He doesn’t talk much, but when he does, it’s powerful … so when Marshawn Lynch took the stage at a rap show in Oakland last year, he had a strong message for the crowd — STOP KILLING EACH OTHER.
TMZ Sports obtained footage of an emotional Lynch addressing the crowd at The New Parish in his hometown of Oakland, CA in the summer of 2014.
Beast Mode tells the crowd he’s extremely proud to “represent where I’m from on the national mother f**king stage” … but says, “I’ve been losing too many of ya’ll.”
Marshawn is obviously referring to the fact that Oakland is consistently ranked among the most dangerous cities in the country … and had the 2nd highest rate of violent crime in 2014.
“We need to be here for each other,” Lynch said … who also explained why it’s IMPERATIVE that the young people hear his message.
Check out the clip — it’s a side of Lynch most people don’t get to see … but should!This should come as a message after two weeks ago losing Mob Figaz rapper “The Jacka” to gun violence.
Lynch’s love for his hometown is well-documented. “Everything about Oakland,” he once said, “is everything about me.” Lynch has created a foundation, “Family First,” which aims to help the Oakland community in many different ways, and plans to build a community center in the city too. In an interview earlier this year, Lynch’s mentor and good friend Kevin Parker said this of the running back:
He goes to the high schools and middle schools and checks in on the kids. He feeds the community. He clothes the community. He gives back — turkey drives, toy drives, coat drives. That gives you more love than anything you do as a football player. ‘Cause a lot of people don’t have TVs in Oakland — they don’t even watch him play football. But they know when there’s a turkey drive, and they’re lining up by the hundreds … “Who put this on? Marshawn Lynch.”
The city of Oakland has historically been one of the most violent cities in California, but there is reason for some optimism. The city’s homicide rate has dropped for the past two years, down to 86 total homicides in 2014, and nonfatal shootings dropped 13 percent from the previous year. Oakland’s overall crime rate is down too.
