New York City Mayor Eric Adams asks for clamp down on drill from social media companies
“I had no idea what drill rapping was, but I called my son and he sent me some videos, and it is alarming”
The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams is asking social media companies to ban drill music as he sees a link between the genre and gun violence.
“We pulled Trump off Twitter, because of what he was spewing. Yet we’re allowing music, displaying of guns, violence. We’re allowing it to stay on these sites,” Adams said in a press conference.
Adams says that he was made aware of the genre of music when his son who works for Roc Nation sent him videos.
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“I had no idea what drill rapping was, but I called my son and he sent me some videos, and it is alarming,” he said.
Adams also added that he wants to organise a meeting with the high-profile rappers of Brooklyn’s drill scene.
Recently, two young drill rappers have been shot dead in Brooklyn. ABC News reported that 22-year-old Tahjay Dobson, aka Tdott Woo, was killed in front of his home after signing a record deal. Jayquan McKenley, aka. CHII WVTTZ an 18-year-old rapper from the Bronx, was also shot and killed while leaving a recording studio in Brooklyn
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“There are thousands of Jayquans in our city right now. Thousands of children experiencing homelessness and poverty, who need educational support, who are at high risk,” Adams said.
“We cannot let thousands of children lose their lives to violence and neglect … Like many young men, Jayquan was an aspiring rapper. ‘Aspiring’ is a word that means hope, but his music was anything but hopeful.”
Watch a clip of Mayor Adams’ speech below.
Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter