Joseph Coleman (6 April 1994 – 4 September 2012), known professionally as Lil JoJo[1], was an African-American rapper from Chicago, Illinois and a member of the Gangster Disciples gang.

Early Life and Career edit

Born in Chicago and raised on the South Side, during his senior year in high school he took on a gangster rapper persona and released the diss track known widely as "BDK" but also titled "300 K" with fellow rapper King Lil Jay, (it's title being an acronym for "Black Disciples Killer") targeting Chief Keef, Lil Durk, and Lil Reese, a few of the most notable names in the early Chicago drill era of the early 2010's.[2]

Backlash and Controversy Surrounding "BDK" edit

Many citizens of Chicago believe that "BDK" fueled the ongoing gang war rampant in the Southside at the time. Using Chief Keef and producer Young Chop's "Everyday" as an instrumental and backing track, the track not only taunted Keef and his camp by remixing his song but also by making the said track a murder anthem targeting Keef's gang the Black Disciples, his neighborhood and his affiliates. Amassing over 3 million views on YouTube and other file sharing services the track spread like wildfire through Chicago and it's surrounding inner cities, embarrassing Chicago's Black Disciples and affiliates of Lil Durk, Chief Keef and Lil Reese with lyrics such as, "Durk say, 'Fuck Brick Squad,' so I can't wait to catch him (Let's get it)", "They killed lil' broski, Lil Reesey gon' die today (Die L's)", "Catch Lil Durk, a hundred shots to his face (Boom, boom, boom, boom)" and "I'm Insane, BDK, fuck King David (BDK)".[3] In the music video for the song, members of the STL-EBT Gangster Disciples gang put three of their fingers up, moving them up and down, a common hand sign used to threaten the Black Disciples. The term "King David" is a reference to the founder of the Black Disciples, David Barksdale, who alongside Larry Hoover founded the BGD's or "Black Gangster Disciples" who split to become the GD's and the BD's under the Folk Nation. While BD's and GD's sometimes do have peaceful ties, in Chicago's Southside the two were in a brutal feud between "Insane" GD's and BD's who had no ties to either overall organization and mostly focused on violence against each other in the streets.[4]

Death edit

On September 4th 2012, Jojo and 3 other affiliates of his spotted Lil Reese outside of a car as the drove past him. Taunting him and stating, "Reesey boy you a bitch boy", Reese threatened Jojo, stating, "Imma kill you boy".[5] Later that day Jojo posted on the website Twitter under the username "#OsoarrogantENT", going on a rant targeting multiple Black Disciple members and the gang as a whole, finally tweeting "Im on #069 Im out here". Later that day Joseph "Lil JoJo" Coleman was gunned down and murdered, video surveillance showing him being chased by a Ford Taurus on a bike later resurfaced, capturing his last moments alive.[6]

Cultural Significance edit

Lil JoJo is a name prominent in the early Chicago drill music scene as his hit song "BDK" is often seen as the turning point in the gang war taking place in Chicago by utilizing music to threaten and target gang rivals. JoJo's rise to local fame, life and eventual demise is seen as particularly heart breaking not only because of his young age but also because of the swift retaliation to his seemingly home-made song sparked, resulting in his pre-mature death.

References edit

  1. ^ Berry, Peter A. (2016-09-04). "Lil JoJo Shot and Killed—Today in Hip-Hop - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  2. ^ Daly, Michael (2012-10-07). "Chicago Rapper Lil JoJo Went to His Grave for Taunting a Rival Gang Member". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  3. ^ "Lil JoJo – 3Hunna K (BDK)", Genius, retrieved 2024-01-08
  4. ^ "Gang Profile: The Black Disciples | Office of Justice Programs". www.ojp.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  5. ^ "Lil Reese "I'ma Kill You!"", YouTube, retrieved 2024-01-08
  6. ^ McVeigh, Karen (2012-09-13). "Chicago hip-hop feud deepens after death of Joseph 'Lil Jojo' Coleman". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-08.