Leading DJs from the world of illegal broadcasting will compromise their anonymity today to take a stand against gun and knife crime.

The operators of more than 20 British pirate stations will present a united front at the launch of the Don’t Trigger Campaign in South London, alongside parents and community leaders.

There are more than 150 illegal stations across Britain. The communities worst afflicted by gang murders are often those that resound to the pounding hardcore hip-hop, reggae and “grime” transmitted by pirate radio stations. Many are said to be run by criminal gangs who use them as a front to sell drugs. Police raids have found drugs, guns and ammunition among piles of CDs.

Seventeen teenagers have been killed with guns or knives in London this year and pleas from politicians, sports stars and other role models to stop the violence have fallen on deaf ears.

Pirate DJs have been involved in the world of gangs and drug dealers when coded text messages are read over the airwaves. But they see themselves as social entrepreneurs, who have an influence over communities that authority figures lack.

Raymond Stevenson, the chairman of Urban Concepts, the organiser of the event, said: “We realise the power these stations hold in getting a message to the youth of this country. Some of our young people listen to what these DJs have to say more so than their parents and they have a listening audience of millions.”

The operators face prosecution if their identities are revealed. But the event will be attended by representatives of popular stations such as Sting in Birmingham and Extreme Radio of North London. Special K, a DJ at Whoa! FM, which broadcasts soul and R&B to southeast London, said: “We want to provide positive role models because no one in this world wants to talk about what is going on. The parents don’t know what their kids get up to when they walk out of the front door.”

An Ofcom survey found that nearly one in six adults in Greater London regularly listens to pirate radio, and the figure rises to one in four in the boroughs of Hackney, Haringey and Lambeth.

The DJ denied that pirate stations are involved in criminality. Whoa! broadcasts anti-gun-crime advertisements and would prefer to broadcast legitimately with a community licence rather than operate under the threat of transmitter and equipment seizures. If pirates are prosecuted, they can also receive an unlimited fine and two years in jail.

Police will not attend the event but are supporting the campaign, which is backed by the Home Office, the Greater London Authority and Mothers Against Guns. Police have helped to create anti-gun-crime adverts especially for pirate stations. Artists on the pirate scene have recorded an anti-gun-crime album to be sold on iTunes, with all profits going to community projects.

Ofcom operates a community radio licensing scheme and awarded 107 local licences last year. Mainstream radio stations accuse pirates of interfering with FM signals, to the annoyance of listeners and emergency services. Special K said that pirates were catering for music fans whose tastes are ignored by official stations.

The ten to watch

The Music of Black Origin (Mobo) organisation has today published a list of ten “hip-hop role models”, below, whose music and behaviour it believes is a good influence.

Ms Dynamite The Mobo and Mercury Music Prize-winning rapper is a vocal campaigner against gun violence

Sway The Muslim British rapper built street cred through distributing his mixtapes and pirate radio support

Akala The younger brother of Ms Dynamite condemns the superficial state of the music industry

Estelle This respected British female MC/singer runs her own label

Jonzi D The MC/poet is the curator and host of Breakin’ Convention, an international hip-hop dance festival

Jay-Z This rapper, who is the president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, has built a £200 million empire

Common A US rapper whose songs focus on spirituality, poverty and other socially aware issues

Kanye West This record producer and rapper, a born-again Christian, has won six Grammy awards

K’naan The Somali poet and hip-hop artist is an advocate for an end to the bloodshed in his homeland

Lupe Fiasco This Grammy-nominated rapper is open about his Islamic faith

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