prismx-article-v1
uuid: 019e7527-369a-7d7c-9603-32e0d36cd0c6
locale: en
title: Normalization of crime by the Dutch public broadcaster
excerpt.title: Normalization of crime by the Dutch public broadcaster
excerpt.description:
| BNNVARA offers rappers a platform on its YouTube channel 101Barz. In these rap videos, the artists discuss criminal activities and violence. Moreover, insufficient effort is being made to protect underage viewers.
author: Hylke Hoogland-Domahidi
authored: 2026-07-18
content.article:
| "I hope the angels hear my prayers. And I thank God when we pull something from the wall again. I've long since lost trust in people. I swear I only trust firearms now. My nigga stabbed me in the back. But no stress, 'cause he knows one day I'll get him back. I took two paracetamol, I wasn't sick, nah I was blut. Only with money do I find my inner peace. My plug went inside for a bit. But no stress 'cause business keeps running outside. I had Sannie come from Su. Was that shit really intercepted or did my uncle run off with the loot? Shawty asks me: "Why you kiss with your eyes open?" A few men raced and it could be they're coming to smoke me. So I gotta be sharp at all times. Smile on my face, but I like to shoot just like Bergwijn."
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| This text is rapped by Dutch rapper Jordy Linton Samuel, known by his stage name Jordymone9, on 101Barz – a BNNVARA program on YouTube. While he raps the above lines in the first two minutes of his 'Winter Session'1 over a hard beat, he wears a police uniform and a balaclava.
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| In his text, he expresses his trust in firearms and his intention to take revenge on someone who "stabbed him in the back." He also discusses the possibility that a family member has stolen drugs or money. The uttering of these matters is not a crime. But doing so on a BNNVARA platform—a broadcaster within the NPO system—while wearing a balaclava and police uniform, is, to put it mildly, remarkable.
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blocks.4.title: Clothing and face covering
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| Because I had doubts about the legality of using the police uniform, I contacted the police on June 4th. The coordinator of the communication team of the Central Netherlands Police Unit informed me that a notification declaration was issued on January 15, 2021, for the use of the operational police uniform in this media production. The rapper’s manager submitted the following text with the application: "Many young people in Amsterdam have a limited view of what they can become in the future. Or even more strongly, they have an aversion to working. What is frequently mentioned in Southeast Amsterdam is that young people want to become artists, professional footballers, or simply millionaires, but upon further questioning, it turns out that the strong willingness to work for this is often lacking. Through images and sounds that appeal to the younger target audience, we wish to build a bridge between young people and work. In this segment, which lasts approximately 5 to 10 minutes, young people see various professions within the framework of 101 Barz, such as someone who provides a platform for talent, police, a delivery person, or a self-employed professional." The police state that the description in the permission request does not correspond to how the uniform was actually used. On June 23, they initiated an internal procedure through legal affairs to revoke the notification declaration because it was requested under false pretenses. To date, this has had no effect; the video remains online without changes.
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| The aforementioned rap session is one of many in which the rappers wear face-covering clothing.
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blocks.6.title: Kijkwijzer
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| Since November 9, 2018, a Kijkwijzer rating has been displayed at the beginning of the studio sessions. Through June 26, 2026, the rating for every video has been "All ages" and "Coarse language". This rating was also shown, for example, in a video2 in which the following lines are spoken:
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| In my nose there's powder, powder
| Red Bull and an ashtray
| You do skincare, I do cancer
| Fucking mothers is fun, and fuck your mother to get her pregnant
| I give your kids this shit
| It's shit, shit
| You give your kids food and drink that gives you cancer
| I have nothing in my ass
| I draw my dick on your table
| A loser is what your wife sees
| Cancer stone, infected, burn down the tent
| You make fag tunes for the money, right
| Kick your skull until it splits
| I cut your brakes, I hope you hit a barrier
| Lick your wife's cake and spray whipped cream on it
| Through my headphones I hear cancer-hard ear AIDS
| Ear AIDS, ear AIDS, for your music you need AIDS inhibitors
| As if a zero-positive fucked your ear canal and came on your eardrum
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| It seemed to me like an inappropriate rating. The above texts are unmistakably unsuitable for children. I asked NICAM to review the video and make a judgment. They did so promptly. They concluded that a re-evaluation should take place by BNNVARA. BNNVARA subsequently did this at NICAM's request. The new rating is "14 years", "violence", and "coarse language". However, the new rating is currently not displayed with the video because BNNVARA is trying to prevent the video from having to be taken offline and re-uploaded. They have blurred the old rating. I then asked NICAM whether an agreement had been made with BNNVARA that they would now proactively and retroactively re-evaluate the already published videos and provide them with the correct rating. NICAM responded that all other videos also have BNNVARA's attention and that NICAM will continue to monitor it.
|
| The rap sessions published by 101Barz after June 26, 2026 have the Kijkwijzer rating "16 years" and "coarse language". All rap sessions (with the exception of the aforementioned rap session where the classification is blurred) published between November 9, 2018 and June 26, 2026 still have the rating "All ages", from which it can logically be assumed that this is incorrect for the majority. Given that the videos after June 26 have the Kijkwijzer rating "16 years", we can assume that at least some of the videos between November 9, 2018 and June 26, 2026 should also have had that rating. Article 151e of the Penal Code reads as follows: "Anyone who provides, offers, or displays to a person under the age of sixteen a visual depiction as referred to in Article 239, third paragraph, or an object whose display is considered harmful to persons under the age of sixteen, shall be punished with imprisonment of at most one year or a fine of the fourth category." It can be very plausibly argued that there is currently a violation of Article 151e at 101Barz.
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blocks.10.title: Values of BNNVARA
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| In BNNVARA's social annual report, they describe their social role and mission as follows: "BNNVARA is an independent, idealistic media organization that advocates for an open, equal, and just society. BNNVARA envisions a world with equal opportunities for everyone. A sustainable, inclusive society in which everyone shares in prosperity and joy, with curiosity about others and mutual understanding. BNNVARA is a movement of media makers with a clear, progressive profile that makes a significant contribution to equal opportunity." Below are some statements made in the videos of 101Barz, in order to assess whether the channel fits within BNNVARA's social role and mission.
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blocks.12.title: Some examples of statements from rap sessions
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| I have written down the statements as I understood them. Sometimes street language is used that I don't know or is hard to understand. There may be small errors in the texts below. However, the essence and content are clear.
|
| GP Uit G | Studio session 4924 | Whoever moves first is a faggot. [...] Sick robbery. I'm not calling. Let them do their thing. Not my business. [...] I want to work with Bolle Jos. [...] Half of my friends have more than a ton. [...] No money, you have to go rob. [...] I was on a ram-raid. [...] When they come, aim for the heads. [...] I pay for her eyelashes and nails. Why? She's my bitch. [...] Make her soaking wet, swimming pool.
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| BNT | Winter session 20265 | But meanwhile my boys are on TV again. Let me rake and disappear, that's the vision. I was already driving the newest R while I didn't have a dime. [...] The neighborhood cop, when he sees me, he'll arrest me. [...] Sledgehammer, breaking in. Getting gold. I've heard those guys talk to the cops about it. If it works, I'll put all my money in construction sites. [...] My boy drives loaded on those German roads and at every signal he floors it. Deeper into the curve. What do you know about living on the edge? Money in my pocket. No need to ask if I can borrow. I see fucking many rappers. Who the fuck is next? And I see fucking many fakers. Who the fuck is real? I want that Richard with the blue band and that BNT car crazy. So tell those faggots. Who the fuck is next? [...] Stilo things on his hip. If you test, he'll shoot right at your face. [...] We're confident because there are guns. Push coke full-time, I rap part-time.
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| Qlas | Winter session 20266 | Followed by police but I don't stop, bro we're trapping him like a toastie, my bandana tied like a bathrobe. [...] Stopped by undercover, where are we gonna hide this. [...] Please don't make a fuss, I got niggas behind bars, they're doing years in there, but they don't want to anymore, I'm with the burglars, scammers. [...] Search warrants at the places where we registered. [...] Driving through your town in an AMG with a bitch with fake nose and lips.
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| Jack | Studio session 4867 | Fucking Disney head that's spinning. I'm driving drunk on the roundabout. G-Wagon with the steering wheel on the right. 50 whores here. But think about her legs after an hour. [...] She wants to talk about feelings, I just want to eat pussy. [...] Let a sweetie watch, then I push my thumb in her ass again.
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| Rockywhereyoubeen | Winter session 20268 | Can you come to my side, come on LK white G63 with German plates. Biscotti 33 when my loot is purple. My boy blows it up while I exhale. [..] If it's not about money, I don't give a fuck cousin. Shoutout to the fucked-up neighborhood man. [...] My new thing from '24 always fucking stinks. So I call Caroline, put the homie in the mix. We make a lot of money but never with the bitch. I said we make a lot of money but never with the bitch. It's the big dick bastard Mister Honeyman. Young piggies want babies from me. [...] Men shoot to Luigi Kalashnikov beats. [...] My nigger is mad, he's cheese like Hitler, don't talk about balloon, nigger is a shooter, make batty boy. [...] Car is stolen, used, and then burned down. No traces, no eyes and no ears.
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| DODO | Winter session 20269 | And you better watch your sister before she spreads her legs. And you better watch your brother before those men give it to him. (gunshot sounds) [...] Cartel at 101, bring your sirens. [...] Bullets in your thigh muscles. Working here with green. You'll think we're gardening. [...] My boys will kick you off or climb through your window. You're heartily welcome. You'll get it right through your calf. [...] We're looking for loot. Those bullets fly through your store or your door gets kicked in. [...] Five young boys have to knock on the corpse for years. Officer thinks I'm going to talk. He can write it on his stomach. I'm with thieves and dealers and I'm still my gear. [...] I'm not using my fists anymore. I'm pulling a fucking long pipe. He's not going to make it, that's a fact. [...] I have 1 million in purple. That little one doesn't need to save anymore. She had 30 around her wrist and she wasn't even a year old. Now two apartments and she's only 16 months old. [...] You need to watch your sister. She's going out again on Friday. [...] The job is done, throw that whole car in the fire.
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| EZG | Studio session 46810 | EZG is on a mission, balaclava on my face. Tile from the ground, flies around like frisbees. Not afraid of batons, not of uncle cop. Those fuckers in blue don't see my face. [...] Coked up and I'm not passing, no face no case so not for manslaughter behind bars. In black, no balaclava but balaclava. No thick fines in the mailbox because of balaclava. Use your head and wear a balaclava. [...] You can hit me in cuffs but not prosecute me. As long as you don't run away, you haven't lost. Even on the bus we can't be stopped. We make the cops crazy, see a song for them. [...] Box cutter in my pocket because I grind often. Barriers through the window, that's a ram-raid. [...] I have one gram of sauce in my socks for later, the other is buried in my nose. Hands cuffed, I smash my head against the windows. [...] 0.5 is for personal use, I can't help it that you haven't achieved anything and your wife doesn't suck you off. [...] Fuck you what fuck you what fuck you, if your father had just worn a condom then you wouldn't be here now, then you wouldn't get all this shit from me on your plate. You're a walking miscarriage. I'm going to punch you in the face. [...] I'll knock your teeth through your lip, stick my phallus in your chick.
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blocks.14.title: Disclaimer at the beginning of the videos
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| Since November 9, 2018, a disclaimer has been displayed at the start of 101Barz rap sessions. The disclaimer reads: "The artists in the studio sessions use their cultural expression and artistic freedom during recordings. The artists' lyrics are uncensored and thus provide insight into their worldview. The artist's opinion is not the opinion of BNNVARA and 101Barz. The texts and/or images may be experienced as shocking by some." In this disclaimer, BNNVARA acknowledges that the texts and/or images can be experienced as shocking. This makes it particularly egregious that no YouTube age restriction has been applied to any video and that all videos display the Kijkwijzer rating "All ages". Furthermore, the rappers do not merely provide insight into their worldview. That worldview sometimes becomes reality, as in the case of the stabbing in Scheveningen where a 19-year-old boy died.11 After the stabbing, 101Barz removed at least 2 videos of drill rap groups involved in the incident.12 Additionally, 101Barz conducted an interview with rapper MHD, who was involved in a murder two years later.13 The article remains online unchanged on BNNVARA's website despite the conviction.14 Rapper Bigidagoe has been a guest multiple times on 101Barz rap sessions. He was once arrested for kidnapping.15 The Public Prosecution Service demanded 4 years in prison against him.16 Bigidagoe was shot twice, with the second time being fatal.17/18 Two videos are still online.19/20 One video appears to have been removed by 101Barz, after which a viewer re-uploaded it.21 Rapper JoeyAK was convicted of kidnapping a woman and two young children, after which he assaulted and robbed the woman.22 He has been a guest multiple times at 101Barz. Several of his rap sessions are still online.23/24/25 Finally, 101Barz provided a platform to Delano G, who later shot Peter R. de Vries.26
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blocks.16.title: Audience
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| To gain insight into the channel's audience, I asked BNNVARA to share the data on age distribution from the YouTube dashboard. Below are the shared data.
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| The spokesperson for BNNVARA shared important additional information: "It is important to add a caveat to these figures. The age data is based on the demographic information that YouTube provides for users who are logged into Google/YouTube. YouTube does not disclose what proportion of all viewers this concerns. Therefore, these figures probably provide a reasonable indication of the audience composition, but they do not constitute a complete or exact representation of all viewers of the channel. In particular, the youngest age groups may be underrepresented, for example, because they more often watch without being logged in or use an account of a parent or guardian."
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| The following Instagram video of the channel's presenter, Angelo Diop, shows that 101Barz is aware there are many underage viewers. In the video, the presenter addresses underage viewers with 'motherfuckers'. Incidentally, Angelo Diop has received a royal distinction for his work for 101Barz.27 He received this for 'his contribution to Dutch society' and 'the coaching and guiding of young hip-hop talent and the support he provides to young people who are struggling in society'.
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blocks.22.title: Subversive crime
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| I would like to refer to a conversation that took place on Buitenhof on May 31, 2026 with Minister David van Weel.28 The statements by Minister van Weel are underlined.
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| "There are neighborhoods in the Netherlands where I walk; they are not no-go areas, not at all. You can still walk around there just fine. But you do feel that there is a completely alternative economy. That social housing is being abused on a large scale. That people grow up there who see that the drug dealer, while living in social housing, knows he's the neighborhood drug dealer and cannot be caught, and meanwhile drives through the neighborhood in a gold Tesla. If you grow up there, you have a different expectation of life than in other places.
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| So in the report, you essentially also say, yes, stronger social structures are actually desirable.
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| Certainly.
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| That is indeed a remarkable message for a VVD member who is generally not in favor of a larger government.
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| Well, it's not about a larger government for me, but it is about social cohesion and punishing the abuse of our system.
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| So it's not just about the fight against drugs or the fight against criminals, but also perhaps about making it less attractive.
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| Yes."
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| Following these statements, I sought contact with the spokesperson for Minister van Weel, who handles the approach to organized and subversive crime. I presented the following three observations:
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| The public broadcaster, and thereby in the eyes of many, the government, not only allows the glorification of violence and bragging about earnings from criminal activities: they proactively give it a platform. This normalizes crime and violence.
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| The rappers, who will be role models for some viewers, regularly share information about their criminal behavior but walk around freely. This gives the impression that there are no consequences for choosing the path of crime.
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| The police are being ridiculed. BNNVARA (confirmed by the police) obtained a permission declaration under false pretenses for the use of an operational police uniform. Subsequently, this uniform was used to rap about firearms while wearing a balaclava. This video with 6 million views is currently still online on BNNVARA's channel. It is known that a certain group of young people have contempt for the police; this doesn't help with that.
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| Subsequently, I posed the following question: Minister van Weel, in light of the above matters, I wonder if the government is shooting itself in the foot. Doesn't reducing the appeal of organized crime for youth begin with stopping the public broadcaster from actively promoting the profitability and impunity of criminal activities?
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| The spokesperson has only responded that they advise to direct the question to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science because they handle the public broadcaster. This response shows that the Ministry of Justice and Security has a blind spot regarding the role of media in influencing youth. Minister van Weel has the opportunity to bring this topic up in the Council of Ministers with his colleagues. His objectives are being actively undermined by another branch of government.
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blocks.24.title: Conclusion
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| All parties involved are failing.
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| BNNVARA puts media productions online that reach a large, young audience. These productions have incorrect Kijkwijzer ratings, consistently glorify and normalize the criminal path, have no YouTube age restrictions despite minors watching, and use the legally protected police uniform under false pretenses. Furthermore, the texts in the videos consistently do not align with BNNVARA's goals as outlined in its policy plan and social mission. One cannot hide behind artistic freedom here. This is not about a one-time artistic production or documentary where BNNVARA wants to show viewers the worldview of a particular part of society. This is about regular publications, for 20 years, with a total of more than 1 billion views, where a large part of the viewers are young and impressionable.
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| NICAM has the legal task to monitor the application of Kijkwijzer ratings, which also applies to online productions with more than 500,000 subscribers. It appears that NICAM has not checked even once whether 101Barz correctly assigns and displays the rating for all studio sessions between November 9, 2018 and June 26, 2026. This concerns videos with a total of tens of millions of views that are massively viewed by minors.
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| The police appear not to have checked in the case of Jordemone9's rap session whether the description in the notification declaration matches the final production. And after it became known that it was requested under false pretenses, they have to date made insufficient effort to revoke the notification declaration. 6 million young people have seen how, on a channel of the public broadcaster, the police are being ridiculed. It is plausible that this has contributed to the growth of contempt that a certain part of society has for the police.
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| Minister David van Weel publicly states that he wants to work on making crime less attractive. However, at a time when there are countless videos on a channel of the public broadcaster where people confess to criminal activities and this unfiltered reaches minors, and he does not engage in conversation with the responsible organizations, it cannot be said that he is actually trying to achieve these objectives.
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blocks.26.title: Right to be heard, right of reply, and accountability
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| The management of the channel's presenter (Angelo Diop) was asked in writing for a response on July 1st. I have not received a response.
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| NICAM has invited me to visit the office to see exactly how the systems work. Unfortunately, I was not able to accept the invitation because I do not live in the Netherlands.
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