Chris Brown Calling Out Fake Rapper Gang Members Appears Hypocritical To Fans

The saga of Chris Brown post-2009’s Rihanna incident has become a sad state of affairs for the pop star. Although he has produced popular singles such as “Loyal,” “Back to Sleep,” and “New Flame,” his record sales have not had the same success rate as his first two multi-platinum albums (Chris Brown in 2005 and Exclusive in 2007, respectively). His decline was a result of Brown’s waning popularity due to his altercation with Rihanna, which alienated Brown’s, Rihanna’s and female music fans.

His persona over the years has changed, too, with Brown opting for more of a harder edge look and affiliating himself with the notorious Bloods gang. Brown has not been shy about it, showing his affiliation with the gang more than once over the past few years. But Brown believes there are fake gang members in the industry, calling out those who aren’t actually members of the Bloods or Crips gangs in a now-deleted Instagram post.

https://instagram.com/p/BNssslHBpB9/

Brown’s history with the gang has been well-documented, with a member from the Fruit Town Piru set claiming they didn’t mind Brown associating himself with their gang because Brown has done a lot for them and their city (Compton, California).

“Chris has aligned himself with the Fruit Town Piru set… dropping Bloods references on Instagram… but leaders of the Fruits (who’ll remain unnamed) tell us Chris was never officially initiated.

“The Fruits are down with Chris claiming he’s a Blood because:

“- He’s hired several of them to work for him… giving their Compton community an economic boost
– Chris comes to the hood and hangs out with them
– He shot a music video in the neighborhood… and even included some of them in the vid
– He donated a thousand pairs of new shoes to Compton kids

“Plus… they don’t mind the national publicity they’ve been getting.”

Brown’s post created a lot of responses from fans on social media, with many asking how could Brown critique rappers who come in the industry with no gang ties when he came in the same exact way.

https://twitter.com/JRonMelrose/status/806609846342561792

https://twitter.com/JRonMelrose/status/806609846342561792

Chris brown Soulja boy. Y'all better be ?. You claiming you a blood and you bout the life.

— Name (@JoshC_137) December 7, 2016

Rapper YG, who is affiliated with the Bloods gang, has allegedly made a diss track to Brown in a song called “Don’t Come To L.A.” Singer Kevin McCall also discussed Brown’s dealings with the gang in an interview over the summer.

“After being asked, McCall also denounced Breezy’s alleged affiliation with the Bloods, saying it’s not cool to glorify gang life when people are dying.

“‘You gotta pay to play. I guess they’re paying to do something,’ he said of entertainers who claim to be affiliated. ‘When you get homeboys that get shot and you get guns put on you this week and you get daughters, two daughters, the s*** ain’t cute. It’s stupid.'”

Either way, Brown’s alleged activity with the gang has rightfully caused many fans to question his statement toward the rappers who are claiming gang ties in the industry. One thing Brown did say that was true; there is immense pressure from record executives to promote a lifestyle and persona that might not necessarily be theirs from the get-go. In hip hop, a tough image, gang ties and references to a drug dealing past sells. It’s made way for rappers such as Plies, Rick Ross and Ja Rule in their primes.

Ironically, the same narrative they perpetuated was a part of how their success didn’t last as long or because it took a hit; hip hop craves realness and the public found out or didn’t believe they were real. Ironically again, the same message Brown is promoting is being used against him by fans on social media. Whether Brown will stop, or if he even gets it, remains an unanswered question.

[Featured Image by Christopher Polk/Getty Images]