Otep frontwoman Otep Shamaya has announced that she is retiring from music.
On Saturday, November 16th, Shamaya posted on Facebook that she was ‘liquidating’ her music equipment. She listed items such as autographed guitars used on tour and in the studio, a rare Yamaha drum set used by Moke on tour and in the studio, a Behringer FOH board, X32 for IEM control from stage, stage lighting, smoke machines with LED lights, stage monitors, and more.
When fans asked if she was retiring from music, Shamaya replied in the comments, “So many ask why I’m retiring and then I have to sit here and block bozos talking sh*t. Yes, I’m retiring. For real. For good. My reasons will be given before years end. Thank u to my real ones.”
Shamaya formed Otep in Los Angeles in 2000, and soon after, she was invited by Sharon Osbourne to perform at Ozzfest 2001. Over the course of two decades, the band released nine full-length albums, starting with ‘Sevas Tra’ in 2002 and concluding with ‘The God Slayer’ in 2023.
‘The God Slayer’ follows 2018’s ‘Kult 45’ and includes a mix of original songs and reworked versions of popular tracks from artists like Eminem, Billie Eilish, Slipknot, Lil Peep, and Olivia Rodrigo. It blends influences from pop, rap, and grunge.
