Violence has been a part of Hip Hop since its inception for many reasons and none of which should lead to the senseless deaths of so many young people both artists and fans alike. Russell Simmons recently spoke out about gun violence and highlighted the need to be vigilant and work with local community initiatives that are attempting to help the situation. The question of how do we fix the problem causing the violence was also answered by Simmons, "Some in the black community are suffering from a lack of self-love, a symptom of living in a white supremacist and unequal society."
Simmons also believes that the war on drugs bolstered the "prison industrial complex" and thus it "really watered any seeds of ignorance and violence". He believes the prisons took non-violent people and "trained them in violence and ignorance. Then, prisons release them back into our communities without help or hope." Simmons says we need to start promoting love and education to combat the poisoning done to black culture.