Earlier this year, a new bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Restoring Artistic Protection Act (RAP Act), which seeks to protect artists from the use of their lyrics being used against them as evidence in criminal and civil proceedings.
The use of rap lyrics in court has been an ongoing issue that started long before Young Thug's case, spanning back to the early 90s — Mac “The Camouflage Assassin” Phipps, Boosie Badazz, Mac Dre, Mayhem Mal — are all among the rappers who've had their lyrics used in court.
“Prosecutors, judges, and juries have decided that rap lyrics are autobiographical, they're like diaries,” Erik Nielson, co-author of Rap Lyrics on Trial told Rock The Bells earlier this year. Nielson is also slated to speak at the Symposium. “No other fictional artform is treated that way. And there are plenty of other genres that are replete with violence, whether it's gangster movies, novels, hardcore punk, or horror. It’s not hard for us to understand that these are fictionalized. What you see with rap music is that it is isolated because it's a combination of people believing that rap is real, or young Black men, who are the primary producers of it, are incapable of creative thought. Unfortunately, it maps to stereotypes that many people still have about young Black and Hispanic men.”
The Symposium follows California's move to address the ongoing issue. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsome signed The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, which restricts the use of rap lyrics as evidence in court in California. Killer Mike, Meek Mill, Too $hort, YG, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyga joined the signing ceremony celebrating the moment. The Black Music Action Coalition called the bill a “crucial step in the right direction."
The Symposium will be held at Dillard University's Cook Theater on November 1 in New Orleans. Grab tickets here.
