Wallace “Gator” Bradley, a former enforcer for the notorious Chicago street gang Gangster Disciples, is among those who believe music purveyors play a part in augmenting violence. When it comes to explaining the city’s heartbreaking violence, local rappers and their lyrics are a frequent target, as are the radio stations - primarily WGCI-FM (107.5) and Power 92-FM (92.3) - and record companies that traditionally showcase them.īut many in the community say the aforementioned groups are convenient scapegoats and the real issue is city officials’ historical failure to rectify systemic issues within marginalized communities.
Three months later the world would realize he was the main participant in covering up the 2014 video of local teen Laquan McDonald being murdered by a Chicago police officer. In 2015, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office commented on the shutdown of a Chicago hologram concert by local drill rapper Chief Keef by saying the Englewood native was “an unacceptable role model” who “posed a significant public safety risk.”īut while Emanuel was utilizing his platform to punch down on Keef, he was being a less-than-perfect role model himself.
