Killer Mike, T.I. & Big Boi To Defend Hip-Hop And The First Amendment In Front Of The Supreme Court
Hip-Hop and the U.S. government are about to cross paths once again, as the New York Times is reporting that Killer Mike, T.I., and Big Boi will speak in front of the Supreme Court later today. The group of MCs are heading to Washington D.C. to help protect hip-hop and the first amendment in a case involving a young rapper named Taylor Bell who was suspended from his high school in 2011.
Bell, who raps under the moniker T-Bizzle, released a song about two coaches from the school who allegedly were sexually harassing other students. He was forced to transfer schools and later sued his original high school on the grounds that they infringed on his right to free speech. Though Bell lost his initial case, the judge stated that the school didn't argue that what he said in the song wasn't factual, but rather that he was criticized over the swearing and grammatical errors throughout the track. According to the report, four different female students turned in sworn affidavits detailing the sexual harassment from the coaches.
The case has now reached a boiling point, with some of hip-hop's biggest artists backing Bell on his fight for free speech. "Anyone who is learned in law is capable of separating art and lyrics, whether you agree with them or not, and actual human behavior," Killer Mike told the New York Times. "I think the courts understand it when it’s Johnny Cash. I think they understand it when it’s Robert Nesta Marley." It's doubtful that the Supreme Court will decide on whether they want to hear this case until around February 2016, but it's clear that Bell has some heavy hitters in his corner. "I see a kid who saw wrong happening and was outraged about it," Mike said. "He wrote a poem about it over a beat."
the song
Hip-Hop and the U.S. government are about to cross paths once again, as the New York Times is reporting that Killer Mike, T.I., and Big Boi will speak in front of the Supreme Court later today. The group of MCs are heading to Washington D.C. to help protect hip-hop and the first amendment in a case involving a young rapper named Taylor Bell who was suspended from his high school in 2011.
Bell, who raps under the moniker T-Bizzle, released a song about two coaches from the school who allegedly were sexually harassing other students. He was forced to transfer schools and later sued his original high school on the grounds that they infringed on his right to free speech. Though Bell lost his initial case, the judge stated that the school didn't argue that what he said in the song wasn't factual, but rather that he was criticized over the swearing and grammatical errors throughout the track. According to the report, four different female students turned in sworn affidavits detailing the sexual harassment from the coaches.
The case has now reached a boiling point, with some of hip-hop's biggest artists backing Bell on his fight for free speech. "Anyone who is learned in law is capable of separating art and lyrics, whether you agree with them or not, and actual human behavior," Killer Mike told the New York Times. "I think the courts understand it when it’s Johnny Cash. I think they understand it when it’s Robert Nesta Marley." It's doubtful that the Supreme Court will decide on whether they want to hear this case until around February 2016, but it's clear that Bell has some heavy hitters in his corner. "I see a kid who saw wrong happening and was outraged about it," Mike said. "He wrote a poem about it over a beat."
the song
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they graded this nikka track. salute to everyone who's defending the young breh at court
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