Rappers Are In Danger - Chris 'Preach' Smith

As I write this, the legendary MC of Gang Starr,
Guru is recovering from emergency surgery in New York
after being in a coma due to cardiac arrest. News like this
can catch you like a fist to the back of your neck, and even
more so when it involves a figure who had a major role in
your generation as Guru did. To this day, I still remember
that Video Music Box episode where I saw the 'Words I
Manifest' video for the first time. And of course, lemonade
was a popular drink and it still is. There is another element
to all of this, one which I hope comes to light in other
articles and interviews. Our MC's have bigger things to be
concerned with than advances and tour dates. Their health
is the biggest issue they have.

I believe it's safe to say that hip hop, in some ways, is all
a young man(or woman's)realm. It's not so dependent on
age, but the vitality of youth. And with that vitality comes
a perception of immortality that goes beyond the songs
captured on wax. These MC's and DJ's are here to rule
forever...or until their records stop selling. That's the allure
of hip hop. That Ponce De Leon ethos that is encrypted in
our debates over who's the better MC everywhere. And so,
we fall into shock when someone in hip hop dies before
their time. The two most prominent examples of this are
of course, Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. Their tragic
deaths have added to their prestige and put them on the
same plateau as James Dean. And to a degree, James
'J-Dilla' Yancey as well after his lengthy fight with TTP
(Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura)ended. The one
thing I see is, there are a lot of MC's and DJ's and other
figures in hip hop at risk because of the rigorous life they
lead for the music and the culture and Guru's current
state is a red flag of warning.

A lot of it is the fact that as these artists have longevity,
they have to work harder to maintain it. I remember
going into shock when Buckshot of Black Moon suffered
a seizure a couple of years ago. The great Marley Marl
had a heart attack last year as well. Ghostface has gone
on record about his battles with diabetes. We lost MC
Breed to illness last year. The list is getting bigger. It
seems as if some people are at the point of accepting
that an MC or DJ will die violently rather than being prone
to pass away due to serious illness because they believe
that hip hop itself is inherently all about violence. And
that is disturbing. And dangerous. Rappers don't have
medicare granted by the labels to the best of my knowledge.
They don't have pensions. There should be an effort
amongst artists to create a health fund for those that
are involved in the culture, much like the Screen Actors
Guild does for actors. Even to the point of nursing facilities
being constructed because in all honesty, the MC's we
grew up with will be at retirement age sooner than later.
Much sooner. And at some point, the artists themselves
have to take some responsibility about their own health
as well.

If Guru recovers, I would love to see some sort of effort
take place along these lines. A culture only falters when there
isn't enough done to protect it and take care of it. Our MC's
and DJ's deserve that. Hip hop deserves that.