With the increasing popularity of video-sharing websites including YouTube and Vimeo, authorities are now using music videos to investigate local gang behavior. In a news story published by the New York Times this week, the publication revealed that police officers and prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York are starting to “examine music videos posted on YouTube in hopes of a better understanding of gang rivalries and the dynamics behind recent shootings.”
The New York Times shared the story of 21-year-old rapper Cuame “Murda Malo” Nelson, an artist who found himself under investigation by authorities due to his music. Despite claims of gang ties from those doing the investigating, Malo says he’s not a member of any gang.
“I’m not in any gang,” he said. “We have copyrights for our organization; we are a music group. O.T.S. Entertainment. A.T.C. Entertainment. This is a music group, you dig?”
Anti-gang squad member and police officer Fred Vanpelt commented on the “ongoing violence” addressed in the music of those being investigated while Patrice Allen, Murda Malo’s manager says authorities investigating music videos and songs has become “a double-edged sword.”
“You really have to listen to the songs because they’re talking about ongoing violence,” Officer Vanpelt said to the New York Times.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Allen said. “If you have that much passion and love for the music, I guess you have to deal with it. That’s just what comes with the music. It’s the bitter and the sweet, you know?”
One artist who was arrested recently thanks to a rap video he released was Terry “Na Boogz” Holder. A music video in which Boogz addresses a rival was used in an indictment against the rapper and other members of the youth gang, WTG.
The investigation of Murda Malo, Na Boogz, and other artists in Brooklyn through their music doesn’t serve as the first time authorities have used that particular tactic.
Last year, a rapper by the name of Twain Gotti was arrested due to incriminating lyrics found in a song he posted on YouTube. On the song Gotti rapped, “Everybody saw when I [expletive] choked him. But nobody saw when I [expletive] smoked him, roped him, sharpened up the shank then I poked him…had me crackin up so I joked him, it is betweezy six feet ova, told ya [expletive] with my money I’ll roast ya.”
Prior to Gotti’s arrest in August 2012, a New Jersey police officer and aspiring rapper was investigated after his music videos were discovered online.
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the beginning of the end of gangsta rap smh
its cool now everyone just gonna have to make up cocaine fairy tales like william roberts
Good, hope they lock up all of these dumb motherfuckers who incriminate themselves. You dumb fucks deserve the shit you sew.
frosty one of them white collar criminals who need a diversion, lol
Officer William Roberts is spearheading the investigation
Officer Ricky showing his skills on the crime scene
Rappers are the dumbest people in the world and will do everyting for publicity. Saying shit on twitter, the internet and in videos but forget that the Police is watching!
You forget 1 thing rappers Always lie.
– Ice Cube was never a gangbanger
– Mobb Deep never robbed or killed people
– Nas escobar never was a druglord.
– Ice T says he is a pimp but his wife Coco cheated on him with another nigga
I have read that same copy & pasted shit for what seems like forever, there are some really good trolls around here & you give them all a bad name with your material, freshin it up a bit man.
who the rapper pictured above? looks grimy as fuck?
Good for the FBI and them for cracking down on these fuckboys. They deserve it for pretty much telling on themselves. Maybe next time they shouldn’t promote violence and abbreviate things hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hollywood promotes violence & you on they dick for the sake of entertainment
lol @ you fvckyberg
These rappers who claim themselves as thugs and gangstas should go against the real enemy, and thats the government the biggest gang of them all. But dudes just wanna live cartoons and characters. If they think theyre that tough and that hard, alright lets do something, lets get out here lets start our own country. but they dont wanna do that ..
Thanks for stealing 2pac’s words.
At least give the genius credit, damn
til I looked at the receipt of $9124, I be certain that…my… friend was like actually bringing home money in their spare time on their computer.. there friends cousin started doing this for only sixteen months and just now cleard the dept on their appartment and bought a great new Alfa Romeo. read this article… http://www.Fb39.Com
Good, hope they lock up all of these dumb motherfuckers who incriminate themselves. You dumb fucks deserve the shit you sew.
But all they have to do is ask Ross to point out the criminals. Why do they have to go these lengths? They just fuck with the tracks wanna watch the videos.
and I say……..
look at the fvckboys who wanna lock up petty criminals forever on taxpayer money
but look the other way when white collar jp morgan criminals pay $2b plus for you to look the other way w/o jail time
lol
you the problem, not the solution cretin
It just doesn’t sound right to say STOP SNITCHING, on yourself. So I’ll just say you get what you deserve. Ain’t no “passion” in the world that would make me incriminate myself if I was living that life.
if they really wanted to stop violence in music, then thats on the media. i blame the media for putting out all the dumb down music we been having. police tryna lock ppl up for profit. not to stop violent rap music. if the labels were more serious about putting out good positive music, then they should start having guidelines on what will be accepted through the media. but its all just to brainwash the youth into setting the standards for all things absurd. our society is going to the shitter because labels dont wanna put out progressive music or positive shit to help educate and organize youth and the impoverished.
Dudes who own the major record distributing companies are the ones who control what gets play and what doesn’t. The people who own the media decide what goes on and what doesn’t. There needs to be a shakeup at the top of the food chain before things get better.
i glad they took Twain Gotti off the streets his music sucks
at the end of the day rappers incriminate themselves…why talk about a crime you committed? makes no sense
but check out makesensedontit.com where everything makes sense..we have that hip hop, awareness, news, poetry, comedy, job resources, all that…
makesensedontit.com
lol at the pic on the homepage for this article
GANGSTA RAP FOR EVER !!
So basically, police work for idiots.