*Southern Soul singer Sky Whatley is accused of striking Shamika Boyd from the stage during a Sept. 6 performance in Tucker, Georgia — an encounter captured on video that is drawing wider attention nearly two weeks later as Boyd speaks publicly and threatens legal action.
Boyd told 11Alive that she was at Londzell Performing Arts Theatre supporting her daughter, DJ Jada Boyd, when Whatley reached down from the stage and hit her.
“When he hit me, I was devastated,” Boyd told the station. “He had no reason to hit me. I did nothing to him. He was in no harm, no threat.”
Video aired by 11Alive appears to show Whatley reaching from the stage and striking Boyd.
The publicly circulating footage does not establish everything that occurred before the contact.
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The Incident Happened Nearly Two Weeks Ago
The confrontation wasn’t new when it began spreading more widely this week.
Whatley was among the performers at the Legendary Awards Show & Concert on Sept. 6, an Atlanta music celebration whose announced lineup also included Big Gipp of Goodie Mob, Raheem the Dream, MC Shy D, Kilo Ali and other Southern artists.
Earlier coverage of the incident surfaced Sept. 10. The story gained renewed attention after Boyd appeared on 11Alive and described what she says happened.
Boyd told the station the blow left her with two black eyes. She also alleged that afterward Whatley made an obscene gesture and said words to the effect that the show was “for the real men.”
Her daughter said she didn’t realize her mother had been hit until afterward.
Shamika Boyd Says She Filed a Police Report
Attorney Shannin Render told 11Alive that Boyd intends to pursue legal action and seek compensation for expenses including medical treatment, transportation and income lost during her recovery.
Boyd and Render also told the station that a police report had been filed.
EURweb has not independently obtained that report, and no arrest or criminal charge against Whatley had been confirmed in the reporting reviewed for this story.
11Alive said it attempted to reach Whatley through social media and an email address connected to his Linktree but had received no response at publication time.
The station reported that his Instagram account was private and his Facebook account appeared to have been deactivated.
Who is Sky Whatley?
Whatley is more than an unidentified performer suddenly attached to a viral video.
The Atlanta-area singer has been building a presence in Southern Soul, releasing songs including “Auntie Love,” “Waffle House at 2AM” and “Just Won’t Break (The Strong Woman’s Anthem).”
His collaborations include Goodie Mob’s Big Gipp, Cupid and Tonio Armani. Whatley also appeared at Atlanta’s One Musicfest in 2025.
That background makes the video an especially unwelcome introduction to Whatley for audiences discovering him outside Southern Soul circles.
Meanwhile, the City of Riverdale is holding its Southern Soul Showdown Saturday, Sept. 19. Although third-party concert listings had associated Whatley with the event, Riverdale’s current official event listing names Mr. Mister, Shantavia Nichole, Japvonn and Stacii Adams — not Whatley.
Whether his absence from the current lineup has anything to do with the controversy has not been established.
For Boyd, however, the next step is clearer: she and her attorney say they intend to seek accountability for what happened at Londzell.
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