Killings of rappers are more than just a hip-hop problem, experts say

The fatal shooting of rapper Half Ounce has ignited a familiar conversation about gun violence, rap culture and whether there’s a responsibility for record labels to protect their artists. 

The 32-year-old rapper, whose real name was Latauriisha O’Brien, was killed in Los Angeles’ Koreatown neighborhood Monday, just weeks after rapper PnB Rock was fatally shot during a robbery in the same city. These rappers are part of a string of artists who have died by gun violence, with at least one rapper being fatally shot every year since 2018. With other high-profile rappers such as...