Chicago is a beautiful city with a rich culture that has been overlooked in recent years because of its alarming crime rate. The violence has gotten so bad that it has earned the city the controversial nickname "Chi-raq," a blend of Chicago and Iraq. But not everyone uses the term as a badge of honor.

"Sad to say that’s the name that fit it 'cause it's wild," G Count, formerly one half of the Chi-Town rap duo LEP Bogus Boys, told BET.com. "They took all our political prisoners off the streets, the Larry Hoovers and Jeff Fort, which kept structure in the hood, structure on these streets."

Although the rapper understands the term, one thing that he's not doing is embracing its use.

"I ain't say I endorse it or doing it. It is what it is, call it what you want. It's just a nickname for what it is that best describes it for real. You can't run from it."

On a much brighter note, G Count is excited to see the direction that Chicago hip hop is going in because of how hungry young artists are.

"As far as the future of Chicago's hip hop scene, it's getting bigger than it ever was. We always had artists that slip out and get on. They usually have to get on from out of town," he said. "They coming hard 'cause they hungry, 'cause now it's like the morale boosted around them. Like, man, Chicago really can get on … it's gonna be a problem."

For the full interview, check out the video below.

Get ready for the BET Experience, featuring Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Jill Scott, A$AP Rocky, Rick Ross and many more. Click here for more details and info on how to purchase tickets.

BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

(Photo: G Count via Instagram)