Following the recent catastrophic Astroworld festival which left at least 10 dead and more injured, Chuck D of Public Enemy has called upon Live Nation in an open letter, urging them to take accountability for the incident and accusing them of deflecting blame onto Travis Scott.
In reference to Scott, Chuck D wrote” He doesn’t run the sound or venues or festivals or their staff. He doesn’t build stages or coordinate logistics, he’s not an expert in crowd control or security or emergency medical services. But he does trust Live Nation and all the other concert promoters who are supposed to do all of this. And yet here we are, 10 deaths and counting. 10 broken families.”
“I’m tired of these corporations shucking their most crucial responsibility,” continued Chuck D. “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.”
The founding member of Public Enemy then prompted Live Nation to “step up and step out of the shadows to fix these situations and save lives” and “stop letting one Young Black Man take the blame, the hate, the fall.”
Towards the end of his powerfully assertive letter, Chuck D additionally referenced the damaging “Black Pain, Trauma, and Death” that the “White Corporate Music Biz keeps cashing in on.”
Travis Scott recently issued an apology on social media regarding the tragedy as he wrote, “Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life. I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”
Last month, Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav was arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery. One month prior to the arrest, Chuck D responded to Flavor Flav’s claims of Chuck D blocking reunion tour.
Photo Credit: Marv Watson
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