Question I always ask is…If tonight Lyor Cohen and all them white folk said they’re done with rap and it collapses overnight and tommorow there is no rap on radio, streaming or YouTube- Does O-Block go silent? Do all the California gangs that started before Hip Hop just dissolve?
Rational minds know the answer.
I recently did a deep dive on King Von, O-Block, the BDs and the GDs, etc and that really helped me see things for what they are. It's kids out here doing bike-bys and shyt because they're not even old enough to drive or have access to a car. I'm talking about little 13 and 14-year-old "hitters" who feel comfortable taking lives when they should have their asses in fifth period geography. I can't in good conscience say that music influenced them to do...any of that.
Like someone else said it might provide a soundtrack to their lifestyles but they were going to do that shyt anyway if we're being honest. Poverty, crime and racism have a bigger influence and impact on our community than any rapper ever could. It is what it is.
And for all the people who doubt it, the biggest consumers of rap aren't other black people; it's suburban white kids and middle class white men. I don't exactly see many of them being "influenced" to start selling drugs or robbing people. And when they do, it's of their own volition, not because some song made them do it.
