Hip-Hop and Guns: Do Artists Need Them?
A Look At If Guns Are Neccessary For Hip-Hop Artists
Nov 3, 2009
The life of a rapper often times surpasses the glitz and glamour portrayed in the photo shoots and music videos they appear in. For instance, most of these same rappers that are draped in jewels and are seen sauntering around town and at events with half-naked women tucked under their arms, are in fact family men with wives and children living in a house equipped with a white picket fence.
Then there is the darker side of the lifestyle that most rappers use to help popularize their names and play on their images; a side that involves having a criminal record and accepting the label of a “thug.”
Lil Wayne to be Sentenced to 8 Months Behind Bars
Rapper Lil Wayne recently made headlines when rumors started to circulate that he was set to plead guilty to gun charges in exchange for a lesser sentence. The rapper was to stand trial for an incident involving him and a .40 caliber gun that was found on his tour bus in 2007 while the New Orleans rapper was in New York City.
Lil Wayne faced 15 years behind bars for each count of criminal weapons possession and criminal possession of a loaded weapon. This deal also allowed Lil Wayne to bypass the mandatory 3 1/2 year jail sentence placed on any individual who is arrested for possession of an illegal weapon in the state of New York.
Though most will say that Lil Wayne is simply playing into the stereotype of a rapper, Hip-Hop’s past proves that maybe the weapons these rappers showboat around town with are more than just an accessory, what if it is for protection?
Rappers Slain with No Suspects
The sudden deaths of Hip-Hop’s most influential artists, is case in point. The 90s was a time in Hip-Hop that gave way to the biggest coastal feud in the genre, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry. The leaders of this feud were Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. (real name Christopher Wallace).
The once good friends had eventually fallen off causing a rift not only in music, but in the country as a whole. Both rappers were gunned down while outside of their home states. Tupac who resided in California passed away in Las Vegas while Brooklyn-native Biggie died in California; both artists died after the vehicle they were traveling in was riddled with bullets. Their murders have yet to be solved.
Harlem rapper Big L (real name Lamont Coleman) was fatally shot 9 times in the face and chest in 1999. Big L’s childhood friend Gerard Woodley was arrested for the crime but was eventually let go. Big L’s murder has since then remained unsolved.
These rappers are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to rappers that have been slain with no suspects in sight, showing the sentiment expressed by Biggie himself when he uttered “mo’ money, mo’ problems.”
The Price of Popularity as a Hip-Hop artist
Hip-Hop has been referred to as a very competitive genre since its inception. With the increased success that Hip-Hop artists witness it unfortunately gives way to an onslaught of envy from individuals both within and outside the Hip-Hop world.
The media outlets that report on the robberies of jewels and other pricy possessions that belong to Hip-Hop artists are innumerable. Most recently, it was reported that Miami rapper Rick Ross was robbed by a group of “groupies” and just last year rapper 50 Cent’s chain was ripped from his neck while performing in Africa.
Rapper T.I. has gone on record to say that the main reason behind his decision to stock pile up on weapons (a decision that resulted in him being sentenced to 1 year and a day in prison) was due to a barrage of death threats both he and his family were receiving following the shooting death of his good friend Philant Johnson.
Rappers and Gun Laws
It would be the in the best interest of Hip-Hop artists to obtain gun licenses to permit them to be armed with weapons legally. Though many may not qualify due to their withstanding criminal records, the price of being in possession illegally is far worst.
Perhaps the creation of a law to protect Hip-Hop artists from receiving sentences for being in possession would help in cushioning the legal repercussions. Most Hip-Hop artists would agree that carrying a gun is done more so for protection than for fashion purposes; naturally, not many Hip-Hop artists are willing to trade in their pricy lifestyles and luxury homes for a bunk bed behind bars, then again who would?
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