In the wake of the T.I. concert shooting, we are learning about the details that left 1 person dead and 3 injured. NYPD commissioner commented on the situation and called all rappers “thugs.”
The word “thug” gets tossed around more than a beach ball at a baseball game. While it is unfortunate that this situation happened during a concert, certain commentary isn’t called for. This is yet another classic moment of, “If you don’t have nothing nice to say, just don’t say anything.”
A shooting broke out during a T.I. concert last night at Irving Plaza and it was, as you can imagine, total chaos. 1 person is dead and 3 others are injured. NYPD commissioner commented on the situation and his words are completely stereotypical.
“The crazy world of the so-called rap artists, who are basically thugs that basically celebrate the violence they did all their lives,” he told WCBS. “Unfortunately that violence often times manifests itself during their performances.”
Again, the word thug here isn’t fitting. Mayor Bill de Blasio commented and said he disagreed with the commissioner.
“I think that’s an American problem and beyond all of the issues of law which we have to change, obviously laws around gun safety in particular,” the mayor said.
The main topic here should be security. How did they manage to get weapons into the plaza? When violence occurs at other events, we don’t hear a mention of the word thug.
“When white people are doing this violence, I don’t hear the same language being used,” said City Councilman Jumaane Williams, a Brooklyn Democrat who said he had worked with the McPhatter brothers on anti-violence initiatives.
The shooter, Brooklyn rapper Troy Ave, is under arrest for the shooting and he also suffered an injury.