![]() ![]() Keir Monteith KC argued in the academic journal Popular Music that rap and drill lyrics should be banned in the courtroom. The University of Manchester’s work reveals that the cases where rap is used in evidence involve young men (almost half of the trials featured defendants yet to turn 18) prosecutors relying on a gang narrative to shape their case, an approach often involving controversial joint enterprise laws and instances of “bad character application”, when prosecutors introduce evidence of previous offences or, more vaguely, of a “disposition towards misconduct”. The human rights charity Justice has with very good reason described this as “no more than the prosecution calling itself to give evidence”. The research reveals a pattern in which police officers are put forward by prosecutors to act as rap “experts” in court, advising juries what the rapper “really” means in lyrics, what hand gestures signify and what denotes gang membership. Yet Crown Prosecution Service guidelines state that “gangs are increasingly using drill music and social media to promote gang culture, glamorise the gang lifestyle and the use of weapons”. Rap, grime and drill artists regularly win critical acclaim and top the charts. ![]() While the music and videos may not be the only evidence, there is often alarmingly little other evidence against some defendants. ![]()
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