XXXtentacion death reveals ugly truths in hip hop we bury our heads in the sand from seeing

XXXtentacion was liked, as well as hated, by many.  He faced a long list of legal woes, domestic violence in particular.  For that reason, many have found it in good jest to celebrate and mock a 20-year-old’s brutal murder.  That, among many other reasons reveal such ugly truths in the hip hop community.  Truths that we readily bury our heads in the sand from.  Truths where no one of note to the culture and community of hip hop wins in the least.

As those of us not among the 90’s baby generation gather around, mourn, and pass judgement on a life wasted, we must also hold ourselves accountable.  Accountable for living in a society where a 20 year old man lay dying in his vehicle and the best assistance that could be given from bystanders was going live on social media to broadcast it.  To hell with prying oneself away from the cell phone to render aid.

As video circulated of a lifeless Xxxtentacion, I watched and thought about all those celebrity autopsy websites, and faces of death videos.  I then realized that we don’t think the kids are alright, because we weren’t alright.  We just rationalized our desensitization with flawed logic.

We’ll say this is different from Tupac Shakur and Nortorious B.I.G because it was media-driven, east coast vs. west coast beef with real gangbangers.  We will minimize the effect of XXXtentacion’s music and artistry because he’s not a “lyricist.”

We’ll in turn stay buried head-first in the sand. The generational divide in hip hop will remain.  Xxxtentacion was clearly not the best human being that he could be.  He seemed, however, to be trying to turn it around.  Ultimately, hip hop was supposed to evolve to a point where we wouldn’t have to endure another Pac, BIG, Big L, etc.

And, we haven’t gotten there yet.  We’re literally watching it.