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Its been almost a month since Beanie Sigel was shot, so clearly it we were overdue for news of another rapper getting shot. This time up: Philly's Gillie Da Kid, perhaps best known as the ghost writer behind Lil Wayne's The Carter. As he was getting into his car yesterday, Gillie was shot three times, surviving a "barrage of bullets." Gillie, apparently an active member of the Stop Snitching community, has refused to cooperate with the police in identifying the shooter.
In somewhat related news, Gerald Gadie, the man who drove D12's Proof to the hospital after he was fatally shot, was murdered in the basement of his home. Police say Gadie was murdered after a dispute erupted over 20 pounds of marijuana.
Just to recap, before we've even reached the halfway point of 2006 we have already seen several gun-related incidents involving rappers: Busta Rhyme's bodyguard Israel Ramirez shot and killed at a video shoot, D12's Proof shot and killed at an after-hours club, T.I.'s assistant Philant Johnson shot and killed after an Ohio concert, S.U.C.'s Big Hawk shot and killed, Beanie Sigel shot and wounded, Gillie Da Kid shot and wounded, Gravy shot and wounded and another man was shot and paralyzed after Lloyd Banks showed up at a local BBQ. In the words of Chris Rock: Grand opening? Grand closing!
It seems to me that this is a rather high rate of shootings for a fairly small demographic. The statistics for 2003 (the most current year available) show that there were 11,920 homicides by gun. The U.S. population is 298,444,215. After breaking out the calculator, that puts the average U.S. citizen at a 1 in 25,037 chance of getting shot and killed.
Now let's say that the current population of rappers signed to a record deal is 500. Let's also assume that, on average, each of these rappers has at least a bodyguard or a personal assistant, putting this specific demographic at a population of 1000 (obviously I've made these numbers up off the top of my head, but I think its in the ballpark). If we carry this trend of 4 hip hop-related murders out through the end of the year, that would potentially put us at 8 deaths. So, as a member of this 1000 person population, you would have an 8 in 1000 chance, or 1 in 125, of getting shot and killed by a gun this year.
So we have a 1 in 25,037 vs. 1 in 125 chance of getting shot. Clearly, being a member of the hip hop community lends itself to an increased risk of violence. I've said before that part of the problem is rappers remaining in the hood after they become famous, as they make themselves walking targets for any thug with a grudge and a gun. Beyond that, though, there has certainly been a cultural change over the past 15 or so years that has led to the increased violence. Whatever happened to throwing down Mike Tyson-style to resolve a beef? Now, you look at someone sideways and you could end up with a slug in your ass.
I think I'm going to have to pick up one of these Stop Shooting shirts from OhWord.com.
I'm guessing that yesterday's shooting is the first time most people heard the name Gillie Da Kid. The only thing I have from him is a mixtape freestyle he did, dissing Freeway. Here it is:
Gillie Da Kid Disses Freeway
6/20/2006 9:45:06 AM posted by Fresh