Stop the Violence
NFL star Darrent Williams died in a drive by shooting early on New Year’s Day. He was shot along with an unidentified male and female. It really speaks to the nature of these times, when the year begins with another high profile black male falling victim to gun violence. The same gun violence that most high profile rap artists champion in their music. This is not to single out these artists once again because thats been proven to get little to no results. This is moreso a call to our generation to speak out against violence on the whole. Mainstream rap, that champions violence, is no more than the neglected child of a violent father that we call America.
I’m not asking you to go protest. I’m not asking that you stop supporting violent music. All I’m asking is that in the years to come, ask yourself what world would YOU like to live in. Then assess the world that you ACTUALLY live in. Then ask yourself do you want your descendants to be left with the lone responsibility of leading us toward that virtual “Heaven on Earth.” Or do you want a glimpse of “something better” before you move on. And even if you don’t, would you like to say that you contributed toward bringing “something better” into reality? So now with these thoughts in mind, go and parent your child to be the person you’d like to be. I know you’d like to be that person that cares enough to go picket or try to break the cycle. So lets make it simple and take it a step at a time. Start with changing yourself. Then instill that in your children. You my friend are a part of this world and this reality. All is ONE. So if you change yourself…you’ve already succeeded at changing the world. Just sit back and enjoy the amazing ripple effect.
– Thoth
From AllHipHop.com:
Rapper Pharoahe Monch is attempting to shed light on the topic of gun violence with the video for his new single “Gun Draws.” The complete version of the clip, which has been deemed too graphic for regular video outlets debuted yesterday, watch it here (Jan. 3), on AllHipHop.com. Monch, who uses the song to examine what he feels is “the desensitization we currently have towards senseless violence,” expresses his views from the perspective of a bullet. “As a creative writer, I like to ask questions. What would a bullet say if it had a voice to speak its mind?,” said the Queens lyricist, who refused to edit his video down for the mainstream. “It’s challenging to write from different perspectives, especially if it’s an object that has the power to kill. This is my effort to provoke and awaken discussion about violence, whether perpetrated by or committed against us.” The track is taken from the rapper’s forthcoming SRC/Universal Motown album Desire, which is due in stores this spring.
