NYC’s new mayor Eric Adams only took office in 2022. But after the death of 18-year-old artist Jayquan McKenley, he’s already declared war! The enemy is … drill rap?
Adams blamed the music genre for NYC’s gun violence, even going as far as to say he wanted the music pulled off social media like Donald Trump!
Days later, Adams met with some rappers of the genre, which has already existed for a decade and isn’t inherently violent. And bluntly speaking, they schooled the 61-year-old former cop.
“We’re all in poverty, so nobody has opportunities,” explained rapper Bleezy DOD. “We already feel like we have no outlets and no way out, so our only hope is the music.”
And this isn’t a new discussion – in fact, it’s eerily similar to the 90s political war to repress “gangsta rap,” which clearly failed.
In his eulogizing speech, Adams actually did name poverty, homelessness, and other systemic issues underpinning the violence in the music. He knows!
Still, he decided to exploit a teenager’s death against the teen’s father’s wishes for anti-Black political gain. He chose to criminalize what many view as a way to cope – just like the cop he is.
What Black-dominated activity is going to be punished next instead of actual solutions? It could be anything. Because the system criminalizes Blackness, and we’re ALL at risk.