Jay-Z, Other Artists Back New York Lawmakers’ ‘Rap Music On Trial’ Bill

[Macallik86]

Jay-Z, Meek Mill and more want prosecutors to stop using rappers’ art — more specifically, their ofttimes violently charged lyrics — against them to prove guilt in court cases.
The two emcees, who have been very vocal about police reform, along with several of their industry peers, including Fat Joe, Big Sean, Kelly Rowland, Killer Mike and more, are just some of the many musicians who have signed the proposed New York bill called Rap Music on Trial (S.7527/A.8681), People reported.

A letter co-written by Hov’s lawyer Alex Spiro and University of Richmond professor Erik Nielson to state lawmakers, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, states:

“Rather than acknowledge rap music as a form of artistic expression, police and prosecutors argue that the lyrics should be interpreted literally — in the words of one prosecutor, as ‘autobiographical journals’ — even though the genre is rooted in a long tradition of storytelling that privileges figurative language, is steeped in hyperbole, and employs all of the same poetic devices we find in more traditional works of poetry.”

“This tactic effectively denies rap music the status of art and, in the process, gives prosecutors a dangerous advantage in the courtroom,” the letter continued. “By presenting rap lyrics as rhymed confessions of illegal behavior, they are often able to obtain convictions even when other evidence is lacking.”

The new bill would require prosecutors to prove “clear and convincing” evidence that a defendant’s creative work is “literal, rather than figurative or fictional.” Several individuals have fallen victim to their lyrics being used against them, including former rapper Ra Diggs. The Brooklyn native, whose real name is Ronald Herron, was sentenced to 12 life terms plus 105 years in prison after being convicted on 21 federal charges in 2014, including three murders, racketeering, and drug dealing.

During his trial, several of Diggs’ songs and music videos were used as evidence because they were “literal recountings of his crimes,” according to prosecutors. Despite an appeal by him, citing that the decision violates his First Amendment rights, his conviction has been upheld. He is being held at the United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility near Florence, Colorado.

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Spiro said that this issue was essential to the Grammy-Award-winning artist. “This is a long time coming. Mr. Carter is from New York, and if he can lend his name and his weight, that’s what he wants to do,” he added.

“Our lyrics are a creative form of self-expression and entertainment – just like any other genre,” Bronx native Fat Joe added. “We want our words to be recognized as art rather than being weaponized to get convictions in court. I hope the governor and all the lawmakers in New York take our letter into consideration, protect our artistic rights and make the right decision to pass this bill.”

'We Want Our Words to be Recognized as Art’: Jay-Z, Fat Joe and Others Back Legislation Would Change the Way Rapper’s Lyrics Are Used in Court Cases

 

[Wargames]

I’m sorry if you confess to murder on a beat you are a dumbass. If this passes everyone will start rocking beats over illicit phone calls and start trying to rap shyt.

 

[DEAD7]

@Matt504

 

[Matt504]

This is disgusting.



These so called rappers go to great lengths to impress upon their listening audiences that they really live like that, going as far as saying they aren't even rappers. We got brothers out here literally name dropping the victims of crimes but it should be protected as art?

fukk outta here

 

[No1]

I’m sorry if you confess to murder on a beat you are a dumbass. If this passes everyone will start rocking beats over illicit phone calls and start trying to rap shyt.

I mean I hear that but they are using it for shyt like motive or character traits.

 

[ORDER_66]

music is supposed to be protected under first amendment in the first place!!! the lawyers using this in trials been violating the constitution just to throw black folks in jail for bullshyt

 

[Matt504]

music is supposed to be protected under first amendment in the first place!!! the lawyers using this in trials been violating the constitution just to throw black folks in jail for bullshyt

If a person admits to a murder in a song, do you believe that should be protected speech?

 

[ORDER_66]

If a person admits to a murder in a song, do you believe that should be protected speech?

If the person is outright lying and the song is a work of fiction, what does it fukking matter what pisses me off is that you had a shytload of white musicians depicting murder in their music no law enforcement checking them to see if they really did it. double standards much...

if someone commits a fukking crime it should take more than a fukking song to convict them in a court of law... evidence, muthafukka, do they have it!!??

 

[jj23]

Just came here to say this is actually a good debate
I actually am able to appreciate both points of view of the argument.

That's rare

 

[jj23]

@ORDER_66 with the counterpoint.

Why should the police and law enforcement rely on rap songs to catch the perpetrators? Shouldn't they be able to just get the evidence?

And I also agree with the point that if you are dumb enough to brag about unprosecuted felonies on a song...that should come with some in liability.

Tough one to split

 

[Dusty Bake Activate]

Every Jacksonville rapper like

 

[Propaganda]

@ORDER_66 with the counterpoint.

Why should the police and law enforcement rely on rap songs to catch the perpetrators? Shouldn't they be able to just get the evidence?

And I also agree with the point that if you are dumb enough to brag about unprosecuted felonies on a song...that should come with some in liability.

Tough one to split

i don't think they're relying entirely on the songs. there's obviously gotta be more to build a legit case. but if you're investigating a murder and someone brags about committing that specific crime on wax, should that not be taken into account? is that not evidence? the artist is straight up giving it to them.

to me, it seems pretty fukking silly to not to be able to use the words "i killed so and so" against a suspect just because they're crooning in auto-tune and shyt.

 

[Consigliere]

I’m inclined to agree that music is protected speech even if I don’t agree with the message of said speech.

The police should do their jobs. You don’t need to play drill rappers music in court to get a conviction. There’s more than enough self incriminating evidence on people’s phones & social media account that this shouldn’t make or break a case.

 

[banner34]

 

[Macallik86]

I’m inclined to agree that music is protected speech even if I don’t agree with the message of said speech.

The police should do their jobs. You don’t need to play drill rappers music in court to get a conviction. There’s more than enough self incriminating evidence on people’s phones & social media account that this shouldn’t make or break a case.

It makes sense that police chase after rappers imo. In terms of glorifying/enabling the lifestyle, the only person bigger than rappers are the kingpins themselves who are likely delegating their crimes and insulating them from the law. OTOH, the rapper dabbling in illicit activities impacts a lot of people as well... I'd imagine a lot of people tried Lean because of certain rappers for example, and so seeing your fav rapper getting busted might make those think twice about the lifestyle. It's the same as when the law tries to make an example out of celebrities or CEOs, it sucks if you fall under that category, but it gets the message across to a wider set of eyes.

The supposed case the rappers are making in court sounds cowardly too. the equivalent of "I don't do these things IRL, I only glorify them to my community to make money" which is a POS stance too. Reminds me of when Future quit pills/lean to get healthier but kept pushing the narrative to his fans because it sells.

I am not aware of police locking up people solely for rapping about drug activities. My understanding is that people get caught w/ the drugs or doing illegal activities and their lyrics reinforce their mindset. The rapper named in the article (Ra Digga aka Ron Herrod) sounds guilty AF too which isn't helping the cause.

Herron, a gangleader who terrorized his community and made YouTube clips extolling his murderous crew, could face the death penalty, according to authorities.

One charge is for the June 16, 2001, slaying of Frederick Brooks - a rap he beat in state Supreme Court when two witnesses refused to testify against him after his associates threatened them.

Herron later boasted on the Internet that he "beat a body" referring to Brooks, authorities said.

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The only thing stopping me from calling it completely ludicrous is imagining that they were filmmakers being persecuted for bringing stories to life instead of rappers. But then again, if someone frames a film as an autobiography, but when the law comes knocking, proclaims it's a fictional tale, they should get the book thrown at them too