The
Truth in Print Vol. 28 Issue 4, May 2022
A
Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375
W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
The
Dark Places
Psa
74:20 Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full
of the haunts of cruelty.
WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT WOULD BE IN THEM?
ü “dark places” [H4285 machshâk]
TCWSD: The range of meaning
also extends to … the back alleys where deviant behavior
abounds (Psa 74:20).
•
The
unnatural lusts (Rom 1:24-32)
•
The
acts of those who are “past feeling” (Eph 4:17-19)
ü “past feeling” [G524 apalgeō]
CWSD: To grow or become insensible, void of or past feeling. In Eph 4:19
used metaphorically meaning to be insensible to honor or shame. They honor what
is dishonor. Php 3:19 says “…whose end is destruction, whose god is
their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.”
That end comes immediately at times, is sometimes delayed, and at death.
WHAT ARE THE DARK PLACES FULL OF?
“…full of the haunts of cruelty.”
CRUELTY [H2555 châmâs, n.m.] BDB Definition:
1) violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice.
HERE ARE SOME APPLICABLE PROVERBS – PROVERBS IS ALWAYS
APPLICABLE FOR ANY AGE.
DO NOT ENVY THE OPPRESSOR:
Pro
3:31 Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways;
Pro
3:32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His
secret counsel is with the upright.
Pro
23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the
LORD all the day;
Pro
23:18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.
DO NOT DESIRE TO BE WITH THEM:
Pro
24:1 Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them;
Pro
24:2 For their heart devises violence, And their lips talk of
troublemaking.
Pro
24:19 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked; *fret indicates too much anger
Pro
24:20 For there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the
wicked will be put out.
DO NOT CONSENT TO ENTICEMENT:
Pro 1:10 My son, if
sinners entice you, Do not consent.
Pro 1:11 If they say,
"Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for
the innocent without cause;
Pro 1:12 Let us swallow them
alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
Pro 1:13 We shall find all
kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our
houses with spoil;
Pro 1:14 Cast in your lot
among us, Let us all have one purse"—
Pro 1:15 My son, do not walk
in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path;
Pro 1:16 For their feet run to
evil, And they make haste to shed blood.
Pro 1:17 Surely, in vain the
net is spread In the sight of any bird;
Pro 1:18 But they lie in wait
for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives.
Pro 1:19 So are the ways of
everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.
YOUR
DELIVERANCE FROM THOSE WHO WALK IN DARKNESS:
Pro 2:11 Discretion will
preserve you; Understanding will keep you,
Pro 2:12 To deliver you from
the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,
Pro 2:13 From those who leave
the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;
Pro 2:14 Who rejoice in doing
evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
Pro 2:15 Whose ways are
crooked, And who are devious in their paths;
Pro 2:16 To deliver you from
the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words,
Pro 2:17 Who forsakes the
companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God.
GOD CAN TAKE THEIR LIFE FOR
WHAT THEY DO:
Pro 11:27 He who earnestly
seeks good finds favor, But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.
Pro 12:12 The wicked covet the
catch of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
Pro 22:22 Do not rob the poor
because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
Pro 22:23 For the LORD will
plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.
Pro 22:24 Make no friendship
with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go,
Pro 22:25 Lest you learn his
ways And set a snare for your soul.
WHAT IS DRILL RAP?
THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATIONS MIGHT HELP:
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Drill%20Rap
Drill Rap
Drill is a branch of rap music that can be compared to trap
music. Both are about life in the streets, but while trap music is about the
trap (hence the name) and the drug dealing side of things, drill music is about
the violent side of the streets. Drill is aggressive, dark, violent, and about
guns and shootings. It's called drill music because the term "drill"
refers to killing, doing a hit, or retaliating. For example, if someone says,
"We doin a drill" it means someone bouta get shot up. These
aggressive themes are evident in music videos. Drill rap originated in the
South Side of Chicago in the early 2010s, and was made popular by Chief Keef,
Lil Reese, Lil Durk, and others. New York is another drill hub in the US.
Brooklyn and UK drill emerged in the mid 2010s. … and 22Gz. Pop Smoke, who also
rapped over drill beats, is arguably the most popular from this region. UK
drill originated in the South London district of Brixton, and their wicked
beats are used around the globe.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Drill%20Rap
-Many drill songs are diss songs between gang sets. In
Chicago, drill music fueled the GD/ BD beef as members dissed dead opps in
their songs. One notable song from this area is the Computers Remix by Wooski,
who dissed like 10 dead people in the song and later survived a gunshot wound
to the head while at a friends funeral. In Brooklyn, Sheff G. and 22Gz have
dissed each other back and forth with their songs Suburban + Suburban pt2, and
No Suburban + No Suburban pt2.
-Free Shmurda
-You probably don't want your mother to catch you listening
to drill rap.
-Be careful where you blast drill music,
unless you're ok with your car becoming your coffin.
-RIP Pop Smoke by
Its Butters October 26, 2020
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Dead%20Opps
Dead Opps
“Dead Opps” popularized by Chicago an NY rappers refers to
a person or gangs opposition (enemies). Hence the
slang “opps”. The “Dead” comes into play as they are referring to killing there
(sic) opposition.
U Smoke Him?
Yessir, Smoking On The Dead
Opps.
by La Quica April 1, 2021
(B.L.: *I noticed an ad here that said, “Get the Dead Opps
Mug.” I do not want that mug!)
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=diss
diss
a shortened version of "disrespect"
Why you be dissin' me?
by AYB February 17, 2003
(B.L.: Ok, looks like that covers the particularly
important exciting elements of this genre.)
CONSIDER THIS ARTICLE:
TWO DRILL RAPPERS KILLED IN A WEEK (Brooklyn)
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/drill-rapper-killed-in-brooklyn-2nd-in-a-week
Drill rapper killed in Brooklyn, 2nd in a week
Published February 7, 2022Updated February 9,
2022CanarsieFOX 5 NY
Drill music artist gunned down
An aspiring rapper was killed in Brooklyn over the weekend.
18-year-old Jayquan McKenley went by the rap name Chii Wvttz.
NEW YORK - Less than 24 hours after fans gathered in
Canarsie, Brooklyn, to remember murdered drill rapper Tdott Woo, another
aspiring teenage rapper was killed in Brooklyn.
18-year-old Jayquan McKenley, whose rap name was Chii Wittz, was
pursuing a drill music career on social media and streaming platforms.
His father spoke exclusively to FOX 5 News.
"Our first reaction was 'He's a strong boy, he's going
to make it through, he's going to be all right,' Perry Williams said. "That was at 2 o'clock. Then at 2:39 I received another call which
was from a doctor to tell me my son was dead."
A heartbroken Williams said his son's music faced hard
competition from the streets but his son should not
have died like this.
(B.L.: Unfortunately, a young man was murdered in this
account. There’s a warning in that statement that his music faced hard
competition from the streets.)
Drill rap shootings
Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez says
drill rap videos are fueling violence among rival gangs.
(B.L.: What can you blame the
violence on? videos? gangs?)
"Our hip-hop is no long
hip-hop anymore, and now, if you're not doing drill, you're not going to get no
play," Williams said.
(B.L.: What can you blame? covetousness?
--- wanting to get play.)
(B.L.: Pro 12:12 The
wicked covet the catch of evil men, but the root of the righteous yields fruit.)
The hard-driving beats and dark,
ominous sound of drill originated in Chicago.
It was also heavily gang-affiliated there. It got a new life in Brooklyn and was brought
into the mainstream by the late Pop Smoke.
His friend and protégé, 22-year-old Tahjay Dobson, known as drill rapper
T-Dott Woo, was shot and killed last Tuesday. He was killed in a drive-by hours after
signing a record deal.
(B.L.: Man, there is a lot of
death in this! Metaphors for “dark” --- no cheer, light, or joy -- evil,
sinister, morbid; of “ominous” -- as menacing, threatening.)
The murders come as the NYPD is coping with an increase of
illegal guns on the streets and a 32% rise in shootings last month compared to
a year earlier.
(B.L.: Who would blame guns for all of this?)
Police officials say the taunting and dissing in the lyrics
of drill fuel the violence. They don't
blame the music itself for violence but say that it makes a combustible mix
with gangs and guns.
(B.L. You can blame the music.
*Taunting - to reproach in a mocking, insulting or
contemptuous manner.
*Dissing - to speak disrespectfully to or criticize
--- the lyrics fuel the violence.)
Joseph Gulotta is an NYPD Deputy Chief in Brooklyn.
He says, "These are geographical gang members. The
drill rap definitely inflames the situation."
(B.L. What did he blame?)
In response to the murders, drill music producer and Hot 97
DJ Drewski, who helped launch the career of Pop Smoke, says he is no longer
playing any diss records. Some record
labels claim they will no longer sign new drill artists.
(B.L.: So Hot 97 DJ Drewski has seen too many drilled!)
HERE IS JUST THE INTRODUCTION TO A WELL
REFERENCED LIST OF MURDERED “ARTISTS”.
LIST OF MURDERED HIP HOP MUSICIANS
FROM WIKIPEDIA, THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_murdered_hip_hop_musicians
The following is a list of notable hip hop musicians who
have been murdered.
Two studies in the mid 2010s concluded that murder was the
cause of 51.5% of American hip hop musician deaths, with the average age of
death at 25–30 years of age. Hip hop has a higher rate of homicide than
any other genre of music (ranging from 5-32 times higher).[1][2] …
In 2020 XXL noted that many of these deaths remain
unsolved. Among 77 deaths they documented, more than 40 remain unsolved, which
include the notable cases of the murder of Tupac Shakur, the murder of the
Notorious B.I.G. and the murder of Big L.[3] Some reasons cited for the high
homicide rate include the poor background of many artists, many of which
include involvement in criminal gangs, rampant drug use and poor pastoral care
among artists and record labels.[4]
PEOPLE CAN LOVE THINGS THAT LEAD TO DEATH
Pro 8:34 Blessed is the man
that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my
doors.
Pro 8:35 For whoso findeth me
findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pro 8:36 But he that sinneth
against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. (Cf.
Prov 5:7, 11-12)
OUR SPEECH AND OUR OPPONENTS
* TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS; TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF
SPEECH.
ü Speech that is a
benefit based on God’s covenant:
Col 4:6 Let your speech
always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you
ought to answer each one.
THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD:
ü Tit 2:8 sound speech
that cannot be condemned, that one who is an
opponent
may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
•
Speech
that cannot be condemned – in teaching the doctrine showing uncorruptness,
honesty and sincerity (Tit 2:7).
•
Speech
that can “turn one on himself” (Tit 2:8; Tit 1:10-11).
•
Speech
that can bring them to Christ before they go to the grave (I Pet 2:12).
•
Speech
that can “shame down” the opponent (I Pet 3:15-16).
•
Speech
that “holds forth the Word of life” to them without our own grumbling,
grudging, murmurings and disputings (Phil 2:14-16.)
Php
2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.
Php
2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php
2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without
rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,
among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Php
2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of
Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain
The
disputings (Php 1:14) come from empty deceit or vain glory – lookin’ for the
wrong kind of respect.
Php 2:3 Let nothing be
done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
other better than themselves.
Rap
for “respect” is “chops” --- one example was “if totin’ no chops
you get a head pop.”
Enemies of God corrupt themselves
in those things they associate with and know:
Jud
1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what
they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Their mouths speak “great
swelling” (insolent) words – flattering people for profit:
Jud
1:16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own
lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain
advantage.
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ
85364
(928) 782-5058 ~
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00;
Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
To
learn more call, visit or visit our website at: