In late January, up-and-coming rapper Nas Blixky was shot in Brooklyn’s Prospect Lefferts Garden neighborhood. Days later, the New York Daily News ran a story in which his family spoke on his behalf, claiming he was going to drop the “Blixky” from his name and overhaul his lyrical content. “I told him he’s better than that,” his stepfather said. “You want him dead? He’s dead. He’ll be back with better music and better lyrics.”
Nas Blixky hasn’t confirmed or denied his parents’ claims, but a recent video shows him in a hospital bed, rapping, “Lost some loved ones in the trenches, got me sliding with this blicky.” It’s unclear which direction he’ll go, but his stepfather’s wish for “better lyrics” is reverberating throughout New York.
A day after Blixky’s shooting, artist and dancer TDott Woo was fatally shot in Brooklyn on the same day he had sign a record deal. After news broke, Hot 97’s DJ Drewski reacted to the ongoing violence in the most actionable way he felt he could, by announcing that he will no longer be playing diss records on his radio shows New at @2AM and The New MVMT. On Instagram, he wrote, “I’m not supporting no more diss/gang music! If ya dissing each other in the songs, don’t even send it to me!” Drewski added, “We are losing too many young men and women to the streets!”
The reaction was widespread. Drewski tells Complex that “99%” of the responses have been positive, noting that local community leaders and pastors have applauded him and invited him to attend church services and meetings. Hot 97 and Apple Music personality Ebro came out in support of his decision, noting that he had already refrained from playing diss records. Ebro also took to Instagram to challenge Hot 97 DJs TT Torrez and Funkmaster Flex to do the same. Joe Budden recently had a segment on his podcast titled “We Don’t Support Your Beefs Anymore.” It seems like many people in and out of the rap world feel like diss songs are contributing to gun violence, but Drewski was the catalyst for making those feelings tangible.