Travis Scott Accused of Assaulting Sound Engineer at NYC Nightclub
American rapper Travis Scott is facing questioning by New York City police after he was accused of assaulting a man at a Manhattan nightclub early Wednesday.[0] According to police sources, Scott allegedly punched the sound engineer in the face and caused $12,000 worth of damage to equipment.[1] Scott's lawyer, Mitchell Schuster, released a statement saying they are actively working with the venue and law enforcement to resolve the situation and clear Scott of any wrongdoing.
The incident reportedly took place at Nebula, a nightclub on West 41st Street in Midtown, around 2 a.m.[2] The sound engineer, who has not been identified, was trying to tell Scott to lower the volume for a better performance, when the rapper reportedly put his middle finger up and then ran around the speaker to attack him. The engineer was taken to Jersey City Medical Center where he described his injuries as “f—ked up.”[3]
Video footage obtained by TMZ shows Scott looking agitated with someone at the DJ booth.[3] He is seen yelling, “Back the f—k up,” before shoving them away.[3] In a second clip, Scott appears to angrily run up to someone off camera while Don Toliver is performing onstage.[4]
Dorian Harrington, the talent booker who booked Toliver to host the afterparty, called the incident “a total misunderstanding” and said the performance and the night turned out great.[5] However, a witness said Travis was yelling aggressively in the sound engineer’s face before he smacked him across the face, causing a “big commotion” between Scott’s security and club personnel.[6]
The NYPD confirmed the altercation in a statement to Rolling Stone, saying that a 52-year-old victim became engaged in a verbal dispute with the 31-year-old rapper and was punched in the face.[7] They added that the investigation is still ongoing.[8]
In November 2021, more than a year prior to this incident, 10 people were tragically lost in a crowd surge at Scott's Astroworld Festival in Houston.[9] Scott's reps have denied the accusations, saying that the video does not reflect what happened and that the incident is a potential cash grab from the people involved. They have also said that Scott is actively working with law enforcement to resolve the issue.[3]
0. “Travis Scott wanted for questioning in NYC after man says he was punched at Manhattan nightclub” KTRK-TV, 1 Mar. 2023, https://abc13.com/travis-scott-punch-club-nebula-nyc/12898605/
1. “Travis Scott sought by New York police over alleged assault of nightclub worker” The Guardian, 2 Mar. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/02/travis-scott-sought-by-new-york-police-over-alleged-assault-of-nightclub-worker
2. “Travis Scott allegedly punched NYC nightclub worker, caused $12K in damage: sources” PIX11 New York News, 1 Mar. 2023, https://pix11.com/news/local-news/manhattan/travis-scott-sought-by-police-in-nyc-assault-case-nypd-sources/
3. “Travis Scott gets himself in new trouble after punching sound engineer in the face” Marca English, 1 Mar. 2023, https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/music/2023/03/01/63ffd3b046163f965c8b456f.html
4. “Video Shows Travis Scott Yelling, Shoving Someone in Club” XXLMAG.COM, 1 Mar. 2023, https://www.xxlmag.com/travis-scott-yelling-shove-someone-club-assault-video/
5. “Travis Scott ‘being sought by police after $12,000 in damages” Geo News, 2 Mar. 2023, https://www.geo.tv/latest/473755-travis-scott-being-sought-by-police-after-12000-in-damages
6. “Travis Scott Footage Surfaces As Alleged Assault Victim Speaks Out” HipHopDX, 2 Mar. 2023, https://hiphopdx.com/news/travis-scott-assault-video-victim-speaks-out
7. “Travis Scott wanted by police following alleged nightclub incident” The FADER, 2 Mar. 2023, https://www.thefader.com/2023/03/02/travis-scott-nightclub-incident-police
8. “Travis Scott Accused of Causing $12,000 in Damages in Nightclub Fight” Variety, 1 Mar. 2023, https://variety.com/2023/music/news/travis-scott-damages-nightclub-fight-1235539953/
9. “Travis Scott: New York police searching for rapper after alleged nightclub punch” Sky News, 2 Mar. 2023, https://news.sky.com/story/travis-scott-new-york-police-searching-for-rapper-after-alleged-nightclub-punch-12823412
