Alyssa Elliott
Professor Skelly
ENGL 21001 Section L
20 September 2023

The Rapper Mortality Pipeline

Who’s your favorite rapper? Some people might favor old-school artists like LL Cool J, Nas, Tupac, or 50 Cent. Others might lean toward more lyrical artists such as Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, or Nipsey Hussle. In today’s generation, you’ll often hear names like Drake, Juice
WRLD, Future, or Kanye. Despite each of coming from different eras, having different styles, and life stories, they have all left a significant mark on the hip-hop genre and have had a meaningful impact on the music industry in their own unique way. But even with this in mind it
is important to recognize that there are downsides to being a rapper as well. One of the major things that has been a consistent issue in the rap industry is the death of some of our favorite artist. These untimely deaths have not only left a void in the music world but have also raised
questions about the industry’s impact on the lives and well-being of those who contribute so much to it. There are multiple reasons behind these losses which can vary from violence to health issues, and to the challenges that come with fame and success. It also serves as a reminder that no one is invincible and that we need to provide support and positive change to rap, it’s culture, and the people in it.

Violence has taken its toll on the rap community, which can sometimes start from rivalries and conflicts that are featured in lyrics that can sometimes spill over into real-life tragedies. The deaths of rappers like Tupac and Biggie in the East Coast-West Coast feud serve as reminders of these effects. Everyone talks about how legendary they were and all of their contributions to the rap community. But there is not as much focus on the details surrounding their deaths or the events that led up to them.

When my favorite rapper XXXTENTACION died in 2018 it happened very random on a random day. I used to follow him on all platforms, listen to all of his music drops, and kept up with everything pertaining to his personal life that he would share. I didn’t know him personally, but I felt like I could relate to him through his music and his personality. When he died there was a lot of uproar and discourse about his death online. He also didn’t die in the same manner as the average artist where it would be from old age or sickness. Instead, he was brutally shot and killed over materialistic things, some of which he rapped about. Ever since then rappers have been consistently dying every year since.

In “Gun violence has killed at least 1 rapper every year since 2018” it highlights the tragic trend of gun violence leading to the deaths of several hip-hop artists in recent years, naming 7 rappers that were fatally shot from 2018 to 2022. When the rapper Take off died it
shocked the world because we knew him as the quietest member of Migos who didn’t bother anybody or cause any drama. With many people tweeting their condolences and outrage about the situation and the state of rap in general. Huston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted “Too many young men of color are killing each other,” and further expressing the senselessness of such actions, as lives are lost in a matter of seconds, leaving grieving families and friends behind and just wanting the violence as a whole to stop. Rapper Jah Rule also stated that “this s**t has to STOP,” pleading for this cycle of violence within the hip-hop community to come to an end.

Usually, when someone is known to be struggling with substance abuse or mental health challenges, the natural human response is to try and provide assistance and support. However, within the music industry, it’s often perceived that these issues are sometimes overlooked or not
properly addressed by high-ranking executives and professionals. Instead, there is a perception that financial gain and the pursuit of profit often take precedence over the well-being of artists. This raises concerns about the industry’s responsibility to provide appropriate care and support for its talent. This was seen on the Breakfast Club when American music industry executive and entrepreneur Lyor Cohen was interviewed. In it he claims that rappers doing drugs is the most dangerous thing that society is facing. However, when asked “then why sign an artist who would
promote that?” he replies “talent or issues and he chooses talent…. Its optimistic but I got people to feed and a business to run”.