Human tragedy has always been processed through song, and this summer it's happening most vividly in the city where America's blues turned electric.
In Chicago, a rising generation of young rappers — Lil Durk, Chance the Rapper and countless others — is coming of age amid an epidemic of gun violence that's contributed to the deaths of 229 people this year. And counting.
In 2012, Chicago tallied 509 slayings. In 2011, it was 433, with more than 80 percent of those killings reportedly taking place in public spaces, leading some to wonder if Chicago's youth should be treated for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. With segments of Chicago resembling veritable war zones, the Windy City has lived up to its brutal new nickname, "Chiraq."