Should music take the rap for the increase in gun crime?

Last week Ms Dynamite performed a tribute concert to Charlene Ellis and Latisha Shakespeare, the two teenagers shot dead in Birmingham over Christmas. The tragedy gave a focus to recently published statistics suggesting that gun crime in Britain has risen by a staggering 35 per cent in the last 12 months.

At such times, people are bound to look for something to blame, and in recent weeks hip-hop has, perhaps unfairly, become the much published scapegoat. The outspoken culture minister Kim Howells has laid the blame squarely at the trainer-wearing feet of rap music, suggesting that “it has created a culture where killing is almost a fashion accessory”.

The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, has also jumped on the bandwagon, stating in a recent interview, “I am concerned that we need to talk to the record producers, to the distributors, to those who are actually engaged in the music business about what is and isn’t acceptable.” His comments have led to an outcry in the press about the censorship of music and whether politicians should be dictating popular culture.

Blunkett has also been widely condemned for using music as an excuse for a much bigger problem. John Pandit of Asian Dub Foundation and Community Music, a project which offers music education in deprived areas, believes: “If David Blunkett spent as much time looking at the situations that cause crime - drugs, unemployment, bad housing and lack of opportunities – then you might see a difference in the crime figures. They’re a bit more pertinent about why young people get involved in crime than something they’ve heard on a record.”

Quest Love, of influential hip-hop act The Roots, agrees: “Do I blame hip-hop for guns and violence? No. But do I blame society for making hip-hop that way? Yes. Should hip-hop be more responsible with its outlook? Yes.”

Most agree that while acts like So Solid Crew do glamourise guns, to censor would be impractical and unworkable, especially with the ease of music-swapping on the Internet. And should artists’ freedom be decided by some white, middle-aged men in suits?

John Pandit: “Sometimes society is ugly. An artist can only reflect the society they are in,” he says simply. “You shouldn’t censor music. You get the people using music as a positive force and give it more resources. There’s people like Ms Dynamite but there could be a hundred more Ms Dynamites. She’s done it out of her own hard graft but we should help create those opportunities. They shouldn’t be the exception.” Matt Walton 23 January 02