The victimisation of drill

source: trenchtrenchtrench.com

Recent weeks have seen an ominous increase in the number of stabbings reported in London, the rate currently standing at its highest in a decade. Last year 80 individuals were fatally stabbed in London a statistic that is likely to increase considering 50 people have died due to stabbings already this year.

Politicians, officials and critics have failed to explain the reasons behind this indiscriminate epidemic, instead, in their state of panic and unreasoning, have shifted blame to the soundtrack currently dominating communities and cities throughout the UK: drill music.

Having first developed in Chicago from artists such as Chief Keef in 2010, drill music soon travelled across the Atlantic into South London, where younger generation individuals seized the opportunity to perhaps distance themselves from the genre of grime that preceded them.

Drill has, in the past, been largely ignored by mainstream media but is currently coming into its own, with the increase of radio plays, millions of streams, and the constant influx of high profile names as a result. The increase of attention being paid towards the rampant and often harsh style of music has meant that the media have now embarked on the journey to place sole blame on the music and the careers that it has launched for condoning and encouraging violence.

Having considered lyrics and key themes characteristic of the genre, it is clear that drill music does not have the intent to soothe listeners or become a family favourite. It is packed with an endless list of slang for weapons, particularly knives, methods of cooking up drugs, and ways to secure illegitimate money for spending on high fashion brands. Having said this, however, it does not mean to encourage or glamourise the culture that is unfortunately an inescapable reality for some. Beneath the harshness of their words, drill artists often speak the ultimate truths of what they have experienced or seen others experience.

This is where the governments neglect reaches an all-time high. Rather than addressing root causes of stabbings and a gangster mentality, the government and media are instead looking at a by-product of the problem as a way to get rid of it – something which is completely unfounded. There exist far more problems and causes immediate to the influx of city stabbings, problems such as poverty, Tory austerity, and the policing towards the discrimination of races and classes.

America are constantly criticised for the laws they put on guns and how guns may be accessed and used. In turn countries like the UK, boast far greater restrictions on guns, yet ultimately fail to acknowledge that while guns may be a smaller problem, weapon access remains crucial.

Time and time again, it is ignored that knives are the weapon of choice in the UK. Access to them is ridiculously easy and efforts to put greater restrictions in place are nowhere to be seen. Whilst it may be true that guns account for far more deaths in terms of mass killings, the fact should not justify the increased stabbings occurring in the UK.

Despite this all, drill music is being used as the ultimate scapegoat for failings in the UK government's own regulation of rules, security and consequently safety.

source: m-magazine.co.uk

Rising star, Headie One, has been particularly singled out for his style of rampant music, yet holds the conviction that artists are being wrongly accused for what happens to be their reality. This goes on to speak volumes about the politics leading this motion as failure to acknowledge that this harshness and attitude reflects the reality of Headie One and hundreds of young people throughout the UK remains.

Considering the topic of media platforms, and how they may incite behaviour, brings my attention to the recent backlash Puma experienced regarding their ‘House of Hustle’ event. The event was heavily criticised for the atmosphere created through the use of invitations inviting guests to “trap”, burner phones acting as props and many gang references sprayed upon the walls.

It is obvious to all that Puma is a largely established brand with a complex network, far more complex than the network of artists making music. Up and coming drill artists, on the other hand, are far more independent, therefore carrying less of the responsibility. They do not yet have a brand big enough to accept the responsibility of influence and should therefore not be expected to do so.

Surely it is far more unforgivable for a worldwide brand, with no immediate ties to the harsh realities of drug culture, to then go and glamourise drug use and dealing than those who have witnessed first-hand experiences. Puma essentially endorse something that is material, something that is tangible, at least far more tangible than the lyrics of a song.

It seems that mainstream media have yet again fallen into the habit of picking out the easiest community upon which to place the blame. Once again, the blame has fallen into the laps of the black community. Year in, year out they are criticised for producing the countries’ source of violence and crime, in the definitive act of crude ignorance. The increasing popularity of the music has set expectations and opportunities of building a career out of this music higher and higher, perhaps a financial reward for black Londoners who are classed among the lowest paid in the city. If anything, the music inspires others to follow in the footsteps of musicians in a musical means rather than in a violent way. Artists associated with the drill culture essentially reflect a means of success despite the hardships of life, the violence just happens to be a consequence of the reality that many are forced into.

Any inability to differentiate between the lyrics of a song, and orders to be followed, surely lies in the hands of an impaired education, parenting, and sense of society. There is no room for music to be held accountable.

Music that references violence is not a new thing to the UK, or the world for that matter, so how can something that has remained relatively unchanged, be held responsible for a spike in violent behaviours? 

Thank you for reading!

Aman

The spread of wealth inequality

Source: thedebrief.co.uk

The ‘American dream’: the idea that everyone, regardless of where they have come from, who they are, and what class they may belong to, can strive for a better and more comfortable life, provided they work hard enough. This ethos, so central to the United Sates, has since been adopted into the society of the UK and many western countries, and plays a major part in why so many foreign citizens choose these countries in which to start their new lives. Whilst America and these western countries claim the credits for the lives that have been turned around, failure of the ‘American Dream’ is most usually overlooked and more often than not, a lack of good, genuine, hard work is what accounts for these failures. What is overlooked, is something that has existed in America for generations, the difference between those who have a lot, and those who have very little – wealth inequality.

The wealth of an individual is determined by totalling the sum of their whole assets (investments, real estate, and savings) and then subtracting the total of their liabilities (credit cards and outstanding loans). It is important to understand the relation yet ultimate difference between wealth inequality and income inequality. Income inequality refers to the disparities between various revenue streams such as what an individual may receive as part of a salary, or the interest and dividends earned from savings. Whilst wealth illustrates what you possess, income reflects on the amount that you are receiving and in western countries wealth inequality is, unfortunately, far more surreptitious than the inequality of incomes.

Wealth disparities have for some time been a stark reality in the US, really propelling in the lead up to the Great Depression. By the late 1930s, the government had responded to the losses of the Great Depression and World War Two, launching policies that would help millions of veterans and family members finance for school and homes, beginning the establishment of a true middle class. In an example of racial wealth inequality, the black community at large were denied many of the benefits of these policies. The unemployment rate of black people, eventually became twice that of white people.

In America the racial wealth divide is very much still existing and has also prejudiced against immigrant families of other backgrounds. As of now, the majority of the Latin population in the US are either first or second generation immigrants. It would take the average Latin family in America 84 years to catch up to the wealth of the average white family household.

Source: thelily.com

In navigating the wealth divide, it is impossible not to consider an evaluation of the issue that is inclusive of gender. The gender pay gap is currently at its most sensitive worldwide, sure to make an impact on the future wealth statuses of generations to come, as it has done in the past. In America, exists the sad reality that a single woman in the US owns 32 cents for every dollar of wealth that is owned by a single man.

In Britain, the inequality of wealth is worsening between classes, regions, and generations and the nation as a whole is becoming a more unequal society compared to other European nations as well as its own past. This reality has been seen time and time again in real life events. The Grenfell Tower disaster not only resulted in tragic loss but served as a graphic illustration of how the lower class or less well-off communities are not listened to or paid attention to. So close geographically, but decades away in an economic respect to London’s uber rich communities.

Falling levels of home ownership in Britain were once great forces in decreasing inequalities. But now, the shifts in who owns what property, fuel the ever increasing wealth disparity between the rich and poor, whilst cutting new divides between young and old.

In 2013, the average total wealth owned by a single white man in America was $28,000 whilst single women held the average of $15,640. This is compared to the astoundingly low total of wealth of $200 for single black women. These figures have since been driven further apart in the last five years as wealth inequality becomes a problem that is harder and harder to ignore.

These consequences, once associated with the glory and hopes of the ‘American Dream’ are not the result of one group working harder than the other, or failure; it is the result of inheriting, or perhaps not inheriting, inter-generational wealth, essentially creating a completely unattainable ‘American Dream’.

Thank you for reading!

Aman

What are horoscopes doing to defend millennials?

Source: thedebrief.co.uk

Mercury is in Retrograde, and apparently that means some big things for us...

We’re four days into April and I’ve found it impossible not to encounter multiple Snapchat discovery stories, telling me how exactly my month is going to go, just because I was born in November. 

Today I set out an endless list of revision topics for myself to cover, knowing that I wouldn’t get to the end of that list because, I’m a Scorpio, and isn’t that just what we're like?

This morning I was half an hour late to leave the house and begin my day because I couldn’t decide on what to eat for breakfast because us Scorpios are just known for being completely indecisive.

Just like avocados, and the colour rose gold, horoscopes have become a central part of our lives. Whether we like to admit it or not, today’s society is drawn to horoscopes. Sure, we know there’s no real truth in it, and we all know millions of people are born on the same day as us, but each time there’s the thought that this time, you’re going to read something completely unique about yourself.

Horoscopes essentially offer the ever comforting appeal of defining us. Capricorns, for example, are said to be solitary characters, whilst Aries’ are impulsive individuals. Reading our horoscope becomes a sense of self-deception – just like participating in the lottery. We imagine that if we keep believing in something just enough, that it might just actually come true. When we were children it was Santa Claus, now it’s the idea that planets and stars will bring us love, money and a successful life.

Horoscopes also provide us with yet another method to avoid responsibility and remain in denial. When you don’t get that text back from that boy you like, it’s much easier to blame it on the fact that maybe his star sign isn’t lined up with yours just yet, instead of accepting the reality that he might not be all that into you. When a job interview doesn’t go to plan, you can always rely on Venus and Jupiter to bring another opportunity around.

Essentially, our society doesn’t like the idea of events being random – so we cling to the comfort of predictability that horoscopes offer us. If something doesn’t go the way you wanted it to, don’t worry, it was supposed to happen, and the planets will soon have it sorted out for you.

Being, and then remaining, a sceptic isn’t an easy job. You have to constantly question and criticise, coming up with theories to back your own arguments. It’s also not the most fashionable task to rain down on the parades of those who worship the stars and signs.

Critics and researchers say that the young person’s love for horoscopes has come from a lifetime in which we have been exposed to countless revolutions and seismic political shifts. Our generation needs answers and horoscopes, no matter how ridiculous they may be, provide us with those. But what exactly do Venus and Saturn have to do with Brexit? Did Mercury bring about the Facebook scandal?

We all know the truth, yet the temptations of horoscopes, for some reason, remain and do not seem to be going anywhere.

Thank you for reading!

Aman