Hip-hop artist T.I. has weighed in on the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
In a candid discussion about the tragedy on Hot 97 FM, the Atlanta-based rapper said he did not agree with a ban on assault weapons.
“This is my problem with stepping in right now in the ban of anything,” T.I. said. “That means it is only the criminals who are going to be allowed to have this particular item.”
The rapper went on to say from personal experience he understands the need to own firearms, especially in areas in America where violence is rife. In the past, “I had a necessity for a gun” for protection, he said.
“If the illegals have them, I think the legals must have them,” he added.
The self-proclaimed King of the South’s multifaceted career is, with the release of his new album Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head, going from strength to strength. Though, the rap star has famously served two stints in prison, including time in jail for weapons charges.
In immediate aftermath of Friday’s mass shooting, several hip-hop and R&B artists took to Twitter to express their condolences.
Celebrities, such as Lil Wayne, Big Boi Diddy, Alicia Keyz, Big Boi, Game, Bun B, The-Dream, and Curren$y, all posted messages expressing their shock.
Lil Wayne tweeted, “Prayers for those in Connecticut…senseless.”
While Solange Knowles voiced her concerns about the current gun laws, “New gun laws MUST happen. This is devastating.”
However, hip-hop artists have oftentimes been criticized for glamorizing gun violence, with some rappers even brandishing guns in music videos or posing with weapons in ad campaigns.
For instance, in 2006 a Get Rich or Die Tryin’ poster showing rapper 50 Cent with a gun and baby was banned for glamorizing gun crime by the UK Advertising Standards Authority.
Artists, especially rap stars, have a responsibility because of their followers, said Ogbonna Hagins, CEO/Founder of Philadelphia-based hip-hop magazine, Philly Word. Nonetheless, he adds that, “hip-hop music is no more to blame for gun crime than films or video games.”
In fact, not all hip-hop music is lewd or violent. Artists such as, Common, De La Soul and Digable Planets, are known for their positive and political lyrics. In the same vein, 9-year-old Amor “Lilman” Arteaga — whose rap “Pull Ya Pants Up” went viral — uploaded “Stop Da Violence” on YouTube on Saturday, in tribute to the victims of Sandy Hook.
T.I. believes this latest massacre is just another example of why conventional stereotypes need to be rejected “The people who look like me are not necessarily are the ones to be looked at,” he said. “There is a different enemy in America right now.”
Julia Beverly, who heads the hip-hop publication Ozone, agrees. “Members of the hip-hop community have grieved for the children and teachers killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School much like the rest of the country,” she said.
“If anything, this incident and others like it show that gun violence is not a problem limited to the inner cities or caused by hip-hop music; it is a product of our violent society as a whole and a problem that affects us all.”
“At the end of the day hip-hop is smaller than say something like Rock and Roll, which is global,” said Political Ron, founder of up-and-coming Philadelphia-based hip-hop group Allegheny Doughboys.
“Rock and Roll is more violent than hip-hop. No rap group slaughters animals on stage.”
Instead of simply criticizing hip-hop culture, it’s important to think about what produces these lyrics, said Hagins, who is a former public school teacher. “If people are living in poverty or lack opportunities they are more likely to sell drugs or rob people.”
“When we talk about guns we’re not trying to glorify them,” said Political Ron. “It’s what we see on a daily basis. We’ve trying to empower people to do something, we don’t make the rules.”
Follow Kunbi Tinuoye on Twitter at @Kunbiti