Iconic ’90s band The Prodigy have reportedly rewritten one of their most famous hits after 26 years of setbacks.
First released in 1997, the song Smack My B***h Up faced calls for it to be banned after it was accused of glorifying domestic violence.
Now, after years of refusing to change the lyrics, singer Maxim has chosen to skip the offensive line and simply repeat “change my pitch up” during two recent performances in London, according to The sun.
Despite the original controversy, the song reached number eight in the charts, performed by the group’s then frontman, Keith Flint, who died in 2019 at the age of 49.
At the time, BBC Radio 1 banned the song, while the ITV Chart Show refused to display the title on screen when the video was played.
Moving with the times: Iconic ’90s band The Prodigy have reportedly rewritten one of their most famous hits after 26 years of setbacks (late frontman Keith Flint pictured in 1997)
Issue: The song Smack My B***h Up, first released in 1997, faced calls to be banned after being accused of glorifying domestic violence (new singer Maxim pictured)
MailOnline has contacted the band’s representatives for comment.
Late frontman Keith owed £7.3 million in debt and taxes when he died in 2019.
His £11.6 million estate was cut by two-thirds to £4.3 million after his suicide at his country house in Essex.
Keith had earned over £1.5 million in the last two years of his life when The Prodigy released it seventh consecutive number one album, No Tourists and embarking on a world tour.
But the star, who was battling depression, had split from his Japanese wife Mayumi and put the £1.5million mansion he loved in Dunmow, Essex, up for sale on the eve of his death.
And it emerged that his pub firm De Bohun Inns Limited, which owned several Essex pubs including the Leather Bottle in Pleshey, had debts of more than £500,000.
Keith had admitted that he would rather spend his money than save it for a rainy day said in 2015: ‘I don’t save for anything. I’m cashing it all in now. I’ve always had this feeling inside me that I’m going to kill myself when I’m done.”
FFigures from the Probate Office showed his fortune was reduced from £11.6 million to £4.3 million after £7.3 million in debts and taxes came due. The sun said.
All change: After years of refusing to change the lyrics, singer Maxim (R) has chosen to skip the offensive line and simply repeat ‘change my pitch up’ during two recent performances in London (pictured in 2015)
Hit: Despite the original controversy, the song reached number eight in the charts, performed by the group’s then frontman, Keith Flint, who died in 2019 at the age of 49 (pictured in 2009)
Controversy: At the time, BBC Radio 1 banned the song, while the ITV Chart Show refused to display the title on screen when the video was played (the band pictured in 1996)
Keith had been drinking alcohol and using cocaine and codeine before his death in March, an inquest heard.
The Firestarter singer was found hanged in his £1.5million home, leaving fans around the world devastated.
Tests showed he had a number of substances in his system, although it was not revealed at the inquest how many or whether they may have affected his thinking.
He had spoken of kicking drugs and alcohol after meeting Japanese woman Mayumi.
Following his death at the age of 49, it emerged that the couple had split and their four-bedroom Tudor country house in Essex, which he ‘loved’, had recently come on the market.
Tragic: Late frontman Keith owed £7.3million in debt and taxes when he died by suicide in 2019 (pictured in 2010)
Ex: But the star, who was battling depression, had split from his Japanese wife Mayumi and put the £1.5million mansion he loved in Dunmow, Essex, up for sale on the eve of his death ( pictured together in 2009)
Essex senior coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said there was insufficient evidence to prove he had committed suicide. knowing that this would result in his death.”
She also found insufficient evidence to conclude that his death was the result of an accident, such as if he had been “walking around and it had all gone terribly wrong.”
Ms Beasley-Murray added: ‘We will never know what was going on in his mind on that date so that’s why I’m going to record an open conclusion.’