Toronto Police Sergeant Links British Columbia and Ontario Gangs Through Rap Music Scene

In a briefing to Postmedia News, Toronto police Sergeant Andrew Hammond—head of the Organization for National Gang Information and Awareness—warned that criminal networks in British Columbia and Ontario are increasingly intertwined, a trend that has taken shape over the past six to eight years. "The shift toward a national and even international reach has been developing gradually," Hammond said.

Hammond traced the glue that has bound the two provinces: the rap music industry. He cited the Brothers Keepers gang of British Columbia and the Driftwood Crips of Toronto as key players. The link was forged in part through shared connections in the music scene, most notably Surrey resident Naseem Mohammed, who performed under the rap names Certi2x and Wlatt. Mohammed, 27, was killed in Surrey in January. Police have described him as a suspect, though not a charged person, in several killings in both B.C. and Ontario.

According to Hammond, Mohammed had a close relationship with Toronto rapper Pressa. Pressa’s father, Mark Gardner, is a convicted Driftwood Crips member found guilty of first‑degree murder. Gardner has lived in B.C. since being released on parole, a development that Hammond said helped deepen ties between gang members in the two provinces. In 2019, Mohammed travelled with Pressa on a tour stop in Russia.

Mohammed’s profile rose because of his association with Pressa and the established Driftwood Crips, coupled with a heavy presence on social media. He regularly posted drill‑style rap content alongside images of guns, cash and luxury items. Some of those posts appeared to touch on criminal activity, and Hammond noted that openly discussing alleged crimes online has become common among people connected to gangs.

The question of whether such posts or lyrics can be used as evidence in court has been contentious. In the 2023 trial of Toronto rapper Hassan Ali, known as Top 5, who had been charged in connection with a 2021 killing, a Crown prosecutor was unable to introduce Ali’s videos and social media posts. The Crown later stayed the charge in September 2024 after a judge ruled the material could not be used as evidence. By contrast, a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled in 2023 that song lyrics by Tyrel Nguyen—identified as a Brothers Keepers member—could be used as evidence in the killing of rival gang member Randy Kang, and Nguyen was convicted.

Hammond said getting lyrics or online posts accepted as courtroom evidence remains difficult, since prosecutors must show the material reflects an individual’s own actions rather than general commentary on crime in their surroundings.

Beyond the courtroom, Hammond highlighted a shift in the nature of gang violence. He noted that shootings are less often tied to direct retaliation and increasingly carried out as paid jobs. He pointed to a string of shootings in Toronto targeting the U.S. Embassy and several synagogues, saying those incidents involved gang members carrying out contracted work.

The connections that begin in the music industry can lead to broader business dealings between gangs in different provinces, with members moving between B.C. and Ontario. The growing national reach of these groups, coupled with the influence of the rap scene, presents new challenges for law enforcement and the justice system. At present, the situation remains fluid. The death of Mohammed and the ongoing court cases illustrate the complex interplay between street gangs, the music industry, and the legal system. Police and prosecutors continue to monitor cross‑provincial ties and the use of social media as a potential tool for both recruitment and evidence.