Police in the UK have revealed that they will monitor Hip-Hop and the clubs that play the genre of music.
Over 270 venues in London must fill out Form 696, which promoters must fill out so police can gather information on artists, promoters and venues.
According to the BBC, a new version of the form has been released to specifically target “MC’s and DJ’s performing to recorded tracks.”
“Detailed research identified which events are most likely to attract crime and disorder,” a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to say that certain events attract more trouble than others. We’re shifting the focus away from live music. Originally the definition of what Form 696 applied to was extremely broad so by narrowing it down, it’s thought that we can better tailor it to our requirements.”
The data collected from Form 696 will allow authorities to provide extra security for high risk events and when necessary, to shut down a show completely.
Promoter Rod Gilmore, who promotes the long-running “Doctor’s Orders” Hip-Hop night in the UK, fears the new form will allow police to target young, urban youth.
“Reading between the lines, the indie kids are all right but we’ve got to look out for those black boys with microphones in their hands,” Gilmore told BBC News. “Saying it’s over recorded music with DJs and MCs really narrows it down.”
Police claim the previous incarnation of the form was responsible for an 11% drop in violence in or around nightclubs around the country throughout 2008.
