Chuck D just issued an open letter calling on the entire Live Nation team “To step up and step out of the shadows to fix these situations and save lives,” following the tragedy that took place at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival over the first weekend of November.
The Public Enemy rapper writes that Travis Scott is not to blame for the ten concertgoers that died as a result of injuries from the festival. Writing that Scott had nothing to do with the physical set-up of the festival and logistics, he “trust Live Nation and all the other concert promoters who are supposed to do all of this.”
Chuck D explains he is tired of the concert corporation’s negligence of the Astroworld tragedy, and that people want answers about what went wrong at Astroworld.
“I’m not buying the Young Black Man did it. He’s being blamed for a crime while the old white men running the corps that Travis and his fans trusted with their lives stay quiet in the shadows, counting their money and watching their stock prices go up and up.”
He even touches on Scott’s notorious reputation for inciting large crowds and mosh-pits at his shows. Chuck D questions if Live Nation knew about his reputation, “why promote him to bigger venues, why partner with him in the first place and let him headline a bigger audience? Live Nation controlled this show.” He furthers that other artists have not spoken out about the tragedy because they have already made deals themselves with the corporations and fear getting blacklisted or bringing any harm to their careers.
Chuck D calls on Live Nation to fix the situation, and to stop letting Scott take the blame. “We don’t know everything that happened or exactly what failed. But concert promoters have all the power to make the changes to keep everyone safe and alive.”
“Live Nation, your stock is up. The White Corporate Music Biz keeps cashing in on Black Pain, Trauma and Death. This has to stop yesterday. You’re part of the problem. Grow the fuck up, fix this and let us all LIVE in PEACE.”
