MP: Drill music celebration of criminality pushing knife crime into mainstream

The celebration of criminality by drill musicians is contributing to the “toxic” culture which is pushing knife crime into the mainstream, the Commons heard.

Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty accused the press, including the BBC, the Times and the Guardian, of validating gangs’ use of music and videos to promote stabbings and taunt their opponents.

He also criticised the “hypocrisy” of brands such as Adidas, who continue to use convicted criminals in its advertising, whilst also conducting campaigns against knife crime.

The line between gang and a group are blurred at points of irrelevance. Meanwhile, the media either doesn't know or doesn't care

The success of drill rappers who have criminal convictions could suggest to some there is no consequence for carrying a knife, the MP for Huntingdon said.

Mr Obese-Jecty said young black men are over represented in knife crime statistics as both the victims and perpetrators, adding that “soft bigotry of low expectations makes black culture ripe for exploitation, as a cheap way to appear edgy, irrespective of the upstream impact”.

Speaking in the Commons, he said: “Whilst drill music is a genre, it is also the medium by which various groups, come gangs are able to taunt their ops. The catalyst for multiple stabbings, often fatal.

“The line between gang and a group are blurred at points of irrelevance. Meanwhile, the media either doesn’t know or doesn’t care.

“Inner city black youths are, whether consciously or unconsciously, expendable and interchangeable, over represented in statistics as both victim and perpetrator. The soft bigotry of low expectations makes black culture ripe for exploitation as a cheap way to appear edgy, irrespective of the upstream impact.

“But media, large corporations, even the BBC, play their part in the creation of this milieu, leaning into it and giving it validation.

“The cynical valorisation of the most detrimental aspects of urban black culture and the celebration of criminality via musicians is one of the most toxic overarching influences on how we have pushed this issue into the mainstream.

“Irving Adjei, aka Headie One, went to prison three times as a teenager, amongst them for dealing crack cocaine and heroin.

“In June 2019, Adjei was arrested for possession of a knife following a stop and search.

Inner city black youths are, whether consciously or unconsciously, expendable and interchangeable, over represented in statistics as both victim and perpetrator. The soft bigotry of low expectations makes black culture ripe for exploitation as a cheap way to appear edgy, irrespective of the upstream impact

“Whilst on bail, Adjei completed his UK tour, released his album, which reached number five in the UK charts, appeared on Stormzy’s album Heavy Is The Head, played Glastonbury and was featured on BBC Radio One, was used in an advertising campaign alongside heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua for JD sports, and also fronted an advertising campaign for Adidas that December.

“That’s the same Adidas who ran their No More Red knife crime awareness campaign alongside Arsenal FC just a couple of miles down the road, shortly after that, but are also happy to run an advertising campaign with a rapper on bail for possession of a knife.

“The hypocrisy of brands like Adidas is off the scale.

“Less than a month after launching this Adidas promo, Adjei was sentenced to six months with possession of that knife and went to prison for a fourth time.

“He was released that April.

“Six months later, his single is number two in the charts, and he’s having praise lavished upon him by The Times newspaper, and he’s never looked back.

“How does this convince anybody that there is … any penalty whatsoever for carrying a knife?

“If anything, it’s been an asset for someone like him, the edginess I referred to earlier.”

During the debate on knife crime, Mr Obese-Jecty criticised the Guardian for an article it wrote in 2019 about drill group OFB.

OFB member Jayden O’Neil Crichlow is one of five people convicted of murdering 19-year-old Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck in Wood Green, north London, in February 2019.

The MP said this occurred 300 metres from his home at the time, before saying: “I challenged the author of the piece as to why it was appropriate to write a puff piece about a group that had one member on remand for murder.

“He cited that it was an editorial decision by the Guardian.”

“This is precisely the type of irresponsible media valorisation that illustrates my point,” he added.

Another member of OFB, Kemani Duggan, the son of Mark Duggan who was shot dead by police in 2011, was jailed in 2024 for five years for having a gun.

Labour MP Paulette Hamilton (Birmingham Erdington) said her nephew had been stabbed recently, turning her family’s world “upside down”.

She said: “My nephew, a kind-hearted, wonderful young man was brutally attacked in an act of senseless knife violence. His crime was being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. While his wounds are healing, it will take months for him to fully recover. The emotional trauma inflicted on him, and in our family however, is immeasurable.

“This is a pain no pain no family should ever have to endure.”