Chiraq We Gotta Do Betta #TalkinOuttaTurn

                                                                   Chiraq, We Gotta Do Betta

Look, I ain't from Chicago, so I ain't gon' act like I know every block, every beef, or every story. But since we talkin' outta turn, let’s have a real conversation.

Chiraq got too much talent to keep burying its future. Too many young brothers with gifts, hustle, charisma, music, sports talent, business ideas, and leadership potential getting caught up in beef that's older than some of the kids involved. And I get it, some of these situations run deep. Pain gets passed down like an heirloom in the hood. But at some point somebody gotta break the cycle.

I wish more OGs would step up and get involved. Yeah, I know the younger generation don't always listen. Half the time these young dudes think they got all the answers until life starts sending collection notices. But guidance still matters. Every young king needs somebody to pull him to the side and say, "Yo, you worth more than that corner, that block, or that beef."

What's crazy is a lot of these artists already found a way out. They put their neighborhoods on the map. Imagine if all that energy was used to build together instead of going at each other. These dudes could be creating TV shows, documentaries, businesses, movie deals, podcasts, books, clothing brands, and ownership opportunities. They can make way more money telling their stories than becoming another story.

Meanwhile, every time we lose another young brother, somebody else cashes in. The blogs eat, the reaction channels eat, the documentary makers eat, and the internet starts placing bets on the next beef like it's the playoffs. That's backwards.

Shout out to FYB J Mane for pushing peace. Whether people agree with everything he does or not, at least he's trying to change the conversation. And I respect the older heads who get on podcasts and speak about their past mistakes to help the next generation, as long as they ain't glorifying the destruction or reopening old wounds.

Where the sit-downs at? Where the community meetings at? Where the truces at? Back in the day, whether people liked it or not, there were leaders who could get people in a room and have a conversation. Imagine if all that organization that goes into street politics got redirected into helping neighborhoods, mentoring kids, creating jobs, and protecting the community instead of having the community scared to come outside.

And this ain't just Chicago. This applies to every hood, every project, every inner-city neighborhood across America. We losing too many talented young men before they even get a chance to become who they were supposed to be.

To all the artists, athletes, activists, OGs, and community leaders: keep reaching back. The youth need examples. They need guidance. They need to see that success ain't just making it out, it's coming back to help somebody else make it too.

Rest in peace to everybody lost to the violence. Nobody's saying everybody was an angel. But too many kids are dying before they even get a chance to grow wings.

Message: We can disagree, we can compete, and we can come from different sides of town. But the mission gotta be bigger than the beef. The goal shouldn't be owning the block. The goal should be owning the future. 💯🏆🙏🏾