After Botham Shem Jean, a twenty-six-year-old accountant was accidentally killed in his own home by ex-police officer Amber Guyger, a verdict was finally reached. Guyger received a sentence of ten years, which feels considerably low considering a man's life is now lost for no reason whatsoever. In fact, many committers of lesser offenses have found themselves saddled with harsher terms, a fact that has not been lost on the hip-hop community.
"How do y’all feel about this? Just curious?" writes Diddy, posting a shocking contrast between two sentences. "Tell me how yall really feel about this ? Please cause I need to know. Thank you." As the image points out, Guyger's ten years for murdering Botham Shem Jean in his own home seemed paltry when compared to a woman who received twenty-years for firing off warning shots.
T.I. followed Diddy's lead, posting his own compare and contrast in which a black man got forty-five years for allegedly killing a police dog; now, Tip isn't quite sure the verdict is accurate and makes sure to poll his fans accordingly. Still, the sentiment remains powerful all the same.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3MAKf_h1v4
Meek Mill made sure to weigh in with his two cents, himself a victim of a lopsided criminal justice system. Where some of his peers opted for a more open-ended question, Meek wasted little time in cutting to the heart of the matter. "That's a shame," he writes, in response to Diddy's post. "This both sides of America."
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3L3PrGAfci
Though Jean's brother expressed forgiveness for Guyger, many were left stunned when the judge stepped down to give the sentenced ex-officer a hug. It's certainly an unprecedented move and one that will likely be discussed and analyzed in the months to come. Clearly, hip-hop is not pleased with the way the Guyger verdict played out. Do you think the aforementioned rappers are speaking facts?
