Rapper Travis Scott says he didn't know until after show that fans were injured at Astroworld crush
American rapper Travis Scott said he did not know until after his show that fans were injured, and some had died, during the crush at music festival Astroworld.
Ten people were killed when fans surged toward the stage during a performance by Scott, who was headlining the two-day music festival in Houston, Texas on November 5.
The youngest victim of the crush, Ezra Blount, was just nine years old. The others who died ranged in age from 14 to 27.
Some 300 people were treated at the festival site and 13 were admitted to hospital.
In his first sit-down interview since the deadly crush, the rapper was asked at what point he realised fans were injured.
Scott, 30, told Charlamagne Tha God on his YouTube channel: “It was not until minutes until the press conference (after the show) until I figured out exactly what happened.
“Even after the show you are just hearing things but I did not know the exact details.
“And even at that moment you’re like, ‘Wait, what?’ People pass out, things happen at concerts, but something like that…”
Scott also said he had been on an “emotional rollercoaster” since the incident.
Charlamagne Tha God asked Scott if he heard the fans who were “collectively screaming for help every time you stopped a song”.
Scott said: “It’s so crazy, any time you can hear that you want to stop the show, you want to make sure fans get the proper attention they need.
“I stopped a couple of times to make sure everyone was ok, I just go off the fans’ energy, I just didn’t hear that.
“At the end of the day you just hear music.”
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The festival was sold out and was attended by 50,000 people.
Scott said: “I have been doing this a long time and nothing like this has ever happened… You do these shows for people to have the best experience.”
He said he has a “responsibility” to find out what happened.
He added: “Fans come to the show to have a good experience and I have a responsibility to figure out what happened here. I have a responsibility to figure out the solution.
“Hopefully this takes a first step for us as artists, having more insight about what’s going on…to make sure this never happens again.”
Several families of the 10 victims turned down an offer by Scott to pay for funeral costs.
Houston police are investigating the incident.