Chi-Raq

Spike Lee never had a chance. That’s been clear since April, when the bile burst forth in response to the title of his new movie: Chi-Raq. A portmanteau of “Chicago” and “Iraq,” the term unfavorably compares shooting deaths in this city with those of Americans serving in Iraq. It originated with drill, a menacing, nihilistic, and violent hip-hop sound that rocketed from Chicago’s south side to rap’s hilltop a few years ago. In 2014 Noisey, a music site created by Vice, the alternative media empire valued in the low billions, launched a dreadful eight-part Web documentary on Chicago hip-hop and gun violence called Chiraq. Continue reading >>