Following the brutal beating death of 16-year-old honor student Derrion Albert at the hands of members of two gangs of brawling teenagers, rap artist Nas addressed the senseless crime in an open letter directed at Chicago teens.
Via allhiphop.com:
Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong wars! Killing each other is definitely played out. Being hurt from the lost of a love one was never cool. Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong war! I know that feeling, that frustration with life and needing to take it out on someone, any one. But we chose the dumbest things to go the hardest for. I remember seeing deaths over 8 ball jackets, Filas, and name plate chains. Deaths over ‘he say she say’!!!!! ‘I’m from this block or I’m from that block”, or ‘my moms n pops is f—ed up now the whole world gotta pay!!!
I remember feeling like I was the hardest n***a breathing. And I couldn’t wait to prove it. But let’s think. What are we really proving? And proving what to who? Everybody knows Chicago breeds the strongest of the strong but I just feel, me, being your brother from another state feels your pain as if I grew up with you in your very own household. You have the ability and mind power to change they way we are looked at.
Look who’s watching us young warriors, look who’s throwing us in jail constantly; look at the ignorance in the world. Look at the racist dogs that love to see us down. Loving to bury us in the ground or in jail where we continue this worthless war on one another. Young warriors, we are wasting more and more time. We got to get on our jobs and take over the world. Cuz this movie left the theaters years ago Juice, Menace, Boyz N the Hood , Blood N Blood Out, Belly!
When we see each other why do we see hatred? Why were we born in a storm, born soldiers, warriors, and instead of building each other up we are at war with each other? May the soul of this young person find peace with the Almighty. I’m with you young warriors. You’re me and I’m you. But trust me! You are fighting the wrong war.
Police have arrested four suspects in connection to Derrion Albert’s gruesome death, which was captured on armature video and spread through the web like wildfire, Silvanus Shannon, 19, Eugene Riley, 18, Eugene Bailey, 17, and Eric Carson, 16. Despite his age, prosecutors say them plan to charge Carson as an adult.
In the video, a large crowd of kids is seen doing battle outside of a school, some with wooden planks commonly referred to as railroad ties. In the later parts of the video Albert, who accidentally walked into the melee on his way home, is seen lying on the ground with his hand up defensively as he is repeatedly punched, stomped in the head and beaten with planks.
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