Oh Lil Reese…
Before I get into the matter at hand, I want to state that in no way shape or form do I condone abuse against women or violence in general, but I do feel the need to point out that it is an ugly reality of our country, specifically in every hood and in every inner city of this nation.
DETAILS: Lil Reese’s Victim, Tiairah Marie, Responds To Violent Video
Recently a video of Chief Keef’s partner and fellow 300 crew member hit the web, and he was captured brutally beating a girl down to the ground. This caused a major outcry. Some folks have gone to the step of proclaiming a boycott against the artist and people in the music industry are now refusing to play his music.
A-Trak, renowned DJ and owner of the label Fools Gold, took to his Twitter to say:
And in another tweet that has since been deleted, A-Trak said in conversation with rapper Chase N Cashe:
This is one of many similar reactions that want to banish Lil Reese, and exile the teenager from society. In the moment of reading A-Trak’s tweet I realized that a lot of people are disconnected and don’t understand that… sh*t is real!
This clip that we saw is something that goes down every day! Violence and misogynistic behavior has been in hip-hop for decades and still is. Did we all think that it was all just lyrics all this time?
I’m sure DMX, N.W.A, Mobb Deep, Notorious B.I.G or Tupac weren’t playing pretend when they said things like:
“Goin’ off on a motherfucker like that with a gat that’s pointed at yo’ ass. So give it up smooth Ain’t no tellin’ when I’m down for a jack move “
Or when they said:
“B*tches get stripped down for they earrings and bangles and when I rock her and drop her I’m taking her door knockers and if she’s resistant “baka! baka! baka!”
We have been nodding our head to these classics for years. We don’t boycott them.
The best rapper alive, Jay-Z, super mogul, part owner of the Brooklyn Nets, head of Roc Nation and more, admitted to shooting his own brother in the shoulder and if you recall, he also stabbed a producer in a nightclub for leaking Vol.3…Life and Times of S. Carter.
We definitely still play Hov’s music.
Is the fact that there wasn’t a video of any of those actions to show us play by play of their behavior that we haven’t had the urge to stand up against violence these past years?
Now, while it may sound like I’m condoning brutality, trust that is not the case, instead I would just like to suggest another option for those so quick to dismiss Lil Reese.
He is clearly a product of his environment, an environment that exists in our country. The South Side of Chicago, like many inner cities, has nothing for these kids to productively do with their time. There are barely any afterschool programs and more often than not, they are living in a single-parent home, with a working guardian who likely does not have the time to constantly shield their children from the drugs and gangs right outside of their front door.
Is it so surprising that kids like Lil Reese could care less about life, or the consequences of their actions when the world seems to not care about them?
I’m aware that hip-hop has become so mainstream that it is looked at as entertainment and while some of it may be “Superbass”-ed out, some of it is also not just a show. It is an art form that also actually depicts real things that many are dealing with and living day to day. Lil Reese and his homie Chief Keef may be major label signed artists right now, but they also represent millions of young people across the nation. Instead of dismissing these kids and turning our backs on them, why don’t we reach out to them? Perhaps offer them some guidance and more importantly, some understanding.
I’d like to close this with words from “Say Hello” by Jigga Man himself:
We ain’t thugs for the sake of just being thugs
Nobody do that where we grew at, n*gga, DUH!
The poverty line, we not above
So out come the mask and gloves cause we ain’t feelin’ the love
We ain’t doing crime for the sake of doing crime
We movin’ dimes cause we ain’t doin’ fine
One out of three of us is locked up doing time
You know what that type of shit can do to a n*gga mind?
Somehow someone like Jay-Z was able to overcome the cards he was dealt to become a respectful human being who has learned from his mistakes, and I’m sure with the right opportunities and support, so can all of the Lil Reeses of the world, so don’t turn your back on them.
Show love!
– Evanka W. <3
Evanka Williamson is the Weekend Editor for GlobalGrind.com. Follow her on twitter, @LOVEvanka!
