“Where the f*** is Matt Lauer at? Somebody get Katie Couric in here” – Chance the Rapper

With Chicago surpassing New York as the murder capital of the U.S. in 2012, the windy city could use a gust of change.

But could hip-hop be what Rahm Emanuel, city mayor, is looking for?

Rapper and actor Common was visiting his hometown on Saturday when he was asked about the recent attack at a Chicago park that left 13 wounded, including a 3 year old. “It makes me think I got to do more; we got to do more,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Chicago’s murder count for the year is at 305, down considerably from 389 at this time in 2012. Chicago has always been a hot spot for up and coming hip-hop artists, and the music inevitably has an impact on the city’s culture. Some critics have proposed that the music is part of the problem, particularly the violent lyrics of young rappers like eighteen year old Chief Keef, who drew criticism when a video was posted of him on Pitchfork freestyling at a gun range last year.

But Common sees Keef and others as a potential solution to the problem. He is proposing to hold a “peace summit” with young rappers like Keef in hopes of ending violence in the city. 

It’s a nice thought, but it’s not very likely that the young man dubbed “the prince of violent Chicago rap” is going to change… 

Luckily there are others who may be willing to step up to the plate. Chance the Rapper, another up and coming artist with a lot of MTV buzz, made the plea for less violence in his breakout mixtape Acid Rap.

“Everybody’s dying in the summer/So pray to God for a little more spring.”

Common’s efforts will likely not show an immediate impact on gun violence in Chicago. Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco have been drawing attention to city violence over the past decade, even though the city has seen little decline in the murder rate. 

Still voices like his are welcome. The power of hip-hop to change the culture may be uncertain, but at least music can draw attention to local issues that are often ignored by mainstream media.

What do you think? Can hip-hop heal Chicago?… or is it part of the problem?