Apple and Spotify selling drill gang tracks linked to brutal murder of 16-year-old and a string of deadly knife attacks

APPLE and Spotify are selling drill rap music by gangs linked to the horrific stabbing of a 16-year-old and a string of other murders.

The internet music giants are continuing to sell and stream the music which has been blamed for a wave of crime and murders hitting the capital.

In less than a week five people have been stabbed to death in London with MPs claiming drill rap music which glorifies violence is fuelling the carnage.

The 119th victim of London's murderous violence was 16-year-old John O in Tulse Hill, who was brutally stabbed to death by a group of attackers earlier this week.

John O was said to have been linked to the "Lower Tulse Hill gang" (LTH), also know as the "86" group or formerly TN1 (Trust No One), and performed under the rap name "JaySav" with tracks appearing on Apple and Spotify.

The gang was said to have been responsible for the notorious drive-by shooting of the shop of five-year-old Thusha Kamaleswaran's uncle in Stockwell, South London, which left the youngster paralysed and in a wheelchair in 2011.

On Monday night John O's attackers are said to have shouted "We got him, we got him" as they fled the scene in Tulse Hill, South London, while the teen's mother was later heard crying "God, save my son" as paramedics battled for an hour to save his life.

Several tracks by the LTH group are available on the music platforms with JaySav's track "Thugs" for sale, in which the group raps about "shanking" (stabbing) and attacking rivals in graphic language.

And the gang's album "Tulse Hill Slums" is on sale for £4.74 on iTunes, with Apple reportedly keeping 30 per cent of the profits and the rest being passed to the gang.

Home Affairs Select Committee MP John Woodcock criticised the internet music giants, saying: "This is another example of internet giants cashing in on the proceeds of street violence and crime.

"Where there is a direct link between the horror of knife crime and profits that clearly should not be allowed - Apple and Spotify need to take action.

"The technology exists and they have the resources to stop this and if it's not happening it's because it's profitable for them to sell advertising and make money and it's just not on."

Apple and Spotify have removed several songs by drill rap gangs weeks after Sun Online highlighted the lyrics glorifying attacks and violence.

But other tracks remain on the platforms while new music by gangs linked to murders across the capital has been uploaded.

The LTH gang, whose rappers are listed as gang members by the Met Police, are said to rival a number of Brixton gangs and the CT (Clap Town) group who have songs featured on the two internet music platforms.

One "diss" (insult) track titled "Madder than Mad" by members of the CT and OJB (Old Junction Boys), including rapper "Burner", is aimed at the Harlem Spartans gang and features on Apple and Spotify.

In the track "Burner" alludes to an incident in which a Spartans member was beaten in jail, rapping: "Don’t be getting it twisted cos man just mashed up a Spartan."

The Met Police has linked drill rap music to a surge in gang-related attacks and have requested more than 50 videos to be removed from YouTube in the last two years.

Many of the drill rap tracks by gangs which glorify violence also still feature on YouTube and have generated millions of views.

Apple and Spotify have also removed several of the Harlem Spartans songs glorifying violence and threatening to kill rivals but continue to sell a whole new raft of tracks.

The deleted tracks include "Do It & Dash" and their album "Kennington Where it Started" which had been sold for £4.74 on iTunes.

But the gang - who have several members jailed for gang-related crimes - have still been able to upload new music to the two platforms glorifying violence since other tracks were removed.

And more tracks boasting about stabbings including "Teddy Bruckshot", "Grip and Ride" and "Call Me a Spartan" - not previously named by Sun Online - remain on the sites.

Other groups who have had tracks named by Sun Online removed include Moscow 17, from Walworth, South London, and the banned 1011 gang, from Ladbroke Grove, West London.

All but one of the 1011 gang's tracks - "Next Up" which raps about stabbings and shootings - have been removed from Apple and Spotify following the Sun Online probe.

Five of the gang were jailed in June over a machete and baseball bat plot to attack a rival gang with a judge granting a Met Police order to prohibit the gang making music referring to violence for five years.

But again tracks glorifying violence including Moscow 17's "Smoke and Dingers" remain on iTunes and Spotify.

Anti-knife campaigner Jen Lock, founder of Lives Instead of Knives, said the music giants were "absolutely disgusting" for continuing to host tracks from the gangs.

She added: "It's blood money and they need to take responsibility. Our kids minds are being polluted by this music which they are making money from.

"How can they keep on doing this while our children stab each other to death?"

The tracks often sell for 79p each or sometimes 99p - of which Apple would reportedly keep 30 per cent of the profits - while Spotify offers subscription download packages.

Apple is worth around £770billion on the stock market while Spotify is valued at roughly £20billion.

It is understood Spotify does not recommend drill rap music to users or add the tracks to playlists while a spokeswoman for the firm added: "Any content that breaks local laws will be removed immediately." 

Apple had failed to respond by time of publication.