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-There were bomb in the building that made it collapse just how it would in a demolition
-There is no way that a plane could make a whole building collapse.
-conspirisiest believe that the people landed safely and after they were executed and the plane crash on the ground was just a missile to make us believe.

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"Using song lyrics, hand gestures, album titles and “secret” double meanings as evidence, some conspiracy theorists have used YouTube to show that Jay-Z is doing more than just repping the Roc when he throws his diamond up."

People think that some rappers like Jay Z are apart the Illuminati and that they are putting double meaning lyrics in their songs. They also believe that the signs rappers put up with their hands like Jay-Z's diamond sign mean something else.

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Conspiracy #1: Tupac Shakur is still alive... somewhere

The Theory: Despite the fact that 2Pac was shot four times in Las Vegas in a drive-by shooting in 1996, some hip-hop fans still believe 'Pac is alive-hiding out on an island somewhere or living under police protection in a secret location. Gossip blog TMZ has even posted photos of him out and about (though, for the record, he looks awfully in that flick, no?). His posthumous 1996 solo album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, only helped fuel the theory by providing "clues" that 'Pac would one day return to rule the rap world again.

The Reality: Most people that think Tupac is still alive want him to be alive. But nearly 15 years after his death, it's hard to imagine too many people still holding their breathe for Tupac's comeback.

Conspiracy #2: Jay-Z is part of a secret society known as the Illuminati

The Theory: Using song lyrics, hand gestures, album titles and "secret" double meanings as evidence, some conspiracy theorists have used YouTube to show that Jay-Z is doing more than just repping the Roc when he throws his diamond up. Even Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy has gone on the record to publicly question Hova's occult connections.

The Reality: Jay dispelled the theories on NYC's Hot 97 earlier this year by joking that he doesn't belong to the secret club. "I can't even get in a golf club in Palm Springs," he said. "I'm from Marcy." We can't really do anything but take his word for it.

Conspiracy #3: Gangsta rap was created by the government to encourage black people to kill one another

The Theory: During a 2008 interview with Blender, Alicia Keys revealed that she believes gangsta rap was created to hurt black people. "Gangsta rap was a play to convince black people to kill each other," she said, revealing that she'd recently read a few Black Panter autobiographies. She also suggested that the government and the media played a role in getting Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. killed in order "to stop another great black leader from existing."

The Reality: Keys later backtracked and clarified her statements, saying that her words were misrepresented. But she still blamed the media for overusing the term "gangsta rap." That makes a little more sense to us.
CONTINUE READING > > >

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Conspiracy #1: Tupac Shakur is still alive... somewhere The Theory: Despite the fact that 2Pac was shot four times in Las Vegas in a drive-by shooting in 1996, some hip-hop fans still believe 'Pac is alive-hiding out on an island somewhere or living under police protection in a secret location.

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There is a conspiracy that she is a member of the illuminati. They also think she is brainwashing the public with her music videos and dance routines and think she is starting a revolution and a new world order. People think that the illuminati runs the world and is led by an ancient group of cultists that communicate through secret signals. Her husband Jay Z has also been accused of being a member.

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What you will do?

You will open a padlet and with a partner, you will research your assigned topic.

You will find the link on google classroom.

You will research an article/include the link/quote and analysis

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The red scare was a hysteria over a threat made by US communists during the cold war between the Soviet Union and the US. Because of their affinity to the crimson Soviet flag, communists were commonly referred to as "Reds." The first red scare happened in 1917-1920 and occurred in the wake of WW1. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the Romanov dynasty in 1917, launching the communist party and instilling fear of Bolsheviks and anarchists around the world. Labor strikes were on the rise in the United States, and the media sensationalized them as the result of immigrants bent on taking down the American way of life. "The Sedition Act of 1918 targeted people who criticized the government, monitoring radicals and labor union leaders with the threat of deportation." This shows that anyone who would go against the government were threatened to be deported.

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Table of Contents

1. First Red Scare: 1917-1920

2. Cold War Concerns About Communism

3. Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee

4. J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI

5. Hysteria and Growing Conservatism

6. Red Scare Impact

The Red Scare was hysteria over the perceived threat posed by Communists in the U.S. during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, which intensified in the late 1940s and early 1950s. (Communists were often referred to as "Reds" for their allegiance to the red Soviet flag.) The Red Scare led to a range of actions that had a profound and enduring effect on U.S. government and society. Federal employees were analyzed to determine whether they were sufficiently loyal to the government, and the House Un-American Activities Committee, as well as U.S. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, investigated allegations of subversive elements in the government and the Hollywood film industry. The climate of fear and repression linked to the Red Scare finally began to ease by the late 1950s.

First Red Scare: 1917-1920

In the United States, labor strikes were on the rise, and the press sensationalized them as being caused by immigrants bent on bringing down the American way of life. The Sedition Act of 1918 targeted people who criticized the government, monitoring radicals and labor union leaders with the threat of deportation.

The fear turned to violence with the 1919 anarchist bombings, a series of bombs targeting law enforcement and government officials. Bombs went off in a wide number of cities including Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, D.C., and New York City.

The first Red Scare climaxed in 1919 and 1920, when United States Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer ordered the Palmer raids, a series of violent law-enforcement raids targeting leftist radicals and anarchists. They kicked off a period of unrest that became known as the "Red Summer."

Cold War Concerns About Communism

Did you know? FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was quick to equate any kind of protest with communist subversion, including the civil rights demonstrations led by Martin Luther King Jr. Hoover labeled King a communist and covertly worked to intimidate and discredit the civil rights leader.

Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee

J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI

The information obtained by the FBI proved essential in high-profile legal cases, including the 1949 conviction of 12 prominent leaders of the American Communist Party on charges that they had advocated the overthrow of the government. Moreover, Hoover's agents helped build the case against Julius Rosenberg (1918-53) and his wife, Ethel Rosenberg (1915-53), who were convicted of espionage in 1951. The Rosenbergs were executed two years later.

Hysteria and Growing Conservatism

Public concerns about communism were heightened by international events. In 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested a nuclear bomb and communist forces led by Mao Zedong (1893-1976) took control of China. The following year saw the start of the Korean War (1950-53), which engaged U.S. troops in combat against the communist-supported forces of North Korea. The advances of communism around the world convinced many U.S. citizens that there was a real danger of "Reds" taking over their own country. Figures such as McCarthy and Hoover fanned the flames of fear by wildly exaggerating that possibility.

As the Red Scare intensified, its political climate turned increasingly conservative. Elected officials from both major parties sought to portray themselves as staunch anticommunists, and few people dared to criticize the questionable tactics used to persecute suspected radicals. Membership in leftist groups dropped as it became clear that such associations could lead to serious consequences, and dissenting voices from the left side of the political spectrum fell silent on a range of important issues. In judicial affairs, for example, support for free speech and other civil liberties eroded significantly. This trend was symbolized by the 1951 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dennis v. United States, which said that the free-speech rights of accused Communists could be restricted because their actions presented a clear and present danger to the government.

Red Scare Impact

Americans also felt the effects of the Red Scare on a personal level, and thousands of alleged communist sympathizers saw their lives disrupted. They were hounded by law enforcement, alienated from friends and family and fired from their jobs. While a small number of the accused may have been aspiring revolutionaries, most others were the victims of false allegations or had done nothing more than exercise their democratic right to join a political party.

Though the climate of fear and repression began to ease in the late 1950s, the Red Scare has continued to influence political debate in the decades since. It is often cited as an example of how unfounded fears can compromise civil liberties.

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Red Scare: Cold War, McCarthyism & Facts | HISTORY

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The Red Scare was hysteria over the perceived threat posed by Communists in the U.S. during the Cold War era.

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Travis Scott Concert Tragedy    Kevin Junior 

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Travis Scott Concert Tragedy    Kevin Junior 

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¨I´ve been so heavily influenced by Travis, but after tonight, God really showed me, stay away from that shit¨ the person said in the clip  The creator offered several baseless theories to explain the astroworld deaths, including that the 8 people were ¨sacrficed¨ in honor of kris jenner.

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A conspiracy is that rap music is believed to be made by devil worshiping artists who have subliminal messages in music. These artists are accused of making sacrifices to be famous.

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Satan and rap music have had a complex relationship since the early '90s, with the biblical figure still seen as taboo by rappers, critics and fans today.

Rap and Satan are having a moment. Contemporary rappers such as Lil Uzi Vert, SahBabii, and Trippie Redd have incited controversy for referencing Satanic images in their music and aesthetic. More recently, Lil Nas X has received backlash for his "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" music video, which features him giving a lapdance to Satan. However, the relationship between the two isn't a recent phenomenon. The truth is that the biblical figure has been referenced in rap since the early '90s.

Although Satan's influence on music is commonly associated with rock - thanks to bands and artists such as Black Sabbath, Slayer, and Marilyn Manson - rap has also had a fascination with Satan. But the pairing is complex considering the genre is rooted in black American culture, and religion is an integral part of black American culture.

According to a national Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study, black people are the leading race in believing in God. They're also leading in the importance religion has in one's life, with 75 percent stating that it's very important. This is in stark contrast to the percentage of black people who don't believe in God (two percent), and don't believe religion is very important in their lives (four percent). Additionally, nine percent of black people are unaffiliated with any religious group.

In other words, religion is an integral part of the black identity in the United States, with Christianity being the primary religion practiced.

This is why the use of images or themes related to Satan in rap is seen as controversial. In 1993, after being signed to Columbia records, Big L released a promotional single titled "Devil's Son," which featured the following lyrics:

"On my skull the 666, no tricks
When I catch fits, my mom picks up the crucifix

And I kill chumps for the cheapest price

I'm rollin' with Satan, not Jesus Christ

Enemies, I got several done

Big L straight from hell, the motherfuckin' Devil's son"

Because of the lyrical content, "Devil's Son" was banned from radio at the time. Two years later, the Harlem rapper released his debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, which included the track "Danger Zone." The song featured lyrics such as "It's the triple six in the mix straight from h-e-double hockey sticks," and "Every Sunday a nun lay where my gun spray / Fuck Carlito, we doin' shit the Devil son's way." Columbia hardly promoted the album because of its lyrics, and Big L was dropped from the label shortly after.

In 2010, Lord Finesse, who produced some of Lifestylez, discussed "Danger Zone" and its ties to horrorcore rap - a subgenre based on horror-influenced topics such as death, torture, and Satanism - which was rising at the time thanks to groups such as the Gravediggaz.

"Horrorcore was out [at the time], [and so] with the Gravediggaz...[L was] like, 'Oh, y'all think that's ill? Oh OK, alright,'" Finesse said to HipHopDX. "He was smarter than what he would lead you to believe on that album. But, it's like, [for] Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, I'm portraying this character, and this character I'm portraying has to be believable...It was a mixture between what was going on in Harlem and fiction."

The idea of portraying a character is a sentiment Three 6 Mafia founding member DJ Paul agrees with. There's no Three 6 without Satan.

"We were into horror movies and serial killers," Paul said. "It's more like a character I'd say. Like Robert De Niro playing the devil [in Angel Heart] or Al Pacino [in The Devil's Advocate]."

Paul was raised in a religious family. Every Sunday he went with his parents to church; he still goes to this day. But Three 6 gave him the chance to explore his darker tendencies - to tell his real-life story of chaos and violence through his love of horror.

"Satan worshipper or thug would be my profile, read my file / I been a mean child for a while within a mystic style," Paul raps on Mystic Stylez, the title track from the Memphis group's 1995 debut album.

As Three 6 transformed from underground Memphis rap heroes into mainstream stars, the group's references to Satan became less common. They even had to change their original name - Triple Six Mafia - once they signed to a label. Still, Satan followed. "Stay Fly," arguably the group's biggest hit, is also central to one of rap's most bizarre conspiracy theories. During the song's chorus, a woman sounds like she's singing "You are God / You are king / Lucifer." A number of forums were dedicated to the theory. And even though it has since been debunked - it's actually Willie Hutch's vocals on " Tell Me Why Our Love Turned Cold" pitched up - it still speaks to how intertwined these dark themes were with the group.

Although Paul sees how Three 6's aesthetic influenced rap, he regrets some of the group's lyrical content.

"Sometimes we went too far," he said. "Some of the stuff I talked about back then I would never talk about now."

Paul thought Three 6 took it far with its references to Satan. But Tyler, the Creator took it even further. When Tyler and his Odd Future collective first sprung up in the early 2010s, the group was immediately branded as a bunch of devil-worshipping misfits.

From having merchandise adorned with 666 and inverted crosses to the lyrical content (Tyler's 2011 debut album Goblin is full of satanic references) the group's references to Satan were a topic of discussion on numerous forums during their rise.

However, Tyler played with fans' perception of him, alluding to how he's seen as a devil worshipper on Goblin's title track: "Oh, that's a triple three six, isn't he a devil worshipper / Cause I'm too f**king ignorant to do some research?"

Shortly after releasing his 2009 debut mixtape Bastard - ironically on Christmas - Tyler did an interview where he talked about the Satanic references, as well as revealed that he was atheist.

"My grandmother once told me I was from hell since I was so evil. I kinda took that and flipped it," the artist said to Cakes & Brains. "Since I didn't have a father, I sorta went to 'this devil guy' as a role model."

Like Paul and Big L, Tyler was playing a character. But unlike his predecessors, Tyler had more freedom to experiment with Satanic references. He came up in the internet age - a time where a new generation of rap fans are more tolerable of taboo topics than previous ones were. Now, contemporary rappers are using Satanic imagery in a more evolved way. For some, it's not to incite controversy or fear - it's to enlighten.

SahBabii created the viral song " Pull Up Wit Ah Stick" in 2016. He's also the creator of Unknownism, a life philosophy that he described as "accepting the fact that you don't know everything and you question everything."

Created by SahBabii when he was only eight, Unknownism has gradually gained a devout following. A search of the word on Instagram will bring back numerous fan accounts that have Unknownism in their name. The word is also spread through hashtags on captions and often accompanied by a hashtag of 666.

But just as there are fans supportive of Unknownism, there are critics who believe the philosophy is just another form of Satanism.

"'Pull up wit a stick, let it hit' I used to like the song until I went to [SahBabii's] IG page....He doesn't believe in God but has made his own religion called Unknownism," one Facebook user posted. "The symbol is an upside-down cross, which is disrespectful to me and what I stand for."

"Really gotta watch what these musicians into. Upside down crosses, Unknownism, 666. Parents, you need to update yourself with what these musicians pushing on your kids," another user wrote.

For the 21-year-old, 666 or an inverted cross has nothing to do with Satan but black affirmation.

"Six six six, that's six protons, six electrons, six neutrons - that equals Carbon 12," SahBabii said. "Carbon helps make melanin so that's the scientific makeup of people of the same skin color as me."

As for the inverted cross, it's a response to Christianity being forced on black people during slavery.

There's no scientific evidence that supports SahBabii's Carbon 12 theory. Still, the appropriation of Satanic references as black empowerment hasn't only caught on with SahBabii's fans but other rappers too. SahBabii said that Trippie Redd and Lil Uzi Vert learned of Carbon 12 through Unknownism.

"I learned it from SahBabii," Trippie confirmed over email. Trippie first referenced the theory after being called out by fans for using 666 in his song titled "TR666."

"Now, why I say TR666? Because Trippie Redd is black, but Trippie Redd is also dark," the rapper said in an Instagram story via Complex. "I make dark music, but I'm black, so I use it as a metaphor."

Lil Uzi has been more enigmatic with why he uses Satanic imagery. Unlike SahBabii or Trippie, the Philadelphia rapper hasn't spoken on it. Influenced by Marilyn Manson, Lil Uzi seems to be following in the rock provocateur's footsteps, using Satanic imagery as a means of inciting controversy. This, along with the rapper's name interpreted as a play on Lucifer, has resulted in numerous forums focused on if Lil Uzi is a Satanist or not.

It's also caused him trouble with other rappers.

Although he didn't specifically call out Lil Uzi, Migos' Offset posted a video on Instagram last year criticizing rappers for wearing upside-down crosses.

"All y'all ni**as wearing upside-down crosses, even my little partners, stop that s**t. You look lame," Offset said in the since-deleted clip. "All that worship the devil s**t. Get with God, man."

Lil Uzi responded by posting a picture on Instagram of a smiley face with an upside-down cross and the number 666, tagging Offset in it. The Migos rapper replied to the post, writing "I will pray for you, my brother."

Most recently, Lil Nas X's "Montero" music video caused controversy for a scene where Lil Nas gives Satan a lapdance after descending down a pole to hell. Despite the scene (as well as the rest of the video) being a reclamation of his queerness against regressive religious views toward queerness, many failed to see beyond the surface of the scene's imagery, with critics labeling the video Satanic or sacrilegious.

"I grew up in a pretty religious kind of home - and for me, it was fear-based very much," Lil Nas said in an interview with TIME. "Even as a little child, I was really scared of every single mistake I may or may not have made. I want kids growing up feeling these feelings, knowing they're a part of the LGBTQ community, to feel like they're O.K. and they don't have to hate themselves."

Unlike the previous instances highlighted, where rappers either made references to Satan and Satanic images for shock value or world building (or both), Lil Nas uses Satan to provide a commentary on how people use Christianity to vilify queerness. How being gay is seen as sexually immoral and Satan is to blame, rather than seeing how this can harm someone who identifies as queer, leading them to not only suppress a part of themselves but feel shame toward themselves, too.

Yes, the scene is provocative (to add to the provocation Lil Nas also launched a pair of "Satan Shoes" that were made using Nike Air Max 97s, resulting in Nike having to release a statement clarifying the company wasn't involved with the shoe, as well as sue MSCHF, the art collective behind the shoes), but it's more than just shock value for Lil Nas. It's him finding comfort in his sexuality while forcing people to reckon with how they condemn queerness because of their faith.

In a genre where everything from gun violence to drug use is discussed, Satan is still very taboo. But as rap's evolution has proved, the biblical figure isn't leaving the genre anytime soon. It'll continue to come back again and again in new and interesting ways. And no amount of prayer is going to stop that.
This piece was originally published in 2018.

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666 And Inverted Crosses: Satan's Influence On Rap Music

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Rap and Satan are having a moment. Contemporary rappers such as Lil Uzi Vert , SahBabii, and Trippie Redd have incited controversy for referencing Satanic images in their music and aesthetic. More recently, Lil Nas X has received backlash for his "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" music video, which features him giving a lapdance to Satan.

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The  birther  theories  assert  that  Barack  Obama  was  not  born  in  the

United  States  and  that  therefore  he  is  constitutionally  ineligible  to

occupy the offi

ce of president. While birther theories are not ostensibly

conspiracist, they link to conspiracy theories in two ways. First, some of

their exponents are believers in other conspiracy theories. Second, more

generally,  commitment  to  a  birther  theory  almost  inexorably  leads  to

some  form  of  conspiracism,  since  the  believer  must  then  explain  how

the  deception  was  managed,  how  many  people  knew  of  it,  who  was

involved,  and  so  on.  Thus,  some  sort  of  plot  is  almost  automatically

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“I do hope that one day, in a more thoughtful world, everyone of us will remember this day as an aberration … when the world went mad, and fake news was real,”

This shows how the man thought this conspiracy theory was right and he took action without any evidence. The rumor of the dark arts triggered violence towards a pizza place that supposedly was holding rituals. This event occur in the nation's capitol, Washington DC.

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Story highlights

Welch did not harm anyone

The North Carolina man who fired an assault rifle inside a Washington, DC, pizzeria while investigating an online conspiracy theory known as "Pizzagate" was sentenced to 48 months in prison Thursday.

Edgar Maddison Welch, 29, also received 36 months of probation and was ordered to pay $5,744.33 in restitution for firing three shots with an AR-15 rifle inside the Comet Ping Pong restaurant in northwest Washington in December. He claimed he was attempting to find and rescue child sex slaves that he believed were being held at the restaurant - a belief allegedly based on his reading of a false story circulating onlinethat connected Hillary Clinton's campaign adviser to the pizzeria through coded messages in his leaked emails.

After Welch found no evidence of child sex-trafficking at the restaurant, he did not harm anyone and surrendered.

He pleaded guilty to gun charges in federal court in March.

Despite Welch's minimal criminal history, the sentence far exceeded the defense's case for a shorter, 18-month term, as well as the average 37-month sentence for a defendant of "similar charges," according to Judge Ketanji B. Jackson.

"The extent of recklessness in this case is breathtaking. It is sheer luck that no one, including (Welch), was killed," Jackson said, adding, "I've never seen anything like the conduct we see here today."

Jackson said she believed Welch had good intentions, but deemed his actions "an assault on the rule of law" that could potentially inspire future "ill-conceived plots" by vigilantes.

Welch's family was present at the sentencing. His former girlfriend, who said she attempted to talk Welch out of his actions when he revealed them to her, teared up when the prosecution played a short clip of a two-minute video Welch had recorded in the car on his way to Comet to say goodbye to his two young daughters.

Three witnesses offered statements Thursday, including James Alefantis, founder and owner of Comet Ping Pong, whom Jackson cited in her closing remarks for his discussion of psychological trauma.

"I do hope that one day, in a more thoughtful world, everyone of us will remember this day as an aberration ... when the world went mad, and fake news was real," Alefantis said.

Two Comet employees said they were traumatized by the incident.

Bill Hennessy

But several of witnesses forgave Welch. In her opening remarks, assistant federal defender Dani Jahn thanked the victims for their "humanity." She choked up and paused to collect herself before proceeding.

Many victims blamed fake news websites that had promoted the conspiracy.

"I hope you realize that you have been a pawn of the misguided media," a witness said.

Several witnesses also requested that Welch receive a mental health evaluation, which Jackson later affirmed. This became a point of tension when Jahn challenged the mental health evaluation stipulation, noting that the record showed no evidence of Welch's mental illness. After a sharp back-and-forth with Jackson, Jahn agreed to the terms.

At one point, Welch spoke for a few moments to offer an apology.

"I'm sorry for everything I've caused," Welch said.

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international relations and national security

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'Pizzagate' shooter sentenced to 4 years in prison | CNN Politics

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Welch did not harm anyone The North Carolina man who fired an assault rifle inside a Washington, DC, pizzeria while investigating an online conspiracy theory known as "Pizzagate" was sentenced to 48 months in prison Thursday.

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Religious groups freaked out over supposed backmasking in Led Zeppelin and Queen albums, while Judas Priest were actually taken to court after a fan’s suicide. Prosecutors argued that the subliminal message “do it” was placed in the song “Better by You, Better than Me.”

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Lil Nas X launched a controversial pair of satan shoes featuring a bronze pentagram an inverted cross and a drop of real human blood. Even though the followng event happened where the shoes were released and sold out in under a minute, nike realsed a statement saying " We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF. Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them."

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Lady gaga                                     Ashly

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Lady gaga                                     Ashly

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Lady Gaga, practices witchcraft.

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The claim: Lady Gaga, a Biden supporter, practices witchcraft

On the eve of the 2020 election several artists took the Biden-Harris campaign stage in a final plea for support from their fan bases. The next morning adversaries rekindled old, QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theories to discredit Lady Gaga's political outcry. The common theme: Gaga is a witch.
More: Fact check: Pennsylvania voters exposed to COVID-19 can still vote
One Facebook user called Gaga "a high ranking witch in the music industry," referencing her relationship with Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovic.

The same post highlighted the slogan "Battle for the soul of the nation" as evidence that Gaga was involved in something sinister. The Biden-Harris claim has been using that slogan since August. The slogan is not specific to Gaga, who only joined in campaign efforts on Nov. 2, and cannot prove that the star is a involved with satanism.

"These demonic spirits of witchcraft, sexual perversion, and child sacrifice are seducing too many Christians at an alarming rate," Jeremiah Johnson Ministries posted on Facebook about Biden and Gaga on Nov. 3. That post was later deleted.

USA TODAY reached out to both posters for comments and has not received a response.

Performance artist is target of witchcraft misinformation

Abramovic has been the subject of conspiracy theories surrounding witchcraft dating back to PizzaGate in October 2016. When Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta's emails were released on WikiLeaks, an email between Abramovic and Podesta's brother Tony Podesta sparked speculation.

"I am so looking forward to the Spirit Cooking dinner at my place. Do you think you will be able to let me know if your brother is joining?" Abramovic wrote in the email.

Proponents of the conspiracy theory argued the email was evidence that she and the Clinton campaign we involved in witchcraft and satanism.
More: Fact check: False claim linking Paul Pelosi Jr., Hunter Biden and Burisma
Abramovic later said "Spirit Cooking" referred to a dinner she hosted for a group of benefactors to her art institute.

The dinner shared the name with a 1996 book and 1997 performance piece she'd previously worked on. The Museum of Modern Art described the cookbook as "a series of 'aphrodisiac recipes' that serve as evocative instructions for actions or thoughts."

Abramovic's performance involved her painting strange recipes in blood on a gallery's walls. "We had lots of fun," she told the New York Times about the dinner. "There was no human blood, or baby serving, or sex orgies."

"I really want to ask these people, 'Can you stop with this? Can you stop harassing me? Can't you see that this is just the art I've been doing for 50 years of my life?'" Abramovic said of the conspiracy theories that have caused to her and her coworkers to receive death threats.

Photos from 2013 art event make Lady Gaga a target

Lady Gaga became entangled in the conspiracy theory when social media users began sharing a photo of the singer with Abramovic and a body-painted model. Several posts falsely claimed the model was Ryan Singleton, an aspiring model whose body was found in Baker, California, on Sept. 21, 2013. Posters argued Gaga and Abramovic were involved in an illegal "satanic spirit cooking hunt and party" just days after Singleton went missing.

A July fact-check by Reuters found that the photo was taken at a July 2013 art show and the model involved was not Singleton. Trina Merry, the body paint artist featured in the show, dispelled the claim multiple times on Twitter.

Other social media users shared photos of Gaga at the event, claiming she was involved in a "sickening" ritual pertaining to "Satanic Democrat Pedophile Cannibals."

The photo featured Gaga and Abramovic eating something off what looked like a bloody body. Lead Stories reported in May that the two "good friends" were not drinking blood, but engaging in performance art.
More: Fact check: Joe Biden 'chumps' quote at Pennsylvania rally taken out of context
Despite these efforts by fact-checkers and artists to debunk these claims, some continue to argue Gaga is a witch. USA TODAY could find no evidence to support that theory.

Neither Abramovic nor Gaga's representation has responded to USA TODAY's emails.

USA TODAY, Nov. 3, "Lil Pump joins Trump at rally, John Legend campaigns for Biden, more stars make final election pleas"

Jeremiah Johnson Ministries Nov. 3 Facebook Post

Marcus Rogers' Nov. 3 Facebook Post

USA TODAY, Aug. 13, "'Battle for the soul of the nation': Before they were running mates, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris both used slogan"

The New York Times, April 21, "Marina Abramovic Just Wants Conspiracy Theorists to Let Her Be"

WikiLeaks, Tony Podesta's June 28, 2018, email

MoMA, Marina Abramović, 1996, "Spirit Cooking"

YouTube, radioartemobile, Mar. 10, 2009, "MARINA ABRAMOVIC SPIRIT COOKING"

Reuters, July 24, "Fact check: Model in photograph with Lady Gaga is not Ryan Singleton"

Holly Case's July 9 Facebook Post

The Watermill Center, 2013, "Devil's Heaven: 20th Annual Summer Benefit"

Tina Merry's April 1st 20 Tweet

Trina Merry's 2nd April 20 Tweet

Trina Merry's 3rd April 20 Tweet

Stephen Bayer's April 8 Facebook Post

Lead Stories, May 4, "Fact Check: Lady Gaga Did NOT Participate In 'Vile, Sickening' Blood Drinking Ritual Pertaining To 'Adrenochrome And Spirit Cooking'"

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Our rating: False

We rate the claim that Lady Gaga is involved in witchcraft or satanism FALSE because it is not supported by our research. Claims that Gaga is a witch stem from misrepresentations of a 2013 art event and her relationship with performance artist Marina Abramovic, whose own false accusations of witchcraft tie back to the PizzaGate conspiracy theory. The resurgence of this claim comes directly after Gaga expressed support for the Biden-Harris campaign.

Our fact-check sources:

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Fact check: There is no evidence to support claims that Lady Gaga is a witch

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On the eve of the 2020 election several artists took the Biden-Harris campaign stage in a final plea for support from their fan bases. The next morning adversaries rekindled old, QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theories to discredit Lady Gaga's political outcry. The common theme: Gaga is a witch.