We have convened at the MOBO awards ceremony 2003 to voice our objection to ALL those in the so-called music industry who continue to make money from the continued and sustained exploitation of our community.

Negative Representation
We object to the music and media industry’s support, promotion and awarding of artists who;

• promote the ownership of illegal firearms.
  
• promote the ideology of shooting others for money, ‘respect’, personal enjoyment or drugs.
  
• have previously engaged in criminal activity and refuse to show remorse for their crimes or tell their story as a warning to others, preferring to use their status to approve, glamorise and encourage illegal behaviour.
  
• make public statements outside or within their music stating their intention to commit a criminal offence.
  
• make comments likely to incite a minor to commit a criminal offence
  
• consistently record music with violent, misogynistic, and offensive content.

We are also here to state that the continued devaluation and disrespect shown towards women in our community is utterly unacceptable. The vast majority of ‘urban’ music videos broadcasted on such mediums as MTV Base continue to promote sexist and deeply misogynistic values. Women are portrayed as inanimate objects, who exist purely for the purpose of male sexual gratification and domination.

Not only does this seriously devalue and undermine the perception of women in society, but also it has a damaging effect on young women in our community.

LIGALI RECOMMENDATIONS:

• We recommend that videos with misogynistic and sexist content be banned from broadcast. At the very least, we would request that a watershed of 10pm is imposed on all such videos in order to prevent children and young people adopting and mimicking the anti-social values and behaviour that these videos portray.
  
• The music industry must refrain from awarding negative artists and the record labels who endorse them.
  
• DJ’s, Television, and Radio Stations must reduce the amount of music they play with sexist, criminal and materialistic lyrics.
  
• The music media must take responsibility for predominantly promoting artists who do not encourage sexist and criminal behaviour.

Fair Trade
African American and ‘Urban’ American artists are riding high in our national charts, being awarded ‘prestigious’ awards both nationally and internationally and are taking up much editorial space. Subsequently, British artists are suffering for lack of exposure and industry support. The American monopoly has successfully invaded the UK and we urge all those involved in the music industry, including the people with the money power i.e. the buyers/consumers, to reverse this very dangerous and creatively stifling trend.

There is an abundance of quality, talented artists who are failing to break into the ever un-welcoming realm of the music industry. This is primarily due to the lack of support from various sections within the British music industry who continue to marginalise and ignore British talent. For every one ‘Ms Dynamite’, there are hundreds of artists whose names we will never know and whose creative and positive voices will never be heard. The responsibility for abysmal state of affairs lies with EVERY sector of the music industry.

LIGALI RECOMMENDATIONS:

• UK record labels spend more money on the marketing and development of ‘urban’ American artists than homegrown talent. This trend must be reversed in order to regenerate Britain’s own industry. Record labels and Promotional companies must also find a way to market artists without compromising their artistic integrity. In addition, all major UK record labels must commit to a sustained domestic artist development plan, which annually recruits from minority ethic communities.
  
• The media must stop passing the buck to others in the music industry. They have a huge amount of influence on what the general public buy and as such, must devote a substantial amount of editorial coverage to UK artists.
  
• The introduction of a voluntary and government legislated radio quota system guaranteeing 50% music output from specific radio stations is of UK origin.