The tragic loss of Pop Smoke—along with other artists that have died as a result of gun violence—has caused many in the hip hop community to discuss the state of the culture. Waka Flocka, 2 Chainz, Jim Jones, Casanova, and many others have spoken openly about how being successful can make a rapper a target, but Dead Prez rapper stic.man shared a lengthy message about what he believes is the downfall of hip hop.
"As a culture in Hip Hop, broadly speaking, we seem addicted to glorifying supporting perpetuating and celebrating negativity," he wrote on Instagram. "We support and celebrate mysogyny, self hate, fratricide, homicide and genocide, and we do it with pure arrogance and ego, in almost everywhere you turn in mainstream and social media."
Stic suggested that rappers are the "joke of the culture" as they share art that perpetuates "nonsense" for "financial gain." It's something that the media glorifies "all in the name of money, notoriety and glorifying the cliches of the streets. We have watched the same cycle breed death and cause harm in numerous ways over and over and over and over again. Your favorite rappers will speak out when a fellow rapper life is cut short due to the same nonsense mentalities that most of their own music perpetuates. It’s not that we don’t know better by now. It’s a choice."
The rapper said that it's good to see younger generations become successful in the rap game, but it doesn't mean much when they are in environments that don't support their potential. "I know solid cats like Malcolm X and others were killed for their voices as well but in this day of age, we have completely sold out our culture for popularity stunts and we have become a tool of our own oppression. Everybody wanna act cool and look the part and talk greasy and not enough are willing to embody real values and represent something helpful for our communities. For me hip hop has lost its true heart and traded it in for poor values, negativity and fools gold. If we want a better world and life for our community, families children and each other, we have to be willing to let this corny ignorant weak self destructive bullsh*t die."