Jason Aldean’s ‘Small Town’ music video cuts BLM footage — here’s why

nypost.com:

music video is six seconds shorter since footage of a Black Lives Matter protest in Atlanta was quietly removed. A source close to the situation told The Post on Wednesday that the footage, which showed confrontations during a BLM demonstration, came from Fox 5 Atlanta.Aldean’s record label, BBR Music Group, told TMZ in a statement that “the video footage was edited due to third-party copyright clearance issues.”The insider confirmed to The Post that TackleBox Films, the production company behind the video, contacted Fox on May 8 to ask permission to use the affiliate’s imagery from a BLM rally.

The source claims Fox asked for more information about the song, including its lyrics.TackleBox allegedly sent Fox a link to the song, which was released May 19, but didn’t send the lyrics in writing, per protocol.

When “Small Town” was uploaded to YouTube on July 14, Fox 5’s footage was projected onto the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, which served as the backdrop for Aldean’s performance in the video and the 1946 Columbia Race Riot.That riot nearly resulted in the lynching of the first Black Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall.

The city also saw the lynching of 18-year-old Henry Choate back in 1927.Aldean, 46, hasrepeatedly defended himself this month from accusations that the song and video are “racist” and “pro-lynching.” The source told The Post that Fox reached out to TackleBox and gave the production company a “polite ultimatum” to remove the footage to avoid legal action.TackleBox complied, and the footage appears to have been cut from “Small Town” about a week ago.The Post has contacted reps for Aldean, BBR Music Group, Fox 5 Atlanta, and TackleBox for comment.