Industry titans call for limitations on using rap lyrics in court

Some of the biggest artists, record labels, and legal experts have called for limitations on how rap lyrics can be used in court in an open letter. 

The letter, titled Art on Trial: Protect Black Art, calls for prosecutors to “voluntarily end” the “racially targeted” practice of using rap lyrics as evidence in trials. It also encourages legislators to “explicitly limit how creative expression can be used against defendants on trial”. 

Photo: Warner Music / Instagram.com 

Many huge names in the industry signed the letter, including Megan Thee Stallion, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, Future, Alicia Keys, Killer Mike, Lil Baby, Post Malone, Coldplay, 50 Cent, Camila Cabello, Drake, Jack Harlow, and DJ Khaled. The big three record labels - Warner, Sony, and Universal - also signed, along with companies including Tidal, Spotify, Soundcloud, and YouTube Music. Legal humanities from scholars from universities including Yale, Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton have also signed. 

Part of the letter reads: “Rappers are storytellers, creating entire worlds populated with complex characters who can play both hero and villain. But more than any other art form, rap lyrics are essentially being used as confessions in an attempt to criminalize Black creativity and artistry.”

Photo: Warner Music Group / Facebook.com

“Beyond the obvious disregard for free speech and creative expression protected by the First Amendment, this racially targeted practice punishes already marginalized communities and their stories of family, struggle, survival, and triumph.”

The letter ends with praise to Governor Newsom for signing a bill into law in California. And then goes on to urge action on bills currently under consideration in New Jersey and New York, along with the Restoring Artist Protection Act legislation in the US Congress. 

The letter also ran as a two-page ad in The New York Times and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the 1st of November. The petition on Change.org has also garnered over 64,000 signatures (at the time of writing) with a goal of 75,000. If this goal is reached, it'll be one of the most signed petitions on the site.

Photo: Warner Music / Instagram.com

While the letter is directed at US legislators and prosecutors, the UK has seen cases of rappers having their lyrics used against them in court, too. UK drill rapper Digga D received a prison sentence following a trial where jurors were shown his videos and lyrics. The rapper was then issued a Criminal Behaviour Order, prohibiting from mentioning certain things in his lyrics and portraying certain places in his videos. And prosecutors attempted to use Unknown T’s lyrics as evidence during a trial.

You can read the full letter here - https://www.protectblackart.co/

And sign the petition here - https://www.change.org/p/art-on-trial-protect-black-art

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