Prison and the Law in Modern American and British Popular Music

Abstract

From politics to commerce, the influence of music on behaviour is acknowledged. Whether it is calypso music which for centuries has been used in the Caribbean to provide sociopolitical commentary, or the Hungarian folk music that promoted liberal communism in the late Cold War era, the importance and impact of contemporary music are evident. Likewise in the United States, the blues music of the 1920s and 1930s graphically and authentically narrated the harsh reality of the lives of its singers and outed its effects. In particular, it addressed the experiences of conflict with the justice system and incarceration through the eyes and voices of its creators. It seems reasonable, therefore, to expect that American and British rock and pop music would similarly have provided a candid narrative on contemporary social issues over the last 60 years. In particular one would assume that it would have reflected in a straightforward way on the engagement of its proponents with the justice system. Rock music is often referred to as “blues with a backbeat”. However, when it comes to the lyrics of modern popular American and British music of the last 60 years, the direct challenge of those directly affected by conviction and punishment appears be sanitised. Even when addressing the issues of crime and imprisonment, commercial acceptability seems to trump authentic reportage and heartfelt protest. In contrast, the themes of oppression, poverty and violence that blues musicians shared in their songs find themselves front and centre in hiphop. A brief overview of the field suggests that unlike pop and rock performers who put the cynical targeting of commercial opportunities before personal integrity, hiphop like the blues before it, is context driven ‘freedom music’. The distinction and reasons are worth exploring.