NEWS
The COWBOY CARTER tour has been a massive event to follow for Beyonce fans, but it recently faced a major danger that fortunately didn't get worse. As fans exited the arena after a show and arrived at the Vine City MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) station in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday (July 14), a stampede broke out that led to multiple hospitalizations.
As caught by Complex, a new report explains what happened with greater detail. According to MARTA police chief Scott Kreher, a 10-year-old fan screamed hysterically when they saw a cockroach or "palmetto bug." This caused a ruckus among the former Beyoncé crowd. Since they didn't know what was going on, they tried to quickly exit the MARTA station, which led to jammed escalators due to the high volume of people on them.
Furthermore, Atlanta News First reported that nine people sustained injuries in the post-Beyoncé concert stampede. Attendee Amber Anderson told the outlet about the chaotic experience, recounting how the escalators piled up. "I see that people are starting to run at the entrance, which of course when you see somebody running, you probably want to run too," Anderson remarked.
Fortunately, it seems like medical officials were able to treat those injured, and the situation did not endanger folks further. Still, it was a very scary sight, and we hope the rest of Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER trek goes by much more smoothly. It will wrap up in Nevada on Saturday, July 26, if everything goes according to schedule.
However, elsewhere, Beyoncé's name is coming up in unrelated areas. You probably already saw how Nicki Minaj launched some scathing attacks against her husband Jay-Z and against another famous name, SZA. As for her issues with the TDE singer, the Trinidadian femcee brought up lyrics she wrote for her Bey collab "Feeling Myself" during her tirade.
We'll see how that situation develops, especially with many Nicki narratives floating in the Houston superstar's orbit. For now, though, nothing's really pointing to anything deeper beneath the surface, at least when it comes to their individual bond. Bey's got other issues to deal with, and luckily, this concert stampede did not get worse.
NEWS
Oliver Tree’s team has provided a new update following the singer’s death in a helicopter crash on June 14, confirming that a new artist grant will soon be established in his memory to help creatives secure funding, a plan he had detailed in his will before his passing.
Accompanying a collection of photos highlighting Tree’s performances, travels and creative work through the years, a post shared Sunday (June 21) on his Instagram account revealed that the musician’s remains have been brought back to California, the state he called home and where he will be laid to rest. “His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon,” the caption reads. “This is something that Oliver had put together before his passing.”
“We will make sure his wish comes to fruition so that more joy, love and art can be spread into the world, that was his final wish,” the statement continued, adding that “the constant love, support and positivity” shown by fans throughout the past week has helped his “family, friends and collaborators make it through these extremely difficult times.”
Tree was among six people who lost their lives in a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro. The musician was in Brazil for his The World’s First Tour run and had performed what would ultimately be his final concert on June 6 in São Paulo. The other victims of the crash were identified as passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves, along with pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Just months before his death, Tree discussed his plans to direct his fortune and future earnings from his music toward a grant program for artists during an appearance on the Zach Sang Show. “I take no credit for anything I’ve ever done,” he said during the April interview. “Furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the wealth or things that get made from it is mine. So when I die … my will is set up so that when I pass, my family, nobody is going to get a penny.”
“If I have a wife or kids or anything, they’re not getting a penny,” he added at the time, explaining that the initiative would focus on helping artists create work rather than funding education. “I’ll get my kids through college, that’s the agreement, but there’s not gonna be a silver spoon. All the money is going to go back to artists.”
