Common Says It’s Careless to Blame Hip-Hop for Troy Ave Shooting

Common is sounding off on one of the biggest topics in hip-hop. The rapper stopped by Bevy Smith's Bevelations radio show on SiriusXM and discussed gun violence and its relation to hip-hop in light of the recent shooting at Irving Plaza, in which Troy Ave was arrested and charged with attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm.

During the conversation, the Chicago MC dismissed any direct connection between music and the act of pulling a trigger. Common had some things to say in response to New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton, who essentially blamed all of hip-hop for the shooting and referred to some rappers as, "basically thugs."

"I think it's careless of any person in power to generalize and say hip-hop is the cause of it," Common tells Bevy Smith. "Just to say, 'They are thugs' is a way of generalizing what people are, and because we are such a diverse people... There are Black people and brown people that come from poor environments, but that doesn't label us as just being one type of person. That doesn't mean that we're violent because we come from that area."

Common is one of the most socially conscious MCs of all-time, so it's important that his voice is heard in regard to this particular issue. He is also known for his efforts to curb gun violence on the South Side of Chicago. In the brief interview, which can be heard above, Common states, "Yes, violence does exist, but it's not a hip-hop problem. It's not a problem that was created by the hip-hop culture ... The powers that be, that have opportunities to change things, politically, or all these corporations, we have to bring them down to Earth."

Also, be sure to watch Common's recent freestyle on Sway in the Morning. For more on Bevelations on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy, check out Monday through Fridays at 5:00 pm ET.

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