Local hip-hop artist Rallo, 23, never thought he’d play in a basketball game of rappers versus rappers as a way to get people to end violence. When he and a handful of artists first approached Better Family Life’s James Clark with the idea of speaking out against black-on-black crime, he thought maybe he’d perform at some rap events – not silently march with hundreds of his community members.
“James always has the bigger picture than us, and he opened my mind a lot,” said Rallo, who is 23-year-old Rodney Warner who grew up in North St. Louis County. “I would never been with these rappers like this. In St. Louis, a lot of people stay to themselves. That’s why there’s always confusion when there’s too many of us around.
Now I’m cool with so many rappers, through this right here. Through Better Family Life.”
On Saturday, March 19, more than 600 people wore all black and silently marched through North St. Louis city as tribute to families in mourning. The march was part of the Move, a grassroots resident response to the issue of crime and violence in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Families walked together holding signs of their loved ones.
Kariena Swingler, 14, came out with her two teenage cousins to remember her brother, Shielin“Fat Man” Poe. Before he turned 20, he was shot and killed one evening near the corner of St. Louis and Euclid avenues. She said it felt good to be around other families who grieved as well.
Last Saturday, a basketball game of rappers drew about 2,500 people to Cardinal Ritter High School, as part of the Move initiative. Clark said the effort involves the “most influential members” of the community – the young men and women who are part of the subculture where most of the violence occurs.
Both the game and march ended peacefully. Clark said that is significant because, “There is one degree of separation between these guys from someone who has shot someone or who has been killed.”
These are the only players that can address the violence – not politicians, police or experts with master’s degrees, he said.
“Their resume: drug charges and felony convictions,” he said. “Some of them came smelling like marijuana; we have to take them how they come. We have to be patient with them. We have to let them give the narrative. The homicide rates will stop when they say it stops.”
Music producer J. Howes helped to bring more rappers into the initiative, which started off with about eight and now includes more than 30. These artists, all in their 20s or younger, often get 200,000 or more views on their YouTube videos and have their community’s ear, he said.
“They listen to these guys’ music,” he said. “They are speaking out about it and saying that it’s not acceptable. That might change a few minds.”
Rallo said that when people listen to his music, they should think of it like a “musical book.”
“You can be on a chapter, but I don’t want you to get too confused about what chapter you’re on, thinking that’s my life now,” he said. “I still got songs of things that I’ve been through and situations that I’ve been in.”
The songs are stories, but it’s not where they are at now, he said.
“You may be listening to a song with a lot of bang, bang,” he said, “but you see we’re here with the Better Family Life and we need to stop killing each other.”
Mark Johns, 27, said he hopes to see more Move events so they can reach more people. He was impressed with the march’s turnout.
“It shows people that it’s not always problems with us as youth,” he said. “It lets people know that we can do something positive.”
Follow this reporter on Twitter @rebeccarivas.
