TORONTO – The video-sharing website World Star Hip Hop has fed headlines in Toronto recently for releasing videos depicting violent fights, sexual acts in public or other outrageous acts.
A search for “Toronto” on the New York-based website turns up a number of results – the majority featuring Toronto-area rap and hip-hop artists. But some of the videos feature fights and riots.
A video uploaded to the website, of two people having sex on the subway platform of the Dupont subway station, made headlines upon its release in December, 2011. Two people were charged as a result of the incident.
A young Brampton girl going on a racist rant made headlines as well after being posted online. Though it was originally posted on YouTube, it was swiftly taken down before being reposted on World Star Hip Hop.
Security camera footage from a TTC bus of a man allegedly shooting another man was also posted on the video sharing site.
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Most notably, another video showed an allegedly pregnant woman being assaulted by a group of young girls on Yonge St.
The group of girls became entangled in a verbal argument with the victim before assaulting her on the street while other looked on.
A subsequent police investigation revealed that the victim of the assault was not pregnant.
The most recent video, believed to have been recorded between Nov. 17 and Dec. 1, 2011, is titled “Real Or Fake? Cold-Hearted Thug Urinates On Sleeping Homeless Man In Downtown Toronto!”
The video shows a man urinating on a sleeping homeless man outside of the Eaton Centre while a group of people can be heard laughing off-camera. It is being treated as authentic by Toronto Police.
Though other videos on the website have been misleading, Toronto Police Detective Kirby Reddin said on Wednesday that at this point in the investigation, there is no reason to believe the video is a hoax.
“I think it’s disgusting,” Reddin said.
The videos do draw an audience though as World Star Hip Hop is a very popular website, according to Alexa.com.
According to Alexa.com, an online traffic measurement website, World Star Hip Hop is approximately the 458th most visited website in Canada, and the 233rd most visited website in the United States.
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