Just after 8 p.m. on Sunday, local rapper and comedian Messy Mya, born Anthony Barre, was shot to death in the 7th ward. He had attended a baby shower for his unborn child before heading to the block party where he would be murdered. [caption id="attachment_1320" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Courtesy of cbsnews.com[/caption] Barre is best known for his YouTube videos which were extremely popular before his death and even more so now. In some videos he would rap, while in others he would speak off the cuff as the brash, comedic Messy Mya. Much of the time he would insult those around him or people he knew for a laugh, which made him many enemies but also brought him success. He may have felt the threat his growing popularity had begun to pose to his safety. He had mentioned the short life expectancy of young men in New Orleans and had recently discussed leaving the city for Houston. His catchphrase, “Now who gonna pop me?” proved to be prophetic. After the shooting, police did not release the identity of the victim, but alarmingly word had spread regardless. Cell phone pictures of Barre’s lifeless body lying in his own blood began to surface on Twitter. As some re-tweeted the photos, others denounced the callousness and vulgarity of their posters, both of which drove the name Messy Mya to become a top trending subject. Then his YouTube videos became more popular than ever before, some receiving over 160,000 views. Anthony Barre’s murder is a reminder that despite the improvements made since Katrina, New Orleans is still a dangerous city with a long road ahead of it. If you or anyone you know has been the victim of violence, contact Bloom Legal at 599-9997 so that we can fight for you.
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