No Homecomings, Only Home-goings For World's Most Dangerous Profession
“Wherever you from you will get hated the most. Most rappers die in they own city, it’s a fact.”
The quotable from Louisiana laureate Lil Boosie on the fate of rappers in their home city haunt me and I’m a long ways from the trap. I think?
I don’t want this open journal to morph into a think piece gallery responding to whatever trend of the moment is irking the intrawebs. Yet, it feels like no matter what, the news of the day will somehow be “in today’s news another rapper murdered”.
“Next mornin’ every news channel and front page
Headlines another rapper was slayed,
this is Star Wars”
Do I have to be anonymous to die in peace? The clout eclipse obscures how ominous this trend really is. The SAME day that number one charting rapper XXX Tentacion, born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, was gunned down in his vehicle, Travon Smart b.k.a. Jimmy Wopo, was also murdered in his ride in an unrelated incident 1,200 miles away. Not even a couple weeks before the recent public assassination of Rakim Hasheem Allen b.k.a. PnB Rock, Atlanta based rapper Quondo Rondo witnessed the murder of his best friend Lul Pab in the same city. I want you to know these young men’s names because they are human beings, not cautionary tales.
“I’m on the beach watching them surf a death wave
It’s record breaking triple x-rays
They rubber-necking like it’s sex tapes
It’s like they catch you when you gestate ”
Somehow the dialog became about whether or not it’s appropriate for rappers and their companions to post their location on social media. Is it fame that dictates these rules over other human beings? Should so-called civilians who do not have the attention of thousands of followers ever have to worry that when posting a selfie, or capturing and sharing a moment their lives are in danger? Or do we just expect it to happen… to certain kinds of celebrities? Does their lifestyle or the subject matter of their art make them more deserving of a tragic fate?
I wonder if Hollywood rabble rousers like Shia Lebouf have to be wary these mean streets of Melrose are going to test their mettle? Or if reality TV rap stars like RiFF RaFF have to tuck their chains in because of opportunistic thugs.
By the way shootings do happen on Melrose…
Unbeknownst to me while forming these thoughts, XXL published an exhaustive list of the status of Rapper’s cases who have been murdered. The scroll bar alone gave me a headache. If you think it’s all’s fair for self proclaimed trap gods and ostentatious rappers to fall victim to violence then where is the line drawn? In the same city, same month as both the PnB Rock and Lul Pab murders, rapper/DJ and comrade Verbs was savagely attacked by an unknown assailant leaving him in a wheelchair. Verbs, a beloved staple of the Los Angeles Hip-Hop community, is more known for his biking through the LA landscape and signature beanie than for iced-out chokers. Considering that Los Angeles native Nipsey Hustle was murdered amidst a transformative rise as a unifying community leader there is no logical nor moral place to draw this line.
Maybe I just care too much because I rap. Once you’re not known for drill or trap you’re assumed to be “conscious” right? I guess that will keep me safe. As long as I don’t post a selfie as I write this while parked in a lot 10 miles from where Young Greatness was murdered. As long as I’m not too proud and don’t flash my gold teeth like Justin Beiber can. As long as you think what I am doing is safe then I don’t deserve it. Right?
“I said one two three
It’s kind of dangerous to be a emcee
They shot Tupac and Biggie
Too much violence in hip-hop”