rap lyrics on trial

Young Thug Trial: Prosecutors Reveal Lyrics They Want To Use In YSL Case

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Among the many controversies surrounding Young Thug’s YSL RICO Case is the use of lyrics in the trial. Thug’s legal team made several attempts to dismiss the lyrics in court. However, the prosecutors adamantly claim their lyrics contain admissions of guilt. On Wednesday, the specific lyrics that District Attorney Fani Willis wants to use in the case surfaced online. However, HipHopDX notes several inaccuracies in the lyrics.

Read More: Young Thug & YSL RICO Trial Finally Gets Seated Jury: Report

Young Thug Lyrics On Trial

Jozsef Papp, a journalist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, took to X to share the precise lyrics that prosecutors presented to the court as evidence in the YSL RICO case, which they claim proves that YSL committed criminal acts as a gang. 

  • “I just beat a murder rap, paid my lawyer 30 for that/ Me and my slimes above the law.” – “Just How It Is” – 2018
  • “Honestly truth be told YSL won’t fold/ Pick his ass off from the balcony/ YSL wipe a n***a nose.” – “Eww” – 2014
  • “I shot at his mommy, now he no longer mention me.” – “Bad Boy” ft. Juice WRLD – 2021
  • “I rep my life for real/ For slimes you know I kill!” – “Take It To Trial” ft. Gunna – 2020
  • “Hey, how you doing? I’m Yak Gotti/ I got bodies on bodies!”- “Dream” – 2015

Read More: Young Thug’s Comments On Lil Wayne Tour Bus Shooting Admissible In YSL RICO Trial

Wrong Lyrics

Documents obtained by HHDX reveal several instances of inaccuracies in the lyrics and the artists attributed to said lyrics. The documents revealed that Yak Gotti’s lyrics on Unfoonk’s “Mob Ties” (“knocking off your big homie b**ch”) didn’t appear in the song. However, there is a similar iteration found on 24Heavy’s hook. Even so, Yak Gotti doesn’t appear on the song at all. Elsewhere, another error was flagged on the lyrics to “Anybody.” The documents claim the lyrics are “Ready for war like I’m Russia/ I get all types of cash, I’m a general,” when it’s actually, “Ready for war like I’m Russia/ Latest Chanel for the luggage.”

Read More: Young Thug Reportedly Wants Killer Mike, T.I., & Lyor Cohen On The Witness Stand

The Impact On The YSL Trial

The use of rap lyrics on trial has been a contentious topic since the arrest of Young Thug. As the state asked Judge Glanville to make a preliminary ruling on the case, he noted “that during trial the lyrics are going to be subject to relevancy and objections,” if allowed, per Law & Crime’s Cathy Russo. Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel also argued that the trial would last a year if lyrics and music videos were introduced as evidence. Steel also mentioned how major artists, including those that Thug has worked with, have referred to themselves as “boss” in their music. ”We’re not bringing in Cardi B, Meek Mill, Drake, or Post Malone,” Glanville responded. We’ll keep you posted on updates surrounding the YSL case. 

[Via]

The post Young Thug Trial: Prosecutors Reveal Lyrics They Want To Use In YSL Case appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Atlanta City Council Move To Limit The Use Of Rap Lyrics In Trial: Report

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Young Thug remains behind bars as he awaits jury selection in the YSL trial. However, much of the conversation surrounds the use of rap lyrics as evidence in the RICO case. Over the past year, there have been a number of efforts across the United States to limit creative expression as a form of admission in court. Now, an Atlanta City Council passed a resolution that aims to restrict the use of rap lyrics in criminal trials, as All Hip Hop reports.

Most recently, District 12 Councilmember Antonio Lewis of Atlanta explained his concerns over the use of prosecutors using lyrics in trial. As a result, he introduced the legislation as an attempt to address the matter, which became far more prominent in mainstream conversations since Young Thug’s arrest in 2022. However, Lewis and the Atlanta City Council have worked effortlessly to amend a statute in the Georgia Code. The council is now trying to get the Georgia General Assembly to address the matter in Title 17, Chapter 7.

Read More: YSL RICO Trial: The Craziest Moments In The Courtroom

Atlanta Council Aims To Restrict Rap Lyrics In Court 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Antonio Lewis (@antoniolewisatl)

The use of rap lyrics, specifically, in trials has been a controversial practice that faced criticism for the racial bias it presents. “Our resolution is a significant step toward rectifying an issue that has disproportionately affected individuals within marginalized communities,” Lewis said. “We must protect the freedom of artistic expression while ensuring that evidence used in criminal trials is relevant, reliable, and does not perpetuate bias. By urging the Georgia General Assembly to address this matter, we are fostering a more equitable and just criminal justice system for all.”

This legislation echoes concerns that Kevin Liles shared with the public upon Young Thug’s arrest. Liles not only took the stand to testify on Thug’s behalf but also partnered with Julie Greenwald to launch a petition against using rap lyrics as evidence. “In courtrooms across America, Black creativity and artistry is being criminalized. With increasing and troubling frequency, prosecutors are attempting to use rap lyrics as confessions, just like they’re doing in this case,” Liles and Greenwald said in a joint statement. “It punishes already marginalized communities and silences their stories of family, struggle, survival, and triumph.”

Read More: Young Thug Challenges Evidence In RICO Trial

The post Atlanta City Council Move To Limit The Use Of Rap Lyrics In Trial: Report appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

California Becomes First U.S. State To Ban Using Rap Lyrics In Court

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California has become the first state in the U.S. to ban lyrics from being used against rappers as evidence in court proceedings. The landmark law came into effect on Friday, when Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill to limit “creative content” from being held against artist or musicians in the state. It’s been a long and arduous fight for advocates against this practice, but recent legislation in New York points towards a brighter future along with this bill. Amid the YSL indictment that put Young Thug and Gunna behind bars in large part due to their lyrics, fans are probably grateful to see their outrage result in action from authorities.

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California – Monica Schipper/Getty Images

That New York bill did not completely ban the use of lyrics, though, and there’s a similar loophole in California’s bill: lyrics can be used but only if reviewed and deemed necessary for the verdict by the judge. Even with this caveat, AB 2799 (the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act) is a one-of-a-kind piece of legislation that takes unprecedented steps to protect rappers’ creative works. Governor Newsom signed the bill on a Zoom call with rappers E-40, Meek Mill, Killer Mike, YG, and more in attendance.

Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, who introduced the bill, expressed his belief that the DAE Act “will give judges needed guidance for evaluating whether a creative expression is admissible during a criminal trial and provides a framework which will ensure creative expression will not be used to trigger or reinforce stereotypes or activate racial bias.” Entertainment attorney Dina Polt was one of many to celebrate the achievement.

“This legislation sets up important guardrails that will help courts hold prosecutors accountable and prevent them from criminalizing Black and Brown artistic expression,” she stated. “Thank you, Gov. Newsom, for setting the standard. We hope Congress will pass similar legislation, as this is a nationwide problem.”

A similar bill was introduced in Congress last July, so rap lyrics might still have a chance for salvation at the federal level. For now, state laws are what stands between a rapper’s artistic expression and jail time, and California is setting an important precedent for the rest of the union.

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