Jeezy Says Young Rappers Are 'Hurt' and His Generation Wasn't Listening

Jeezy isn't here to scold the new generation. He thinks somebody should have been checking on them a long time ago.

Sitting down with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on All The Smoke, the Atlanta veteran was asked how trap has changed since his era. Instead of knocking the music, he went somewhere deeper. "I think they hurt, bro," Jeezy said, according to TheGrio. In his view, a lot of young artists don't have outlets or older heads willing to guide them, and the records reflect that. "The music is the truth," he said. "We only put in the music where we're living."

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He also admitted it's tough to watch rappers finally get money and then put everything at risk. You can lose money and get it back, he reasoned, but not your life or your freedom.

The line getting the most attention was the one aimed at his own peers. "You can't really reach them because when they was telling us they was hurt, we wasn't paying attention," Jeezy said. "And now they acting out." He made it clear he doesn't see younger artists as wrong, just hurting, and tied some of the violence to kids losing friends and family and feeling like they have to prove they matter.

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Jeezy pointed to his own story as proof another path exists, reportedly crediting T.I. with telling him he couldn't do rap and the streets at the same time, advice he says saved his life.

Watch the latest from Rich Motion: Charleston White's FALL From Grace, Even His Friends Are Turning On Him. Do the OGs owe the new generation more guidance? Let us know in the comments, and subscribe at youtube.com/@RichMotion_Media so you don't miss the next one.

Sources: TheGrio, theJasmineBRAND, All The Smoke (interview, via TheGrio)