Antwerp Rapper FabioW Reinstates Single After Racism Backlash
Antwerp rapper FabioW has sparked renewed controversy by putting his single ‘Praat Nederlands’ back online just one day after removing it amid accusations of racism. The song, released on September 4, contains a passage in which FabioW imitates a Vietnamese girl he met during a trip to Vietnam with the words “ching chang chong” — a well-known racist slur used to mock Asian languages and people, as documented by Wikipedia.
Initial Apology and Removal
Following significant online criticism, the 28-year-old rapper — whose real name is Sebastiaan Van Thilborgh — initially defended the track, saying he “just wanted to create a fun atmosphere.” But on Sunday, September 6, FabioW reversed course after meeting a young fan with Asian roots on the street.
“That boy has been a fan of my music for a while,” FabioW told VRT NWS. “If that boy were to be bullied with statements like ‘ching chang chong’, I wouldn’t want his superhero FabioW to also use that term in his music. So that’s also the reason why I took it offline.”
He subsequently removed the song from all streaming platforms and issued an apology on Instagram. “It was never my intention to hurt Asian people,” he wrote. “I underestimated how much impact that can have.” HLN reported on the removal on Monday morning.
Reversal and New Title
However, by Monday afternoon, FabioW had reversed his decision. The song reappeared online under the new title ‘Ching chong chang’, with the controversial passage now even more prominently featured. In Instagram Stories, he defended his choice by referencing the Sophie Straat controversy, in which the Dutch protest singer faced backlash for telling “all white men to the back” at the Gentse Feesten in July — a statement that VRT NWS covered amid death threats against the artist.
“I have great difficulty watching how our country is slowly going downhill,” FabioW wrote. “If you’re allowed to say ‘all white men to the back’ and not ‘ching chang chong’, then the rules apparently apply differently if you’re woke.” He added: “My intentions have always been positive. Belgium is a free country and as long as I live I will stand up for that freedom.”
According to HLN’s showbizz coverage, the song is now available online under its new title and has been promoted on his Instagram account.
Community Response
The controversy has resonated deeply within Belgium’s Asian community. Julia Zhu, a 27-year-old Antwerp woman with Chinese roots, spoke out against the song in a viral video. “I grew up in Belgium, with people constantly shouting racist slurs like ‘ching chang chong’ at me,” she told VRT NWS. “It cannot be underestimated what that does to a person.”
Zhu, who personally contacted FabioW, described their conversation as “very pointless.” “He clearly doesn’t understand what I mean and seems mainly concerned with the consequences of his statements for himself,” she said. “He mainly defended himself but didn’t offer his apologies to me.”
Anti-Asian racism remains a persistent issue in Belgium. As BRUZZ documented in 2025, Asian Belgians regularly face slurs such as “ching chang chong” and “chintok” in schools, workplaces, and on the street. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified anti-Asian sentiment, and organizations like Unia and Untold Asian Stories continue to document discrimination.
About FabioW
FabioW, from Deurne in Antwerp, broke through in 2022 with the viral single ‘Diep’ and has since become one of Belgium’s most prolific artists, releasing music almost daily. According to his official biography, he has released three albums and more than forty singles, with hits including ‘GTA’, ‘Anna’, and ‘Langzaufen’. His single ‘Praat Nederlands’ remains available on Spotify under its original title.
Broader Debate
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions in Belgian society between artistic freedom and sensitivity to racial stereotypes. FabioW’s framing of the issue as a free speech matter — and his comparison to the Sophie Straat case — taps into broader debates about perceived double standards in public discourse.
Critics, however, argue that “ching chang chong” carries a specific history of harm. The phrase has been used for decades as a derogatory imitation of Chinese phonetics and has accompanied assaults and intimidation of East Asians in Western countries. As Zhu noted: “I’m not saying he’s a racist, but people can do or say racist things. If people point that out to you, you can still change and learn.”
What’s Next
The question now is whether the controversy will have lasting consequences for FabioW’s career, which has included performances at major Belgian festivals. The rapper’s rapid reversal — from apology to reinstatement — suggests the issue is far from settled, and the Asian-Belgian community’s response to his framing of the debate may shape how this story develops.