Prosecuting Rap collective - fighting the use of rap lyrics in court

Rap videos and lyrics are increasingly being used as evidence in criminal trials in the UK - over 60 cases where “rap evidence” has been used in this way have been identified - presented by prosecutors as autobiographical confessions to crimes, threats of violence or proof of gang affiliation, rather than fictional or greatly exaggerated stories. Enter Prosecuting Rap: Criminal Justice and UK Black Youth Expressive Culture, a research project headed by Eithne Quinn, Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester, networked with other academics and legal professionals, serving as rap expert for the defense in trials, trying to differentiate the menacing musical persona in the song with the young person sitting in the dock. DJ Mag reports on the worthy collective.