The American epidemic of gun violence has infiltrated the more and more widespread style of hip–hop. Previously few years, it appears as if the hip–hop neighborhood has been hit with countless tragedy. Within the late Nineteen Nineties, the deaths of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur had been a devastating anomaly. Now, since 2018, a minimum of one huge hip–hop title has died a gun–associated demise annually, main followers and celebrities to name for gun reform throughout the nation. However unsurprisingly, the media continues in charge the hip–hop style itself for the mindless murders, slightly than the true wrongdoer: weapons.
Takeoff, one–third of the Grammy award–profitable hip hop trio Migos, was shot and killed in Houston, Texas on Nov. 1, 2022. Gunfire erupted at 2:30 a.m. exterior a personal occasion at a bowling alley the place Takeoff and his cousin Offset (one other member of Migos) had been in attendance. Police are nonetheless investigating the incident, and Takeoff’s demise has been dominated a murder.
Takeoff’s demise, whereas surprising, is nothing new for the hip–hop neighborhood. In 2018, the world was rattled by the demise of XXXTentacion, a particularly widespread emo rap sensation. He was killed in a focused homicide exterior a automobile dealership at simply 20 years outdated. Lower than a yr later, we noticed the demise of Nipsey Hussle, a West Coast rapper recognized for his inspiring journey from gang member to neighborhood activist; he was shot exterior his clothes retailer in a premeditated assault. In 2020, two extra mainstream rappers had been misplaced: Brooklyn’s Pop Smoke was shot to demise in a house invasion and Chicago’s King Von was killed in an altercation exterior a hookah lounge. And in 2022, only a month earlier than Takeoff’s demise, PnB Rock was robbed and shot to demise whereas consuming lunch along with his girlfriend at a restaurant. These are just some of the numerous gun–associated deaths that plagued the hip–hop neighborhood prior to now 5 years.
Sadly, the deaths of those younger rappers are usually not being handled as a tragedy, however slightly as one more reason for critics to vilify the hip–hop style. Hip–hop music was a pivotal creation for marginalized Black America within the submit–Civil Rights period. However since its rise within the Seventies, the style has confronted harsh criticism for the language used and messages portrayed in songs. Critics declare that the language utilized in rap music is derogatory and “damaging” to younger People. Hip–hop music has grow to be a scapegoat, with the media condemning and blaming Black tradition for a nationwide subject.
The declare is that the violent nature of lyrics in hip–hop music successively perpetuates violence in hip–hop communities, explaining the growing quantity of deaths. The issue with these claims is that each style of music makes use of this language, too. A study performed by the College of Missouri discovered that pop music, a typically white–dominated style, is simply as violent and sexist as hip–hop. Researchers cited a number of examples of blatant violence in mainstream pop music, like Maroon 5’s “Wake Up Call;” this tune tells the story of a person who shot his girlfriend’s lover to demise (‘Got here with no warning, so I needed to shoot him lifeless; he will not come round right here anymore’).
Although the media asserts that violent lyrics trigger actual–life violence relating to hip–hop, they don’t focus on this correlation with different genres. Notably, the “27 Membership” is a tragic, coincidental phenomenon that grew to become broadly recognized after rock music followers observed that vital rock stars Jim Morrison (The Doors), Janis Joplin, Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones), Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), and Amy Winehouse all died on the age of 27. All six of those musicians’ deaths had been drug–associated. Drug use and dependancy is a typical theme in traditional rock, but the media by no means equates rock stars’ drug–associated deaths to the style itself. Reasonably, the celebs are mourned gracefully, and rock music continues to be seen as an American staple.
The actual drawback that must be addressed shouldn’t be the “vulgarity” of hip–hop music, however slightly the gun violence epidemic in America. America is infamously recognized for prime ranges of gun violence, with 53 individuals being killed by a firearm every single day. Of all developed nations on the earth, the US ratio of 120.5 firearms per 100 residents far surpasses another nation. The UK, for instance, additionally has a prevalent hip–hop scene, with UK Drill Rap rising in recognition. This music is similar to US rap music, with frequent speak of violence, hedonism, and prison life. However rappers within the UK aren’t being shot to demise each few months, seemingly as a result of the UK maintains arguably the strictest gun legal guidelines amongst developed nations.
The vilification of hip–hop music wants to finish. So slightly than pointing a finger at hip–hop music in the USA, we have to assault the issue at its core. Homicides, suicides, and mass shootings are rampant in the USA, and never simply in Black communities. It is essential that hip–hop music, a means for marginalized Black People to precise themselves, is widely known slightly than criticized. These artists should be mourned, and the hip–hop neighborhood deserves our sympathy.
