Drill Music blamed for surging crime Spree in UK + The #LoveMusic campaign

UK Drill music has been blamed for increased crime in London. On August 31, head of programmes for BBC Radio 1Xtra and Asian networks released a statement concerning the stations’ responsibility to take Drill music seriously.

UK Drill

 This statement comes after an article published by the Sunday Times links the increase in violent crimes in London and Drill music.  Drill music is a nihilistic style of rap popularized by US artist Chief Keef. The article even implies a need for politicians to speak against this style of rap.

Music has always been a popular target for blame when it comes to violence in society. This position brings to mind the age-old question. Does art reflect culture or shape it? The UK music scene has witnessed unprecedented growth in the last couple of years. But so has crime.

The areas of London plagued by poverty have suffered and gained the most from these new developments. Artists like 67 have gained fame from rapping about where they are from and what they’ve seen. It’s made them tons of money and secure futures for their family, however, has it helped nurture violence in others faced with similar circumstances?

The UK music industry has started a movement to fight for artist royalties. The #LoveMusic campaign was created by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA), Music Publishers Association, PPL, the Musicians’ Union and the BPI. The campaign was launched just weeks ahead of a decisive vote on the European Copyright Directive (Sept 12), specifically in support of Article 13.

#LoveMusic

Article 13 would require platforms like Facebook to protect copyrighted material. It would also require “new media” publishers to pay news companies for the right to share their content.

A statement from #LoveMusic claims that big tech companies threatening the music world by not fairly compensating creators. The music industry as a whole has been in conflict with tech companies for some time dating back to the days of Napster.

As the day of the vote draws near, the UK music industry will look to drum up support for article 13. If passed what will the future of the music industry look like?