British rapper Giggs has lent his voice to the Art Not Evidence campaign, calling for a restriction on the use of rap lyrics in criminal trials. He claims lyrics are often used as evidence to prosecute defendants, despite being exaggerations or fiction. Over 240 people in the UK have been jailed after a court decision that was in part based on their involvement with rap music, according to a Guardian report. Giggs took to Instagram to share his experience with authorities and his lyrics being used against him in court, citing his 2011 track Wolf as one reason he was sent to court in 2012.
The Art Not Evidence campaign has received support from other publicly known figures such as IDLES and Annie Mac. Recently, campaigners shared their concerns against the criminalisation of rap lyrics in the House of Commons. Keir Monteith KC, a barrister who has defended numerous young men in rap trials where lyrics are used as evidence, said young black men are often indicted due to joint enterprise laws, even if they haven’t murdered the victim themselves.
Lawyers have claimed that arguing that joint enterprise has been used unjustly against young people for generations, particularly those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Rappers often find themselves as part of this system of joint enterprise, which lay at the centre of high-profile cases over the past few years. This occurs when artists are seen as promoting a “gangster” lifestyle, or are associated with a group of people who street violence has been perpetrated by.
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