Once again the Hip-Hop community is unifying to correct an injustice. Several MC’s are stepping up for one of their peers who is being held...
Once again the Hip-Hop community is unifying to correct an injustice. Several MC’s are stepping up for one of their peers who is being held to the fire for one of his songs.
Billboard is reporting that an a-list roster of performers are giving the Supreme Court context on Hip-Hop culture. In 2014 a man named Jamal Knox who rapped under the name Mayhem Mal was sentenced to prison time for terroristic threats and intimidating witnesses. The charges were based on his song “F*** The Police” following his arrest for illegal gun and drug possession when he was a teenager.
His lawyer claims his First Amendment rights have been violated thus the case has gotten the attention of the Supreme Court. A caucus of rappers led by Killer Mike filed a brief on March 6 to give them a better understanding of how Rap lyrics can be misinterpreted. “Rappers also, in the tradition of African American vernacular, invent new words, invert the meaning of others, and lace their lyrics with dense slang and coded references that defy easy interpretation, especially among listeners unfamiliar with the genre.”
Other rappers that contributed to the document include Meek Mill, Chance The Rapper, 21 Savage, Fat Joe, Styles P and Yo Gotti. The full brief can be found here. You can hear the song in question below.
Photo: Kyle Blair/WENN.com
* This article was originally published here
