Why Drake is being sued for the Astroworld concert tragedy

What Canadian rapper Drake might have known about the tragedy unfolding at the Astroworld concert in Houston before he took the stage has made him a defendant in some of the scores of lawsuits launched against the deadly event.

"Theallegation about Drake is that healso should have been aware that people were being injured and hurt," said Meredith Duncan, a law professor at the University of Houston Law Center Faculty.

"Andby him taking the stage and performing that he was going to add to that situation."

Dozens oflawsuits have been filed and a criminal investigation openedafter ninepeople died and hundreds were injured in an apparent crowd surge at rapper Travis Scott's Astroworldoutdoor music festival. Authorities have said 50,000 people attended the Nov. 5 event.

Among those named in the lawsuitsincludepromoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and Scott. Drake,who was a surprise guest performer andappeared on stage with Scott,has also been named a defendant insome of the legal action since taken.

'Helped incite the crowd'

One of those lawsuits filed by concertgoerKristian Paredes, 23, from Texas, includesLive Nation Entertainment Inc. and Scott and Drake.The suit alleges the Toronto rapper,who is referred to by his real name Aubrey Drake Graham, "helped incitethe crowd" and that he continued to be on stage with Scott "as the crowd became out of control" and "the crowd mayhem continued."

Concertgoers have described the packed crowd growing dangerous even beforeScottappeared on stage, and seeing people collapse while the rapper performed. Scott reportedlypaused his performanceonce it was clear people needed medical attention and encouraged the audience to make room for an ambulance that was winding through the crowd, but later finished his set.

Authorities gave word at about10:03 p.m. CT that the concert was in the process of shutting down, but witnesses say Scott and Drakekept performing.

Scott's attorneys have said their clientdid not know about the deaths and injuries until after the show. Other news reports have quoted sources saying Drake was alsounaware of what had happened. In an Instagram post, Drake said his heart was "broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering."

Some lawsuits claim both negligence thatallthe defendants failed to take reasonable precautions to protect against physical injuries and death and gross negligence, meaning the defendants were aware of the risk but consciouslydisregarded those risks.

Responsibility to take steps

As for Scott's potential liability, if he was able to see and observethatharm was occurring as a result of the way the concert was being conducted, then he had a responsibility to take steps to stop that harm,according to C.J. Baker, a Texas-based injury lawyer.

"There's a lot of video out there. And if that video ultimately shows that he could tell or that he should have been able to tell then he could have prevented the harm by ending the show sooner.orby taking some kind of steps to prevent it," he said.

Scott has history that could also play a role in any legal proceedings. Hepreviously pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct charges related to two separate incidents of encouraging fans to rush the stage,once at a 2015 music festival in Chicago and later at a 2017 concert in Arkansas, local media in both places reported at the time.

However, as for Drake, Baker said it 's too soon to tell exactly what role he played at Astroworld.

"But it's important that everyone who was involved in the concert be brought into the lawsuit so that we can figure out through the discovery process who bears what fault," he said.

WATCH |Travis Scott, Drake sued for negligence over Astroworld festival deaths:

Travis Scott, Drake sued for negligence over Astroworld festival deaths

3 years ago

Duration 3:24

Travis Scott and Drake are being sued for negligence after a crowd surge at Houston's Astroworld music festival left eight people dead. One of the lawsuits accuses both rappers of inciting a riot.

Duncan said for Drake to be subject to civil liability, the plaintiffs have to show that he was somehow at fault.

"And it just doesn't seem that there is fault there if it is true that all he was was a surprise visitor and he didn't know anything about everything else that was going on," she said.

LISTEN | What went wrong at Travis Scott'sAstroworld:

Front Burner26:49What went wrong at Travis Scotts Astroworld

As lawsuits, a criminal investigation and social media try to assign blame for the fatal crowd surge at Travis Scotts Astroworld Festival, a look at the warning signs before the concert, and the long history of festival disasters.