BBC 1Xtra accused of fueling 'black-on-black' violence with drill playlists

The BBC is condoning "black-on-black" violence by playing drill music linked to gang violence, it has been claimed.

A former gangster who is making a documentary about the links between the genre and violent crime said radio playlists were legitimising gang feuds.

Simeon Moore, an ex-rapper from Birmingham known as Zimbo singled out BBC 1Xtra, the UK's biggest urban music station, for criticism.

He said its music choices pointed to a feeling at the BBC that it is "OK to speak about violence if it's black-on-black violence".

A spokesman for 1Xtra said it takes editorial responsibilities very seriously and that each track was considered for the playlist based on musical merit, lyrical suitability and tone.

The genre of drill music has been criticised during a wave of violent crime in London because of lyrics which frequently refer to specific acts of violence and can fuel battles between rival gangs.

Last week, five members of drill group 1011 were slapped with tough restrictions on their lyrics, videos and performances in a landmark decision by a judge.

Mr Moore told The Times: "I want to know what these strict editorial guidelines are, because from where I’m standing, it’s as if it’s OK to speak about violence if it’s black-on-black violence."

"Urban gang wars are deadly, they destroy lives and whole communities. So when you have the biggest urban radio station in the UK playing music that legitimises these activities it really does mean that these things have become part of our everyday life."

He said he had asked to speak to 1Xtra's head of programmes, Mark Strippel, to ask about concerns about legitimising youth violence, but was not granted an interview.

His comments came ahead of Mr Moore's documentary, Spitting Blades, which is due to air on July 6.

A BBC source said the third party company producing the programme was "desperate to get publicity" and had leaked an early version of the show in a breach of editorial guidelines.

A 1Xtra spokesman said: "We take our editorial responsibilities very seriously. Each track is considered for the playlist based on its musical merit, lyrical suitability and whether its tone is right for the 1Xtra target audience, with decisions made on a case-by-case basis."