T.I. believes that he’s pinpointed the source of rampant police brutality against people of color.
When the rapper spoke on CNN, he told Don Lemon that there is a certain level of detachment between officers and certain communities that they are sworn to protect.
“I think there is a disregard in underserved areas of society when it comes to interaction with law enforcement,” Tip said. “I think there is a resentment, an undeniable fear that I believe law enforcement have for young minorities. And it is reflected in their actions.”
He pointed to this disconnect between law enforcement and citizens to protect as one means of inspiration for some of hip-hop’s more aggressive tunes.
“Of course, that leads to angry lyrics because our music historically has been a reflection of the circumstances, so if you don’t like our lyrics you must then change the circumstances that inspire them.”
When Lemon suggested that the supposedly confrontational lyrics may be contributing to the problem, T.I. told him that it serves as an outlet for the Black community’s hurt at the seemingly endless string of deaths at the hands of police. He explained, “[We’re] calling for the death of our people to end.”
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