Travis Scott

Travis Scott’s Planned Cactus Jack Collaboration With Dior Has Been Postponed ‘Indefinitely’

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Travis Scott Astroworld Festival 2021
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In the wake of the tragedy at the Astroworld Festival this past November, Travis Scott, the face of the fest, has come under scrutiny for his role in the deaths of ten people during and following a crowd crush during his headlining set. As a result, a number of his business partnerships have come to an end, including his Cactus Jack seltzer collaboration with Anheuser-Busch, while he’s been dropped from festivals like Coachella in the weeks since. Today, Travis’ brand was dealt another blow, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

In a statement to WWD, luxury fashion house Dior, which had planned a capsule collection collaboration with Travis’ Cactus Jack label, announced that the collaboration has been put on hold for the foreseeable future. “Out of respect for everyone affected by the tragic events at Astroworld, Dior has decided to postpone indefinitely the launch of products from the Cactus Jack collaboration originally intended to be included in its summer 2022 collection,” the statement reads. According to WWD, the collection would have been the brand’s first with a musician, as well as the first time it would allow its logo to be altered. From the looks of things, the brand will likely think twice before signing on for another collaboration, no matter how big the artist’s footprint happens to be.

Until Astroworld, Travis had one of the biggest footprints in music, with partnerships with McDonald’s, Nike, Sony PlayStation, and more elevating a personal brand that was rapidly becoming inescapable. However, with the deaths at Astroworld Fest still fresh in the minds of both businesses and fans, Travis’ immediate future has become uncertain, and a slew of lawsuits could change his fortunes in a hurry.

Travis Scott Makes Rare Appearance Since Astroworld To Bless Houston Kids With Christmas Gifts

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Travis Scott

Travis Scott was seen out for one of the first times since the Astroworld tragedy, giving back to the children of his city for Christmas. The rapper and his foundation, Cactus Jack, distributed toys to more than 5,000 kids in Houston who come from struggling families for Christmas. This is the foundation’s second year of […]

2021’s Most-Liked Instagram Posts Were From Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, And A Mermaid

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Ariana Grande The Kelly Clarkson Show 2021
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Musicians are major players in the realm of social media, and that remained true in 2021: A good chunk of the most-liked Instagram posts from the past year were by musicians or were music-related.

Ariana Grande has the top post among musicians and the second most-liked one overall, as a May 26 post featuring photos from her wedding with Dalton Gomez has over 26 million likes (according to Wikipedia, with data accurate as of December 23 and updated by Uproxx on December 27 for this post). It could be argued, though, that Billie Eilish actually fared better on the list: While the aforementioned Grande post is her only one in the top ten, Eilish has two posts on the list, the most among musicians. A post revealing her blonde hair ranks at No. 4 with 23 million likes and a photo from her Vogue photoshoot is No. 6 with 22.1 million likes.

Other musicians make cameos on the list as well. Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy announcement post from September, in which she tagged Travis Scott, is No. 3 with 24.6 million likes. Meanwhile, Iron Shore Mermaid, a professional mermaid performer, had a post in the top ten, a video set to The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay.”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez had the honor of having the year’s top post, as their pregnancy announcement racked up over 32 million likes since it was shared in late October. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi had three posts in the top ten, making him the person with the most top-ten posts this year.

In terms of the people involved, this year’s list looks similar to the 2020 ranks, as Ronaldo, Messi, Grande, and Jenner all had some of last year’s top posts, too.

Check out the top ten list of the year’s most-liked Instagram posts below.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez — pregnancy announcement (October 28; 32.3 million likes)
2. Ariana Grande — photos from her wedding with Dalton Gomez (May 26; 26.7 million likes)
3. Kylie Jenner — second pregnancy announcement (September 8; 24.6 million likes)
4. Billie Eilish — blonde hair reveal (March 17; 23 million likes)
5. Lionel Messi — First post after signing with Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (August 11; 22.1 million likes)
6. Billie Eilish — Vogue photoshoot (May 2; 22.1 million likes)
7. Lionel Messi — photo with the Copa América trophy (July 11; 22 million likes)
8. Lionel Messi — post announcing his departure from Barcelona during a press conference (August 8; 21.2 million likes)
9. Mermaid Montana — Iron Shore Mermaid (August 18; 20.2 million likes)
10. Tom Holland — birthday post for Zendaya (September 1; 19.6 million likes)

Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Foundation Hosted Their Second Annual Toy Drive In Houston

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Travis Scott Astroworld Festival 2021
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After tragedy struck at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival earlier this year, the rapper has been laying low, trying to help the families of victims (who sometimes refused) and investigate how the situation turned so deadly that nine people lost their lives. Congress has also opened up their own investigation into the event, while Live Nation is reportedly trying force staff to sign liability waivers post-event.

For his part, Scott joined a committee devoted to making concerts safer, and has only done one interview since the event, which a lawyer for one of the victims critiqued.

Since every move he makes gets criticized, it’s commendable that Scott and his Cactus Jack Foundation did decide to continue their toy drive, hosting the second annual event yesterday. In a post to the account Instagram about the event, the Houston-based charitable foundation kept things very simple: “Cactus Jack Foundation Second Annual Toy Drive is open now. 1 toy per child, first come first serve. Southeast Community Church. 10413 Ashville, Houston 77051. 3-5 pm.”

None of this negates the fact that almost 3,000 lawsuits have been brought against Scott and Live Nation after the event, though there’s a chance they will all be combined into a single case. Still, it’s nice that he decided to spread Christmas cheer for some families in need.

Congress Is Now Investigating The Astroworld Tragedy

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Travis Scott Under Congress Investigation

A congressional committee has launched an investigation into the promoter of the Astroworld music festival in Houston. During the Astroworld Festival tragedy, ten people were killed due to a massive crowd surge. Astroworld To Be Investigated By Congress The information the congressional committee requested included details about security, crowd control, and mass casualty incident planning. […]

Congress Is Investigating Live Nation’s Role In The Astroworld Tragedy

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Travis Scott Astroworld Festival 2021
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Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino received an open letter this morning from Congress asking to talk and provide documents about the Astroworld tragedy. In the letter from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Representatives said that “We are deeply saddened by the deaths that occurred at Astroworld Festival and are committed to investigating what went wrong to inform possible reforms that could prevent future tragedies.”

It’s the next wrinkle in the aftermath of the devastating Astroworld crowd control incident on November 5th that led to 10 attendees losing their lives. Live Nation was the promoter of the event along with Travis Scott and they’ve already raised eyebrows this week for news that they reportedly tried to get part-time staff at the festival to sign liability waivers after the fact. Here are the questions that Congress is seeking to get answers from Rapino and LiveNation about the event:

1. Please provide a narrative detailing the roles and responsibilities for Astroworld
Festival, including, but not limited to, venue security, crowd control,mass
casualty incident planning, emergency communications, and medical care,
between Live Nation Entertainment, its subsidiaries, partners, and subcontractors;

2. Describe any pre-show security assessments, planning, and briefings conducted
by Live Nation Entertainment or its partners, subsidiaries, or subcontractors,
including any details regarding any safety concerns raised prior to the
performance;

3. Please provide details regarding Live Nation Entertainment’s actions in response
to same-day reports of fans breaking through security barriers;

4. What precise time was Live Nation Entertainment first made aware of casualties
on the evening of November 5, and what steps were taken in response to that
information;

5. What precise time was Live Nation Entertainment first made aware that law
enforcement had declared the event a “mass casualty event,” and what actions did
Live Nation Entertainment take between that report and the performance’s
termination at approximately 10:10 p.m.;

6. Please share your assessment of the cause of the stampede and whether it could
have been prevented;

7. Please address reports that Live Nation has withheld pay from Astroworld
employees until they have signed revised employment contracts that release Live
Nation from liability; and

8. What steps does Live Nation plan to take to prevent another injury or death at a
promoted or held event.

What happened at Astroworld was an inexcusable, colossal fail that someone has to be liable for. It looks as though Congress not only wants to address that liability, but they also want to outline steps so that something of this nature never happens again.

You can read Congress’ open letter in full here via TMZ.

Travis Scott Takes Lead To Make Concerts Safer After Astroworld Tragedy

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After the tragedy that happened at his Astroworld concert, Travis Scott is trying to do better. The embattled rapper is working on a new initiative to ensure concertgoers’ safety. Travis Scott Working To Make Concerts Safer Travis has joined forces with The United States Conference of Mayors, an entity that represents the interests of more […]

Live Nation Reportedly Strong-Armed Astroworld Staff Into Signing Liability Waivers After The Festival

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Travis Scott Astroworld Festival 2021
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Rolling Stone reports that in the wake of the Astroworld Festival tragedy earlier this year, concert promoter Live Nation strong-armed Astroworld’s staff into signing liability waivers or risk not getting paid. According to an email acquired by Rolling Stone, just hours after 9-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest of the festival’s 10 victims, was reported dead from injuries sustained in the crowd crush during Travis Scott’s headlining set, Live Nation had sent part-time employees a revised employment contract promising not to sue Live Nation or its Scoremore subsidiary. However, two security guards have already done so, suggesting that not everyone signed the documents.

The original contract was the same one from the 2018 festival, even still bearing the year of the fest’s inauguration at the top. However, the new ones sent on November 15 amended the error, claiming that the employees would need it to receive their $7.50/hour paychecks for tasks like checking wristbands. The new contracts’ text was duplicated in Rolling Stone:

(Employee) assumes full responsibility for any injuries or damages that may occur to the (employee) in, on or about the festival and its premises and fully and forever releases and discharges the released parties from any and all claims, demands, damages, rights of action or causes of action resulting from or arising out of the (employee’s) attending and or providing services at the festival.

The amended contracts also denied employees medical coverage or other benefits, including workers’ compensation. According to the employee who brought the email to Rolling Stone‘s attention, “It was a free for all. I saw a girl trying to run through. She got crushed. I saw kids getting knocked out. It definitely felt like there wasn’t nearly enough security to contain the rush of the fans.” There’s also a pretty harrowing firsthand account of the chaos during Travis’ closing set that frankly, sounds terrifying.

Both Live Nation and Travis Scott have denied liability in the dozens of lawsuits filed by survivors and victims’ families, despite reports that Travis had continued performing long after the concert was declared a mass casualty event.

You can read Rolling Stone’s full report here.

Travis Scott Was Reportedly Dropped From Coachella’s 2022 Lineup

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Travis Scott Astroworld Fest 2021
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It looks like Travis Scott’s performance woes will continue into 2022 thanks to a new report. According to KESQ, Scott was reportedly dropped from Coachella’s 2022 lineup. The publication credits Goldenvoice, the promotion company behind Coachella, with making the move, but they also note that an attempt to get a comment from them was unsuccessful. KESQ also reports that the city of Indio, where the festival is held, and the Community Services Manager Jim Curtis also confirmed the news about Scott’s removal. Brooke Beare, the city’s director of communications and marketing, told the Desert Sun that “any confirmation about the festival lineup would come from Goldenvoice.”

The report comes after Travis sat down for his first interview since the Astroworld tragedy last month. He spoke to radio show personality Charlamagne Tha God about the incident and how it’s weighed on him in the weeks since. “It gets so hard because, you know, I always feel connected with my fans,” he said during the interview. “I went through something and I feel like fans went through something and people’s parents went through something, and it really hurts. It hurts the community, it hurts the city.” He added, “There’s been a lot of thoughts, a lot of feelings, a lot of grieving, and just trying to wrap my head around it.”

In more recent news, Anheuser-Busch discontinued Scott’s Cacti hard seltzer line following the Astrowrold tragedy.