A$AP Leo arrested for assault in Australia

September 1, 2019 — Leave a comment

The rapper allegedly broke a security guard’s nose

UPDATE: All charges against the rapper have been dropped after the following statement: “”There was a misunderstanding with security at the Byron Falls Festival show, which resulted in charges being laid by NSW Police. After fully cooperating with Police, Joey was granted bail and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge”.

New York rapper A$AP Leo has found himself on the wrong side of the law in Australia after being charged with assaulting a security guard on January 2 at the Falls Music Festival near Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia.

According to ABC, an altercation between A$AP Leo – real name ThaOg LeoDicaproi Virginie Sutt – and the guard took place just before the 39-year-old took to the stage at 8.30pm. The performance went ahead but Byron Bay Police arrested A$AP Leo shortly after he came off stage. He was taken to a nearby station, where he spent the night.

The guard reportedly told police that he believed A$AP Leo to be an unauthorised person in the backstage area. Leo didn’t take too kindly to having his credentials questioned and the guard was treated by paramedics for a broken nose.

The rapper appeared at Lismore County Court one day after his arrest and was granted bail, but must return to Australia on March 19 to face the court. He’s still got another week or so in the country, with his tour extending to Sydney and Melbourne.

A$AP Rocky in White house

September 1, 2019 — Leave a comment

The White House ‘helping’ A$AP Rocky was an attempt to win black voters

Donald Trump wasted little time getting involved when A$AP Rocky was detained by Swedish authorities on suspicion of assault (he’s now been found guilty, after being held for almost a month, but won’t serve jailtime). Even as Trump called the Swedish prime minister though, the move seemed suspicious.

Now, it’s been alleged that the White House saw the A$AP Rocky case as little more than an opportunity to win over black voters, or offer him cultural cache. At the time, Trump was in midst of the disgraceful “send her back” row, an incident that represents everything terrible about him, his “fanbase”, and his presidency.

Trump asked for Rocky to be freed or moved somewhere cosier – only to have his much-talked-about diplomatic prowess come to nothing as it was pointed out he was asking for something illegal.

A report by Yahoo News details some of what went on behind the scenes as the White House attempted to join the #JusticeForRocky campaign. This involved a series of conversations between an elusive entertainment industry “fixer”, two high-profile Trump supporters – Darrell Scott, an Ohio pastor, and Kareem Lanier, chairman of Scott’s Urban Revitalization Coalition, a nonprofit that promotes Trump to the black community – and the White House, specifically Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Scott and Lanier reportedly became involved when the fixer, Hassan Muhammad, reached out to them after himself being contacted by Rocky’s team, in an attempt to get through to Trump. What they tell Yahoo about the situation and how they presented it to the president is revealing.

“There were no conditions attached, but my condition and Kareem’s condition was that all I’m asking for you guys to do is say thank you,” Scott says he told Rocky’s manager. So there were conditions attached, then: Rocky was expected to give Trump some good PR.

“He’s a good guy. It’s a good move,” Scott also apparently told Trump, when asked: “What do you think about this Rocky guy?”

Apparently Scott, Lanier, and the White House didn’t think it was such a “good move” when Rocky didn’t seem too grateful though, with angry words thrown around. “I was like, man, you ungrateful motherfuckers, you. I can’t believe you,” Lanier apparently told an attorney working for the rapper, before he was even released. “We didn’t ask you guys for nothing other than for you guys to be grateful.”

Later, when they reached out to Rocky hours after his release – he posted to Instagram to thank family and friends on the way home – Scott said to his manager: “I hope you guys aren’t going back on what you said you were going to do.”

After that, communications broke down, so Trump will have to chalk this one up as a loss.

The Growlers

August 29, 2019 — Leave a comment

The Growlers are an American band formed in California in 2006, now based in Los Angeles.The band is currently composed of singer Brooks Nielsen, lead guitarist Matt Taylor and keyboard player/guitarist Kyle Straka.They have released seven albums, several EPs and a number of singles. The band’s sound has been described as “a trademark style of music that somehow combines surf, pop, rock and beat” which has been labeled “Beach Goth”.

History

The band released their first album, Are You in or Out in 2009. Their second album, Hot Tropics, was released in 2010. The band’s third album, Hung at Heart, the first to feature Anthony Braun Perry, and Jason Kaiser on percussion (Hung at Heart/Chinese Fountain), was released January 22, 2013.The band originally worked with Dan Auerbach to record the album, but the finished version never saw official release. Instead the band recorded a new version of the album in Costa Mesa, CA with Mike McHugh at his studio, the Distillery Recording Studio, to get a more lo-fi sound.

Chinese Fountain, their new “more grown up, well polished” album was released September 23, 2014. This album was produced by JP Plunier at Seahorse Studios in Los Angeles, CA. Whilst touring the album, the band expanded their live band with percussionist Nick Murray.

The band’s fifth studio album, City Club was released by Cult Records on September 30, 2016, while they embarked on a supporting tour in the same month. It was the first Growlers album to be credited solely to Brooks Nielsen and Matt Taylor, as opposed to the whole band. Nielsen and Taylor wrote and recorded demos for the album over a span of 2 to 3 months with the help of Kyle Mullarky at his studio in Topanga Canyon, CA. It was preceded by the title track as a single produced by Julian Casablancas,who also owns the label. Neither drummer Scott Montoya nor bass player Anthony Perry feature on the album. On September 25, the band confirmed Montoya’s departure from the band and stated that Perry was set to return in the near future.The band toured for this album with Brad Bowers on bass, Adam Wolcott Smith on keyboard, and Richard Gowen on drums. Whether their membership in the band is permanent is currently unclear.

Albums

Are You In or Out? (2009)
Hot Tropics (2010)
Gilded Pleasures (2013)
Hung at Heart (2013)
Chinese Fountain (2014)
City Club (2016)
Casual Acquaintances (2018)