Categories
Trending

Travis Scott Responds To PR Stunt Backlash from Astroworld Victim Families

The grandparents of one of the victims of the Astroworld Incident are not happy with Travis Scott’s philanthropic initiative. Travis Scott’s lawyers have responded.

On March 8, Travis Scott created Project Heal. It was to impact as an act of philanthropy to make events safer, as well as giving academic scholarships to those who need it. While the $5 million initiative is very charitable, some are seeing it in a different light.

The grandparents of Ezra Blount, the youngest victim of the Astroworld incident, talked with Rolling Stone about this act. They are taking it as a violation of the gag order until the court case is over.

“It’s a PR stunt. He’s pretty much trying to sway the jurors before they’re even assembled. He’s trying to make himself look good, but it doesn’t look that way to someone with our eyes. What we’re seeing is that he’s done wrong, and now he’s trying to be the good guy and trying to give his own verdict on safety.”

Ezra’s father was the one who filed the lawsuit against Scott. His lawyer is calling this a PR move to get the public on his side and to besmirch people like the Blount’s.

“Blount and the other plaintiffs herein do not have the high profile ability to sway public opinion as defendant Scott — an international music star — and his sophisticated media team do.”

Travis Scott’s Response

Travis Scott’s lawyer has, however, responded to this. He says that Scott should be allowed to make public statements about his ongoing philanthropic efforts. He is saying that not allowing him to talk about them would go against the First Amendment and would be unconstitutional.

It is arguable why Scott decided to promote Project Heal. However, the only thing that does stand that it was a charitable effort. Many will profit from the said PR stunt, or a simple genuine act of kindness. The money was still given to charity.

Written by Justin Acosta

Twitter: @hahalacka

 

Categories
Trending

Travis Scott Switches Instagram Bio Back to Promotion for ‘Utopia’ Album

Travis Scott’s fourth studio album Utopia is on the way. However, the Astroworld Festival tragedy overshadows its hype.

Travis’ tragedy and backlash

In November, 10 people lost their lives during the Astroworld Festival in Houston. All of the victims’ deaths were ruled accidental.

Consequently, The tragedy induced lawsuits against Travis and, guest performer, Drake, among others.

Travis and his team attempted to soothe the controversy surrounding the concert. Firstly, they offered to pay for deceased concert-goers’ funerals. They also offered mental health resources to surviving fans. Then, they posted a video apology. Recently, Travis Scott discussed Astroworld Festival in an interview with Charlemagne Tha God.

The public seems to be on the fence about how much culpability the “Goosebumps” rapper is owed. Some feel Travis couldn’t have prevented crazed fans’ actions. Others believe his negligence led to the length of  Astroworld Festival. Travis and his team seemingly lacks accountability. According to The Shade Room, he denied legal liability for the Astroworld fatal incident. He also asked for lawsuits to be dismissed.

New album amidst chaos

Nonetheless, Travis Scott is quietly moving on from the incident. The night before Astroworld Festival, he dropped two singles, “Escape Plan” and “Mafia” featuring J Cole. The singles are teasers to his new album Utopia.

Astroworld Festival’s unfortunate events postponed forthcoming singles from Utopia. However, it looks like fans can expect them sooner than later.

Travis changed his Instagram bio back to the album title earlier this week.

He temporarily removed his bio following the Astroworld Festival disaster. Many assume that this means he’s back in album promotion mode. Even so, there’s no official cover art or tracklist.

For more stories on everything following the Astroworld Festival tragedy, click here.

Follow FMHipHop on Instagram and Facebook!

Dreema Carrington|IG @dr3amgirl79|Twitter @notdreema

Categories
Trending Updates

Megan Thee Stallion Cancels Houston Concert As A Show of Respect

Sadly, Houstonians will not be able to see Megan Thee Stallion in concert this coming Friday. However, her reasoning comes from a place of respect; Megan said she wants to honor the losses the community experienced at last month’s Astroworld Festival, a tragedy many are still healing from.

Megan thee Stallion performs at Lollapalooza over the summer. Photo by Rob Grabowski for Invalid.

Megan Demonstrates Love in Action

On November 30th, numerous sources announced Megan Thee Stallion will cancel a Houston concert scheduled for this weekend as a show of respect for the victims of Astroworld.

Megan had this to say of her decision,

“Houston is still healing, and it’s important that our community be given the appropriate time to grieve.”

Megan couldn’t be more correct; as most of us learn, healing takes time. Grief can be a beast. So, Megan’s decision to put a pause on her show seems a truly heartfelt sentiment coming from a place of humility.

The Purpose of the Concert

The concert was not only meant to celebrate the opening of a new performance hall but Megan’s recent achievement of a bachelor’s degree. That’s right, Megan Thee Stallion is now a graduate of Texas Southern University. In addition, she proudly holds a degree in health administration. Indeed, such an achievement is both noteworthy and deserving of celebration.

Megan Walks the Walk

The humble always put the needs of others before their own. So, in a show of genuine love for others, Megan let her actions speak for her. In her very own words,

“My heart goes out to all the families that are suffering during this difficult time.”

And so, for now, concertgoers will have to wait to celebrate.

A Brave Decision

It has only been a few weeks since the Astroworld incident, and many are still mourning the unfathomable loss. Furthermore, with the holidays upon us, it’s not hard to understand that the grief of those dealing with loss is so much more profound. Thus, taking a breather and time to reflect is often necessary if not vital.

Word to the Fans

So, while many fans perhaps feel slight disappointment now, wisdom tells us there is a time for everything. The time will come again for everyone to turn up together at a live Megan show. After all, the rapper has already tweeted excitedly about three upcoming Jingle Ball performances. Good on the rapper for doing the right thing at this moment in time, but staying hyped for future performances.

https://twitter.com/theestallion/status/1465018199427010562

Currently, Megan hasn’t made any comments on whether the concert will be rescheduled. But the H-town Hottie is always doing the most for her spans, especially in her hometown. Either way, we at FMHipHop will be sure to keep our ears open and bring you the latest.

Want to read more about Megan’s accomplishments? Check out FM Hip Hop’s retrospective coverage.

Be sure to like and follow FMHipHop on Instagram and Facebook!

Written by Renae Richardson

Facebook

 

Categories
Trending

Family of 9-Year Old Ezra Blount Declines Travis Scott Funeral Coverage

Ezra Blount, at 9-years old, was the youngest victim of the Astroworld Festival tragedy. He sustained major injuries to his liver, brain, and kidney, tragically passing away after a coma. He was laid to rest in Texas on Nov. 23. Travis Scott, in an attempt to console the families, reached out to cover funeral costs, but the Blount family has declined the assistance of the rapper.

On Monday Nov. 29, XXL shared a statement enclosed with legal documents from Scott’s attorneys. Expressly, Bob Hilliard, the attorney representing Erza’s family, responded with a letter to La Flame’s attorney, Daniel Petrocelli.

The letter from Blount’s family in response to Travis Scott’s offer

Dear Mr. Petrocelli,

The loss of a child is like a faucet of unimaginable pain that has no off handle. To lose a child in the manner Treston lost Ezra compounds the pain as a parent, Treston cannot help but agonize over the terrible idea that Ezra’s last minutes were filled with terror, suffering, suffocation and worst of all surrounded by strangers, his dad unconscious underneath the uncontrolled crowd.

I don’t know if you’re a father. I don’t know if your client is a father. If you are, then all you have to do is put your child at 9 years old in Ezra’s place and you both know what happens to your gut, at the most basic and instinctive level.

Your client’s offer is declined. I have no doubt Mr. Scott feels remorse. His journey ahead will be painful. He must face and hopefully see that he bears some of the responsibility for this tragedy. There may be, and I hope there is, redemption and growth for him on the other side of what this painful process will be—and perhaps one day, once time allows some healing for the victims and acceptance of responsibility by Mr. Scott and others, Treston and Mr. Scott might meet—as there is also healing in that. For now, Mr. Scott must respect the fact that his pain and his devastation pale to Treston’s, Ezra’s mom, and the other victims.

I thank you for your note and I offer the above respectfully and directly so as to be sure we share an understanding of the path ahead.

The tragic events of Astroworld

Clearly, the unexpected and preventable nature of Ezra Blount’s death has devastated his family. With this in mind, it is important to see the basis of their worry.

According to a statement from GoFundMe, Ezra’s father, Treston Blount, said other concertgoers crushed his son during the surge. Due to a lack of oxygen, he could not breathe. Blount said he fell with Ezra on his shoulders, passed out, and both were trampled by the crowd.

The 9-year-olds grandparents found him in the hospital following the event. CBS News reported the following statement on Sunday, from the family’s attorney:

“Ezra sustained life-threatening injuries and was placed in a medically induced coma on life support in an attempt to combat his brain, liver, and kidney trauma.”

“Ezra’s grandparents said they later found him alone at the hospital in a coma, suffering from significant organ damage and severe brain swelling.”

Travis Scott was Ezra’s favorite rapper. Although Scott may mean well, the Astroworld Festival has left many of his. biggest fans traumatized and devastated. One can only hope there he’ll respect the family’s wishes and take responsibility while they mourn the life of their innocent child.

If you missed anything regarding the tragic Astroworld Festival, catch up here.

Written by Antoinette Ford

Categories
Trending

Astroworld Staff Instructed In Guidelines To Refer To Deceased Concertgoers As “Smurfs”

Astroworld staff was told to refer to the deceased victims of the crowd surge that happened on the 5th of November as “smurfs.” This is according to a 56-page report obtained by CNN and one of the Astroworld concert promoters. His name is Scoremore.

The document highlighted the various instructions directed towards staff in response to different situations at the fatal event. Over 50,000 fans flocked to the NRG Park in Houston to attend the two-day festival. However, things soon took a grim twist as eight people lost their lives while many others were injured after a deadly crowd surge. Among the victims were teenagers as young as 14 and 16.

Astroworld Concert “Smurf Guidelines”

The document states that Astroworld staff is to refer to the deceased victims as “smurfs” and to refrain from using the term “dead” or “deceased.” It’s unclear why they chose that specific term, but it is indeed puzzling. An Instagram user named @nuksantiago revealed in a video that he saw victims turn “black and blue,” as people tried to resuscitate them.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nuk Santiago (@nuksantiago)

Other guidelines in the text include safety measures for instances, such as handling evidence. What’s surprising is that the document doesn’t offer any protocols or safety measures in case of a crowd surge. This is in light of a similar incident in November 2019, where three concertgoers ended up in the hospital.Astroworld Concert Guidelines

In other news, Travis Scott announced that he would cater to the funeral costs for the victims losing their lives at the festival. The rapper also added, he would be partnering with BetterHelp to provide free mental health services for victims and their families. The rapper also promised to issue refunds to the attendees after the cancellation of the festival on November 6th. He also canceled his performance scheduled on the 13th at Day N Vegas.

Written by Sheila Maina

Twitter: @nazlin_sheila

Categories
Trending

Travis Scott Went to At Dave & Busters After Nightmare Astroworld Festival

As the details of the tragic Astroworld Festival begin to take shape, new information continues to swarm the internet. Travis Scott publicly stated he was completely unaware of the devastation surrounding his event. However, it has now been reported that he and rapper Drake, who appeared with him onstage at the event, attended an after-party at Dave & Busters following the show where eight attendees lost their lives

“Travis didn’t know the severity of the situation when he arrived at the party, as far as timing, this remains consistent with the fact that no one including the police had publicly confirmed the gravity of the events that had taken place,” a source shared with TMZ.   Here, a video supports Travis did tend to someone in the crowd who had passed out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bggq9xIRKM

The After-Party Challenging Travis Scott’s claims

Drake, who allegedly threw the after-party, said he was unaware of the deaths and injuries as well. Many questioned how the crowd’s cries for help were not heard.  Reportedly, Travis was at least 50 yards from the cameraman that pleaded for the show to cease. Speculation that Scott was unaware of deaths until the next day is now questionable. Other sources shared he left the after-party when alerted to the severity of the situation.

Judgments for the Astroworld victims

Scott took to social media to share his condolences and reveal his partnership with the Houston Police Department to render services where needed.  NRG Park, which was the event’s venue, had a $26 million liability policy in place to support the event.  However, unforeseen lawsuits after the crowd disaster, reportedly with a price tag into the hundreds of millions, will devour this amount.

“If the evidence shows that people were not trampled to death but instead died or injured because of pressure against them leaving them unable to breathe, then I think the producers will face even greater liability,” Rusty Hardin said. This Houston-based lawyer notes that there is a lot of video evidence to cover in order to rule precise judgments.

Will Travis Scott “rage” no more?

Inciting the crowd to “rage” is what brought Scott to musical stardom. Scott has even written super-fans’ wild actions into his lyrics; a fan who was paralyzed after diving from the nosebleeds at a 2017 show received a shoutout in Astroworld opener “Stargazing.”

At Astroworld Fest, fans looked forward to their chance to rage in the presence of their favorite rapper. Unfortunately, this rowdy act has caused Scott’s sudden demise. His Astroworld Festival now faces prevalent danger and so does he. He’s been a trusted (and expensive) headliner at many festivals in past, but now this could change.

Scott has faced considerable consequences following the show.  Fortnite has halted the sale of Scott’s The Out West emote following the event. Scott canceled his appearance at Day N’ Vegas,  a hip-hop festival that will be held in Vegas on Nov. 13. Furthermore, a petition arose calling for his removal from the 2022 Coachella line-up. Many fans have had enough, calling for a boycott of the rapper’s music.  Some listeners even cited feeling physically sick after listening to his music.  Distressed fans have pleaded with others via social media to utilize the “block music” on the Spotify platform, filtering out Scott’s music.

Follow us as we cover more from Astroworld Festival. @FMHipHop:  Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.

Written by Antoinette Ford

Categories
Trending

Drake Breaks His Silence; Expresses Grief Over Astroworld

Drake has spoken out for the first time since the Astroworld tragedy. He’s been pretty quiet since Friday night’s incident, but has now broken his silence. The rapper took to Instagram to express his grief over those who lost their lives.

“I spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy. I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as brief, but this is where I find myself. My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who have lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way that I can. May God be with you all.”

What is the lawsuit against Drake?

Drake, along with Travis Scott and Live Nation are being sued by victims of the Astroworld tragedy. Although Travis Scott and Live Nation were the organizers of the event, Drake was a guest performer. The rapper is accused of inciting the crowd that concertgoers say ignited the surge. One of the victims by the name of Kristian Parade, claims that Drake’s actions caused him to be severely injured, and also contributing to the deaths of 8 concertgoers. Parade, who is seeking over $1M to cover medical expenses says that Drake, who performed alongside of Travis Scott at the time of the deadly surge, continued to perform even after the crowd became out of control.

What We Know About The Victims

The eight victims who lost their lives, were between the ages of 14 and 27. Thousands of people were caught up in the crush. Hundreds suffered injuries. 25 of those people were transported to the hospital, and 13 remain hospitalized. Among those hospitalized are 5 minors. A 9 year old is currently in an induced coma. The child suffered brain trauma after falling from his father’s shoulders and being trampled during the crowd surge. Our hearts go out to all of the victims.

Written By chi_journalist

Follow Me @chi_journalist on Instagram and Twitter, and @ ChicagoJournalist on Facebook

 

 

 

Categories
Trending

New Roddy Ricch Album On The Way

Roddy Ricch has been dropping numerous teasers, hinting that we might be getting a new album much sooner than we think.

The Compton native’s last project was back in December 2019 with his debut album, Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial . The album was released through Atlantic Records and Bird Vision Entertainment. The project features appearances from Ty Dolla $ign, A Boogie wit Da  Hoodie, and Gunna. It received numerous accolades, including Apple Music’s Album of the Year in 2020.

The rapper revealed that the album, Live Life Fa$t will be fifty-one minutes long with up to eighteen tracks. That’s longer than any of his prior projects but the rapper assured fans that it would be skip-free.

New Roddy Ricch Album on The Way
via Yahoo News/Everyday Power

Roddy Ricch Pledges Financial Support To Astroworld Victims

In other news, Mr. Ricch announced through his official Instagram page he would be donating part of his earnings to the victims of the AstroWorld Festival Tragedy.

“Please have the families of those who we lost yesterday reach out to @shawnholiday. I’ll b donating my net compensation to the families of this incident #Pray4Houston.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks)

 

Disaster struck on November 5th when the attendees rushed to one of the entrances, overwhelming the guards and security personnel. Eight people succumbed to injuries sustained after a stampede ensued at the festival with eleven others going into cardiac arrest. Over three hundred people became casualties when a crowd rush erupted at around 9:15 p.m. Houston City and Harris County officials held a press conference shortly after the tragedy. Footage of the fateful event has been making rounds on social media, with some showing disturbing scenes, such as a paramedic  performing CPR. The festival which usually runs for two days was canceled on the second night. 

 

 Written by: Sheila Maina

Twitter: @nazlin_sheila

 

 

 

Categories
Trending

WATCH: Kanye West Dedicates Sunday Service to Astroworld Victims

As the nightmare of an Astroworld gone wrong is being investigated, artists are showing their support for the victims of Friday’s (November 5) disaster. Among these is Kanye West or a.k.a. just Ye now. Ye’s most recent Sunday Service was dedicated to those who lost their lives in Houston, and for the families in mourning.

Sundays by Kanye West

https://youtu.be/qLO4sxTwwuQ

Streaming live yesterday, (November 7), Ye’s Sunday Service debuted at noon Pacific Time on YouTube. Prior to the start, a message announced the Sunday Service would be in “dedication to the loved ones at Astroworld.” Astroworld itself did come up during the performance.

Ye Dedicates Sunday Service to Victims of Astroworld
Sunday Service /via Twitter

The description on YouTube reads in part,

“So, let’s get back to a peaceful state of mind with this service dedicated to the lost lives at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Fest.”

Held at an undisclosed location, the event featured multiple groups of singers and worshippers. However, it’s worth noting that Ye himself did not appear to be in attendance.

 

The event included songs from Ye’s DONDA, such as “Moon” and “Hurricane”. The venue, dark, shadowy, and expansive, certainly gave the songs a distinct feeling.

https://twitter.com/_Rap301/status/1457458839280754688?s=20

 

West has had Sunday Service multiple times through the years. First debuting at Coachella in 2019, the event has taken on an abstract, almost cult-like theme. The prior Service, taking place on October 31, caused some serious controversy. Indeed, joining Ye in a circle of be-robed worshippers was Marilyn Manson, himself facing numerous sexual assault allegations. It also probably didn’t help that Ye embraced Manson in a prayer circle.

For those unfamiliar with the events of the last Friday, Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival’s incredible turnout turned into an immense tragedy. During Scott’s live performance Friday evening, a massive crowd rush of up to 50,000 people surged towards the stage. In the crush, eight concertgoers lost their lives, with hundreds more injured. As Scott expresses his condolences, the first lawsuits are being filed by survivors and victims’ families.

 

Garrett C. Owen 

Twitter | Instagram

Categories
Trending

Travis Scott and Drake Sued by Astroworld Festival Attendees

As more details unfold regarding this year’s Astroworld Fest in Texas, it has been revealed that Travis Scott and Drake got sued for the tragic events that occurred.

According to The Guardian, the rappers have been sued for “incited mayhem” by several concertgoers who were, allegedly, injured following a stampede that left eight people dead. The concert took place on November 5.

One of the said injured concert-goers, Manuel Souza, filed a lawsuit on November 6 in Harris County District Court against Scott, Live Nation, and organizers Score More and ASM Global.

Another concertgoer who filed a lawsuit is 23-year-old Kristian Paredes. He is alleged to be “severely injured” after the tragic events at Astroworld Fest. Paredes stated that he “felt an immediate push” in front of the general admission section as Travis Scott got on stage to perform.

Astroworld Lawsuit

The lawsuit claims that “the crowd became chaotic, and a stampede began” and that Scott “had incited mayhem chaos at prior events.” It also accuses Drake as part of the reason why there was so much pandemonium around the stage as well.

“As Drake came onstage alongside Travis Scott he helped incite the crowd even though he knew of Travis Scott’s prior conduct” the complaint reads. It then says that Drizzy continued to perform while the “crowd became out of control.”

About 50,000 people attended Astroworld Fest, hundreds received treatment at the festival’s field hospital and over 50 needed emergency care. Medical professionals on-site were overwhelmed with the number of injured concert attendees.

Numerous victims were pronounced dead including someone as young as 14 years old. Another teen in the group was 16-year-old high school student Brianna Rodriguez. 23-year-old Rudy Pena, 27-year-old Danish Baig, and 21-year-olds Franco Patino and Jacob Jurinek also died.

“Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life” Travis said in a statement over the weekend in response to Astroworld Fest’s unfortunate chain of events.

Drake has yet to make a statement.

Read here and here for more of the story.

 

Written by Amber Alexander

Twitter: Ambernofetari