After Botham Shem Jean, a twenty-six-year-old accountant was accidentally killed in his own home by ex-police officer Amber Guyger, a verdict was finally reached. Guyger received a sentence of ten years, which feels considerably low considering a man's life is now lost for no reason whatsoever. In fact, many committers of lesser offenses have found themselves saddled with harsher terms, a fact that has not been lost on the hip-hop community.
"How do y’all feel about this? Just curious?" writes Diddy, posting a shocking contrast between two sentences. "Tell me how yall really feel about this ? Please cause I need to know. Thank you." As the image points out, Guyger's ten years for murdering Botham Shem Jean in his own home seemed paltry when compared to a woman who received twenty-years for firing off warning shots.
T.I. followed Diddy's lead, posting his own compare and contrast in which a black man got forty-five years for allegedly killing a police dog; now, Tip isn't quite sure the verdict is accurate and makes sure to poll his fans accordingly. Still, the sentiment remains powerful all the same.
Meek Mill made sure to weigh in with his two cents, himself a victim of a lopsided criminal justice system. Where some of his peers opted for a more open-ended question, Meek wasted little time in cutting to the heart of the matter. "That's a shame," he writes, in response to Diddy's post. "This both sides of America."
Though Jean's brother expressed forgiveness for Guyger, many were left stunned when the judge stepped down to give the sentenced ex-officer a hug. It's certainly an unprecedented move and one that will likely be discussed and analyzed in the months to come. Clearly, hip-hop is not pleased with the way the Guyger verdict played out. Do you think the aforementioned rappers are speaking facts?