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JOHNSTOWN, Pennsylvania When Ken Miller changed his party registration from Democrat to Republican in September 2020, he said he wasnt doing it for Donald Trump. He had not voted for Trump nor Hillary Clinton in 2016. Rather, he said, he was doing it for himself and his community after watching Democrats govern during the pandemic.

I am tired of what I am seeing, he said. Democrats appeared to ignore people like Miller, viewing his vote as replaceable by someone in their theoretical ascendant Democratic coalition of young people, women, intellectuals and nonwhite voters. But the thinkers in Washington may have been too clever by half.

Without working-class voters white, black and Hispanic one cannot form a coalition to win elections. This applies not just to the White House but also to congressional and state-level races. In fact, if Democrats abandon workers for the professional class, they wont even be able to hold school boards and county row offices in many places.

In September 2020, Cambria County Democrats became a minority party without much fanfare. The Pennsylvania Department of State registration numbers showed Republicans with 37,951 registrations and Democrats with just 37,826. Since that milestone, the bleeding has continued, with Democrats decreasing by nearly 3,000 voters to 35,037, while Republicans have risen to 41,128.

Just 14 years ago, Barack Obama won this county over John McCain. Four years later, Mitt Romney absolutely walloped Obama by 18 points, but the reality was that the Obama Democrats lost the county more than Romney won it. A major contributor was the escalating Democratic cry of racist! as a replacement for making reasoned arguments about policy something that took off in earnest around 2010. This was one of the factors prompting many 2008 Obama voters here, even those with familial Democratic pedigree going back to President Franklin Roosevelt, to switch sides. In both the 2020 and 2021 statewide elections, voters overwhelmingly favored Republicans in down-ballot races.

What are Democrats to do? They can always turn back to Obama, who once united them. But his effectiveness as a campaigner was never really transferable to other Democrats, as they discovered to their regret during Democratic losses in 2009, 2010 and 2014. His latest failure as a surrogate came in Virginia last fall, where even under better circumstances he failed to put former Gov. Terry McAuliffe over the top. Before that, in 2020, Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder raised more than $50 million in an effort to win back state legislatures, including in Pennsylvania. Instead, Democrats lost legislative seats, both in Pennsylvania and nationally, instead of gaining them, despite Joe Bidens up-ticket victory.

The biggest problem is that both Washington Democrats and the press seem to have no idea who comprises the Democrats base anymore. Some base Democrats see Obama as too conservative, and the working-class Democrats see him as too liberal, one Democratic strategist remarked. The appeal he would have would be with suburban-mom voters, but even thats a stretch given how they feel about education.

In short, Obama is probably not going to save Democrats in places like Johnstown, which until now have been key to statewide Democratic victories. And Keystone State Democrats certainly arent helped by Biden nor by Gov. Tom Wolf, given that both Democrats are polling very poorly in the state. Wolf was just handed a slap in the face by voters last May, when they voted to strip him of some of his executive powers.

They are on the wrong side with voters who would traditionally consider them for a state legislative race, U.S. Senate race or congressional race. Voters are angry at Democrats about inflation; gas prices; the border and how the problem eventually hits their neighborhoods and suburbs in the form of fentanyl and methamphetamine addictions; the out-of-control crime; education control and the lingering impressions after the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Yet to this day, their messages are about climate change and Trump. Its as though they have never left Washington to see what is really upsetting voters.

Cambria County isnt the only Pennsylvania county where Republicans are gaining registered voters. All across the state, including in suburban Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Republicans are signing up former Democratic voters like Miller at four times the rate Democrats are making the reverse conversion.

Former Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Rob Gleason said when he took over the state party in 2006 that Democrats had a huge registration advantage and had just swept Republicans out of office in Congress and in the state Legislature.

They had a 1.5 million registration advantage when I started to run the party, he said. Today, that number is down to half a million.

Winning and losing in politics is generally about one thing: overreach.

When the Democrats took power in January of 2021, they believed they had won because everyone loved them again. They took this as a license to do whatever they wanted, and they behaved that way with everything they did. They put climate change into everything, racialized every issue they possibly could, and strove for a fundamental transformation of the country. When it came to such concerns as the southern border and Afghanistan, their answer was to ignore the problem.

This delusion is hurtling Democrats toward a painful defeat. But any Republican victory will be short-lived in places like Cambria County if they win and then make the same mistake.

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Salena Zito is a CNN political analyst, and a staff reporter and columnist for the Washington Examiner. She reaches the Everyman and Everywoman through shoe-leather journalism, traveling from Main Street to the beltway and all places in between.

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Pennsylvania's shift rightward is a warning sign for both parties about overreach - The Courier-Express

Latest updates: Man initially named 'person of interest' in Brooklyn subway shooting is now a suspect, mayor says

NEW YORK Police are searching for a "person of interest" in the chaoticattack on a Brooklyn subway during rush hour Tuesday morning, a man they say posted violent ramblings online.

But authorities stopped short of saying the man they identified,Frank James, 62, was considered a suspect.Police said he was not in custody as of Tuesday night and no charges were filed.

No one died but the attack left at least 29 injured,New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at an evening news conference. James has ties to both Wisconsin and Philadelphia, authorities said.

The attacker, wearing a gas mask,set off twosmoke grenades before shooting. He fled the Brooklyn platform in the panic,leaving a subway carfilled with screaming commuters andbleeding victims. At least 10 people were shot andat least 19 others weretaken to hospitals for injuries ranging from smoke inhalation toshrapnel wounds.

Authorities say the gunman fired 33 times with a Glock 17 9mm semi-handgun, which was found in the subway. Searching the subway car, investigators also found two non-detonated smoke grenades, a hatchet, gasoline, fireworks and a key to a U-Haul van.

The key led police toJames, who they said is believed to have rented it in Philadelphia. Authorities found the van in Brooklyn near a subway station whereinvestigators determined the gunman entered the train system,Chief of Detectives James Essigsaid.

Inside the attack: How the Brooklyn subway shooting unfolded

Sewell noted investigators were poring over social media posts appearing to come fromJames where he mentioned homelessness and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. She said the mayor's security detail would be tightened out of an "abundance of caution."

"We are truly fortunate that this was not significantly worse than it is,"Sewell said.

Authorities were reviewing several social media pages, including YouTube videos appearing to feature James discussing a variety of issues from Black rights and slavery to the recent mass shooting in Sacramento and the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, according toa law enforcement official who was not authorized to comment publicly.

The accountsfeature dozens of videos that include ramblings of violent threats and black superiority, along with beliefs that Black violence was the outcome of systemic racism that prevented minorities from being successful.

In one of the videos, posted the day before the subway attack, a man detailsthat he'd been through a lot and wanted to harm people. But he said he did not want to be jailed.

I can say I wanted to kill people. I wanted to watch people die," the man says in the footage.

Another video being reviewed by police, posted in Februaryshow a16-minute black-and-white clip of the 1967 movie "The Incident." Based on a play called "Ride With Terror," the clip shows two street hoods who lock 14 passengers inside a New York City subway car and terrorize them; the footage posted in the YouTube video shows a Black couple being racially harassed by one of the bigoted white aggressors on the train.

A Feb. 20 video says the mayor and governors plan to improve safety in New York Citys subway system is doomed for failure and refers to himself as a victim of the mayors mental health program. A Jan. 25 video called Dear Mr. Mayor is somewhat critical of Adamsplan to end gun violence, which has become an early focus of the Democrat's first term in office.

Throughout the day, police helicopters hoveredabove theManhattan-bound N train in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood as authorities investigated the scene.

WHAT WE KNOW: 'We will not allow New Yorkers to be terrorized'

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced last fall that it had put security cameras in all 472 subway stations citywide, saying they would put criminals on an express track to justice. But police said cameras were not working in at least three subway stations and were investigating the issues.

Investigators believe the gunman's weapon jammed, preventing the gunmanfrom continuing to fire, the officials said. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives completed an urgent trace to identify the guns manufacturer, seller and initial owner.

The attack unnerved a cityon guardabout a rise in gun violenceand the threat of terrorism. It left some New Yorkers jittery about riding the nations busiest subway system and prompted officials to increase policing at transportation hubs from Philadelphia to San Francisco.

The shooting occurred before 8:30 a.m. on a Manhattan-bound N train in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at anews conference.

The train was waiting to enter the36th Street station when the man put on the gas mask andset off two smoke grenades. The train filled with smoke as the man fired,Sewell said. The shooter, whomSewell described as a Black male with a heavy build, wore a green construction vest and a gray sweatshirt, she said.

New York City Fire Department First Deputy Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said 10 people were shot.Sewell said none of the injuries waslife-threatening.

Firefighters responded to a call about smoke at the subway station at36th Street and 4th Avenue. Crews found the shooting victims and several "undetonated devices," according to a New York City Fire Department statement.

Sewell said Tuesday afternoon there were no known explosive devices on the train. The incident was not being investigated as an act of terrorism "at this time,"but she asked for the public's assistance with any photos, videos or information about the incident and shooter.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said New Yorkers' "sense of tranquility and normalness was disrupted brutally by an individual so cold-hearted and depraved of heart that they had no caring about the individuals that they assaulted."

President Joe Biden offered his prayers for the victims of the subway shooting and praised those who quickly sprang into action.

Were grateful for all the first responders who jumped into action, including civilians who didn't hesitate to help their fellow passengers and try to shield them, he said during a trip to an Iowaprocessing plant that produces ethanol.

In addition to the gunshot victims, other people suffered from smoke inhalation, shrapnel wounds and injuries related to the panic after the shooting,Kavanagh said.

Twenty-one people were taken toNYU Langone Hospital in Brooklynafter the attack. Ten were released by Tuesday afternoon. The 11 remaining patients were treated for injuries including gunshot wounds and smoke inhalation. They were all in stable condition,spokeswoman Lacy Scarmana said.New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital said three patients injured in the attack were treated. One was shot, another had a fractured bone, and the third was not trauma-related. All three were in stable condition.

Five people were treated atMaimonides Medical Center, spokeswoman Suzanne Tammaro said. Three were treated for smoke inhalation and released. The other two had been shot, though the injuries weren'tlife-threatening.

Avellana De La Cruz, 25, was texting her boss that she would be late to work while waiting for the subway when dozens of people, some with bloodstains, started running out of the station.De La Cruzsaid people were crying and shoutingwhile others called the police or recorded with their phones.

Confused, De La Cruz remained at the station until an announcement told riders to evacuate. As De La Cruz exited the station, a womancovered in blood with a wound across her faceasked for help finding police. Together, they left the subway and found an ambulance.

"One minute I was on my phone, and the next everyone was running and crying," De La Cruzsaid."It was chaos in there and hard to focus on whether the attack was really over."

TimODonnell, 31, who regularly commutes into Manhattan on the N train, said he had headphones on when he heard a conductor tell riders to board an R train across the platform. Then he heard the loudspeaker announcement to evacuate.

On the way out, ODonnell said, hesaw a man with his pant leg rolled up and what appeared to be a bloody gash on his leg. O'Donnell said he thought the man might have fallen on the steps in the drizzling rain, but he received texts about the shooting as he headedhome.

Photos on social media showed multiple people bleeding on a smoky subway platform shortly after reports of the shooting.The subway station serves the D, N and R lines, which all run into Manhattan. Services on the lines in Brooklyn and some Manhattan stations were suspended, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Rogelio Miranda, a cashier at a nearby supermarket, said he was working an early shift when a woman came inside,screamed, "There's blood all over the station" and ran into the restroom. The store stayed open, and people came inside to wait for cabs and Ubers, Miranda said.

"Violence on the subway isn't new to our area, but seeing so many people so terrified and so many people saying they saw people covered in blood, it's crazy," Miranda said.

John Chiu, who works in salesaround the corner from thesubway station, said that about 10 minutes after he arrived at his office, he heard police sirens blaring.

I thought it was just another accident because …honestly,its an everyday occurrence, said Chiu, who normally drives to work from his Flatbush home.

Within a few minutes, Chiuknew it was something more. He checked to see whether everyone who normally takes the subway had arrived at work. They all had. "It was a relief," he said.

Adams, who cleared his schedule of in-person public events after testing positive for the coronavirus,received continuous briefings, spokesman Fabien Levy tweeted.

"We will not allow New Yorkers to be terrorized, even by a single individual," Adams said in a brief video.

Crime in the city's sprawling subway system has ticked up.Transit crime has increased 68%compared with 2021, NYPD statistics show.

Adams released a safety planthis yearas part of efforts to lower crime on the subway.

The subway system has been the target of several mass attacks. In December 2017, a homemade bomb detonated in a pedestrian tunnel that links two train lines to a bus terminal in midtown Manhattan. No one was killed, but three people suffered minor injuries. Akayed Ullah, a Bangladeshi immigrant, was convicted on terrorism charges for carrying out the attack on behalf of the Islamic State.

Dozens of riders were injured in December 1994 when two homemade gasoline bombs exploded in a crowded downtown No. 4 train that was stopped in the Fulton Street station beneath the Manhattan financial district. Edward Leary, a New Jersey computer analyst enraged by the loss of his job, was found guilty in 1996.

Najibullah Zazi, a legal permanent resident of the USA from Afghanistan, acquired bombmaking components and drove them to New York, intending a series of strikes in September 2009.

When he learnedauthorities were investigating the plot, he discarded the explosives and drove back to Denver, where he was arrested.Then-Attorney General Eric Holder described the plot as "one of the most serious terrorist threats to our nation since Sept. 11, 2001."

"It could have been devastating," Holder said.

Contributing: Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

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Person of interest identified in Brooklyn subway train attack that injured about 2 dozen people - USA TODAY

Our democracy is in crisis and the Biden Administration must continue to use its bully pulpit to reinforce that message to lawmakers and the American public. The White House must continue to call for action, including congressional action on voting rights. The country needs a reinvigorated Department of Justice that is closely following, documenting, and challenging voter suppression and election subversion in laws recently passed by states.

Trevor PotterPresident of Campaign Legal Center and a Republican former chairman of the Federal Election Commission

The Biden administration can take at least four important steps: first, mobilize agencies to provide registration materials to eligible voters; second, guarantee voting access for eligible voters in federal custody; third, direct the Department of Justice to deploy election monitors and enforce existing voter intimidation laws; and fourth, prioritize providing accurate information about our election system. This would help make voting safe and accessible for all.

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What Can Biden Do Now to Protect the Ballot? We Asked Eric Holder and Six Other Voting Rights Experts. - The New Republic

Akron Beacon Journal Editorial Board

The Ohio Redistricting Commission has done a wonderful job of guarding taxpayer dollars, carrying out the wishes of the majority of voters and ensuring fairness, transparency and a chicken in every pot.

April fool! Oh, excuse us, please.

A lot of tricks have been played, but when it comes to the Redistricting Commission, not one isfunny.

Chaos is the best word to describe the results of the Redistricting Commission made up of five Republicans and two Democrats.

By now, we should be heading toward a May 3 primary with key dates circled in red (for example, the deadline to register to vote is Monday). But take a look at the Summit County Board of Elections website and you are warned: the offices of the state House and Senate and State Central Committee will not be on the May 3 ballot.

Also, Ohioans will be voting for congressional candidates (maybe) in the May 3 primary, unless lawmakers or the courts intervene. The U.S. House maps are in the midst of a court challenge, and nothing will be decided until late May.

As for the state legislative maps, the commission has until Monday to respond to lawsuits or face contempt of court. The commission has admitted, according to the Ohio League of Women Voters and other petitioners, that the maps approved last Monday are the same maps already rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court with only minor changes.

This last action by Republicans on the Commission would be almost funny if it were not so consequential and nakedly partisan, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, head of the Democrat-aligned National Redistricting Action Fund, said in a statement last week. Ohio runs the risk of becoming a punchline to a bad joke."

It seems the Republicans in charge are the ones taking thingslightly. Surely, commission members Senate President Matt Huffman and House Speaker Bob Cupp must feel untouchable, or none of this would be happening.

They're clearly more worried about protecting their incumbents' jobs than listening to the people of Ohio.

They must feel its highly unlikely they will be cited or removed from office for contempt of court;otherwise, they would not have led the commission down this path.

Why should they fear consequences? Look at the bribery scandal involving FirstEnergy Corp. and former House Speaker Larry Householder. Fellow Republican lawmakers dragged their feet and waited a year to expel him after his arrest on racketeeringcharges.

FirstEnergy has admitted it paid Householder, and youd think lawmakers would keep their distance, but as recently as February, Householder was texting state lawmakers, urging them to kill a data privacy bill. A USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau report shows at least one representative sounding grateful for Householders nudges, saying he simply didnt know what to think about some of these guys.

Householder is no longer in office, but this ongoing mess called redistricting shows some of the same unwillingness in Columbus to threaten the power structure. House Bill 6, a $1 billion utility bailout, still hasnt been repealed, despite the taint of federal investigations. Fortunately, there have been two separate injunctions that halt decoupling charges and nuclear plant subsidiesthat would have cost FirstEnergy customers $2 billion.

But in a similar, stubborn manner, the Redistricting Commission has flaunted the Ohio Supreme Court. Its never felt responsible to the Ohio voters who in 2015 (congressional) and 2018 (state legislative) voted by 70% or more to rewrite the Ohio Constitution in a bid to end gerrymandering. The new process was supposed to take place in the open, with consideration for voters'statewide preferences.

The result of this underhandedness can be counted in taxpayer dollars: Asecond primary is expected to cost taxpayers an additional $20 million to $25 million; and it has cost more than $1.1 million to drawmaps and defendthem in court.

Most recently, maps produced by two independent consultants were rejected at the last minute. The two, who were paid $450 perhour, produced maps with a 54-45 GOP advantage in the House and an 18-15 GOP advantage in the Senate. Republicans rejected them, and hastily submitted the slightly tweaked maps now at issue.

The out-of-control partisans who don't like Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen OConnor's rulings have tried to smear her reputation and talk about impeaching her.

One might question whether Democrats would make similar moves if in power. It's hard to say, since Republicans have completely dominated Ohio politics for 24 of 30 years, holding the governor's office and both chambers of the legislature. Still, advocates say some 46% of Ohioans vote Democratic, and especially in urban areas like Akron, they would like their voices heard.

That's why we are urging lawmakers to take democracy seriously.

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Not funny: Jokers in Columbus make mess of redistricting, cause confusion and waste money - Akron Beacon Journal

Since Nipsey Hussle was tragically gunned down in front of his clothing store on Slauson Ave and Crenshaw Blvd three years ago, at least four well-known rappers have been killed in the Los Angeles area, making the region one of the most deadly for rap artists, according to an analysis of data compiled by L.A. TACO.

Less than a year after fans lost Hussle, Pop Smoke, the 20-year-old Brooklyn rapper who emerged from the New York City drill scene as one of the most promising east coast talents in years, was allegedly shot and killed by a 15-year-old over a Rolex watch that was ultimately sold for just $2,000.

Then late last year, one month after paying tribute to his friend Young Dolph, rapper Slim 400 was shot to death in Inglewood. Surveillance video footage shows an assailant ambush the rapper while he sits in a vehicle.

Less than two weeks later, Drakeo The Ruler, the South L.A. underdog who spent three years in an L.A. County jail cell before famously beating a possible life sentence, was jumped and stabbed to death shortly before taking the stage at an L.A. music festival. The back-to-back killings, long-standing beef between YGs camp and Drakeos Stinc Mob as well as a searing eye-witness testimony from LA Magazine reporter Jeff Weis, fueled speculation that the murders were connected.

Four days after Drakeo was killed, Early Swavey, the Bompton protege of the late ASAP Yams, tweeted about the murder. Im mad niggas kilt drakeo (sic) now it aint nothing funny to watch Ona gram (laughing emoji). Ironically it was his final post on the social media platform. Three weeks later, 26-year-old Swavey was fatally shot near the University of Southern California (USC) after reportedly opening fire on five people at a party, sending them to the hospital, according to police and the medical examiner.

As of earlier this year, no suspects have been identified or arrested in the killings of Swavey, Drakeo, or Slim 400, according to the LAPD. The suspects accused of killing Nipsey Hussle and Pop Smoke have all pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

Within a month, the city lost three promising young artists. The recent homicides have made Los Angeles one of the deadliest cities for rappers while illuminating a perplexing phenomenon in rap music: most rappers get killed in their own city. Out of the four rappers killed in Los Angeles since Nipsey Hussle was murdered, all were from the Los Angeles area with the exception of Pop Smoke.

According to data compiled by L.A. TACO for the first time, the trend of rappers being killed in the cities that they represent tracks nationally. An L.A. TACO analysis found that out of more than 90 deaths, at least three-fourths of rappers killed since 1987, died in the cities where they grew to be stars.

At least eight rappers have been killed in Los Angeles since the mid-1980s and when you include the cities of Compton and Inglewood, that total jumps up to at least 11. More than a third of those deaths occurred within the last three years.

Why are so many rappers killed in the cities that birth their careers? As the old school adage goes, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

In the case of Nipsey Hussle, Eric Holder, the man who killed Hussle and wounded two others, was an acquaintance and fellow member of the Rollin 60s, the Crenshaw-area gang that Hussle was affiliated with. Both Holder and Hussle rapped, although Hussle was the only one ever to win a Grammy, much less find success in the music industry.

Minutes before Hussle was killed in the parking lot of the strip mall that he co-owned, he and Holder had a conversation according to witnesses, during which Hussle warned Holder that he was gaining a reputation for being a snitch.

Following the encounter, which appeared to be peaceful by all accounts, Holder returned to a friends car. After taking a couple of bites of some chili cheese fries, Holder retrieved a pistol and loaded it with ammunition. Moments later, when he faced Hussle again for a final time he reportedly said, youre through, before firing at him at least 10 times with a pistol in one hand and a revolver in the other, before fleeing. Holder was arrested days later and has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

The death of Nipsey Hussle rocked the city and came at a time when Hussle was working diligently to regain ownership of the community that he grew up in, or buy back the block, as he described it. Following his death, thousands lined the streets of Crenshaw in honor of the late rapper. Nipsey loved Los Angeles and L.A. loved him back. So why would someone like Holderan acquaintance who repped the same ganginterfere with his mission and take his life?

Lil Boosie, a Louisiana-born platinum-selling rapper who ran into trouble, got acquitted, and has since fled his hometown, first brought attention to the frequency of rappers being killed in their own city, during a famous 2016 DJ Vlad interview that recirculates like clockwork every time another rapper is killed.

During the interview, Boosie discusses why he left Baton Rouge, Louisiana for Atlanta, Georgia when he began making money. I had haters out there and its always like that, wherever youre from you will get hated the most. Most rappers die in their own city, its a fact, Boosie said six years ago. I advise everybody once they get money, get out they city (sic), because thats when the hatred gun come.

For young artists like Earl Swavey, Slim 400, and Drakeo, they arguably never saw their careers get to the point where they had a chance to make that decision.

When Swavey came home in February of last year after serving a multi-year bid that put his career on hold, he had just lost his best friend, Nebula. Within a year, Swavey suffered the same fate as his childhood friend, just one month after turning 26.

Hes the third family member to die since losing his father at a young age. Words cannot begin to describe the loss that our family has endured, a family member wrote on a GoFundMe page raising money for funeral expenses.

Its crazy getting used to it, Joe Remedy, a former manager of Swaveys told L.A. TACO during an interview.

Although Remedy only lived in L.A. for about five years and his career in the music industry was brief, hes already seen a handful of people that hes crossed paths with die. Even though Im not working in the music industry anymore, Im still getting updates and news from people in the hood about people getting shot.

Its always been a worry of mine working with Earl, Remedy says. For example, he says he couldnt just call a shared Uber or Lyft for Swavey for fear that he might end up in a rival neighborhood.

Swavey also had to be mindful of the cops. Remedy recalls an instance in which the rapper was briefly detained due to a gang injunction that barred him from hanging out with certain friends.

Swaveys life was about more than the streets though. He enjoyed skateboarding and acting as well. Remedy remembers Swavey as a character. A talented young kid that was just brought up in bullshit.Boosie and others believe envy is behind the killings. It be the guys that once dapped you down when you had one song out. And they develop envy because they go home, they get out the car with their other patna, he listening to your music. They walk into the house, they girl listening to your music. They go downstairs, the kids doing the dance to your music. Now they are hypnotized with hatred.

In January, Jim Jones, the Harlem rapper and Dipset affiliate, spoke to the Breakfast Club about the recent killings of rappers. The violence thats going on in hip hop is crazy. Like when we be coming up we were protected as artiststheres no protection for artists anymore, were just straight targets. And I stand on what I saidbeing a rapper is the most dangerous job in the world.

In 2020, Jones sparked a polarizing debate when he stated during an interview with Fat Joe, that being a rapper is the most dangerous job in the world. During the interview with the Breakfast Club Jones took it a step further. Since Ive said that comment, I would like someone to actually count the deaths of rappers.

In total, we identified more than 90 prominent rappers who have been killed since the mid-1980s. The rappers listed in this dataset are only the most notable, however. This is by no means a complete database. There are no doubt many more independent and emerging artists that have been killed that dont necessarily make mainstream headlines. We encourage readers to highlight those cases in the comments.

But based on the best data that we currently have available, we know that more than three-fourths of all rappers killed since the late-1980s died in the cities that they repped. Almost all of the killings involved young men who were shot to death. And many of the cases have gone unsolved.

New York ranks as the deadliest city for rappers, followed closely by Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, and Atlanta.

The number of rap murders per year has increased in recent years. Just last month, Baby Chino, a Miami-based rapper, was fatally shot minutes after walking out of a South Florida jail. In the past six years, more rappers have been killed than in the previous decade and a half. The spike in recent rap murders in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and other major metropolitan areas, mirrors a significant increase in homicides amongst the general public since the pandemic.

The exact reason behind the increase in killings is unclear.

Link:
L.A. Ranks As One Of The Deadliest Cities For Rappers, According to Data Analysis - L.A. TACO