Eric Adams taking on drill rap, social media

Adams calls on social media to monitor drill rap

Mayor Eric Adams is taking the next steps as he tries to curb violence associated with drill rap.

NEW YORK - Mayor Eric Adams made national headlines late Friday when he called out social media companies for their responsibility in promoting violence in drill rap videos and vowed to put a plan in motion to stop the gunfire.

Now, we're learning it is already underway.

"We're going to bring in the social media industry, and why not use this healthy way of communicating with young people, instead of talking about people who died, and being disrespectful to their death through violence, why not empower young people to use drill music to talk about what's great about life?" Adams told FOX 5 NY.

Adams has already begun to meet with hip-hop artists who are not drill rappers, including Fat Joe and former Bad Boy artist Shyne, who is now a politician in Belize.

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Brooklyn has seen a major increase in gun violence in recent months. District Attorney Eric Gonzalez says he has seen a rise in social media drill rap videos using real guns that are used in real crimes. He has partnered with the "Grants for Guns" program to offer cash, iPads, and job training in exchange for guns.

Drill music producers and executives are calling for the distinction to be made between aspiring drill rappers using social media videos and signed artists in the drill genre. They say the drill genre is evolving quickly, with new subject matter and creativity far removed from shots fired on city streets.