27 teenagers died as victims of gun and knife crime on the streets of London last year.
Many people blame rap and hip-hop music for glorifying violence and fuelling the problem.
But not all artists can be tarred with the same brush, as The World Today's Mark Whitaker found out when he spoke to two London-based rappers.
One of them, Emmanuel Jal, used to be a child soldier in Sudan.
The other, Sway, lost three friends to gang violence last year.
Listen Listen to Emmanuel Jal and Sway (5 mins 16 secs)
First broadcast 9th April