Policing the beats
Black music, racism and criminal injustice
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Manchester University Press
Published:3rd Mar '26
Should be back in stock very soon
A bold analysis that exposes the racist policing of Black music.
The emergence of UK drill music made headline news, portraying it as a criminal enterprise instead of recognising it as an art form. This new rap subgenre, however, is neither the first nor the only Black music to be targeted this way.
Policing the beats rewinds the tape to demonstrate how music has been used as an instrument for policing Black people, from the era of colonial slavery to the present day, revealing the racist legal processes that make crimes out of rhymes.
This original and readable book offers the first in-depth account of the policing of Black music in Britain, highlighting the relationship between politics, culture and criminal (in)justice and inviting music lovers, scholars and activists to tune in.
'What a journey this is! This book has empowered me by informing me about an important history that I'm connected to, from my experience of having my lyrics used against me to the work that I do with young people.'
Roachee, Roll Deep
‘Placing sounds, songs and beats in the midst of the structures of empire, Lambros Fatsis reads Black music and music-making as radical resources – modes of learning and knowing that hold in them rhythmic, sonic and rumbling resistance practices. Policing the beats is an essential text for music lovers and music makers.’
Katherine McKittrick, author of Dear Science and Other Stories
ISBN: 9781526171412
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 21mm
Weight: 292g
328 pages