From artists to politicians, UK rap duo Krept & Konan took to the Houses of Parliament to debate the discussion regarding the potential ban of drill music.
The pair recently released a track and accompanying video entitled ‘Ban Drill’ which was directed by Roc Nation’s Rapman. Challenging the idea that Drill music is behind the surge in crime within London, the song also defends the genre and denounces the motion by the government to prohibit the genre in order to tackle crime.
Yesterday – June 18th – Krept & Konan were joined by a panel with the likes of Diane Abbott MP, Hattie Collins, Symeon Brown and rappers Skengdo and AM who were actually sentenced for performing a drill song.
Following with a Q&A session, the panel also discussed that drill music is a form of escapism for many artists and crime can be tackled through other routes rather than banning an artistic outlet.
Krept & Konan have also launched a petition in collaboration with Change.org asking the Crown Prosecution Service to prevent the police from banning drill music and stopping artists’ income by using the Serious Crime Act to prosecute.
Krept commented: “There was violence before Drill. If we stop Drill right now, is it going to end? Drill is being used as a scapegoat. We need to tackle the situation with alternative routes. We need support. We need to invest in our communities. Invest in things that will help these young kids, teach them new things, how to do other things. Stopping them from doing things they like, when music is a way out, is not going to help the situation.”
Konan added: “We know what it’s like to be in it and want to escape it, and what it feels like to be out of it. I’ve seen my mum get shot, I’ve seen my stepdad die. I’ve been in jail, I’ve been in gangs. Once you step out of it you know that this is not what you are meant to be doing. We want to give people a platform to escape.”
Diane Abbott summed up the thoughts of many when she said: “Drill music can be violent, and I have to be clear, when they do directly incite violence then the police should investigate. However, we do know that the root cause of violence on our streets is much wider than music.”
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Words: Debbie Ijaduola
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