The new version of Form 696 is said to specifically target ‘MC’s and DJ’s performing to recorded tracks,’ according to the BBC.
Over 270 venues in London must fill out Form 696, so police can gather information on artists, promoters and venues.
The data collected from Form 696 will allow authorities to provide extra security for high risk events and when necessary, to shut down a show completely.
Rod Gilmore, promoter of hip-hop night ‘Doctor’s Orders’, fears the new form will allow police to target young, urban youth.
‘Reading between the lines, the indie kids are all right but we’ve got to look out for those black boys with microphones in their hands,” Gilmore told BBC News. ‘Saying it’s over recorded music with DJs and MCs really narrows it down.’
Police in the UK have also revealed that they will monitor hip-hop and the clubs that play the genre of music.
‘Detailed research identified which events are most likely to attract crime and disorder,’ a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said. ‘At the end of the day, you’ve got to say that certain events attract more trouble than others.’
By Nadifa Sheikhey
