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| Loki, the rapper-in-residence working to reduce domestic violence | Loki, the rapper-in-residence working to reduce domestic violence |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| In a community centre in Alloa, the Scottish hip-hop artist Loki is about to give the first public performance of a rap about domestic abuse. “It’s from the point of view of the perpetrator,” he tells the dozen men seated around him. | In a community centre in Alloa, the Scottish hip-hop artist Loki is about to give the first public performance of a rap about domestic abuse. “It’s from the point of view of the perpetrator,” he tells the dozen men seated around him. |
| A powerful piece, Gaslight gives voice to the violent thoughts of an abuser as he waits for his girlfriend to return home. Afterwards, the stories come out, the group sharing memories of mothers and aunts beaten by husbands, some admitting to having themselves felt the anger and insecurity that can lead to violence against a partner. “If I’d heard those words when I was younger,” says one man in his 50s, “that could have maybe saved me from doing that.” | A powerful piece, Gaslight gives voice to the violent thoughts of an abuser as he waits for his girlfriend to return home. Afterwards, the stories come out, the group sharing memories of mothers and aunts beaten by husbands, some admitting to having themselves felt the anger and insecurity that can lead to violence against a partner. “If I’d heard those words when I was younger,” says one man in his 50s, “that could have maybe saved me from doing that.” |
| Loki nods, and as he does, the dove tattooed on the back of his neck in memory of his late mother becomes visible above his collar. His real name is Darren McGarvey and he is “rapper-in-residence” with the Violence Reduction Unit, the police taskforce founded 10 years ago to tackle Glasgow’s high levels of gang fighting and knife crime. Now with a Scotland-wide remit to tackle all forms of violence, and a reputation for radical thinking that has contributed to significant drops in murder rates, the VRU has appointed McGarvey, 31, for a six-month period that may be extended to a year. On Wednesday he is performing for Man Up, a support group for men who may have history of drug addiction, alcoholism, poor mental health and prison. | |
| Related: Glasgow smiles: how the city halved its murders by 'caring people into change' | Related: Glasgow smiles: how the city halved its murders by 'caring people into change' |
| After this, he is booked to speak in schools, prisons and at the VRU’s own events, as well as creating at least four works, which could include songs, poetry, or short stories about different forms of violence. The hope is that young people in particular will find the anti-violence message more relevant coming from a rapper. | After this, he is booked to speak in schools, prisons and at the VRU’s own events, as well as creating at least four works, which could include songs, poetry, or short stories about different forms of violence. The hope is that young people in particular will find the anti-violence message more relevant coming from a rapper. |
| Scotland’s rap scene contains a strong anti-police sentiment, McGarvey admits, over coffee. “But what I say to anyone who has an issue with me working with the police is: hip-hop is violence reduction.” He points to the genre’s roots, in 1970s New York, as a creative explosion diverting rival gangs from street battles. “Let’s update that now to a new context in Scotland.” | Scotland’s rap scene contains a strong anti-police sentiment, McGarvey admits, over coffee. “But what I say to anyone who has an issue with me working with the police is: hip-hop is violence reduction.” He points to the genre’s roots, in 1970s New York, as a creative explosion diverting rival gangs from street battles. “Let’s update that now to a new context in Scotland.” |
| The audience for his music, he says, tends to be “young men from disadvantaged backgrounds”, the group most likely to be perpetrators and victims of violence. He himself grew up on Glasgow’s Pollok housing estate. “I’m under no illusions that somebody like me can solve this whole problem, but if I frame it in a language those young men understand, I can get the cogs turning in their heads.” | The audience for his music, he says, tends to be “young men from disadvantaged backgrounds”, the group most likely to be perpetrators and victims of violence. He himself grew up on Glasgow’s Pollok housing estate. “I’m under no illusions that somebody like me can solve this whole problem, but if I frame it in a language those young men understand, I can get the cogs turning in their heads.” |
| Anxious that Gaslight should not be seen as excusing domestic abuse or victim-blaming, McGarvey explains that he interviewed men who had hit partners and women who had been hit. He hopes that those hearing Gaslight will be less likely to act violently in future. | Anxious that Gaslight should not be seen as excusing domestic abuse or victim-blaming, McGarvey explains that he interviewed men who had hit partners and women who had been hit. He hopes that those hearing Gaslight will be less likely to act violently in future. |
| Reported incidents of domestic abuse in Scotland have risen by nearly a third over the last decade, though a proportion of that increase seems driven by a growing willingness of men to report that they have been victims, while murders are down. The issue is being tackled proactively in Scotland, where it is said to be a personal priority of the first minister Nicola Sturgeon. The Scottish government has so far protected core funding for domestic abuse services and, earlier this year, announced an additional £20m funding. However, the backdrop is local authority cuts impacting on specialist services. Organisations involved in tackling domestic abuse and addiction are waiting anxiously to see whether their grants will be cut in the Scottish government’s budget on 16 December. Last week’s spending review announced annual 3.9% cuts to public health spending between 2017 and 2020. | |
| McGarvey is anxious that charities aren’t left to pick up the pieces. “A lot of the best support is in the voluntary sector, whether that’s the third sector or groups that are self-supporting,” he says. “While that is to be encouraged, I think it would be dangerous if we started looking at the ‘big society’ model of leaving people to themselves. But I do feel that these groups do pick up a lot of the slack when things like mental health services and homeless services are cut.” | McGarvey is anxious that charities aren’t left to pick up the pieces. “A lot of the best support is in the voluntary sector, whether that’s the third sector or groups that are self-supporting,” he says. “While that is to be encouraged, I think it would be dangerous if we started looking at the ‘big society’ model of leaving people to themselves. But I do feel that these groups do pick up a lot of the slack when things like mental health services and homeless services are cut.” |
| If I frame the problem in a language those young men understand, I can get the cogs turning in their heads | If I frame the problem in a language those young men understand, I can get the cogs turning in their heads |
| A vocal supporter of Scottish independence during last year’s referendum campaign, McGarvey has been open about his own background of poverty, addiction and mental health problems. “My mother was a chronic alcoholic,” he says. “She ruled me with fear. I preferred violent outbursts to long periods of tension when I didn’t know what was going to happen. She had a cruel streak. I remember when I was a wee boy of five, I was refusing to go to my bed. There were people downstairs drinking, friends of hers, my aunties, uncles. She lost the plot. She ran into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, chased me up the stairs, knife to my throat. Then I saw her getting pulled from behind, by my dad, away from me, and I got picked up and taken away.” | A vocal supporter of Scottish independence during last year’s referendum campaign, McGarvey has been open about his own background of poverty, addiction and mental health problems. “My mother was a chronic alcoholic,” he says. “She ruled me with fear. I preferred violent outbursts to long periods of tension when I didn’t know what was going to happen. She had a cruel streak. I remember when I was a wee boy of five, I was refusing to go to my bed. There were people downstairs drinking, friends of hers, my aunties, uncles. She lost the plot. She ran into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, chased me up the stairs, knife to my throat. Then I saw her getting pulled from behind, by my dad, away from me, and I got picked up and taken away.” |
| His mother died, aged 36, from cirrhosis of the liver. McGarvey was 17. The violence he experienced at her hands has affected his adult relationships, “because I always perceived women as a threat. So while I have never been physically violent with women, I have an insight into the insecurities that drive that behaviour, because my female archetype was a constant source of pain and disappointment. I’ve been in one relationship where my partner was violent towards me regularly.” | His mother died, aged 36, from cirrhosis of the liver. McGarvey was 17. The violence he experienced at her hands has affected his adult relationships, “because I always perceived women as a threat. So while I have never been physically violent with women, I have an insight into the insecurities that drive that behaviour, because my female archetype was a constant source of pain and disappointment. I’ve been in one relationship where my partner was violent towards me regularly.” |
| What was that like? “Well, for me that was love. I measured love by how bad it made me feel.” | What was that like? “Well, for me that was love. I measured love by how bad it made me feel.” |
| McGarvey and his current partner are expecting their first child in March. Given his upbringing, how does he feel about becoming a parent? “It was something I was always afraid of,” he says. “I had a fear that I’m not going to emotionally connect with my kid.” However, a close relationship with his niece has reassured him that he can bond with and love his child. “As long as I’m sober and doing the things that I need to do.” | McGarvey and his current partner are expecting their first child in March. Given his upbringing, how does he feel about becoming a parent? “It was something I was always afraid of,” he says. “I had a fear that I’m not going to emotionally connect with my kid.” However, a close relationship with his niece has reassured him that he can bond with and love his child. “As long as I’m sober and doing the things that I need to do.” |
| He is a recovering alcoholic and addict. After two years of sobriety, he relapsed in January. “I had exhausted myself during the referendum campaign. It was such an ego trip, which is not good for an addict. You spend your whole life feeling that you’re shouting into a vacuum and suddenly people start caring about what you say. So you start skipping your [recovery] meetings, thinking you need to go and pursue this other thing that’s important, and you just get bent out of shape.” | He is a recovering alcoholic and addict. After two years of sobriety, he relapsed in January. “I had exhausted myself during the referendum campaign. It was such an ego trip, which is not good for an addict. You spend your whole life feeling that you’re shouting into a vacuum and suddenly people start caring about what you say. So you start skipping your [recovery] meetings, thinking you need to go and pursue this other thing that’s important, and you just get bent out of shape.” |
| The relapse had serious consequences. McGarvey posted a video online, threatening to harm an individual from his past with whom he had fallen out. He was charged and was sentenced to 112 hours of community service. On the day before this interview, as part of the sentence, he was working in a kitchen in a church cafe. “I deeply regret the whole thing,” he says. | The relapse had serious consequences. McGarvey posted a video online, threatening to harm an individual from his past with whom he had fallen out. He was charged and was sentenced to 112 hours of community service. On the day before this interview, as part of the sentence, he was working in a kitchen in a church cafe. “I deeply regret the whole thing,” he says. |
| He does not feel that this undermines his work for the VRU, saying that those the unit hopes to reach “are more likely to listen to someone who has done a few nights in the cells, someone who has stood in front of a judge, who has had a social worker, an addiction counsellor, who has been homeless, who has had a cognitive behaviour therapist, a neurolinguistic programmer, all these things. | He does not feel that this undermines his work for the VRU, saying that those the unit hopes to reach “are more likely to listen to someone who has done a few nights in the cells, someone who has stood in front of a judge, who has had a social worker, an addiction counsellor, who has been homeless, who has had a cognitive behaviour therapist, a neurolinguistic programmer, all these things. |
| “But regardless of all that, someone who is trying to make something of themselves and move beyond it all”. | “But regardless of all that, someone who is trying to make something of themselves and move beyond it all”. |
| McGarvey shrugs. “I’m just trying to make up for lost time.” | McGarvey shrugs. “I’m just trying to make up for lost time.” |
| Curriculum vitae | Curriculum vitae |
| Age 31. | Age 31. |
| Lives Glasgow. | Lives Glasgow. |
| Family Partner, child due in March. | Family Partner, child due in March. |
| Education Crookston Castle secondary school; HND in journalism at Glasgow Clyde College. | Education Crookston Castle secondary school; HND in journalism at Glasgow Clyde College. |
| Career Present: rapper-in-residence, Violence Reduction Unit; 2002-present: released 17 albums as a hip-hop artist; 2012: co-writer of the National Theatre of Scotland’s Jump; 2004-2006: presenter of documentaries and discussion programmes, BBC Radio Scotland; 2003: bingo caller; 2002: founder of Pipedream Productions drama group; 2001: kitchen porter. | Career Present: rapper-in-residence, Violence Reduction Unit; 2002-present: released 17 albums as a hip-hop artist; 2012: co-writer of the National Theatre of Scotland’s Jump; 2004-2006: presenter of documentaries and discussion programmes, BBC Radio Scotland; 2003: bingo caller; 2002: founder of Pipedream Productions drama group; 2001: kitchen porter. |
| Public life 2009: member of the Poverty Truth Commission and founder of Volition, a community arts organisation. | Public life 2009: member of the Poverty Truth Commission and founder of Volition, a community arts organisation. |
| Interests Music, politics, social media. | Interests Music, politics, social media. |
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