“We are so sure we know what freedom is in America that we cannot imagine a world in which true freedom might come after sacrifice of personal rights. Freedom is sending your kids to school with confidence that they will come home at the end of the day.”
— Taylor Schumann, author of When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough
According to CNN, “49 school shootings have happened in the US this year, including the UNC shooting – 34 have been reported on K-12 campuses and 15 on university and college campuses.” There was a point in time in which tragedies like 9/11 and Sandy Hook rocked our nation to its core. We were scared and afraid, with the country feeling a wave of silence as we grieved together. That isn’t the case anymore. The shooting at Chapel Hill was just one of the 49 to occur since the beginning of the year, and if I’m being frank, I thought the number would be higher. Living in Philadelphia, gun violence is, unfortunately, nothing new. It’s common to ask the question, “gun shots? Or fireworks?” Citizen alerts light up our phone screens every other weekend, notifying us of groups of people, including children, ending up at the receiving end of the barrel. And yet, even with little kids losing their lives to bullets, our country still cannot seem to agree on restricting the accessibility to firearms.
I should preface this by clarifying one common misconception: When most people talk about gun control in the United States, they are speaking about the lack of screening that goes into purchasing a gun. While I am pretty terrified of firearms, I understand that the Constitution protects the right to bear them. I also know that the Constitution (much like other older documents that govern our societies and cultures) needs to be revisited and placed into context now that we are living in the 21st century, but I think most people like to ignore that idea. With that being said, one of the scariest issues we have in America is how easy it is to go out and buy a gun. Hell, in some states, you can visit your local Wal-Mart to pick your chosen weapon. And embarrassingly enough, that idea is thought of as very American. In Gang Starr’s “Tonz ‘O’ Gunz,” the Hip-Hop duo hone in on the guns that have easily infiltrated the streets. The two jump into the repetition of the idea that “tons o’ guns everybody’s getting strapped. Tons o’ guns got to watch the way you act. Tons o’ guns real easy to get, tons o’ guns bringing nothing but death. Tons o’ guns are in the streets nowadays, it’s big money and you know crime pays. Check your nearest overpopulated ghetto.” The repeating use of the phrase “tons o’ guns” shows how easily the number of guns on the streets multiplies, primarily because as people see others with guns, they feel the proper way to combat that is to arm themselves. The ease in the cadence also almost mocks a nursery rhyme, showing that even a child could access a gun if they really wanted to. They continue to describe that while guns do nothing but bring negative consequences, they’re financially beneficial, and that’s what takes priority, especially at the expense of the underprivileged.
Guru continues to discuss the necessity of guns and why those who see the worst outcomes continue to contribute to their spread, answering that “more guns will come and much more will die/they like to feel the chrome in their hands. The shit makes them feel like little big man./The city is wild up steps the wild child, tension anger living in danger./It’s like you need to have steel just to feel relaxation.” Despite seeing how much harm guns can do, if they remain as accessible as they are today, gun sales will remain cyclical. As long as people continue to purchase guns out of anger and malice, innocent people will respond by buying even more out of fear and the need for protection. Without implementing precautions that can limit the misuse of firearms, they will continue being both the source of anxiety and the feeling of safety.
Another issue that arises when discussing gun control is the type of guns we can access. If you want to purchase a small handgun or perhaps a hunting rifle, that’s one matter. However, why do civilians need access to military-grade weaponry? When we evaluate mass shootings, many people use guns designed to kill in numbers. They are meant to attack rather than defend. Lupe Fiasco talks about this in his track, “Chopper.” Lupe uses his verse to describe what kind of gun he’s toting, describing it as an “AR-15 with collapsible stock. Picatinny rail with a three-point harness. With 150 round magazine and a dot/Got the same setup as the swats.” Why do everyday people need AR-15s? In what world could this possibly bring more peace and not be used for harm? He continues his verse to disclose that you “shouldn’t find that surprising, cause [he] bought the motherfucker from a cop.” Cops having access to military-grade equipment is another issue this country faces as we struggle with both mental health and gun control. The more we continue to facilitate these weapons, the more the death toll will rise. And we all see how trigger-happy police can be in certain scenarios. How is that setting an example when the people who are meant to protect us don’t have proper training for using firearms or de-escalating a situation?
Dr. Dre furthers this thought in his song, “Bang Bang,” where he raps, “Johnny got a shotgun, and he ain’t even strong enough to cock one. Fuck trying to job hunt, n***** got AK’s/ got Rugers and M14s with enough ammo to leave an armored truck Swiss cheese.” Dre starts this reference with our fictional Johnny, a gun-toting individual who’s been mentioned throughout musical history spanning various genres. Most notably in Hip-Hop, Kendrick Lamar alludes to Johnny quite a bit. He’s meant to be your average All-American boy who loves his freedom to carry around a firearm. However, in this case, Dre emphasizes the difference in power between weapons and the individuals who control them. Johnny may not be strong enough to cock one because he’s so young or possibly because he is so inexperienced. It might even just be that these firearms are significantly more robust than any average human being. And yet, while Johnny can barely operate a shotgun, people are out on the streets with AKs, Rugers, and M14s, guns so strong that even armored trucks can’t withstand them.
When it comes down to gun control, race dynamics in America play a huge role. Killer Mike received a lot of flack when he decided to sit down with the NRA and advocate for gun rights for African Americans. However, as expected, the NRA weaponized Killer Mike’s ideas, turning his advocacy for equality into a pro-NRA moment. Goodie Mobb comments on a similar mentality in their track “I Refuse Limitation.” In their track, they mention, “gunshows supplied me in the hour of need. Watch em bleed. Aryan Nation be the dealer, now who’s the killer?” When guns are being pedaled and pushed into the impoverished inner city areas that are brimming with frustration, and then we wonder why crime and violence rates are so high, isn’t it a bit stupid to be acting bewildered? Yes, we do need to be held accountable for our own actions. However, the US is not doing anything productive to rectify these conflicts, especially when the Americans who are so adamant about protecting their freedom resist the idea that all of the US is not awarded those same rights. Instead, they want to protect an imperfect America that has only benefitted them rather than allowing Black and Brown people to have the same liberties.
In Wyclef Jean’s “I Wish It Was Music,” he also comments on the discrepancies race creates in gun rights. He asks, “is it me, or can anyone see, our only history? While the massacre was linked to you, the prison sentence was linked to me. Second amendment was stripped from me, all because you scared of what I go and see an urban movie, shoot the movie theater up, man that fucked up. Cause I’m a good dude/my music ain’t the problem shawty, not as far as I can see.” Despite most mass shootings occurring at the hands of White men, Black and Brown people continue to face the backlash and police brutality. While movies and Hip-Hop music (at least in the eyes of Fox News) vilify minorities, mass shooters are taken alive and put in jail with the compassion of facing mental health issues rather than killed on the spot. And for some reason, it’s normal when a country singer brags about his firearm. But when a Hip-Hop artist does, then they’re a criminal. Only then is it violent. Just like when we argue for gun reform, it’s an attack on the Second Amendment for those who don’t have to face nearly as severe consequences. But inner city and impoverished neighborhoods have far too much crime and far too many guns.
Locksmith argues a similar point in his song, “America.” In his song, he raps about the gun issues overrunning our country, saying, “America is slowly dying, of a self-inflicted wound from a weapon that we’re supplying.” The wordplay reiterates all the lives lost to gun violence, showing how it’s slowly wiping out our population in large numbers. However, it also gives our country and government a sense of accountability, demonstrating that without any change or reform, America has to accept the blame. He continues commenting on the racial dynamic, exclaiming that “they wasn’t talkin gun reform back when BooBoo got shot.” Unfortunately, many Black and Brown people have suffered due to gun violence. But the media continued to blame these very marginalized groups who were suffering when, once again, it’s not like the US is doing anything about it. In order to see a significant change, gun violence had to transition from just being in the inner cities to the more affluent suburbs as well. He then exclaims that “mass shooters get captured and taken into custody, if black assailants make detainment truly its a luxury.” We live in a world in which discrimination is so blatant that young Black children and men get shot down by law enforcement for doing everyday tasks such as going for runs; they got shot down for merely existing. And yet, we have witnessed mass shooting after mass shooting, where the culprit gets to walk away in handcuffs rather than with bullet wounds simply because he has fairer skin or blond hair and blue eyes. One change that has to come with gun reform is treating it with equality; treating the background checks, the consequences, the act of shooting on the same footing rather than case by case based on someone’s complexion.
Kendrick Lamar furthers this point in his song, “XXX.” In the track, he begins his verse with the idea that “the great American flag is wrapped in drag with explosives.” Even beyond firearms, America is a violent country that masks its foreign policies with bombs and explosives, resorting to violence and yet using other political agendas, such as homosexuality, as distractions. He changes the narrative that violent shootings only occur in inner-city neighborhoods, rapping that “it’s murder on my street, your street, back streets, Wall Street Corporate offices, banks, employees, and bosses with homicidal thoughts,” showing that guns are now an issue that plague everywhere in the United States, including the most elite of the elite settings and people. Lastly, he comments on the irony of the racial tensions regarding access to firearms by saying, “It’s nasty when you set us up, then roll the dice, then bet us up. You overnight the big rifles, then tell Fox to be scared of us, gang members or terrorists/America’s reflections of me, that’s what a mirror does.” A common theme in these songs is the thought that the government plants firearms in specific neighborhoods, which wouldn’t be surprising considering we saw it happen with pharmaceutical drugs and other issues that arise in particular areas. Systematic racism has continued to fail marginalized groups in the United States, and rather than passing laws to help rectify the issues, the media plays into it even more by perpetuating stereotypes. Furthermore, we know the difference in verbiage regarding these crimes, kind of like the Peter Griffin meme where he shows the different complexions next to different labels. The more fair you’re complexion, the more likely you are to just be troubled, or a victim of bullying, or mental health issues. But the darker your complexion gets, the less compassion you’re granted.
One of the many political issues Anderson .Paak covers in his song “6 Summers” (which I deem one of the most cleverly written political songs ever) is the issue of gun control and why it is so essential. He first sets the scene for the matter when he sings, “pop-pop-pop goes the shooter, reform, reform shoulda came sooner,” reminding us that without stricter gun laws, we’ll continue to be remorseful every time we see innocent lives lost during a heartbreaking mass shooting. He advocates for the idea that “we need more peace and less lone gunners, put down your heat and smoke marijuanas,” calling for peace and weed rather than guns and violence.” Ironically enough, you have to jump through more hoops to get a damn medical marijuana card than a license to carry. He then, however, explains why that won’t happen, expanding on the idea that “there’s money to be made in a killin’ spree,” demonstrating the corruption and capitalism that overshadows the need to “take them AK’s up outta these inner city streets.” He then paints a picture of our devastating reality, rapping, “Billy copped the Desert Eag’ and it’s legal to tote it. Lil’ n**** bullied out his Pumas, but why he have to shoot the whole school up?” Several mass shootings in America have happened at the hands of young, White male adults who are often struggling with mental health issues. While mental health issues are just another problem that runs rampant in our society and, unfortunately, can be pretty unaffordable for everyone to seek help or treatments, it is another reason for stricter gun laws and background checks. Bullying and other forms of trauma are brutal, especially in formative years, without the proper tools to tackle those situations. A lot of us endure it. Regardless, that doesn’t excuse mass murder, or even a single murder. Frankly, I can’t really think of anything that does! And it definitely doesn’t mean you should have access to deadly weapons. And yet here we are.
Eminem paints a similar image of the reality of mass shootings in America with his song, “Darkness,” where he recreates the 2017 Las Vegas shooting by embodying Stephen Paddock, the 64-year-old man responsible for the deadliest mass shooting in American history. In his song, he outlines the disturbing sequence of events, comparing it to his performance anxiety that Eminem is so notable for after his hit song, “Lose Yourself.” While the first two verses detail the nerves and preparation for his final “show”, the third verse tells the story of the tragedy, where the “people start to show up, time to start the show up. It’s 10:05 PM, and the curtain starts to go up. And [he’s] already sweatin’, but [he’s] locked and loaded, for rapid fire spittin’ for all the concert-goers.” The Las Vegas shooting occurred during a music festival, with country singer Jason Aldean closing the show. His set was coming to an end around 10 PM, and that’s when Paddock began unleashing his bullets on the crowd. Eminem continues the story by rapping, “scopes for sniper vision, surprise from out of nowhere, as [he slides] the clip in from inside the hotel, leanin’ out the window, going Keyser Soze.” Embodying the villainous Keyser Soze, Paddock utilized sniper rifles with scopes to attack the crowd from his bedroom, where he had planned his attack days prior by finding views from different windows. Eminem continues on to rap, “finger on the trigger, but [he’s] a licensed owner with no prior convictions, so law says sky’s the limit. So [his] supply’s infinite, strapped like a [he’s] a soldier, got ’em hopping over walls and climbing fences, some of them John Travolta, staying alive by inches.” Paddock’s ability to access military-grade weapons shows the flaws when obtaining gun licenses and the types of weaponry made available. There’s no limitations on how much you can purchase when you have a license to carry, and for some reason, an individual buying this much weaponry and ammunition is not a cause for concern. While his case did draw attention to the ability to purchase bump stocks, guns with firepower similar to automatic firearms, enabling him to kill 60 people and ultimately harming over 800 people as they attempted to flee, the ban against those guns has since been under review due to the Constitution. Despite being the reason for the largest and most gruesome mass shooting, that ban is still being questioned, as if those weapons could possibly be used for good or even simply self-defense. Eminem ends his haunting verse with the lines, “cops are knockin’, oh fuck/guess show time is over/no suicide note, just a note for target distance. But if you’d like to know the reason why [he] did this, you’ll never find a motive. Truth is, [he has] no idea, [he’s] just as stumped, no signs of mental illness. Just tryin’ to show ya the reason why we’re so fucked.” The shooting ended with police officials finding Paddock dead in his room after shooting himself. Besides traffic citations and issues with drinking and gambling excessively, Paddock had no prior convictions or mental illness. No motive was discovered. And the most horrifying part is that after every mass shooting, stock prices of those very bump stocks increased, with the thoughts that more people would purchase them. That’s how much more this country values money than human lives. The victims attempted to sue the hotel for negligence in allowing numerous weapons into their building. Yet, the hotel countersued, refuting any responsibility. Disgustingly enough, and despite saying that it would be a topic of discussion, Trump’s cabinet released a White House memo opposing any sort of gun control reformation because “new laws won’t stop a mad man” but “will curtail the freedoms of law-abiding citizens.” Once again, we know who those law-abiding citizens are. If that one “mad man” was a minority, anyone who even remotely resembled him would be categorized as thugs and criminals. And, of course, the one bit of reform that did come out of it, which was the ban on bump stocks, was then made ineffective after it was decided that it needed to be reviewed for being unconstitutional. In what world are those weapons solely used for self-defense or activities such as hunting? They are meant for killing in large numbers. They are meant for war. It truly is heartbreaking to think of all of those victims who had to endure that horrific event and the injustice that they still have to experience with every mass shooting that takes place.
Despite Hip-Hop getting its rep for being violent and glorifying guns, I’ve found that Hip-Hop has been one of the most outspoken genres to reduce gun violence. Unfortunately, it’s almost as though the artists have to make up for the creative expression that once told the stories of trauma and death that infested their neighborhoods due to the government’s release of guns on their streets. And yet, the people in charge didn’t care enough to want to make a change then. Even now, with gun violence finally gaining mainstream media attention because it’s an issue everyone faces and not just impoverished neighborhoods, many government officials STILL don’t think it’s a conversation that needs to be had. Pharoah Monch’s personification of a gun in his track “Gun Draws” reminds us that while the individuals are responsible for operating a firearm, the gun itself is a method of murder. He takes on the perspective of the weapon, rapping, “my name’s Mr. Bullet, I respond to the index when you pull it, the trigger/And when I kill kids they say shame on me. Who the fuck told you to put they names on me? White man made me venom to eliminate, especially when I’m in the hood, I never discriminate. Just get in ’em, then I renovate. Flesh, bone, ain’t nothing for me to penetrate, and it can happen so swiftly.” Without the certifications and the licenses and the background checks, anyone can access these deadly weapons. But even with those prerequisites, the impact of a gun doesn’t change. All it takes is for one bad person to get their hands on a gun to make a monumental impact with catastrophic results, as we’ve seen in the cases of these mass shootings. Even if someone doesn’t have bad intentions, it only takes a missed target or one child to get their hands on a firearm that’s supposed to be safely tucked away to take the life of an innocent person. Like Pharoah said, guns don’t discriminate. The outcomes don’t differ depending on the intent or the victim. The damage can be irreversible.
Some of Hip-Hop’s most notable artists gathered together to inspire change with their Stop the Violence Movement. In 1989, KRS-One enlisted the help of some of the greatest rappers, including Kool Moe Dee, Heavy D, and Public Enemy, for a call to action to help with gun violence. In their song, “Self Destruction”, they recounted the catastrophes they witnessed due to firearms and the type of impact it’s leaving. Around ten years later, KRS-One resurrected the movement with a new roster of artists, including Rah Digga, Method Man, Redman, Talib Kweli, and Styles P. The Game’s verse demonstrates a prominent shift in Hip-Hop’s dynamic with gun violence as he raps, “I never thought I’d tell anybody to put a gun down, till last week I saw a 12-year-old kid gone down. This ain’t what life’s about, all this shoot ’em up, “bang bang” you never think twice about. That’s somebody’s son you shot, somebody’s daughter you slaughtered, I shed tears for our dearly departed. And the shooters get X’d like Malcolm, one dead in the grave, one behind bars is the outcome.” Gun violence is no longer tied to a particular lifestyle. It affects all ages, all races. We all know someone that’s been impacted by it. Tech N9ne’s “No Gun Control sums it up perfectly. “How many more people gonna fall from this evil? It’ll never stop ’cause we don’t care if it’s illegal.” Gun reformation will not stop all of the violence in the world. But it will help to reduce it.
If you felt impacted by this article, please share it with others. I’ve compiled a list of petitions and resources to help the fight for gun reformation in the hopes that we can see stricter gun laws and live every day with more peace of mind. This may cause anger among some of my readers who disagree. Still, it is an important issue that needs to be revisited until we see change.
Congress Must Ban Military-Style Assault Weapons & High Capacity Magazines
Regulating The Gun Industry To Meet Stricter Safety Regulations
In Favor of Universal Background Checks For All Gun Purchases
Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund
Tighter Laws For Acquiring and Owning Guns
The Senate Must Support Gun Violence Research
Putting An End to Gun Violence in PA
Find and Contact Elected Officials
Putting An End to Gun Violence
Balancing Rights of Legal Gun Owners With Gun Safety
10 Tips For Gun Safety In Your House
Philly – The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office provides free gun locks to anyone upon request. To receive a gun lock, you can either pick one up at the front desk of the Sheriff’s Office on the 5th Floor of 100 S. Broad Street between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or call 215-686-3572. Leave your name, number, and address and someone from the Sheriff’s Office will quickly be in touch with you. Temple University Hospital’s Safe Bet program offers free cable gun locks to families who have small children and firearms. No questions asked.
Spice on the Beat 