HIP-HOP'S BEEF

What happened to the Hip-Hop community? Rappers have been feuding with each other for quite sometime now, and situations are starting to get out of hand. We all know what altercations can lead to; just look at the fatal shootings of two of hip-hop’s greatest, Tupac Shakur (2Pac) and Christopher Wallace (Notorious B.I.G).

The industry is still being surround by negativity amongst artists. Instead of coming together and creating a positive music for consumers, they are arguing over opinions and women; it’s quite unprofessional. The latest hip-hop beef is between two rappers from Chicago named Lupe Fiasco (30) and Chief Keef (17). Obviously you can see a huge age difference between the two, so what seems to be the problem? Chief Keef is a new artist who just inked a deal with Interscope Records. His target audience is geared towards the streets, in what we would call “Gangster Rap”. Lupe Fiasco first appeared on the Hip-Hop scene back in 2006 when he was discovered by Jay-Z and landed a roster spot on Atlantic Records. Lupe Fiasco’s target market is completely different from Chief Keef’s, as Lupe represents skateboarders and delivers an optimistic vibe to his fans through promoting positivity and hope.

So what happened to cause the ruckus? The beef started from a radio interview, when Lupe expressed his feelings by saying, “Chief Keef scares me. Not him specifically, but the culture that he represents”. He explained how the viciousness put in Hip-Hop lyrics today is affecting communities everywhere. Being that he has little brothers and nephews who live in this environment, he doesn’t want to see them become victims to that promoted violence. Chief Keef was furious by this comment, as he was under the impression that Lupe Fiasco was trying to tarnish his career. Keef tweeted to Lupe upon hearing about the interview that he was going to physically assault him next time they met.

This comment sent shock waves through the music industry. I agree with Lupe’s opinion because it’s true; music does raise the crime rate in some situations. He could have worded the comment differently, but I believe Chief Keef’s choice of words were steep. He’s only 17 years old and has plenty room for improvement with the help of his elders, but it needs to happen soon before we have another tragedy on our hands. Unfortunately, the Hip-Hop industry is only geared to make profit. Things like community and youth development are never truly addressed like they should be because they don’t provide a revenue stream. In fact, tragic situations such as 2Pac and Biggie and feuds like that of Lupe and Keef have gained the industry more attention than not. Because of this, sadly, I don’t see violence and crime rates among current and aspiring Hip-Hop artists to go anywhere but up. Source