Lil Wayne, Marshmello, and other entertainers were revealed to have abused pandemic grants numbering into the millions, instead using the funds to splurge on hotels, trips, and other offenses. Among those named in the new report, the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant funds were reportedly misused by Rae Sremmurd, Chris Brown, and more.
In a new report from Business Insider, it was revealed that Lil Wayne, Marshello, Chris Brown, and members of the Alice In Chains band all received funds from the pandemic-era Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) meant to supplant the careers of working musicians and the venues they perform in while much of the nation and world contended with the rise of the COVID-19 virus.
Lil Wayne received $8.9 million in SVOG funds, spending $1.3 million on private chartered flights and over $450,000 on clothing and other miscellaneous items. The report also showed that the New Orleans star spent over $175,000 on expenses for a music festival related to his GKUA cannabis brand, and clothes for artists on his Young Money record label. Further, $15,000 in grant funds were used on flights and hotels for women with loose connections to the rapper’s touring operation, one of which was also reported to be an adult actress.
The SVOG was touted by members of Congress as a means to keep venues afloat and help keep musicians and their staff financially whole as touring was all but shut down for many during the height of the pandemic.
The outlet came to uncover that beyond Wayne, Chris Brown used his $10 million in SVOG grant funds to pay for a birthday party that approached $80,000 in costs. He also pocketed $5.1 million of the SVOG funds personally by way of his company, CBE Touring. Brown also used $24,000 of the grant to pay for a tour bus from the United States to Tulum, Mexico in 2020 for a monthlong stay for him and his team but did not perform in the resort town.
Other names mentioned in the Business Insider report include Marshmello, who received $9.9 million in SVOG funds and reportedly pocketed it all. Rae Sremmurd’s Sreem Touring was given $7.7 million, which was paid to Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi.
Representatives for the artists in question declined to comment on the findings of the report. As for any ramifications, the government has gotten back some of the misused funds from Chris Brown. It wasn’t stated if officials would go after the other individuals named.
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