Charis Kubrin

Charis Kubrin has published books and dozens of journal articles, many of which focus on the intersection of music, culture, and social identity, particularly as it applies to hip-hop and youth of color in disadvantaged communities. She is a frequent media contributor whose writing has been featured in the The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American, Forbes, and CNN. She is a co-author of two amicus briefs on rap music that were filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, co-author of a legal guide for attorneys involved in rap on trial cases and has served as an expert witness and consultant in numerous criminal cases involving rap music as evidence of alleged underlying criminal activity. She gave a TEDx talk, the Threatening Nature of…Rap Music?, on the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials and received a Cicero Speechwriting Award for this talk in the category of “Controversial or Highly Politicized Topic.”