for His Personal Safety
Written by SOURCE on March 13, 2019
B2K singer Raz-B says he’s looking forward to continuing with the group’s ongoing reunion tour after previously telling fans explicitly that he was dropping off the 35-date trek.
“I am a work in progress,” Raz told fans in an Instagram Story update early Wednesday. “I appreciate the outpouring of love, empathy, and understanding from my supporters.”
The assurance to fans arrives on the heels of a previous Instagram Story update from Raz in which he revealed he didn’t feel safe on the road. “Actually, let me correct myself,” he said. “Raz-B is actually off the tour. I don’t feel safe because I feel like Chris Stokes is around. I’m off the tour.”
At the time, Raz added that he was willing to talk to Omarion about continuing with the scheduled dates. In a subsequent update, Raz tagged the official Lifetime account and proposed a Surviving R. Kelly style documentary about Stokes, B2K’s former manager. “I’m ready to talk,” he said.
Back in 2007, Raz accused Stokes of sexually abusing him as a child. His brother, Ricardo “Ricky Romantic” Thornton, made similar allegations against Stokes. Among other things, Raz characterized Stokes as an “incest perpetrator” who allegedly took advantage of him during his time with the group.
Stokes denied the allegations, as did Omarion. “I want to be on the record as saying that ‘Raz-B’ Thornton and Ricardo Thornton are lying regarding Chris Stokes,” Omarion told MTV at the time, adding that Stokes was a “father figure” to himself and others in the music business. “I stand behind him with no question whatsoever,” he said.
The allegations were mentioned again by Stokes following the announcement of B2K’s Millennium Tour in December and January. In a series of tweets, Stokes again denied the allegations and said he wishes the group well moving forward.
The next scheduled stop on the B2K tour is at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York on March 14.
