After a spate of shootings, and with a rising murder rate, the police here are saying gangsta rap is contributing to the violence, luring gang members and criminal activity to nightclubs. The police publicly condemned the music in a news release after a killing in July and are warning nightclub owners that their places might not be safe if they play gangsta rap.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to broad-brush hip-hop music altogether,\u201d\u009d said Lt. Skip Arms, a police spokesman, \u201cbut we\u2019re looking at a subcomponent that typically glorifies, promotes criminal behavior and demeans women.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
The actions of the police have angered the hip-hop community here, mostly blacks and Latinos, many of whom live in this city because of ties to the Army and Air Force bases here.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we were talking about a rock bar or a country bar here, none of this would be happening,\u201d\u009d said James Baldrick, who runs a local hip-hop promotions company, Dirty Limelight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis city wants to shut down hip-hop,\u201d\u009d said Mike Cross, 26, who was outside Eden Nite Club, a popular downtown venue that plays hip-hop, with a group of friends on a recent night. \u201cThey don\u2019t want it to survive.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n