Meet Francis Osei-Appiah, expert in Street Based Urban Street Slang Language and Drill Rap Music

Francis’ first foray into the Expert Witness world was when Kent Police asked him to translate street slang in a murder trial. Now, he has a multifaceted career as an expert advisor, external gangs & county lines trainer for Kent Police, deputy safeguarding lead and social entrepreneur, working closely with schools to educate and transform the lives of vulnerable young people at risk of offending or reoffending. Here, he explains why his lived experience is key to his work and how being an Expert Witness helps him give back to society.    

I grew up on North London’s Broadwater Farm estate and I was a product of my environment. I joined a gang, became a drug dealer, and went to prison the first time I was arrested age 19. I’d been a bright student at school and prison gave me the nudge I needed to go back to my education. I got my degree in Health and Social Care, which I still use in my job as Residential Care Manager and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead at a school.

The value of lived experience

I’ve been delivering gangs and county line training to Kent Police and Kent County Council Foster Carers for several years now. In 2021, I was helping Kent Police with a murder case at Maidstone Crown Court, translating drill rap music, phone calls and social media posts. Reporters from the local newspaper, Kent Online, were in the court room and wrote an article about me along the lines of “former gang member helps interpret drug terms at murder trial.”

That article got noticed by police forces around the country as well as the National Crime Agency, who asked whether I’d like to come on board as an expert advisor.

At first, I was sceptical. I thought you had to have a background in academia and be a sociolinguist to act as an expert advisor on language in court. But the NCA liked that I had lived experience – it was more valuable than anything academic.

Typical instructions

A lot of my instructions are around gang membership, street slang, and drill rap lyrics. I’m often asked to show that there is strong evidence that the defendant is a gang member. Phone evidence and social media messages are a big part of the forensic evidence used to convict in court. I get asked to translate a lot of street slang into standard English in things like iMessages, WhatsApp messages, social media, as well as drill rap lyrics.   

Translating drill rap can be especially time consuming. A 2 -3 minute song can take me 5 - 7 hours to transcribe word for word, then another 4 hours to translate into standard English.

Memorable cases

All the court cases I’m instructed on are major crime cases. There was one case in Manchester – a murder trial – that is particularly memorable because I spent over 200 hours translating drill rap with only two weeks to do it. It caused me many sleepless nights but my evidence was accepted and the defendants were convicted.

Challenging behaviour

Barristers often to try to discredit me. They ask about my credentials, see if they can find holes in my CV and attack me personally. But I’m very open about my past and my criminal record, so they never succeed. Judges are generally very good at calling out their behaviour and I’m not fazed by the cross-examination of counsel, because I’ve been on the receiving end as a defendant.  

Breaking new ground

There’s a real need for more experts in street slang and drill rap. I’m turning down work and often asked by solicitors to recommend other experts like me, but there aren’t many of us.

People with my background don’t want to do an Expert Witness role, because they see it as being an informant – being on the side of the police. When actually, of course, you’re not on anyone’s side. For me, being an expert advisor is my professional identity and I’m there to provide impartial evidence.

I’d particularly encourage people who make drill rap to come into the expert field, because getting a music deal is obviously very hard —but the expert field is crying out for people with their expertise.

Tips for preparing for court

My advice for other experts in court is to familiarise yourself with the court room as soon as you arrive. Look at where everyone is seated, where the jury are, and where the barristers are.

Introduce yourself to both the defence and prosecution. Clarify if there’s anything in particular they’d like to address. It softens your approach and makes it clear you’re an independent party.

Remember that your job is not about proving guilt or innocence. As an Expert Witness, you’re addressing the jury and judge – not the barrister – so make sure your body language and posture reflect that. 

While cross examinations might be intimidating for Expert Witnesses, you’ll have nothing to worry about if you memorise your report or statement, listen carefully to each question, vary your responses from yes and no, and don’t get smart, defensive or argumentative with counsel.

A witness has no control over the direction of conversation during evidence in chief, cross-examination and re-examination, so just go with it.

Giving back to community and society

I set up my charity Reform Restore Respect in 2012 with the aim to reduce the numbers of young people who believe that crime and gangs are ‘cool’ and that a prison term will give them credibility with their peers. I go into Kent schools and lead school assemblies on anti-crime and the consequences of getting a criminal record.

My charity is endorsed by Kent Police, which is how I started working with them as a trainer for gangs and county lines exploitation. Prior to that, I was the contract holder with Kent County Council Fostering Service to train all foster carers in Kent on the same issue.

My charity work has opened up many doors for me.  But whatever work I’m doing, my focus is always on safeguarding, preventing, and giving back to society. That’s my crusade.

Out of all my work, my favourite is taking the mic in a school assembly and educating children. Money can’t buy that feeling: the interaction with the kids and seeing the impact my words have on them and the teachers.

Staying current

My work may be varied, but it’s all linked. My charity work connects me to children and young people, which helps me stay up to date with the latest slang – crucial for my work as an Expert Witness.

It works the other way too: with every case I take on I learn new slang, which keeps me current and helps me relate to young people. I update my physical database with any new words I learn and I have a dictionary that I maintain. It’s around 50 pages and counting!