Rap on Trial - Young Thug Was Not the First and Won’t Be the Last
Added 2025-03-31 09:55:54 +0000 UTCOA1144 - Professor Jack Lerner joins us for a follow up to OA1055 as we dive deeper into case law surrounding the usage of rap music in litigation, including discussion of the fight for lyrics to be admitted as evidence in the Young Thug trial in Fulton County, Georgia, and what mechanisms are being explored to address this at the state level in places like New York.
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Stop
Michele E Hutchinson
2025-04-02 18:57:55 +0000 UTCAnother white guy here who has been struck by the depth of some rap. IAM, a French rap group that was great in the 00s had a great song about legal implications of rap- Dangereux. Here's a translation I pose verbs on paper Compose texts and chant them, yes my tongue is sharp My crime is speaking up, Relating what those around me won't express into a microphone The lines are drawn, we are simply reading this [ie. Rappers are just reporting about the bad things, not advocating for bad things.] But nothing stops them from bring more injustice into their mistakes I thought they wouldn't even notice, but I lost it when the judge summoned me. It wasn't the first timе for a rap group That censorship strikes and the summons hit Lеt's go I told myself, the text is cool, there's no hitch Wrong, I became the public enemy of the ASSEDIC Clearly, those in high places wanted me as trophy One month later, these fuckers were blocking my (police) file Everything that's allowed in the cinema, tv, books and magazines- for us it's prohibited. “Incitement to violence” [the criminal charge levied against the rapper.] It's like blaming every murder on Jack Palance. I have communication issues The R.G. [French NSA] listen to all my conversation Which gives me chills, and it disturbs my life My anger grow everytime "Minute" writes Spewing unhealthy lies Asking my mother if her son is an assassin They trigger my revenge at their expense If I could, I'd live far away from snakes I thought I was a nice guy, an exemplary father, marvelous For them, I am dangerous [Chorus] I am dangerous [Verse 2 - Shurik'N] If I was told that one day I'd be registered, on file Simply for expressing my ideas Tackling subjects deemed taboo, Putting on paper everything going on around us… I thought I was living in a free country, naive I understood that the undesirable are the minds that aren't just passive By refusing to be a sheep, getting back into the herd, (refusing) to close my eyes and turn my back To the format they tried to cram me into- I saw myself being labeled a rebel against this hypocritical society, where some have so much power That with total impunity, they can spit on History This black perspective obliges me to take risks To free my thinking, to become a journalist A fugitive, an informer, a loudspeaker Too often, located right in the sights Of those thinking they're sheltered from the informed eye From the ones on the lookout and not tolerating anything Free speech, a big joke Wide gap between what we hear and what is said I enunciate facts despite what it costs me Photos on walls, phones on a wiretap They reproach me for shouting what I think too loudly It bothers them when I put a mirror in front of people And if the whites represents purity today Even in full sun, all cats are grey I wish nothing else but to do good But for them, I am a mangy sheep, someone dangerous
We can feed everybody
2025-04-01 03:55:42 +0000 UTC
