Papoose is among the many Hip Hop figures who are advocating against the use of rap lyrics as evidence in court, and he has now taken his efforts to the New York State Capitol.
During a meeting with local politicians that took place on Tuesday (May 7), the veteran rapper made a case for the AB127 bill that seeks to limit “the admissibility of evidence of a defendant’s creative or artistic expression against such defendant in a criminal proceeding.”
“America has a problem with violence, not Hip Hop,” he argued. “Hip Hop is the only thing that gave us a way out, away from the negativity.”
In the caption of an Instagram post about the gathering, he wrote: “Today we visited the capital to fight for change on a very important issue. I used my tracks titled “Law Library” as a reference. In New York, the music industry is a significant contributor to the economy and culture. With over 202,000 jobs created and a substantial $19 billion contribution to the state’s GDP, music plays a vital role in New York’s prosperity.
“The state boasts a vibrant community of approximately 130,000 songwriters, highlighting the depth of musical talent within its borders. In response to these pressing concerns, nearly a dozen Assembly members, led by Assemblywoman Cruz, have introduced AB127. Passing AB127 would limit the use of a defendant’s creative work in a trial, ensuring artists are able to express themselves freely without fear of reprisal from the justice system. A companion bill, SB1738 passed the Senate on March 27.
He added: “AB127 establishes safeguards to ensure music, literature, film, and other works of creative expressionremain protected by the First Amendment. This legislation seeks to establish a systematic framework forthe handling of lyrics in legal proceedings. It does not ban the usage of creative work in criminalproceedings; instead, it shifts the burden to the prosecutor who must prove the work is relevant andadmissible.
“Researchers and legal scholars have seen this practice apply, almost exclusively, to hip hop and rap. Andwhile the legislation is not genre specific, it is impossible to ignore the detrimental impact the existingpractice has had on certain Black and Brown artists practicing their craft. By providing clear legalguidelines on the admissibility of lyrics as evidence, AB127 aims to prevent the unjust weaponization ofcreative expression for prosecutorial purposes.”
Last year, Fat Joe defended Young Thug by claiming that he’s lied in most of the songs he’s released throughout his career. During a CNN interview with Gayle King, the Bronx rapper said it’s a “travesty” that the Atlanta native’s lyrics can be used against him in the ongoing YSL RICO case.
“I’ve been rapping professionally for 30 years — I’ve lied in almost 95 percent of my songs,” he began. “I’m being honest. I write like I feel that day. I’m just being creative. You couldn’t build a jail high enough for the lyrics I’ve said on songs which are all untrue.”
Atlanta City Council Introduces Bill Seeking To Limit Use Of Rap Lyrics In Court
The Terror Squad boss continued: “What I am is a family man, the person who gives back to my community all the time, opens businesses in my community. So the music would never amount to the actual person, Joseph Cartagena. What’s even more horrible is that the district attorneys, they know those lyrics ain’t real. They know that’s creativity. But if it helps their case, they’ll use it to put these guys in jail.
“And here, we’re having a fun show about it and discussion, but there really is six defendants in Atlanta who might spend the rest of their lives in jail for something that’s totally not true. This is very serious. This destroys families.”
Soon after, he set the record straight about the above claim that had people questioning his authenticity. In explaining himself, he pointed out that MCs “move off of inspiration,” switching between a range of emotions such as anger, love, peace and tranquility.
“I had to say 95 percent of what I say is a lie so that they can understand that it’s unfair to try some kids for the rest of their life with shit they might’ve not done,” Joey Crack said. “What you gotta understand is that it’s creativity […] now if I say I use my imagination, my creativity in my music don’t mean I ain’t live a real fuckin’ life in the streets.”
