January 2022
Dr Abenaa Owusu-Bempah’s work on the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials was recently cited in an article in The Week discussing the proposed US “Rap Music on Trial” legislation, Senate Bill S7527, which would protect artists and content creators “from having their lyrics wielded against them by prosecutors”.
January 2021
Dr Abenaa Owusu-Bempah’s work on the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials has been featured in a BBC News report, ‘Drill and rap music on trial’. She is quoted as saying, we should be "seriously concerned about what's happening in our courtrooms" and that "police, prosecutors and courts do not acknowledge or appreciate the artistic value of rap music". Abenaa was also interviewed about her work for a feature in DJ Mag. She has been conducting an exploratory study of appeal cases in which rap lyrics and videos were used as evidence at trial or treated as an aggravating factor at sentencing. You can read about some of her initial findings here.