The City of Chicago and Gun Violence
The city of Chicago has seen a rise in gun violence. There have been fighting turfs throughout the city in recent years. Several young African-Americans, some as young as twelve years old, have died as a result of this. Chance the Rapper, a local artist, addressed the subject, offering his unique perspective.
The Interview with Chance the Rapper
Chance the Rapper, who is located in Chicago, is the speaker in the interview video. The video expands on an interview conducted for the radio-podcast Sway. The interview took place on June 20th, 2013.The circumstances of the interview are in line with the recent increase in gun violence resulting in numerous African-American deaths in Chicago.
Chance the Rapper's Intentions
The intention of Chance, the Rapper in regards to his interview on gun violence, was to mark on the main reasons as to why gun violence is on the rise in Chicago. He wanted to sensitize the general public especially those from Chicago on one of the leading causes of the escalation in gun violence. According to Chance the Rapper, the mentality that inhabitants of Chicago possess is fear which grips those who own guns and those who do not possess weapons. More so, the rapper reiterates that teenagers as young as twelve walk around with firearms which escalates the war turfs and resultant deaths and shots in Chicago. Consequently, fear and paranoia is an everyday phenomenon around Chicago.
Assessment of the Interview
In my opinion, after assessing the video, to some degree, the interview accomplished its mission. Based on the questions asked during the interview dialogue, Chance the Rapper was asked about his opinion as to why gun violence and subsequent high death numbers in Chicago is on the rise. In his theoretical concept, he answered from his point of view based on the questions without hesitation probably because he hails from Chicago. He gave a brief reason which is fear and paranoia and provided examples to back up his theory such as twelve-year-old carrying guns around.
A Quote from Chance the Rapper
A direct quote from Chance the Rapper, “In my theory, fear is the reason. It is through the music that is being released, and the situation people are in Chicago concerning poverty levels and the relocation of people from the projects were dispersed in different areas of the city of Chicago. As a result, fear has escalated in the streets of Chicago especially on the fear of lurking. It perpetuates the issue of concern in Chicago augmenting the paranoia effect. In a sense, it has built the fear that has escalated within the city of Chicago. People are paranoid in a sense.’ (SwaysUniverse, 1:28-1:3:00)
Support for Chance the Rapper's Efforts
According to (“Chance the Rapper Helps Make Chicago Free of Gun Violence for 42 Hours”), ‘the efforts by Chance the Rapper to sensitize the public about the situation in Chicago has gained overwhelming support. According to Chance, the #SaveChicago movement was largely a secret resulted in a united effort between father and son. Chance's social media campaign comes after he recently received widespread attention for his 2013 mixtape “acid rap” which addressed gang violence in Chicago in his music. Regarding motivation behind the movement, Chance tweeted that his father's plan included talking to various churches, schools, and businesses for support as well as radio stations.’
Similarly according to an article by Brennan Williams on Chance the Rapper, ‘There's a greater discussion we need to have about the role of police officers, their affiliation to the public as enemy slayer, when they're not thought to either.’ Chance's latest thoughts on America's judicial system follow his October 2015 interview with Hot 97 where he labelled Black lives matter movement as an integral part in helping with the advancement of society.’ (Williams). The rise in gun violence has led to numerous deaths in Chicago which was reported to be at 422 as of 2013 according to (“2013 Chicago Murders - Timeline”).
Ending Gun Violence in Chicago
The gun violence in Chicago has been on a rampant increase and this has led to the death of many African-Americans. According to Chance the Rapper, the gun violence is generated by paranoia and a need for a sense of security. His efforts in stopping the violence have gained overwhelming support from the public. This plan, drawn by him and his father, involves creating awareness through the church, radio stations, and other relevant public platforms. It is high time the violence comes to an end and his efforts seem to be fruitful.
Work Cited
“2013 Chicago Murders - Timeline.” DNAinfo Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web.
“Chance the Rapper Helps Make Chicago Free of Gun Violence for 42 Hours.” EURweb. N.p., 28 May 2014. Web.
SwaysUniverse. Chance The Rapper Speaks on the Crime Level in Chicago on Sway in the Morning. N.p., 2013. Film.
Williams, Brennan. “Chance The Rapper Addresses Chicago’s Gun Violence, Police Brutality.” Huffington Post 12 Aug. 2016. Huff Post. Web. 29 July 2017.
