S. Samuel
With Chicago rapper Rhymefest's publicized "Chief Keef Is The Bomb" open letter hype finally dying down, Minnesota rapper Brother Ali gives SOHH a take on his pal's remarks and getting name-dropped.
Fully supporting Fest’s letter, Ali pointed out the difficulty most media outlets had in interpreting the anti-industy statements.
“Rhymefest made a critique of our society. He made a critique of the entertainment industry and he made a critique of the fact that corporations are really pimping this entire situation. The corporations always have but their grasp is getting more and more tight around the neck it, the entertainment industry,” Brother Ali told SOHH. “I love everything Rhymefest said on there, I think it’s very interesting to me that a lot of the blogs and entertainment sites and news sites made it look like he attacked Chief Keef. He didn’t. He did not go at Chief Keef. … A few people put it up there like that, ‘Rhymefest Airs Out Chief Keef,’ and that’s not what he was saying at all. He wasn’t trying to diss Chief Keef, at all. But that’s very indicative of where we’re at. An artist speaking on something bigger than a dumb a** rap beef is just so outside our comprehension — it’s just not the conversation we’re used to having at this point. A lot of the blogs and media sources didn’t even know how to f*cking take it and turned it into something negative.” (SOHH)
He also reacted to Fest using his name, amongst others, to point out message-driven emcees.
“I think Rhymefest is one of the leaders that we have,” Ali added. “He also has an influence on Kanye West‘s music and some of the ideas and even words that meant Kanye West music from time to time. … He’s a dude that’s thinking outside the box. He’s never just done what everyone else does and I think that’s why Kanye West keeps him around. It’s interesting, Cornel West is on my [upcoming] album and the way I got him is because we’re both friends with Rhymefest. … I was reading it and kind of ‘Amening’ it like, ‘Wow. Yeah. Go ahead Fest!’ I was so excited with what he was saying and then when I saw my name I was like, ‘Ah man. My brother.'” (SOHH)
A few days ago, the Chicago rapper elaborated on the post-letter buzz.
“I meant to say what I said. It’s really not about Chief Keef as much as it is about exploitation. It’s no coincidence that one of the most violent periods Chicago has ever seen, that this is what represents us musically. This is what represents us as a people. We have a history here of Curtis Mayfield, Kanye West — and so then when we get to senseless violence, the prison industrial complex is real,” Fest explained in an interview. “I don’t have anything against any particular kind of music. My problem is the imbalance of the music that we get. So if all of the diet of the music that you get is kill kill kill and we’re going to glorify that, then that’s what we are conditioning our shorties and they’ll never end. They’ll do it, they’ll sing about it, they’ll rap about it and that’ll be it.” (WGCI)
In his “Chief Keef Is The Bomb” post, the Chicago rapper asks fans to consider what powers are backing up the teenage star.
“Chief Keef is a “Bomb”, he represents the senseless savagery that white people see when the news speaks of Chicago violence. A Bomb has no responsibility or blame, it does what it was created to do; DESTROY! Notice, no one is talking about the real culprits, the Bomb maker or the pilot who is deploying this deadly force (Labels, Radio Stations). Its easier to blame the bomb. Bombs are not chosen for their individual talents, they are tools used for collateral damage. To think of the persona of Chief Keef as a person would be the first mistake, he will more then likely come and go without us knowing much of anything about his personal pains, struggles, great loves and ambitions beyond rap. He is a spokesman for the Prison Industrial Complex. Every corporation is expected to grow at least 4% each quarter, many prisons are privately owned with stock being traded on the open market. If these corporations were to do commercials, jingles and promotions who would they hire? You got it, most of the main stream rappers we salivate over like Rick Ross the former correctional officer turned Drug Lord Boss rapper. Waka Flocka Flame gang bang “GO HARD IN THE PAINT” and Chief Keef the newest lottery pick in the “Get paid to destroy young minds, like we destroyed yours” Sweepstakes. [sic]” (Donnie Nicole)
Check out Rhymefest speaking on the letter below:
