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| Chicago hip-hop feud deepens after death of Joseph 'Lil Jojo' Coleman | Chicago hip-hop feud deepens after death of Joseph 'Lil Jojo' Coleman |
| (8 days later) | |
| A bitter feud between two Chicago hip-hop stars and their affiliates has deepened with the launch of a new remix that warns of bloody reprisals over the murder of one of the rappers. | A bitter feud between two Chicago hip-hop stars and their affiliates has deepened with the launch of a new remix that warns of bloody reprisals over the murder of one of the rappers. |
| The release has provoked concerns of further bloodshed on the city's streets, as rival rappers exchange insults on social media and align themselves with criminal gangs. | The release has provoked concerns of further bloodshed on the city's streets, as rival rappers exchange insults on social media and align themselves with criminal gangs. |
| The feud has led to fierce debate over Chicago's new breed of "gansta rap" stars and calls for record labels which distribute their material to drop those who advocate violence. | The feud has led to fierce debate over Chicago's new breed of "gansta rap" stars and calls for record labels which distribute their material to drop those who advocate violence. |
| The city's police are struggling with a 38% spike in homicides this year, which they say is caused by gang violence, particularly in the South Side. | The city's police are struggling with a 38% spike in homicides this year, which they say is caused by gang violence, particularly in the South Side. |
| Police are now looking into whether the 18-year-old rapper Joseph "Lil JoJo" Coleman, who was killed in a drive-by-shooting in Englewood on 4 September, had any gang affiliations and whether his murder has anything to do with the ongoing conflict between the Black Disciples and the Gangster Disciples street gangs, according to the Chicago SunTimes. | Police are now looking into whether the 18-year-old rapper Joseph "Lil JoJo" Coleman, who was killed in a drive-by-shooting in Englewood on 4 September, had any gang affiliations and whether his murder has anything to do with the ongoing conflict between the Black Disciples and the Gangster Disciples street gangs, according to the Chicago SunTimes. |
| Coleman's death came after a bitter war of words with affiliates of Chief Keef – real name Keith Cozart – a 17-year-old hip-hop star who rose to fame after Kanye West remixed one of his tracks, I Don't Like. | Coleman's death came after a bitter war of words with affiliates of Chief Keef – real name Keith Cozart – a 17-year-old hip-hop star who rose to fame after Kanye West remixed one of his tracks, I Don't Like. |
| Cozart's version of the track, which has been viewed 14 million times on YouTube, features frames of the rapper with a gun in his hand. | Cozart's version of the track, which has been viewed 14 million times on YouTube, features frames of the rapper with a gun in his hand. |
| Cozart, who is signed to Interscope, the label of rap superstars such as Eminem, 50 Cent, Dr Dre and Diddy, is the subject of a police investigation over a message posted on his Twitter account hours after Coleman was killed, mocking the death. | Cozart, who is signed to Interscope, the label of rap superstars such as Eminem, 50 Cent, Dr Dre and Diddy, is the subject of a police investigation over a message posted on his Twitter account hours after Coleman was killed, mocking the death. |
| He has since apologised and said someone had hacked into his Twitter account. | He has since apologised and said someone had hacked into his Twitter account. |
| Coleman had been in dispute with Cozart and his rap affiliates "Lil Durk" and "Lil Reese", who are signed with Def Jam records, as well as the Black Disciples street gang for months before he was shot. Coleman's track 3 HunnaK (BDK) taunts his rap rivals, and the Black Disciple gang, and also features guns. By posting online videos taunting the violent street gang, Coleman may have tempted fate. | Coleman had been in dispute with Cozart and his rap affiliates "Lil Durk" and "Lil Reese", who are signed with Def Jam records, as well as the Black Disciples street gang for months before he was shot. Coleman's track 3 HunnaK (BDK) taunts his rap rivals, and the Black Disciple gang, and also features guns. By posting online videos taunting the violent street gang, Coleman may have tempted fate. |
| Many of Cozart's tweets include the hashtag notation #300. Chicago police say the number 300 is street slang for Black Disciple gang. BDK, meaning Black Disciple Killer, is a taunt from a rival who wants to kill gang members, according to the SunTimes. | Many of Cozart's tweets include the hashtag notation #300. Chicago police say the number 300 is street slang for Black Disciple gang. BDK, meaning Black Disciple Killer, is a taunt from a rival who wants to kill gang members, according to the SunTimes. |
| Now, a grim remix to Coleman's song, which appears to have been made by his associate and friend Lil Jay #00, threatens to avenge his death. It mentions "Lil Reese" by name and warns "Lil Reese gonna die tonight". The track also accuses others of setting up the murder. | Now, a grim remix to Coleman's song, which appears to have been made by his associate and friend Lil Jay #00, threatens to avenge his death. It mentions "Lil Reese" by name and warns "Lil Reese gonna die tonight". The track also accuses others of setting up the murder. |
| No-one from the Chicago police department was available to comment on the new video. | No-one from the Chicago police department was available to comment on the new video. |
| However, Superintendent Garry McCarthy told the Chicago SunTimes that the tit-for-tat insult trading on social media was ill-advised. | However, Superintendent Garry McCarthy told the Chicago SunTimes that the tit-for-tat insult trading on social media was ill-advised. |
| "I don't think it's smart," he said. "That's all part of the problem, they go back and forth. Tit for tat. On social media and in these raps the kid does he's talking about violence and really taunting people." | "I don't think it's smart," he said. "That's all part of the problem, they go back and forth. Tit for tat. On social media and in these raps the kid does he's talking about violence and really taunting people." |
| A former member of the Gangster Disciples street gang, Wallace "Gator" Bradley, condemned the record labels for feeding on the "aura of violence" rappers create in their videos. | A former member of the Gangster Disciples street gang, Wallace "Gator" Bradley, condemned the record labels for feeding on the "aura of violence" rappers create in their videos. |
| Bradley, who is now president of United In Peace, a community organisation, said: "When the record companies come in and say they want to do a record deal with these rappers, they want to create that aura of violence. The record labels are feeding on that. | Bradley, who is now president of United In Peace, a community organisation, said: "When the record companies come in and say they want to do a record deal with these rappers, they want to create that aura of violence. The record labels are feeding on that. |
| He added: "Social media is very powerful. What makes it even more powerful is when the major record labels and the radio stations are pushing that violence." | He added: "Social media is very powerful. What makes it even more powerful is when the major record labels and the radio stations are pushing that violence." |
| Bradley praised Jay Z and Chicago-born Kanye West's track, "Murder to Excellence" for decrying violence, but added: "Radio stations don't play it. But they need to do all they can to prevent the senseless violence and killing." | Bradley praised Jay Z and Chicago-born Kanye West's track, "Murder to Excellence" for decrying violence, but added: "Radio stations don't play it. But they need to do all they can to prevent the senseless violence and killing." |
| There have been other calls for more restraint from the music industry over who it chooses to promote. In July, the Chicago Tribune described Cozart as the "prince of violent Chicago rap". It noted that he had been on house arrest for a gun charge earlier this year and quoted a South Side record label director as saying that the Cozart's gun charge added to his "authenticity" in the music industry. | There have been other calls for more restraint from the music industry over who it chooses to promote. In July, the Chicago Tribune described Cozart as the "prince of violent Chicago rap". It noted that he had been on house arrest for a gun charge earlier this year and quoted a South Side record label director as saying that the Cozart's gun charge added to his "authenticity" in the music industry. |
| When contacted by the Guardian, a spokesman for Interscope refused to comment on the YouTube video of Cozart with a gun. | When contacted by the Guardian, a spokesman for Interscope refused to comment on the YouTube video of Cozart with a gun. |
| But his label-mate 50 cent waded into the debate to defend the rapper. He said the presence of guns in videos was indicative of the culture being portrayed but did not necessarily indicate criminal activity. | But his label-mate 50 cent waded into the debate to defend the rapper. He said the presence of guns in videos was indicative of the culture being portrayed but did not necessarily indicate criminal activity. |
| 50 cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, told V103: "Chicago had 158 homicides this summer; 38 of them was teens. So they gotta go through an investigation to make sure that that's actually someone affiliated with Chief Keef; you can't just put that on 'em because [Coleman] made a diss song and he out there. If he's out there and he's active, and you saw all those guns the boys had in that video, it shows that it's an actual part of their culture." | 50 cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, told V103: "Chicago had 158 homicides this summer; 38 of them was teens. So they gotta go through an investigation to make sure that that's actually someone affiliated with Chief Keef; you can't just put that on 'em because [Coleman] made a diss song and he out there. If he's out there and he's active, and you saw all those guns the boys had in that video, it shows that it's an actual part of their culture." |
| An industry source said that Cozart had apologised over his tweet on Twitter which mocked Coleman's death. He said: "He just recently signed to the label. We continue to look at the situation." | An industry source said that Cozart had apologised over his tweet on Twitter which mocked Coleman's death. He said: "He just recently signed to the label. We continue to look at the situation." |
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