Last week it was announced I have been appointed by Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit to use art as part of a wider strategy to tackle violence.
Let me try again: last week it was announced I have been appointed by Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit to fight violence in an effort to stamp out domestic abuse, beat gang culture and slash knife crime.
Not even a month in and already I am beginning to see what a double edged sword this is going to be, not least because upon closer inspection the violence inherent in our everyday language is the first thing that strikes you.
This initial point may seem inconsequential to some, pedantic even, but when you’ve been given a job that involves using words to raise awareness of a serious and sensitive issue like violence then the last thing you need is a metaphor blowing up in your face.
For this reason every paragraph must be crafted with precision.
Thankfully I am experienced enough to know there’s more than one way to skin a cat so if I can find a clever way to kill two birds with one stone then I could simultaneously kick public discourse up the backside whilst also not shooting myself in the foot.
Some may feel I’m flogging a dead horse. Others may think a seemingly uneducated rap artist is the last weapon we should be deploying in the war on violence. I can understand that sentiment, but I’m prepared to stand my ground and soldier on because I believe if you want peace then you have to be prepared to step into the line of fire and fight for it.
Was I anxious about my hip hop credentials coming under fire at the misleading suggestion I have joined the ranks of law enforcement? Yes, for about five seconds. But then it hit me: violence is far too serious an issue for a man of my age and standing to be trading on false notions of street credibility; using popular anti-police sentiment to play to a gallery. A gallery populated by young people in disadvantaged communities where violence is not confined to rare and distant events, but instead traded like crypto currency and expressed as a form of language.
I’m 31-years-old and should be offering something more constructive. So if you want to shoot the messenger then by all means fire away. I’m happy to bite the bullet because I’m armed to the teeth.
This violence stuff is a serious do or die business. Bow to peer pressure?
Over my dead body.
This blog first appeared on the Violence Reduction Unit site and is reproduced here with permission
Leave a Reply