Travis Scott has performed live for the first time since the crowd crush tragedy at his Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas last year left 10 people dead and many more injured.
As TMZ reports, the rapper delivered a brief set at a private pre-Oscars party in Bel-Air that was attended by the likes of Leo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Venus and Serena Williams and more. Footage has since emerged of Scott performing his 2018 hit ‘Sicko Mode’ during the party.
Though Scott has been spotted in public since the Astroworld tragedy last November, this appears to be the first time he’s performed, suggesting the rapper may intend to resume taking the stage on a more regular basis.
This, of course, comes as Scott faces hundreds of lawsuits related to the Astroworld incident from the families of those killed in the crowd surge and those who were injured, seeking billions in damages from Scott along with promoters Live Nation and others.
The incident took place during Scott’s headline set at the festival on Friday, 5th November, when a crowd crush began. The cause of death for all 10 people who died as a result of the incident was officially listed as compressive asphyxiation. 25 people were hospitalised and hundreds were treated for injuries on-site.
Earlier this month, Scott launched a philanthropic initiative called Project HEAL. The fund will donate $5 million to a range of community-based efforts such as academic scholarships and mental health resources, along with the US Conference of Mayors Task Force on Event Safety to assist them in addressing safety issues at large-scale live events.
“Over the past few months I’ve been taking the time and space to grieve, reflect and do my part to heal my community,” Scott said when announcing the project. “Most importantly, I want to use my resources and platform moving forward towards actionable change. This will be a lifelong journey for me and my family.
“I will always honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever. Giving back and creating opportunities for the youth is something I’ve always done and will continue to do as long as I have the chance.”
Following the project’s launch, some families of the Astroworld tragedy’s victims criticised the move. The grandparents of nine-year-old Ezra Blount, who was the youngest victim of the crowd crush, labelled it a “PR stunt”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyrqJYsZMKs&feature=emb_title
