Rapper Solo 45, a member of the grime collective Boy Better Know, has been charged with 29 counts of rape, police have said.
The 31-year-old, whose real name is Andy Anokye, was initially charged with two counts of rape, one count of false imprisonment and one count of causing actual bodily harm, relating to a single person.
He pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges at Bristol Crown Court, where a trial was due to start on Wednesday.
However, since this court appearance three more people have made allegations of rape against the rapper, Avon and Somerset Police said.
The trial has now been adjourned until April next year. Police said their investigation was continuing.
Solo 45 has been a member of Boy Better Know, which also counts Wiley, Skepta and JME among its members, since 2006. He is best known for his 2014 hit ‘Feed em to the Lions’.
JME, a prominent member of the collective, addressed the allegations in a series of tweets on Wednesday evening.
“I didn’t want to speak until the case was over, and verdict reached. As I have no idea what the intricacies are, who the victims are etc”, he said.
JME, real name Jamie Adenuga, also answered criticisms that Boy Better Know members had been slow to comment.
“Some people will speak up immediately as news hits, some will wait for a verdict. T hat’s why I think 'the scene' has been quiet on the issue.”
Anyone with more information can call DC Ryan Matthews on 101, quoting reference 5217082649.
