E-40 and Too $hort explain why gun crime has risen in hip-hop
Too $hort and E-40 are two of the most well-known artists to come out of the Bay Area. The pair both began their careers in the 1980s, and as areas such as Oakland, Richmond, and Vallejo began to cultivate their own hip-hop scenes.
Although G-Funk has become the sound people associate with California, few pay attention to the contributions of North California. The Bay area cultivated its own sound in the 1980s and has continued producing some pretty big stars and quality artists.
In the 2000s, the Bay birthed birthed Hyphy Music. Pioneered by Traxamillion and Keak Da Sneak, it was popular and in demand, but it was a short-lived, hyper-localised scene. However figures like E-40, Too $hort, Luniz and Shock G have made an impact on hip-hop that will last forever.
That said, in an interview with The Atlantic, E-40 and Too $hort explained how hip-hop has changed and why more MCs are falling victim to gun crime.
Revealing that rhymers are making themselves into target by flaunting their wealth, E-40 explained, “Rappers are trying too hard to flex online to the detriment of their safety. We’ve been to the strip club when a rapper was sitting with walls of money—like, walls.”
He continued, “How can you throw that much money in one night? We have no idea. Some of these artists spend thousands on an outfit and millions on jewellery, then jump in their Bugatti or whatever and show off so much money that they can barely hold it in their hand for an Instagram photo.”
The ‘Ain’t Gone Do It’ collaborators asserted that they were not trying to diss the new generation of rappers but insisted that sharing your wealth and location online is a sure way to lure those willing to kill.
Detailing this, Too $hort clarified, “We love guys getting money. But with success comes jealousy and anger. Social media amplifies those feelings. A beef can start over an innocuous Instagram ‘Like.'”
Reflecting on how well-known African-American elders schooled rappers after the death of 2Pac and Biggie Smalls, E-40 concluded, “When Tupac and Biggie were murdered, members of the Nation of Islam sat a lot of us down. We went to Louis Farrakhan’s house in Chicago, had a meal, and talked about the state of hip-hop, our responsibilities to the culture, and how we should fix things.”
You can hear the pair’s collaboration, ‘Ain’t Gone Do It’ in the video below.