Yesterday (October 2nd), the United States was devastated by yet another mass shooting incident, this time at a music festival in Las Vegas. Now being called the deadliest incident of its kind in modern American history, more than 50 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds more were injured, some of whom remain in critical condition a day later. Many members of the hip-hop community sent their condolences to the victims via social media as the events unfolded, with some even taking time to voice their displeasure with the state of gun control in the country as a whole. Even celebrities like Barack Obama and LeBron James took time out of their schedules to make their opinions known as well. With all this in mind, one of the more surprisingly poignant videos messages that was sent out to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting came from one of rap's most maligned emcees: XXXTentacion.
Known for his abrasive public persona and his alleged penchant for sudden violent behavior, the young Florida native showed a different side to his character to fans, sharing a video clip on social media that was more tender and heartfelt feelings than XXX is typically associated with. "I just now found out about the Vegas shooting," he began. "My prayers and condolences go out to anyone who lost a family member or a friend last night. My prayers go out to you." Simple yet touching, XXXTentacion's message is something that may humanize him in the court of public opinion in the short term, with decidedly less trolling going on in the comment section for the video as a result.
However, not all may be hunky dory with X after all, as another text slide that was added to his Instagram story proclaimed that he was "ready to die alone." There's no indication of what exactly prompted that phrase to be included on his social media account, but perhaps it was another, darker emotional response to the tragedy that took place in Las Vegas. Nevertheless, his initial video message, taken at face value, it just another sign of hip-hop artists coming together and showing love and support to those who need it most.