Chicago Gang's Have Big Influence on Today's Rap Music

When people think about rap music they often times think of very violent, provocative, inappropriate music. And one particular rap beef in Chicago is producing just this. Chicago has a history of a lot of gang violence and now that this gang violence is also coming out in popular songs a lot of people are listening. Rival gangs Black Disciples "BD" and Gangster Disciples "BDK" have recently took to the sound booth with their issues and these issues are often times spreading to the streets. When a Gangster Disciple leader that went by the rap name Lil Jojo decided to come out with a huge song named "BDK" which stands for Black Disciple Killer, the Black Disciples decided it was only a matter of time before Lil Jojo was going to be killed. So when Jojo decided to tweet his location a couple weeks later it was to no ones surprise that we was shot down hours later for being in the "wrong neighborhood". Lil Jay was the successor to Lil Jojo's movement and has been a target ever since. The Gangster Disciple rappers RondoNumberNine and Edai have both taken in songs for Lil Jay being shot over 21 times. Miraculously despite being shot 21 times Lil Jay is still alive and is on record as saying "I can't die." The main question that runs through my mind when I am constantly hearing about these murders and crimes in songs is why. Why are these people risking their lives just for the slim chance of fame? And why is one person saying one thing on a song worth taking someone's life? I guess it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me as to why so many lives have been lost in Chicago because of gang life and the music industry. Not only are these kid of things affecting the lives of people living and working in Chicago but all over the Midwest. As we see more and more shootings, robberies, and stabbings on the south east side of Cedar Rapids. Just a little over two weeks ago a gas station that I commonly fill my car up at just down the street from Kennedy was shot up by a young kid looking to get back at somebody. I can only wonder if these types of crimes are related to the music. (394) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/06/lil-jojo-dead-teen-chicag_n_1861326.html