YouTube removes 100+ UK drill videos at request of London police

Youtube has removed 102 drill music videos from its site after being requested by London's Metropolitan Police.

As reported by the Evening Express, Metropolitan Polce requested the removal of 129 track videos by drill artists at the beginning of this year. Drill music has been vilified and borderline criminalised for its gritty lyricism and uncompromising depictions of modern life, with accusations that the genre incites violence leading to 30 videos also being taken down off Youtube in May last year.

These recent removals have been criticised by human rights group Liberty as being,“a troubling trend of alarmist attitudes increasingly restricting free expression”.

“Incitement to violence is a crime but the overwhelming focus on drill music further marginalises minority communities and diverts attention from the root causes of violence,” said advocacy director Corey Stoughton.

In recent months, drill group 1011 (pictured) have been banned from making music and just last month artists Skengdo and AM were sentenced to nine months in jail after breaching an injunction for performing drill songs live. 

In July 2018, UK drill crew 67 criticised police and media for “scapegoating" their genre in open letter sent to The Fader by group member Dimzy.

In August 2018, drill rapper Incognito, real name Sidique Kamara, died following a fatal stabbing in Camberwell, South London. He was 23.