Barton: Why is there so much crime in Memphis? Because they romanticize it

The following is an opinion-editorial column provided by DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton. Any opinions expressed are that of the author and not necessarily that of this publication.  

Sept. 27, 2024 – Saturday, the City of Memphis will officially name a street corner in Orange Mound as “8Ball Blvd. at MJG Avenue.” As District Attorney, I find this move deeply concerning. While some see it as a celebration of the city’s musical culture, I believe it sends the wrong message.  Memphis and Tennessee leaders constantly ask why crime continues to devastate their communities. The answer is clear: it’s because they romanticize it. 

8Ball may be a prominent figure in Southern hip-hop, but his music glorifies violence, drugs, and  street life. By naming a street after him, Memphis is elevating and celebrating the very culture that fuels the city’s crime problem. How can they expect to reduce violence and criminal behavior when they’re publicly honoring individuals who promote the same destructive lifestyle? 

It’s time to stop pretending that crime rates are a mystery. As long as they continue to glorify  figures who celebrate criminality, they are feeding the very problems they claim to be fighting.  Memphis has no shortage of heroes—teachers, civil rights activists, and everyday citizens who are working to create positive change. Instead of lifting up these role models, they are dedicating  street corners to individuals who glorify criminal behavior.  

Here’s the hard truth: leaders can’t claim to want change while honoring the lifestyle that causes  destruction. The street naming is more than a symbolic act—it’s a slap in the face to the families who have lost loved ones to violence, to those who are fighting to clean up their streets, and to every child who deserves a better example to follow. 

And it’s not just Memphis paying the price. Their decisions have a ripple effect across the region, including in DeSoto County, where my office sees the consequences of Memphis crime spilling over into our own neighborhoods. As long as crime continues to be romanticized and celebrated in Memphis, neighboring communities are left dealing with the overflow—more violence, more drugs, more lives at risk. We are interconnected, and their decisions impact us all. 

This street naming is a mistake. It’s time for Memphis to stop celebrating the problem and start honoring those who are working to solve it—for their sake and for the sake of all the  surrounding communities affected by their choices.

Matthew Barton is DeSoto County District Attorney.