New Orleans rapper Dee-1 called out his peers, including Meek Mill, Rick Ross, and Jim Jones, for glorifying violence in the Black community.
During a Nov. 1 appearance on “Sway In The Morning,” Dee-1 was promoting his new anti-bullying hip-hop children’s book, “David Found His Slingshot,” and the artist called on his fellow rappers to help bring positive change in the community.
“Jim Jones, you can do better, brother. I love you too much to not be honest with you,” said Dee-1. “Rick Ross, you could do better, brother. Meek Mill, you could do better, brother. I love you too much not to be honest with you. Are you the face of prison reform?”
The 34-year-old went on to say that he previously commended Meek for partnering with the shoe company Puma to promote prison reform. But he was disappointed in the duo’s song lyrics that also glorified violence with his new song with Ross, “Shaq & Kobe.”
“Or are you sitting here on your new song with Ross talking about getting somebody murdered and shot at the red light? Which one is it, bro? Which one is it, bro? ‘Cause I did a shoe giveaway in my city and gave out 1,300 pairs of your shoes ’cause they said ‘reform’ underneath them.”
Dee-1 continued, “But now I got sit here like, ‘Man, this man is glorifying getting people killed. As of a week ago. Like, what are you doing, bro? Lil Snupe really got killed. That broke your heart. You wear him around your neck. Why are you glorifying the same thing?”
He then shared a story about his best friend who was killed in New Orleans. After attending the funeral, he got into his car and turned on his music only to hear rappers glorifying violence, which he appears to be completely against. Dee-1 said he had a “come to Jesus” moment when he realized the music he was listening to was glorifying the way his friend was murdered.
The “I’m Not Perfect” rapper added that by no means should they take his words as an insult, adding that he would love to talk to his fellow rappers over lunch about glorifying violence in rap as a form of entertainment.
“How many more people gotta die in the hood?” Dee-1 asked. “People just don’t want to confront the reality of this stuff, man.”
Many fans agreed with what Dee-1 said and responded in the comment section after a clip from his declaration was shared on Instagram. “Damn, that’s some real talk right there,” noted one. “I did listen to the meek and Ross record, and this was exactly my sentiment. This brother said no lies,” echoed another.
The Hip-Hop Wolf shared the same clip on Instagram, and the Biggest Boss responded in the comment section by promoting his new album with Mill.
“Too Good To Be True, NOV.10, #MMG,” he wrote. Mill also responded to the video and defended his music.
“Nah, we do everything lol,” he wrote. “I was rapping this way when I became the face of
reform …. That’s how I got there. Y’all forgot that fast.”
Meek Mill has been advocating for prison reform since he was released from prison and spent 10 years on probation after being arrested for drug and gun charges back in 2007. He received a shocking two-to-four-year sentence in 2017 after a Pennsylvania judge ruled he’d violated his probation by illegally riding a dirt bike and popping a wheelie on the street in New York. It led to the monumental and international #FreeMeek movement, which sparked a debate and led to his release on bond.
The Philadelphia artist was freed in 2018, and the following year, he partnered with Jay-Z to launch the REFORM Alliance movement to help change laws that create mass incarceration and its impact on the Black community.
On Nov. 5, Rick Ross took a moment to offer up a more in-depth response to Dee-1.
“Lil man, whoever you is, until you feed the kids where you from for 20 years straight, don’t question Rozay,” the MMG boss hit back. “Until you buy 10,000 bikes, 10,000 trikes, give all the young girls who are pregnant pampers for Christmas for 20 years straight, don’t question The Boss. You heard me, lil man?”
Ross then went on to accuse the independent rapper of trying to use him to go viral, rather than making a name for himself with his talent.
“I’m talking LYRICAL CONTENT, and you talking TURKEYS. C’mon Ross. I love you too much not to tell you that, brudda,” Dee-1 responded in the comments. He continued the conversation on his page, writing, “Sounds like deflection. I love Ross too much not to be honest with him. Pay attention. This is a PIVOTAL MOMENT IN HIP HOP HISTORY. God will get the glory through this dialogue. ALL THE PEOPLE paying attention will see that standing up for what’s right is not easy, but it’s still important. I respect Ross’ talent, and I know he can do better. And we would be better as a culture because of it.”
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