Wycombe rap video urges gangs to 'stop the violence' (From Bucks Free Press)

Wycombe rap video urges gangs to 'stop the violence'

12:38pm Monday 2nd July 2012 in News By Simon Farr

A HIP-HOP track urging Wycombe’s youngsters to stay away from a life in gangs has become an internet sensation.

The video for Eye For An Eye - filmed around the town centre and notorious gang hot-spots - has been viewed more than 12,000 times in a week on YouTube and is now starting to gain the attention of radio DJs.

The song, performed by a collective of rappers and singers, was put together by Fulham-based DJ Larry Lomotey who heard about the gang-violence in Wycombe and decided to make a stand.

He said: “I live in Fulham now but I grew up in a place where my friends were mugged at knife point. I read about the gun and knife crime in Wycombe and got in contact with the right people to put this together.

“Even if it stops just one person from getting into a situation where they feel like they need to use violence or they sit down and talk to someone about a situation, this project has done its job.

“Stabbing someone or killing someone does not solve problems, it only adds to your problems and hopefully this will help to stop the violence.”

Eye For An Eye is available to download on iTunes, with all the proceeds going to anti-knife crime charity, the Ben Kinsella Trust, and towards community projects in High Wycombe.

Mr Lomotey, 27, added: “The UK hip-hop scene has been retweeting it on Twitter, BBC Radio 1Xtra DJs retweeted the link, and artists in the US are retweeting it – it’s starting to take off.

“A lot of people talk about doing these things and either don’t bother or none of the money goes to charity.

"But everyone on this project did it for free, I put my own money in and the proceeds will all go to charity.”

To buy the song from iTunes, click on the link.