Evette Dionne in MSNBC News, May 22, 2022, writes that Atlanta, Georgia rapper Young Thug has been indicted for using his music label to cover up criminal activities. “It’s nearly impossible to prove that a rapper’s content can be directly linked to real-world crime,” she says, “but that hasn’t stopped prosecutors from attempting to use the strategy to bury them.” She says there is much to criticize about hip-hop but that should not be a call to bring charges against rappers for crimes committed by associates.
Young Thug is accused of theft and drug possession, but guardians of free speech are concerned that part of the evidence against him are his lyrics. Prosecutors say that the lyrics were “overt acts” to promote and empower a criminal enterprise. (ABC News, May 24, 2022, by Deena Zaru)
In the meantime, the New York state senate passed a “Rap Music on Trial” bill protecting musicians from the use of lyrics to prosecute them. (Digital Music News, May 17, 2022, by Ashley King)