NEWS
Flavor Flav and Chuck D of Public Enemy have been visiting families who were displaced by the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
The two rappers are raising money with the BMAC (Black Music Action Coalition), with Flav initially teaming up with them to launch a GoFundMe page to benefit displaced Black households in Pasadena and Altadena.
“There’s not enough being done for the Black families and the communities,” he wrote on social media announcing the partnership. “Come on, y’all. Let’s make L.A. strong, baby. Let’s help those in need.”
Now, they’ve visited Altadena alongside BMAC founder Prophet, to meet the families that lost their homes in the fires that took place in early January. A video shared on the organisation’s social media shows them hugging those impacted by the disaster and listening to their stories, including a young boy named Grayson, who tells the rappers that his drum set was destroyed in the fire.
“This was definitely needed,” Flav says in the clip. “I’m honoured to be here. My heart goes out to everybody that lost homes, pets, all of that stuff. Businesses and everything.”
Public Enemy then performed at BMAC’s ReStore & ReBuild fundraiser concert on Thursday (January 29), where they rapped ‘Fight the Power’ and presented Grayson and his mother with $5,000, per Variety.
Watch the clips below.
In January, Chuck D hit out at those using Public Enemy‘s ‘Burn Hollywood Burn’ to celebrate the disastrous LA wildfires.
“‘Burn Hollywood Burn’ is a protest song extracted from the Watts rebellion monikered by the magnificent Montague in 1965 against inequality when he said ‘burn baby burn’ across the air. We made mind-revolution songs aimed at a one-sided exploitation by an industry.”
He added that the track “has nothing to do with families losing everything they have in a natural disaster. Learn the history. Godspeed to those in loss.”
FireAid, a concert to raise funds for relief efforts, took place on Thursday (January 30), and saw the likes of Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart, Katy Perry, Joni Mitchell, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, Stevie Nicks, Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo and Peso Pluma perform.
Earlier, Billie Eilish and Green Day teamed up for a live rendition of ‘Last Night On Earth’ at the venue, and the surviving members of Nirvana – Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear also made a surprise appearance at the Kia Forum.
The trio performed Nirvana cuts ‘Breed’ with St. Vincent on vocals, ‘School’ with Kim Gordon and ‘Territorial Pissings’ with Joan Jett while Grohl’s daughter Violet took the mic for ‘All Apologies’.
Many musicians stepped up to help out the affected communities in the aftermath of the fires. Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD foundation donated $2.5million to help to relief efforts. Paris Hilton also launched a fund for families displaced by the fires, pledging $100,000 and promised to match up to $100,000 in donations. Dave Grohl also spent his birthday making meals for families that had been affected.
NEWS
A$AP Rocky has been quiet during his legal battle. The rapper has not said a word entering the court or a word during his trial. Barring some brief praise for his friend and blog rap peer Kendrick Lamar. A$AP has made sure to be careful when it comes to what he says. His facade dropped, however, during a shocking exchange on Friday. The rapper told a witness not to answer a question during an interrogation. It was a shocking moment on several front, and is generally considered a bad sign during a criminal trial.
The awkward moment was captured on film. A$AP Twelvy, a member of Rocky's A$AP Mob, was being asked what the meaning of a specific photo was. The rapper made it clear he wasn't sure what it meant, but in the midst of his answer, Rocky spoke out. Prosecution interrupted the line of questioning and then redirected the focus to A$AP Rocky's question. "Did you hear the defendant when asked question loudly say," he asked. "Do not answer it." Twelvy admits he heard something but claimed he wasn't sure what was said from Rocky's side of the courtroom.
The prosecution suggested that A$AP Twelvy was being coy about his knowledge due to the fact that A$AP Rocky told him not give an answer. The rapper attempted to downplay Rocky's comment, saying he didn't even hear what was said. Prosecution doubled down, and attempted to get an answer out of the A$AP Mob member. The video account of the exchange is cut off when the judge decides to take a break from the interrogation.
Twelvy's controversial exchange is an unexpected development. The rapper appears to be on A$AP Rocky's side, and even testified that he did not open fire on A$AP Relli the way that Relli is claiming. Twelvy told the court that Rocky actually fired a starter pistol that he kept on him during the alleged encounter with Relli. "He walked around with a prop, like a starter pistol," Twelvy stated. "I seen it on several occasions." The rapper then claimed that the gun was clearly identified as fake before said confrontation went down. "He told him to shoot that fake-ass gun," Twelvy added.
