Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Kelly Rowland and Killer Mike are among the stars who argue that a change should be made in New York law that will prevent rap lyrics from being used as evidence in criminal trials.
The singers, along with Fat Joe, Yo Gotti, Robin Thicke and others, signed a letter calling on lawmakers in New York State to support the proposed change and safeguard freedom of expression.
The “Rap Music on Trial” bill was first tabled in November 2021 by New York State Senators Brad Hillman and Jamal Bailey to prevent prosecutors from quoting lyrics, except in cases of “clear and convincing evidence.” of the relationship between lyrics and crime.
“The right to freedom of expression is enshrined in our federal and state constitutions,” Jamal Bailey said at the time. “The introduction of art as criminal evidence only serves to erode this fundamental right, and the use of rap and hip-hop lyrics in particular is emblematic of the systemic racism that pervades our criminal justice system,” he said.
Instead of recognizing rap music as a form of artistic expression, police and prosecutors argue that the lyrics should be interpreted literally – in the words of a prosecutor, as “autobiographical diaries”, the letter states, “although the genre has its roots in a long tradition of narrative that favors allegorical language, is imbued with exaggeration and uses the same poetic means found in more traditional poetic works.
The bill went through an initial stage in the State Senate earlier this week.
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