The Tragic Price of Rap's Spectacle

Israel Daramola uses Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire trial and the Tupac case to argue that rap violence has become entertainment and a revenue engine for media and fans, often at the cost of real lives; the piece ties personal memories of ’90s gangsta rap to a broader critique of the commodification and sensationalism that keep violence and spectacle at the center of modern rap, including Drake’s hollow lifestyle persona.