Between June 2024 and July 2025, JUSTICE and Professor Naomi Waltham-Smith (University of Oxford) convened a series of workshops examining how rap music is used as evidence in criminal prosecutions.

These sessions brought together community organisations, youth practitioners, creative professionals, legal experts, academics, and experts by experience.

The purpose of the workshops was to build a fuller picture of how and why musical evidence is currently introduced in court, the challenges this poses, and the broader cultural and social context in which young people create rap and other Black musical genres. The workshops also sought to complement ongoing advocacy by groups such as Art Not Evidence and to consider what kinds of expertise, guidance, or understanding might support fairer and more informed legal decision making regarding this type of evidence.

These workshops were generously funded by the Oxford Policy Engagement Network. The full insights paper, compiled by Professor Naomi Waltham-Smith and JUSTICE can be read here.

Key lessons

Across the programme of sessions - beginning with an initial panel in June 2024 and continuing through workshops in London and Manchester in 2025 - participants explored the role rap plays in young people’s lives. Discussions considered how creative expression can be shaped by experiences of marginalisation, and how stereotypes around particular genres can affect both music-making and the ways such music is interpreted in the criminal justice system. Sessions with legal professionals examined practical questions about how musical material is currently assessed, how context is evaluated, and what tools or expertise might support a more consistent approach to questions of relevance, probative value, and prejudicial impact.

The workshops helped identify a number of recurring themes and areas for further work. Participants noted that discussions around rap often sit within wider debates about youth culture, structural inequality, and the pressures facing young people. Legal practitioners, community organisations, and researchers alike pointed to the challenges of interpreting creative work without sufficient cultural or musical context.

Participants also reflected on the potential for more training, the need for clear but nuanced guidance, greater dialogue between practitioners, and the value of building an evidence base that better captures the experiences of young people and those who support them in their communities. Participants further highlighted the importance of understanding and challenging the broader patterns and narratives that shape how Black musical genres are received both inside and outside the courtroom.

Next steps

Building on the insights gained from these workshops, JUSTICE, alongside the University of Oxford and community-based organisation United Borders are embarking on a new project beginning in April 2026. This project - funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council - will work with young people in London to co-create creatives outputs exploring rap music’s role in the justice system and its importance for cultural participation. The project will develop these insights into interactive training for legal professionals to support deeper understanding of and more informed engagement with music as evidence.

For further information please contact esnell@justice.org.uk