#118 Can gangsta rap break the law?

"I've reached the legal grey zone. | But in court I'll make it easy for myself. | Report me to the police and I'll open a bottle of champagne. | It's all covered by artistic freedom."

In this verse, rapper Danger Dan takes a satirical look at the fundamental right to artistic expression. Is there really a grey zone for artists to live in? Antonia Bruneder analyses this issue from a musicological and legal perspective. She discusses the limits of freedom of expression and artistic freedom using the example of gangsta rap, which often contains racist, misogynistic, violence-glorifying and homophobic lyrics. Musicians, however, do not fear the legal consequences of their expression: on the contrary, they consciously use the justice system as an element of their performance.

Dr.iur.
Antonia Bruneder BA

antonia.bruneder(at)uni-graz.at

+43 316 380 - 6708
Department of Public Law and Political Science
https://oeffentliches-recht.uni-graz.at/en
Artistic freedom and gangsta rap

Antonia Bruneder´s research focus is on the administrative and constitutional aspects of art law. Her dissertation, in which she takes a detailed look at the right of artistic freedom using the example of German-language gangsta rap, was published as a book by Verlag Österreich in 2023.