Today (Dec. 4) would have marked Chinx Drugz’s 39th birthday. As previously reported by REVOLT, the “F**k Are You Anyway” rapper was gunned down seven years ago while inside his Porsche in New York City.
Unbeknownst to the hip hop community, Chinx’s death would be followed by a string of other gun-related incidents that claimed the lives of notable artists. As a result of the increase in violent acts committed against rappers, hip hop as a whole has been accused of being the root of senseless crimes. But Chinx’s widow, Janelli Caceres-Pickens, believes that is an unfair judgment.
“I think it’s really unfair to blame music for the actions of others,” she told TMZ in a Dec. 3 interview. She went on to explain that while she does not “see music changing,” she hopes people will start to change their own actions. “I feel like people have to take accountability,” she said. “This is not about music. This is about ignorance. This is about crimes being at an all-time high for us at this point.”
Caceres-Pickens said that the tragic killing of Takeoff in Houston especially struck a nerve. “That actually triggered me. It’s just a sad situation when you see someone who is very humble, quiet, not known to bother anyone, [and] there’s no bad news circulating around them, and this tragically happens to them. It definitely hits you differently,” she said. Authorities have made two arrests in the Migos member’s case. One person, Patrick Xavier Clark, has been charged with murder and is being held on a $2 million bond.
On Friday (Dec. 2), Chinx’s third posthumous project, CR6, was released. “I’m glad to be in this position to still be able to give fans this music,” Caceres-Pickens said of the offering. The effort features 12 tracks and boasts features from Offset, French Montana, Red Cafe, and a few others. The body of work also marks the sixth installment in the late lyricist’s Cocaine Riot series.
See her full interview below.