Tragedy struck T.I.’s concert at New York’s Irving Plaza Wednesday when Troy Ave affiliate Banga was killed and three others were wounded in a shooting. Troy Ave was identified as one of those injured and he reportedly shot himself in the leg. He was taken into police custody at the hospital and now faces various charges, including attempted murder.
While police were still investigating the details of the incident, NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton blamed the violence on the nature of rap culture.
“The crazy world of the so-called rap artists who are basically thugs that basically celebrate the violence they live all their lives and unfortunately that violence often manifests itself during the performances and that’s exactly what happened last evening,” he said to a local news outlet.
DMC says that he is appalled at Bratton’s comments, especially considering his position of authority.
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“There’s a million rappers who come from the hood who do not portray, promote or produce products that celebrate or legitimizes any forms of negativity,” the Run-DMC rapper says to the Associated Press. “The commissioner, he knew better than that. I respect his job, I know it’s hard and all of that, but he should have known better.”
The rap legend says that Bratton should apologize for his statement that grouped all rappers in one stereotype without considering the implications.
“He needs to apologize to all the rappers who have come from [the] streets but have never put out anything negative [and] disrespectful to break down … and destroy their community,” DMC says, naming Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Chuck D, De La Soul and LL Cool J as those who represent positivity in Hip Hop and are harmed by Bratton’s generalities.
He continues by saying that the officials words instill negativity that Hip Hop has tried to break away from instead of helping the culture progress.
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“[Bratton] was upset and pointing a finger and getting to the root and not thinking about the people he would hurt by saying what he said,” he adds. “Him as the commissioner saying it did so much damage [and] pushes Hip Hop back — that’s why he should apologize.”
