Image credit: John Bamtefa via Unsplash
Music is a cornerstone of the UK economy, and Black music has driven much of its success. Yet, the Race Equality in Music Event Licensing (REMEL) report, published by Black Lives In Music, found that Black-led events in London are cancelled, restricted or blocked at higher rates than white-led events.
Afrobeats, hip-hop, drill, R&B, and dancehall are repeatedly labelled as “high risk”, assumed to attract unruly crowds, while indie, pop, and rock face far less scrutiny. Media coverage only adds to the issue, often framing Black events as “chaos”, transferring the blame from venues onto entire communities.
The consequences are severe. Promoters describe events shut down with little explanation and no route to appeal. Where police were involved, 46% of venues reportedly closed entirely. The report also found that many white-owned venues were supported back into business after incidents, while Black venues were forced to close. Given that Black music has generated 80 per cent of the UK’s recorded music revenue over the past 30 years, it’s worth asking whether those who design the licensing system have their priorities right.
Racism in the music industry is nothing new. Between 2005 and 2017, the Metropolitan Police required promoters in many London boroughs to complete Form 696, a risk assessment that was to be submitted in advance of live events. Many artists argued it was applied to Black events far more than to others. British rapper Giggs was one of the first to be affected by the policy, having had a 2010 tour cancelled following police advice concerning “potential risks”. For an upcoming artist, a cancellation like this hinders momentum, income, and new opportunities to progress.
The pressure on Black artists does not only come from police and licensing panels. In 2021, Black Lives in Music published Being Black in the UK Music Industry, a survey of almost 2,000 Black musicians and professionals, revealing that 63% of Black musicians had experienced direct or indirect racism, and 86% felt their progression was held back by the colour of their skin. Respondents also reported being typecast into “urban” genres regardless of their own ambitions, receiving less studio time than white peers, and being offered fewer performance opportunities.
The genre of music itself cannot be a direct cause of violence. Genuine safety assessments should look at crowd capacity, security plans and past conduct, not the type of event. When a genre represents a community, and the community becomes shorthand for danger, these licensing decisions are indeed no longer about safety. Institutional racism becomes the basis for routines that produce unequal outcomes. REMEL doesn’t ask for lower standards. Its first principle is that safety and equality go together, calling for evidence-based decisions, transparency, and consistent standards.
Expressions of culture should not be seen as a risk. Until London’s licensing system acts on facts rather than racist presumptions, it will keep punishing the music that helps make the city’s nightlife worth protecting.