They go on to say that these murders are unique to Hip-Hop artists and point the finger at social media.
"Jazz musicians weren’t routinely murdered in the street at the height of their career. Nor were rock stars," they say. "We just want the same truth for our young superstars. The inner city is like the MMA Octagon—it’s the cage, the trap. A lot of violent shit goes down, but it’s still home for many hip-hop artists. And there’s still a lot of hope, hunger, and love in the streets. We just need to find better ways to support each other. This is our generation’s responsibility as much as it is for the young MCs. One reason the violence has gotten worse is social media. Rappers are trying too hard to flex online to the detriment of their safety. These dudes are getting money at a faster rate than we ever did. We’ve been to the strip club when a rapper was sitting with walls of money—like, walls: Each stack was three feet tall. How can you throw that much money in one night? We have no idea. Some of these artists spend thousands on an outfit and millions on jewelry, then jump in their Bugatti or whatever and show off so much money that they can barely hold it in their hand for an Instagram photo."
Other rap artists including Nas and Fat Joe have also recently spoken out about the ongoing violence. 50 Cent's new show, Hip-Hop Homicides hosted by Van Lathan takes a deep dive into the recent murders of young Hip-Hop stars, including Pop Moke and Yung Dolph, attempting to humanize them in the process.
In the end, Short and 40 are adamant about the need for change. "We have to turn the corner. We don’t want to fall in love with an artist and then have to mourn them. We don’t want to go to a hip-hop show and then die."
Read E-40 and Too Short's op-ed piece at the Atlantic. Listen to Too Short's weekly show, Don't Stop Rappin' on LL COOL J's Rock The Bells Radio.
