The Metropolitan Police have defended the use of drill music lyrics as evidence in criminal cases, following a campaign to change the law to restrict their use. The defence comes after drill rap videos and lyrics were used in recent murder trials, with police alleging some of the music shows rappers boasting about real-life violent behaviour.
Drill lyrics used in 252 cases between 2020 and 2023
A report by the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity said drill rap lyrics were used as evidence against 252 defendants between 2020 and 2023. Campaign group Art Not Evidence, which includes lawyers and academics, is lobbying the Government to change the law to create an assumption that "creative expression" is not admissible evidence.
Detective Sergeant Matt Corbin, who gives evidence in court as a police drill music expert, said: "It's really important that we can continue to use this material. There are people out there who unfortunately have committed horrendous and atrocious acts of violence, we want to be able to use that material to secure convictions. Ultimately, the message is you chose to reveal true criminal information within your music, then we will use it."
Art Not Evidence raises racial disparity and chilling effect concerns
Art Not Evidence said drill lyrics are being used in cases to show "gang aesthetics" which are "taken at face value and misinterpreted" by those with "a lack of knowledge of the culture of the genre". The group said the use of lyrics to gain convictions for young black people contributes to existing racial disparities in the criminal justice system and creates a "chilling effect" for freedom of expression.
Det Sgt Corbin said young people are driven to reveal true or criminal information in songs to gain status. The officer acknowledged the debate around "artistic expression", saying "we don't want to demonise any particular genre of music" and that drill lyrics must not be "overused".
Victim's mother backs use of lyrics in court
Valentina Locci, whose 15-year-old son Leonardo Reid was killed in Islington, North London, by gang members, said it was right that drill lyrics had been used to bring the killers to justice. She said lyrics about someone's death were "the most horrifying thing" for a member of a family to hear.
Ms Locci said: "If it's OK for you to write about a dead person then it should be OK for us to use them in court to help bring justice."
A spokesperson for Art Not Evidence said: "We welcome the Metropolitan Police recognising that particular care and safeguards are needed when rap, including drill, is put before juries. However, the question is whether the safeguards currently in place are sufficient. Experience has shown that creative expression is still used in ways that invite prejudicial assumptions about criminality or gang membership, despite having limited or no relevance to the offence being tried. This is why Art Not Evidence is campaigning for clear statutory safeguards... so that creative expression is only admitted when it is genuinely relevant, reliable and not unduly prejudicial."
