A recent study conducted by University of Manchester researchers has revealed a surprising phenomenon in England and Wales: rap and drill music is being used as prosecution evidence in serious criminal cases.
Over a span of three years, 68 cases were examined where lyrics from these genres were presented as evidence against 252 defendants, including those facing charges of gang-related murder.
Despite facing growing criticism, there remains minimal regulation or oversight regarding the use of rap as evidence in criminal proceedings
According to a statement from the University of Manchester, rap lyrics and music videos are frequently employed as evidence by prosecutors in criminal cases involving youth violence in England and Wales.
Typically, the content selected by the prosecution depicts violent themes, often drawn from the popular ‘drill’ rap genre, and is created either by the defendants themselves or by their associates. This practice is highly contentious due to concerns about the reliability of rap as evidence and the potential for unfair prejudice.
Despite facing growing criticism, there remains minimal regulation or oversight regarding the use of rap as evidence in criminal proceedings.
It continues to be used to build ‘gang-related’ prosecutions under highly contentious secondary liability laws.
These ‘gang’ designations, which some law enforcement officials have denounced as imprecise and racially biased, are frequently supported by rap music evidence, particularly in the context of expansive ‘Joint Enterprise’ trials where multiple individuals are charged for a single offense.
Eithne Quinn, Erica Kane, and Will Pritchard, the researchers behind the study, argue that their findings reveal troubling patterns of ‘compounding injustice’ that heighten the risk of wrongful convictions for serious offenses. Professor Eithne Quinn remarked, “Our discoveries are deeply disconcerting and indicate that the utilization of rap evidence in criminal cases may incentivize law enforcement and prosecutors to further expand the application of already controversial secondary liability laws.”