“You really have to listen to the songs because they’re talking about ongoing violence,” said Officer Fred Vanpelt, who is part of an anti-gang squad in Brownsville.
In the streets of Brownsville, Brooklyn, a local rap artist named Cuame Nelson was recording a new music video when someone called out his stage name.
The rapper, fresh out of a stint at Rikers Island, turned toward the voice, expecting to see a fan or friend. Instead, he saw several plainclothes police officers, one of them wearing a shirt bearing the name of Mr. Nelson’s group.
Mr. Nelson, 21, is among several local rappers to recently discover that their devoted listeners include police officers and prosecutors. They listen not for artistic merit, but to pick apart the lyrics and examine music videos posted on YouTube in hopes of a better understanding of gang rivalries and the dynamics behind recent shootings.
In December, for instance, investigators said that a case against 11 gang members had been aided by a music video, produced by a minor group called Dub Gang Money. The video, according to a police lieutenant, Peter Carretta, provided evidence that those arrested were part of an established gang and associated with one another.
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