Trenton's homicide rate is more than twice that of other major American cities such as Philadelphia and even Chicago, according to some statistics.
These days, B. DeVinchi is composing songs in the key of grief.
DeVinchi's young cousin, Tiara Green, was gunned down three years ago at the age of 19. Another cousin and fellow hip-hop artist Jafar Lewis was fatally shot three months later.
Then last month came another blow: His uncle, Elliot "June" Green - Tiara's father and the man who encouraged DeVinchi to put his musical talent to use - died from gunshot wounds after a game of dice went horribly wrong.
Now DeVinchi wants to turn his family's pain into a message of hope, tapping into the power of music to convey a simple message: Enough bloodshed. Enough.
His first step in that direction will involve performing June 18-19 at this year's Art All Night, Trenton's decade-long celebration of the visual and performing arts.
Two of DeVinchi's pieces at the festival will be dedicated to the members of his extended family who have died in the recent past.
Trenton musician wants to stop violence
"Make It Happen" talks about the horror of losing first one cousin and then another, tragedies that left deep scars on his soul.
"To see my little cousin pass away in that fashion, you know, it scared me," the musician told Anna Merriman of NJ Advance Media. "It scared me."
Then there is "World on My Shoulders," which expresses his desire to see a decrease in the violent crime that has his city in its grip.
According to some statistics, Trenton's homicide rate is more than twice that of other major American cities such as Philadelphia and even Chicago. That's a distinction we're not likely to brag about, thank you.
Much good can come out of DeVinchi's campaign. Dispassionately reading about the murder of a stranger in the newspaper is one thing - hearing an artist up close and personal sing of his heartbreak is quite another.
Can music change a culture?
Studies have shown that lyrics set a mood and create an atmosphere among listeners, for good or for bad. Certainly, many people worry that songs glorifying sex, violence, firearms and drugs create the wrong type of atmosphere, particularly among young people glued all day to their electronic devices.
We hope DeVinchi's words at next month's Art All Night performance can carry a strong enough visceral impact to convince the next would-be felon to put down the gun - or better yet, not to pick it up in the first place.