The RAP Act bill has not yet been brought to the floor of the House for a vote. Therefore, when you really introduce the rapper’s lyrics and utilize them as proof against them, the case is closed.” Simply stating that a person is a rapper generates negative perceptions and prejudices. These are the kind of topics discussed by rappers in their raps. Johnson stated to the Los Angeles Times “People make the association between rappers and gang members, drug dealers, and dangerous individuals. The California proposal is comparable to the Restoring Artistic Protection Act, which was proposed in the House last summer by Georgia Representative Hank Johnson and New York Representative Jamaal Bowman. Since the 1990s, Erik Nielson and Andrea Dennis, authors of the book “Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America,” estimate that rap lyrics have been used as criminal evidence in at least 500 cases in the United States. As this is a nationwide issue, we hope Congress would enact comparable laws “She continued.
Thank you for setting the standard, Governor Newsom. “This Act establishes essential safeguards that will enable courts to hold prosecutors accountable and prohibit them from criminalizing artistic expression by Black and Brown individuals. In a 2020 appeal filed on behalf of Knoxville rapper Christopher Bassett, the organization argued that rap lyrics are frequently taken out of context and, in Bassett’s instance, are irrelevant. Some legal professionals and advocates view the use of lyrics as evidence as a breach of the First Amendment and a means of enforcing discriminatory stereotypes.Īccording to the American Civil Liberties Union, practically all cases in which lyrics are used as evidence involve African-American or Latino defendants. Hip-hop is renowned for its literal and narrative lyrics, as well as its hyperbolic and exaggerated lyrics.
The signing was also attended by representatives from the Recording Academy, the Black Music Action Coalition, and Songwriters of North America. When Newsom signed the bill, artists including Killer Mike, Meek Mill, Too $hort, Ty Dolla $ign, YG, E-40, and Tyga were practically there. The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, commonly known as AB 2799, attempts to reduce the use of rap lyrics against musicians in California courts, as seen by legal procedures against Drakeo the Ruler, Young Thug, and Gunna.
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