Dr Lambros Fatsis hosts the event “Art Not Evidence: All Angles”, bringing together experts from diverse fields to discuss why the use of drill lyrics in court is part of the suppression of Black music.
By Eve Lacroix (Senior Communications Officer), Published
“Rap music is one of many creations that emerged from the Black community,” says youth worker David Likinyo. “Using rap lyrics to prosecute artists is unjust – it’s censoring individuals for their identity.”
David was one of six speakers at the panel event “Art Not Evidence: All Angles”, hosted by Dr Lambros Fatsis, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at City, University of London.
Dr Lambros’s research explores the history of police racism, and the criminalisation of Black and Afrodiasporic music from the colonial era to the present day.
Drill is a subgenre of rap music which has sonic similarities to trap music and lyrical similarities to gangster rap.
During the event, an audience of 90 heard from six panellists about the racist underpinnings behind the use of drill lyrics as evidence in court cases. The speakers argued that this is part of the suppression of Black music.
The speakers were:
- Dr Yusef Bakkali, Fellow at The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre
- Anefiok Ekpoudom, Author of 'Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain'
- Angela Francis, Barrister, Senior Lecturer at The City Law School
- Cecilia Goodwin, Solicitor Advocate at Winley Ford Solicitors
- David Likinyo (stage name “DALI”), Artist & Youth Worker at Art Against Knives
- Ife Thompson, Barrister at Garden Court Chamber & Founder of BLAM UK.
Criminal behaviour orders (CBOs) infringe on human rights
Speaker Cecilia Goodwin is a Partner at the law firm Winley Ford Solicitors. She represents drill artist Digga D and recently featured on the BBC Three documentary “Defending Digga D”.
Digga D is under a criminal behaviour order (CBO) with terms that are so vast that he has spent repeated stints in prison.
His terms include who he can associate with, where he is allowed to go, and he is required to submit his lyrics to the courts for review. If considered to be in breach, he can be immediately arrested.
Cecillia says:
Recognising Black British English as a language
Fellow speaker Ife Thompson is a Barrister at Garden Court Chamber and the Founder of BLAM UK (an organisation aimed at Black learning achievement and mental health support).
An advocate for the recognition of Black British English (BBE) as a language, she believes the sociolinguistic element of the conversation is often overlooked. She says:
Crumbling youth spaces and art as therapy
Youth worker David is also known under the stage name DALI.
He works with Art Against Knives, an organisation which provides creative safe spaces like nail bars and music studios for young people to spend time in, with the end goal of preventing them from becoming victims of or perpetrators of violent crime.
He believes allowing young people to express themselves creatively – including by making drill music – is empowering. He reminded the audience that rap is a form of storytelling.
“Rap music is a testament to the Black community’s creativity, and our ability to turn adversity into art,” he says. “We continue to fight for our minds.”
Youth spaces, like the one he works at, allow children a safe space to express themselves. These spaces have seen their budgets cut by the government by 50 percent in the past ten years, making it harder for social workers to support underserved communities.
Art not evidence
Event curator Dr Fatsis is a core member of the organisation Art Not Evidence, which is campaigning against the use of rap (and primarily drill) music lyrics in court.
Discussing the event, he says:
For more information, please visit Art Not Evidence, where you can also find FAQs with links to relevant research on this topic.
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