Known as the black plague of Hip-Hop, snitching is easily known as one of the greatest offenses ever committed. With all the latest drama surrounding Alfamega and him possibly being a government informant, I thought that something so highly debated amongst the Hip-Hop Community would be perfect.

For those who don’t know much about Alfamega. He is a rapper formerly of T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records. He was released when word spread that he was a government informant and snitched to get a lesser jail sentence. Soon signed documents surfaced proving that he indeed had contact with police yet he insists that he is no snitch. Since being branded a snitch, T.I. dropped him from the label and he has become sort of an outcast amongst the Hip-Hop Community. It seems as though whether he is an actual snitch or not is no longer even up for discussion. Once branded a snitch, even if proven otherwise, your image is left with a biter aftertaste that isn’t easily to rid. WHY?

Stool pigeons, taddle tales, rat, whistleblower; these are all names that are most commonly equated with what we call “government informants.” But why? Why has reporting information that you find important such a crime?

I know most of you remember growing up and there was always that one kid who just had to tell EVERYTHING! They’d often be teased and even ridiculed if they were caught or even assumed to be snitching. It seemed so innocent back in those days but now snitching is a crime even punishable by death.

Take for instance a woman by the name of Angela Dawson of Baltimore, Maryland. On October 16, 2002 she was murdered along with her husband and their five children. Their house was firebombed. Guess why? She and her children had to die because she alerted police of illegal activities going on her neighborhood. Some say she shouldn’t have been snitching but what do you think her family is saying?

The slogan “Stop Snitchin’ has morphed into one of the most controversial campaigns ever. Originally launched in Baltimore, Maryland, some used this campaign to both convince and perhaps even frighten criminal informants to stop snitching to law enforcement. Both police brutality and overall distrust for police has heightened this movement to its highest levels ever. It’s understandable not to trust someone who has let you down, but what do you do when your own family in concerned?

Snitching has made its way from the streets right into the front doors of Hip-Hop. On April 22, 2007, rapper Cam’ron was interviewed by Anderson Cooper and was featured on 60 Minutes “Stop Snitching” campaign edition. The interview became controversial when Cooper asked Cam’ron if he would tell the police if a serial killer lived next door to him and he replied:

“I would probably move,” but he wouldn’t inform the police.

So is snitching wrong or is it only wrong when you snitch for personal gain? Such as for a plea bargain, money or some type or reward. What if you are really just trying to make your community a better place like Angela Dawson? Then you have people like Alfamega who allegedly snitched just to receive a plea bargain. So are him and Angel Dawson at the same level of snitchery? Or can one be seen as a “better” snitch than the other.

Growing up in a time where it is embed in your mind to never snitch, it’s truly difficult to decide what to do. Most people who claim that they would never snitch have most likely never been put in a situation where they would have too. While like many, we strictly stick to the no snitching code, can you actually be sure that you’d NEVER do it?

I caught up with a few college students and decided to see what they thought about the whole idea of snitching or not snitching. I was shocked to find that many people are attempting to rid themselves of the “Stop Snitching” mindset. I thought it was important to talk to my peers being as though we are the future of Hip-Hop and ultimately we make or break any decisions dealing with this movement. I came up with a few questions to get to the bottom of this discussion.

1. DO YOU THINK SNITCHING IS BAD? WHY? AND DO YOU THINK THAT UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES IT’S OK TO SNITCH? WHY?

2. WHY DO YOU THINK IN HIP HOP THERE IS NO TOLERATION FOR SNITCHING?

3. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE INTERVIEW WITH CAMERON IN WHICH HE SAID IF A TERRORIST LIVED NEXT DOOR TO HIM HE WOULDNT NOTIFY ANYONE?

4. DO YOU THINK THAT ALFAMEGA IS REALLY A SNITCH? AND IF SO SHOULD HE HAVE BEEN KICKED OFF OF GRAND HUSTLE RECORDS?

5. IF PUT IN A STICKY SITUATION, AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT WAS TO SNITCH…WOULD YOU DO IT? WHY, WHY NOT?

6. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD ABOUT SNITCHING?

While many have gone back and forth about this situation, I don’t think snitching will ever stop nor do I believe that hatred for snitches will cease. Now that it is mounted itself within the crevices of Hip-Hop; a culture in which every race, color, and creed is adopting; we will find that disdain for snitching will be worldwide. Whether you agree or disagree with this movement, I doubt that it’s one that will end anytime soon.

Read what the people had to say:

Ruby R.

Famu

Journalism

“yes i do, i have been locked up and no one should purposely put someone in jail.. under no circumstances its ok to snitch.. snitching ruins lives and families
there is no toleration for snitching in hip hop because the target hip hop audience are thugs and people who do illegal activities and who wants to look up to a vermin
he shouldnt be worried about what his neighbor is doing if he watching his neighbor who is watching him???
i am not familiar with alfamega…. but if he did snitch, why would anyone want to be around a snitch???
no for the simple fact that there are mandatory sentencing guidelines and whether you snitch or not, you still going to get the same time so you going to get hit in jail or when you get home…. i would never snitch, thats not in my blood…..
i am not too happy with snitches…. think about it, someone snitches and they break up a family by the person going to jail, or someone could get deported behind some dumb shit like that…”

Tracy B.

Game Design
IADT

1)Yes its ok to snitch, shit if its gonna be me or you im picking you everytime. Aint no honor amongst thieves so fuck the whole “street honor” code bullshit. If you dont wanna go to jail, stay the fuck outta trouble.

2)Mainly cuz rappers got a rep to prove. The more they say stop snitching the more it makes them look like they have actually done something worth snitching about. Its a lame excuse to gain street cred.

3)I think he’s a liar. Niggas(and i do mean niggas) always wanna act harder than they really are. Ignorant niggas hear something like that and are like “Yeah thats a real nigga right there” Until someone they knows dies for there lack of “snitching”

4) dont know who he is, but im assuming he dropped the dime on T.I. I personally am glad to see T.I. getting his just deserts. Its a simple concept. You live by the sword you die by the sword.

5)I would snitch in a heartbeat. Im not a gangster, or a thug, im an intellegent black man, with bigger dreams than being another crack dealer nigga. So if i got snitch on someone who may pose a threat to the lifestyle i wanna live, you damn right im gonna snitch.

6)The word snitch is another way to make a rational course of action seem like a “… hood” crime. I dont care what happens to the black population who chooses to do the wrong thing, and fuck what you say with that “i have no choice” bullshit. Everyone has a choice so fuck your life if you decide to live a certain way. If you dont want to be “snitched” on, dont give people a reason.”

E. Fudge

Theater Major

University of Maryland, College Park

all I got to say…if the selling of drugs takes lives in the process….If a thug chooses to murder my family….if gangsta’s wanna recruit and teach young doctors, millionaires..lawyers…educators…firefighters…performers…how to get rid of ever being anything positive and hang with them…living a life of trouble and never choosing to be free in society

don’t talk to me about no snitching. When my cousin was shot 8 times with a baby in her stomach that was due by her boyfriend…high on boat with a sawed off shotgun that he bought from another set of niggas…yea I mean niggas…..nobody stepped forward on the count of being a snitch. It took his funky attitude in court to put him in jail…how … would you feel with your cousin and her baby in a casket and you’ll never know what happened on the count of “stop snitching”. I’ma mind my business but if chooses to threaten the human race cause you don’t believe you can be…do…or ever will be…or do…better….I’ma try talking to you myself…then you threaten my life…I’m snitching.

Since when did martin luther king get shot off a balcony for you to protect his murderer? since when did black, white and all other kinds of people march, putting their lives at risk so you can put the gun in your hand…the crack in your veins…the heroin in somebody elses hand for profit. DONT TALK TO ME BOUT NO SNITCHIN’. You choose what you … want out of life and as for the HIP HOP game, they aint’ nothin but a bunch of people like you and me…..so have some respect for yourselves and others and get rid of the idea of snitchin….STOP GETTING IN TROUBLE (MAKE A T-SHIRT OF THAT)”

Bruce W.

NVCC

Music Education

“This is how I see it, you are responsible of putting yourself in jail, why should somebody protect you when u did something dumb. Now you can say snitchin ruins families but think about families that are ruined by not snitching. They say you lay in the bed you make. You can’t get mad because you committed the crime. What if someone killed your … mother. You gon want somebody to snitch then aintchu. Think about it, black neighborhoods are shit because niggaz actin like bitches and not snitchin, being all scared and shit. That’s why black neighborhoods always have the source of the crime. The criminals are still running loose cuz you aint telling. Now I know sometimes it aint nobody business but if you know bout someones death then snitch away. And its not about being a bitch, or wateva but its about doing the right thing. Ill snitch on yo ass if I found out u killed a kid, I wish you would come afta me, ill tell the police on ur whole squad! Lmao

Now on the real doe, I aint gon snicth on nobody because I am a man and I don’t have a reason to becuse I’m no criminal, but you can’t get mad if the police stop you cuz u black because your black ass is the typical suspect becuase the black community are full of fake thugs and criminals and you want your moms life to be in jepordy.

Think about it.

And forreal u can’t blame another man dor you getting hemmed up because you are the criminal. You have total control of how you live your life. If u fuck up then you have to deal with the results.”

Matt V.

JMU

French

“The real code of honor is owning up to your mistakes. Everyone seems to have the same view on this here. You can’t blame someone for snitching on you when you did something you knew to be wrong. Too many people wanna put the burden of responsibility for their problems on someone else, what we need to do is listen to MJ’s “Man in the Mirror” (although thats kinda funny when you think about it). As for Cam, he doesn’t do 99% of the crap he raps about, it’s just an ignorant move to sell records kinda like Pac beefin with Biggie. It’s funny though, the same people who say stop snitching, are the same one’s selling crack to kids, killing our friends and family, not doing a DAMN thing to help out the community and be a positive influence for those around them, just sitting on their butt being ignorant and promoting ignorance..”

Gerald C.

Famu

Economics

1. Snitching can hurt alot of people, but i dont think its wrong. If someone is gonna hurt my family or friends or is doing the country/state/city wrong..including my fam, yeh its ok to snitch..
2. No toleration due to people doing stuff under the table and not wanting to be caught or being handcuffed.
3. I think he just saying that, im sure he would be scared crapless if that really happened to him and he would be crying to the police in his pink fur.
4. If the police got him saying stuff, yeh he a snitch. And yes they (hustle records) got the right to kick him off.
5. If it involved my family’s well being or this country’s well being..yes i would. i dont care what anyone thinks. I will protect those who i love and what i love…

6. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD ABOUT SNITCHING? For all who wear a shirt saying “Dont Snitch”…think bout what if your family was in that group…of those who were killed or hurt?? Would you still snitch or live your life?”

Rayve N.

University of Cincinnati
History

1. Personally I don’t think snitching is bad. I think people holding back information is bad. If someone shot your mother you’d want answers. It’s just a way for people to do whatever they want….

2. I think its because a lot of rappers used to do illegal things and held the idea that no one should snitch because they don’t wanna be caught… bullshit if you ask me.

3. I think he’s ignorant. When that terrorist threatens to blow up 0your house then you’d be a little more liberal with the information.

4. I don’t care if he’s a snitch. Clearly grand hustle was involved with some illegal acts so a snitch wouldn’t be accepted in their ranks.

5. I sure the hell would. I’m not going down for anyone. If we were in it together and I got caught… I’d stay mum. But if you did it and I’m going down on bullshit….. I’m singing like a canary.

6. Muthafukkas are stupid. Cut that childish shit out!”