The tour manager for Nicki Minaj’s upcoming tour has been killed and another member of the rapper’s crew injured in a bar brawl in Philadelphia.
Twenty-nine-year-old De’Von Pickett was stabbed to death outside the Che Bar & Grill in Philadelphia’s West Oak Lane neighbourhood early Wednesday morning when he, Eric Reed, 27, and three other friends got into an argument with another group of men, according to police.
“We believe that both of the victims, as well as the perpetrator, were all inside of this bar and that’s when an argument started,” said Chief Inspector Scott Small. The argument spread outside the bar where one of the men pulled out a knife, police said. Pickett suffered stab wounds in the torso while Reed suffered stab wounds to his left arm and left side.
A private car rushed both men to Albert Einstein Medical Center where Pickett died from his injuries at 2:45 am; less than 15 minutes after he was stabbed. Reed’s injuries are serious, but as of Wednesday evening he remains in fair condition.
Police later returned to the scene where they found personal items, a cellphone and blood on the pavement outside the bar. A Philadelphia Police crime camera and business surveillance cameras may have captured at least part of the incident, say investigators. Police have a good description of the perpetrator and the car he fled in.
Both Pickett and Reed were tour managers who were working on preparations for Minaj’s “The Pinkprint Tour,” which is set to begin next month in Sweden. Pickett was also the co-founder of BK Nerd & Co. and was well-known in the music industry for his work in branding and public relations.
On hearing the news, Minaj tweeted: ‘Two members of my team were stabbed last night in Philly. One was killed. They had only been there for two days rehearsing for the tour.’
A relative of the deceased, who did not want to be identified, also confirmed that Pickett was in Philly to work on the tour with Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill.
“They were all here for her,” the relative said. “I guess they were out celebrating and things went wrong.”
During his career, Pickett worked with some of the biggest stars in the music industry, including Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Hip-Hop artist, Fabolous.
