Gun violence is an epidemic in our communities. Too many people are dying because of gun violence and America is at a crossroads with how things should be handled. With all the recent shootings and gun-related incidents, gun violence is one of the top topics of our country. How do we stop these heinous and horrible crimes before it happens again?

Wyclef Jean, hip-hop artist and international activist, is taking a stand in his April Showers mixtape against some of the lingering problems that stain our communities, destroying our families and corrupting our lives. In the video for “April Showers,” which has yet to be released, Clef combats gun violence, illustrating the message to “burying” your guns and bring forth new beginnings. He calls on a bunch of New York hip-hop artists and friends to help spread this important message.

XXL was there behind the scenes to speak with Wyclef Jean and the artists supporting the message about their thoughts on gun violence and whose responsibility it is to take this challenge head on.—Emmanuel C.M. (@ECM_LP)

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Wyclef Jean

On the inspiration behind the video: "The inspiration is really the entire mixtape, which is called April Showers and its sort of my letter to hip-hop, and this is one of the issues that I address. The song “April Showers” is the idea of firearms and it’s not really just a hood thing, but a worldwide thing. How do we really get kids to start to think? Not just to kill one another, not just to use the piece of steel as a tool of defense."

"So this video is sort of like…I remember back in the day, Michael Concepcion’s “We All In The Same Gangs.” I used to see these kind of records growing up and for me I just felt like in our modern time I seen guns in video but I never seen the idea of showing the alternative."

"For me, my whole life, this is what I’m about. I started out with The Fugees, Fugees being short for refugees. The idea of how refugees are being treated around the world. Now, seeing what I done with Haiti and different parts, after I put a president in place and coming back here, saying I am going to do music. What are the issues that are dear to my heart? One was the issue of guns and I wanted to address it head on the mixtape."

On who is responsible for gun violence in America: "I think that the idea of art when you look at rap or hip-hop, it is always going to reflect what’s going on in the communities, so if you want the message to change you have to change the communities. Who’s your mayor? Who’s your councilman? What’s the borough you’re from? Who are you voting for? If you’re paying taxes, what’s the fiscal budget? What’s the budget that’s actually supposed to go into the community? So a lot of people saying it’s the parents, but its hard for a parent to raise a child, especially a single mother, when she lives in a community where she can’t find an environment to put something in their stomach."

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Sedeck Jean

On the message of the video: "Well, this song is strictly about a better life. Life isn’t all about violence and kill, kill, kill and guns, guns, guns. You see what’s going on in the world with guns that’s sort of what made us come up with this concept. Just bury the guns and bloom up some flowers. Whenever you bury something you always get a lot out of it. April showers bring May flowers."

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Troy Ave

On gun violence: "Gun violence definitely has affected me personally. I’m against all unnecessary violence. That’s my message; just doing shit to be stupid is ridiculous. I’m definitely against unnecessary violence whether it be gun violence or any type of violence."

"[The control of gun violence] has gotten way better. They got a lot of deterrents out and people still going to do what they want to do. Somebody want to come see you and want to do something to you, it’s going to get done. It’s a lot a deterrents and it got a little bit better. It also depends on where you at. What part of the city or country you at. It got better in most places. Brooklyn got better."

On who is responsible for gun violence in America: "I think it’s definitely not the artist. I would say the parents, but I remember when I was a kid, I didn’t grow up in a messed up house. My moms had me straight. I wasn't poverty stricken or nothing, I just chose to do bad stuff because that’s what I wanted to do. You may have a different environment in the house then you have outside with your friends."

"I think it’s the person. Things are changing now with music. Before, it was dope to be on the street. Now they try to make it cool to be a geek or a nerd. I wouldn’t say it’s with the music I would say it’s with the individual. People are going to do what they want to do, people going to be what they want to be. If you are in a urban community you are going to make those decisions on your own. If you grow up in the suburbs. It's different. It’s all about your environment. For example, growing up in the hood, if someone does something for you, you’re train to do something back, you’re trained to go. That’s just open Pandora’s Box for everybody to do something to you. But then you have some people who choose not to do anything."

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Fred The Godson

On his involvement: "Wylcef, he’s on a different kind of mission. He got a movement to tell the people, to tell the kids something. I know we glorify the violence because its around us, but at the same time we are trying to stop it. So he called me about the video and me being in the studio with him, I see his vision. I had to come through for this."

On if hip-hop artists are responsible to send the message about gun violence: "To be honest with you, it’s not the responsibility that’s thrown upon us but we have to take the responsibility of doing it. It's like, it's not what we supposed to do, but I think us as rappers can take the initiative and do something positive for the kids. Don’t ever let them think its just one sided. It's just a way of life and if we had a choice we wouldn’t want to live this way of life."

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Choppa Zoe

On his involvement: "I been working as an independent artist for a few years now. I’m from Palm Beach County, Fl. So I came to New York to pursue my career. It just so happen that Clef heard a record that I did called “For My Haitians” and he reached out to me and liked what I was doing so we connected. That’s how I end up on the record called “The Shrine” that’s doing pretty well right now virally. So it’s a blessing to work with someone of his caliber."

On gun violence: "When I was 17, I was actually involved in an incident with gun violence. I know all about that life. I’m from the streets so I know the effect it has on our community. I think that this is a very powerful thing to show the younger generation behind us that they can really turn to other sources besides guns and crime. I think it’s a beautiful thing to have us young artists out here, and the ones that coming up to really understand what we trying to do."

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Grafh

On if hip-hop artists are responsible to send the message about gun violence: "My father got murdered across the street from me when I was young. Gun violence is going to destroy families, it's going to break up homes, and ruin young lives. I’m always going to support something like this. As a man, I’m always going to be evolving and growing so I’m flawed myself. The fact that I’m a role model is a big responsibility for me, but I’m still a work-in-progress on my own. So I do my best to do what I can do."

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Jarina De Marco

On gun violence: "It has not been thankful. It is inconceivable how much violence starts all over the world because of gun violence and its something we can stop here. It has to happen; we have to help the government make that happen."

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Loaded Lux

On if gun violence has gotten better or worse: "There is always a fight on war and violence. My perspective, people are born everyday and everybody is in a process of always growing. This is why messages like this are so dynamic and imperative for the community and to keep us in putting our best foot forward and at least conscious of the situation. I’m always been an advocate about non-violence. It’s about building not destroying."

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