Grown Folks Hip Hop

Self Destruction 2006/2007 - Is it Time for a New "Stop the Violence" Movement?

In 1988, the some of the most powerful and popular MC's in Hip-Hop join forces to create the song "Self-Destruction" as part of KRS-One's "Stop the Violence Movement." This was done not only to stop the spread of violence in Hip-Hop, but throughout the communities in which fans of the culture lived, went to school, went to party, etc. The historic gathering of MC's included: KRS-ONE; Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, Just-Ice; Doug E. Fresh; Heavy D and Public Enemy. The chorus of the song "Self Destruction, ya headed for Self-Destruction" seemed to make these MCs prophets after the violent deaths of The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, producer Paul C, Stretch (from the Live Squad) and Big L in the next coming years. Also, in 1990 Eazy E and L.A. gang founder Mike Concepcion helped form the West Coast Rap All-Stars for a record named "We're All in the Same Gang." This collection of West Coast MCs that included the likes of Ice-T; King Tee; Tone Loc; Digital Underground; Young MC; NWA; MC Hammer; and Michel'le came together to try to stop the spread of gang violence in Southern Cali communities and all the other communities where gang violence was a major problem. Hip-Hop was supposed to learn a lesson after the "Big Two" were murdered. But recent events have caused us to question whether or not we, as the Hip-Hop Community, learned anything. Just in the past 6 months alone there have been these incidents:

* Obie Trice survived a gunshot to the head on New Year's Eve while riding in his truck with his girlfriend on a Detroit highway.
* D-12 member and Eminem hype man Proof shot and killed in a Detroit after-hours spot, allegedly over who was the "King of Detroit." WTF!!!
* Brooklyn rapper Gravy, who ironically is supposed to portray the Notorious B.I.G. in a movie about the legendary MC's life, who shot in the ass on his way to an interview at NY's Hot 97 FM. He went on to conduct the interview minutes after getting hit.
* T.I.'s personal assistant and good friend, Philant Johnson, is shot and killed on a Cincinnati, OH highway after T.I. and members of his entourage, Grand Hustle, were followed by 2 SUVs and fired upon as their caravan was leaving a nightclub. The beef allegedly set off after some party-goers were offended by members of Grand Hustle throwing cash into the crowd.
* Big Hawk, a member of Houston, TX legendary Screwed Up Click is murdered after being shot multiple times (by multiple pistols) in front of his grandmothers house.
* The bodyguard of Busta Rhymes', Israel Ramirez, is murdered at the video shot for "Touch It" supposedly after some of the artists got into an argument over who would appear in the video.

This is just over a six-month period. This time frame doesn't included the Cam'ron shooting in DC, the shooting of an associate of L.A. rapper The Game outside of Hot 97 FM in NY; Suge Knight getting shot (or shooting himself) at a Kanye West party in Miami; Brooklyn MC Saigon surviving a stab wound to the temple after fighting off some guys that tried to steal his chain outside of a NYC diner; or the alleged war between artists from the Bay Area and the Mid-West (particularly Kansas City, MO) that may have claimed the life of popular Bay Area rapper Mac Dre. The list can go on and on. Clearly the time has come for the artists of today to ban together to show that this senseless violence can stop. We all know the hood can dictate behavior for some. Stick-ups, robberies and shootings happen all the time that don't have a thing to do with Hip-Hop or any other music for that matter. But don't Hip-Hop artists have to take some responsibility for the violence on the hood? I'm sure a lot of their family and friends still reside in those neighborhoods where violence is law of the land. As powerful as their voices are, wouldn't SOME of their fans try another route other than violence if (insert your favortie artist here) said it was wrong? Can today's generation (14yrs.-25yrs.) be inspired by today's artists to do something other than 1) Go to jail, 2) Get shot (which seems to be real popoular these days) or 3) Shoot someone else?

I knew this was more than out of control after one of this season's early episodes of the Sopranos. A member of Tony's crew named Bobby is visiting Tony in the hospital and overhears another rapper, played by Lord Jamar, and his crew talking about how him getting shot should help his career. He also hears Lord J's character cry and whimper about getting shot. The next rapper on deck at the label, played by Treach, is approached by Bobby and he offers to shoot Treach for a small fee, in order to help Treach gain more "street-cred" before his album drops. Of course Treach agrees to the plot and is unceromoniusly shot in the ass soon thereafter (reminiscent of the Gravy incident). All rappers should pay some attention to this story because THAT is how most of mainstream America and entertainment think of them. And we should care because "they" think that these publicity stunts are a major part of the culture--our culture.

The time for a new Self-Destruction/Stop the Violence Movement is long overdue. We at Grown Folks Hip-Hop have 2 questions for you.

1) What is your opinion about violence in Hip-Hop music and culture?

2) Who would be your MC choices for the Self-Destruction 2006/2007 record?