Social media lit up after Chicago rapper G Herbo went off on DJ Vlad, calling him out for exploiting artists and profiting off their pain. His Instagram comment wasn’t just a rant—it was a real moment of truth that touched on something deeper: the way certain media platforms feed off Black trauma, especially in hip-hop and especially in Chicago.
Herbo’s words hit a nerve because they echo a growing frustration among artists and fans who see how media coverage of Chicago rap culture—particularly drill and street life—gets twisted into clickbait. Platforms like VladTV, No Jumper, and DJ Akademiks have been called out for years for turning violent realities into “content.” Interviews and reaction videos that dissect beefs, deaths, and street stories rack up millions of views—while the people behind those stories deal with real loss, danger, and grief.
Let’s be honest, though—this isn’t new. The industry has always had a way of profiting off pain. But the digital era turned it into an algorithm. When Akademiks started posting about Chicago’s drill scene in the early 2010s, many say it brought unwanted attention to local street beefs that were already deadly. The coverage was flashy, sensationalized, and often detached from the human side of what was really happening in those neighborhoods.
Now, over a decade later, artists like Herbo are speaking up louder about it. The message is clear: stop treating our lives like entertainment. These are people, not storylines.
But here’s where the conversation gets tricky—where’s the line between documenting culture and exploiting it? Some will argue that these interviews help artists tell their stories. Others say it’s manipulation—because the platforms ask loaded questions, then profit when those clips go viral.
This goes beyond hip-hop, too. It’s about ethics in media, period. When people’s trauma becomes a trending topic, it’s time to ask: who’s really benefiting?
So let’s talk about it.
Do you think platforms like VladTV or Akademiks help or harm the culture?
Where should we draw the line between storytelling and exploitation?
And who gets to profit from pain?
Because at the end of the day, hip-hop has always been about truth.
But truth without care—that’s just another hustle.
