This article originally appeared in Hip Hop DX, one of our favorite publications.

Stop Snitching…it is probably one of the most popular sayings in the Hip-Hop community aside from the marvelous word “Hater.” Apparently over the course of the past decade, “snitching” is the worst possible thing an individual can do. Just think of all the past “snitches” and how you feel about them when their names are brought up. Kobe Bryant, Jose Canseco and Lil’ Cease amongst others. Yeah…many of your fists ball up by their damn selves when you think of these famous so-called “snitches.” But I have some snitches that you may not even know about. Young Jeezy, 50 Cent and Cam’ron are a few that I can think of off the top of the head. Oh you didn’t know? Well before I explain why these people are “snitches” let me tell you a little story…

I’m at the Anthony Hamilton concert about a month ago, when in between acts I decide its time to get up and grab another vodka and cranberry. As I’m walking into the venue lobby, I run into a friend I haven’t seen in years (I’ll leave his name out because I don’t want to be a “snitch”). So I slap him a righteous five and get down to small talk that goes a little something like this…

Now it’s not the casual “pimpin’ the hoes” like many of us think – just having sex with random women and whatnot. Oh no…he means the true art of pimping. He proceeds to give me his story of how one of his hoes got “out of pocket” with him at a strip club and was eyeballing another pimp (who just so happens to be another guy that I know who is a middle school teacher!) and the two almost came to blows over this ho because that’s messing up his money.

Now many of you are asking yourself… “Andreas, what the hell does this have to do with Stop Snitchin?” Well apparently he doesn’t think much of his “profession” to the point where he can just tell anybody. He and I weren’t that cool to the point where he can air out his dirt in confidence. But I had to ask myself, “If he told me, then who else did he tell?” And when the police come to his door for solicitation, and proceed to cuff him, he’ll probably be thinking as his head slams to the car hood, “How did they find out?” That’s when I’ll pop out with a sign that displays my new campaign for all to adopt… “Stop Snitchin’ On Yourself!”

We have been so caught up in this whole “Stop Snitchin” nonsense that it never really dawns on us that we give up the goods on a daily basis without the powers that be having to use that menacing Patriot Act. We make their lives a bit easier when it’s time to build up that rap sheet that they will use against us in a court of law.

Now back to 50 Cent, Young Jeezy and Cam’ron. Have you listened to their music lately? 50 has more guns than Barry Bonds has home runs, Young Jeezy is the Snowman that still hugs the block and Killa Cam…well he breaks every gotdamn law under the sun in his music (check out the lyrics to "Get Ya Gun" if you don’t believe me). These days it has become cool to talk about the dirt that you do (even though you know that your black ass still ain’t out bustin’ guns, selling coke or pimping women). And when the cops are targeting them and may harass them a couple of times, they still have the nerve to say, “Why you @#%$ with me?”

I’ll tell you why! How the hell do you expect to beat a murder rap when your name is C-Murder? Stop Snitchin’ On Yourself! A shootout happens at a local club and you happen to be there. Not to mention you are infamous for saying “@#%$ arguing, I let my gun talk for me.” Stop Snitchin’ On Yourself! A young woman leaves your hotel room and conveniently calls 911 to say that she has been raped. You have an album out saying how “I’m gonna take that @#%$!” Stop Snitchin On Yourself! You are out “minding your business” when three hungry kids (not hungry like “let’s get it” but hungry like “I haven’t eaten in 5 days”) break you for your three 50k chains. The very chains you wore in your last video while spilling Crystal like water and saying “I got more money than I can spend.” Stop Snitchin On Yourself!

You kids make it damn hard for us regular folks out there. Hustlin’ today has become more recreation than occupation. Back in the day, cats hustled to get out of the streets and I’ll be damned if not every drug dealer, pimp, thug or whoever would openly tell folks what they do. Nobody was proud of it. And the kids were the first ones they told to “Stay out them streets and stay in them books. You don’t want to end up like me.” Back then, people hustled to eat. Today, kids hustle for the sake of saying that they hustle. My friend was an electrician with no kids (to my knowledge). Last time I checked, electricians made pretty good money. I don’t think he was missing any meals either. But apparently the art of doing dirt and broadcasting has become rather cool.

While many still think that your art still holds true to your identity, don’t you think by saying how much dirt you do, on record, that you are basically incriminating yourself? Even worse, by making dirt cool for the kids, don’t you think that it may cloud their judgment on what is positive and what is negative? Go outside and see how many snowman t-shirts you find on kids under the age of 18. Then ask yourself how many of these kids have even seen an ounce of cocaine in their short lives. Listen to how they talk. See their myspace pages. They are so open to incriminating themselves before they even understand how to do the dirt about.

Rakim, who may be the most influential emcee of all time, said:

*Ring Ring* you hear that? That’s your gotdamn wake up call kids! Real gangsters don’t publicize. And for those who feel that you have to publicize your hustle to get props, take a look at Rakim. How many guns did he bust? Don’t recall him pushing rocks in his music, yet he can be pointed at as the one who took the game to the next level. Remember that.

So, as the pressing companies continue to push “Stop Snitchin’” t-shirts, remember that the person who is saying it probably is either doing dirt themselves, or will probably squeal like a pig when the real pigs apply the pressure. And if not, they are just seriously misdirected in this world. And while we make it cool to pick up a gun or pimp hoes, why can’t we make it cool to educate and elevate? When I was with Lupe Fiasco, we had a conversation about the rap game. He dropped some serious jewels, but amongst them he said, “Why can’t the hook to Laffy Taffy be ‘read-a-book’?” Think about it.

But once again, we continue to fall for the bait that these media outlets use to trap us. Sure, 50 Cent can talk about guns because the label pays him to do that, as well as feed the impressionable minds out there, with the nonsensical concept that thuggin is “cool.” Think of it like this; Cam, Jeezy and 50 are all paid actors. You, my naïve friends, aren’t. So when you broadcast your cool little hustle game, you are attracting negative attention to yourself. And when you are pulled over on the corner, with cops harassing you, (which they are going to do anyway but now you’ve helped out their cause) remember these words, as your head gets slammed on that hot 5-0 car hood, as the thought of “how did they find out” runs through your brain….

“Stop Snitchin On Yourself”

And with that, I’ll leave it to the words of the late great Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., “Don’t you know Bad Boys move in silence and violence” But I’m just a critic…Who the Hell Am I?

Andreas Hale can be contacted at [email protected].