Not sure I really agree with his notion entirely, but check out what Lupe Fiasco had to say to all the folks who rap or have rapped about violence below. I’m pretty sure what’s going on in his city is probably driving a lot of his thoughts on the matter:

Violent music (and all violent media) effectively says its “ok” to be violent. It provides positive reinforcement for negative actions. If you rap and make violent music then own up to it. Stop hiding behind “art imitating life” as a way to evade the guilt. “How the hell you gonna tell this man not 2 be violent?, Cuz he dont need to go the same route that I did” -Eminem & Dr. Dre “Choices”. Sorry…”Bad Meets Evil”…”Guilty Conscious”…sorry…lol correct title of the song aside, U know what I meant! The issue stands that violent music puts violence into this world one way or another.

It creates the atmosphere that violence is an acceptable means to an end. Agree or disagree doesnt really matter at this point honestly. But to not even acknowledge the possibility that violent music has even the most minute effect on violence in the world is frankly bullshit. Ive made violent music. Done violent things. Most my friends are violent. Lived in violent neighbors. Seen violence first hand. A certain point you start to get tired of it. You ask why? why is it like this? what is causing this? why is this ok to live like this? Then you turn on the news and see that a 12 month old got shot in the face by two teenagers in Georgia for no reason at all. Then you hear a song on the radio talking about “shooting everyone in sight”…bad times man…fuck… you may not give two shits about the next man and his troubles and thats cool with me…live you life…but I do and most people I know do. but dont sit there and act like high ass inner city murder rates are just falling from the sky for absolutely no reason… everything plays a part…EVERYTHING. Take responsibility for the part you play. motherfuckers can at least start there. yeah I got issues. My hood aint been safe in 25 years! At the point now u can die for nothing. just random death and disregard. tired of it. I know you don’t hear me. I guess its the LAST desperate act of a desperate man in desperate times. On one…peace…

And that’s it. In That last retweet. CARE. Compassion. Empathy. Do you care? Yes or no? Sometimes? All the time? That’s the issue at hand. One more and I’m done. Promise. Somebody just said the violence in Shakespeare didnt make people more violent or had no effect. And my thought was the people who could even afford to see a Shakespeare play at the time probably got their money from the slave trade. Now ain’t that bout a bitch…bad, woman good…lol…y’all move in peace out there one love #CHI