Birmingham rapper found guilty over gun gesture video on social media
Omar Abdirizak pleaded not guilty but was convicted after a two-hour trial.
Last updated 8th Jan 2025
A rapper has been found guilty of posting a "menacing" video on social media against the far right
Birmingham Magistrates' Court was told the TikTok video featuring Omar Abdirizak was reposted to X, formerly Twitter, last year along with a request for West Midlands Police to investigate.
Abdirizak pleaded not guilty to sending a message of a menacing character contrary to the Communications Act 2003 but was convicted after a two-hour trial.
Opening the case on Wednesday against the 31-year-old Birmingham-based rapper, known as Twista Cheese, prosecutor Tim Talbot-Webb said references to guns and artillery in the video meant it had crossed the line from freedom of speech into criminality.
The video, which attracted more than two million views, was reposted by a far right activist alongside a claim that it was a threat to murder him due to "lies" by the media and politicians, the court heard.
In his evidence to the court, Abdirizak denied making direct threats to a jailed former English Defence League leader.
The drill rapper said he had decided to make the video and publicise his music on YouTube and TikTok to his 20,000 followers after seeing footage of broadcaster Piers Morgan and influencer Andrew Tate discussing issues connected to last summer's riots.
"I am saying, if you come - self-defence," he told the court. "Even when I say 'bam, bam, bam', this is all entertainment."
The singer, of Long Street, Sparkbrook, denied making a gun gesture in the video and claimed references to artillery were encouragement for viewers to seek out a music video made in Mogadishu, Somalia, which featured rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
During the minute-long video, which was played to the court, Abdirizak, wearing a patterned hoodie and grey jogging bottoms, said he was a Somali pirate.
Mr Talbot-Webb said of the video, apparently filmed outside a shop: "Menacing means causing fear or apprehension.
"The context is important. This was going on when there was indeed disorder aimed at mosques and other institutions.
"The Crown say that by making references to pirates and artillery... any member of the public seeing that could well have been caused apprehension of serious violence."
Finding Abdirizak guilty, District Judge David Wain said the Twista Cheese music video made in Somalia, which was not played to the court, showed possession of firearms, albeit outside the UK.
"Having heard the defendant's evidence I am satisfied that this was the intended meaning of the communication rather than an attempt to promote his music," the judge said.
Abdirizak was granted conditional bail for sentencing on February 12 after the court expressed concern at "hidden disabilities" that needed to be explored, including mental health issues.
He will also be sentenced for possession of cannabis and a racially aggravated public order offence.