In rap music there has always been beef. Weather it was due to a rapper in your city or a rapper from the other side of the country putting out a diss track on you, there has always been beef. For my generation the most famous beef out there was 2 Pac and Notorious B.I.G. Why is that the one that is most famous? Because it ended in 2 violent deaths. The rap world lost 2 great lyricists and rappers because what started as diss tracks escelated into street violence. Back in the beginning of rap music diss tracks existed too. The difference being when a rapper put out a diss track it was countered by the other rapper in a diss track. It was a battle of lyrics not violence. MC's battled on wax. That is how arguements and disagreements in rap should be handled. The idea that jumping someone or even getting more violent to prove you are the better rapper or you hold your city down better is senseless. Violence stems nothing but more violence. Going to prison because you commited violent crime trying to "rep" your city does not make you a better lyricist or rapper than anyone else, it makes you a criminal.
Why am I bringing this up you might be asking? Well the simple answer is this, here in Amarillo, TX we have 2 groups that have been long time friends and partners for shows and music. There is a huge 2nd Annual Gathering taking place in the city in Sept. Last year the same people were involved and it went off great. Everyone benefited from the show. This year however things are different. I have been watching over the past few weeks as these 2 groups devolved from a dispute to a verbal fight to threats of violence. One side says they got kicked off the show for various reasons the other says they refused to give the group what they wanted and they walked away from the show. The next thing that happened was the event page was deleted by the side that was no longer involved which caused the verbal battle to happen via Facebook. Of course a lot of other people on that page started a discussion on the new event page. Then the side that deleted the first page got on and started throwing verbal blows due to anger. This led to some people from Albuquerque, NM to start throwing jabs back. It also led to other folks in Amarillo getting mad and threatening violence. I don't know how it all ended because I do not live in that city. But I do know what I was reading and I can tell you that both sides are wrong.
The one thing this Juggalo movement was started for was to unite the underground not divide it. Both of these parties claim to be Juggalo family. Both of them claim to hold it down for the underground. Both of them claim to have Much Family Love. But both of them are missing the point of all of it. If they truely believe what they say they should be lifting each other up. Supporting each other. Even if they disagree on things they shouldn't wish harm against anyone on the other side. We are all trying to make it in this business. If someone hurts your feelings make a diss track! Let them respond. This gets you both exposure and allows a healthier outlet for your feelings. Threatening or commiting violence will do nothing to further your career.
I try to promote everyone in the underground I feel is good enough to make it. If I don't think someone has the skills or abilities I wont diss them I just wont promote them. This family we are in is splintered here in West Texas and we need to do something about it before it is to late. I have seen talented rappers lost because of egos and hurt feelings. It is time to leave the hood mentality behind and grow into artists and business people. Until we do that a lot of talent is going to go to waste. We want the gang label to get removed we need to stop acting like thugs!
MMFWCL,
Juggalotus
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