Not even half way through the year of 2006, there has already been well over a dozen shootings that have plagued the hip-hop community. Artists like T.I., Proof and Busta Rhymes have all been affected, if not killed, by gun-related violence this year that has left many in the industry as well as fans in a state of both shock and grief. In an effort to make sense of these matters, SOHH examines the increasingly volatile state of affairs and turns to those in the rap community to give their thoughts on the reasons behind this increasingly violent trend.
Hip-Hop is in a state of emergency. 2006 may go down as one of the deadliest that the culture as ever seen. From Obie Trice being shot in the head in the early morning hours of January 1 in an apparent case of road rage to fellow Motor City MC and friend Proof of D12 being murdered inside of the Detroit's C.C.C. nightclub on April 11, there obviously is an increased amount of tension in the streets of that city.
"The climate is like 150 degrees homie, it's hot," says Obie Trice of the atmosphere in his home town. It's been that way though, it's just touching close to home now."
Quick to dismiss the fact that the violence that has affected him and others in the city is strictly related to them being artists, he explains that the problem is bigger than rap and that other factors have added to an overall aggressive attitude there. "Aint no money in the city, niggas is broke," Trice laments. "The city's in a $130 million deficit right now. People are getting laid off."
Getting people to understand the actual consequences of gun-related violence is also something that should be understood. Separating lyrics that depict violence from the real life situations that stem from it is something that Trice wants to get across as well. He hopes that revealing the details of his situation will make hip-hop fans and those in the streets realize that life and death is not something to be taken lightly.
"My head was like a watermelon, blood everywhere," he describes with vivid detail. "I came into the hospital, nurses had their hands over their mouths[in disbelief]. If the bullet had went less than an inch deeper, I'd be deceased.
He also described seeing the aftermath of close friend Proof being gunned down, apparently over a pool game. "I couldn't sleep for a while because I went and saw him at the hospital. They had him on the gurney. I'm touching his face, his face is freezing, his mouth was open... I don't wish death on nobody. We as Black men are dying out here, getting erased, over bullshit."
Detroit is not the only place to be struck by violence. This disturbing trend has become a national epidemic with numerous incidents reported across the country. On February 11, rapper Slick Pulla of Young Jeezy's Corporate Thugz Entertainment was shot outside of a popular Atlanta pizza shop and later hospitalized where he would survive his injuries. Marque Dixson (who also went by Baby Bleu), an associate of record label Black Mafia Family and reportedly the younger brother of BMF artist Bleu Davinci, was fatally shot in a parking lot on March 9 in the Buckhead section of Atlanta after leaving a club hours before. On February 1, rapper Trajik (born Amir Crump) of the group Desert Mobb was said to have shot and killed Sgt. Henry Prendes in a shootout with police in Las Vegas before he himself was killed in the same incident. Aspiring Las Vegas MC Mac was also gunned down in Sin City as he sat in the drive through of a local fast food restaurant on April 7. New York was the site of both the shooting death of Busta Rhymes' bodyguard and friend Israel Ramirez on February 6 as well as the shooting of Brooklyn rapper Gravy outside of the studios of New York radio station Hot 97 on April 26. Well respected Houston rapper Big Hawk was also recently laid to rest after being gunned down by possibly more than one assailant in his hometown in a suspected attempted robbery on May 1.
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