- A New York bill could become the first in the nation to limit prosecutors from using lyrics as criminal evidence against artists.
- Proponents see the bill as a necessary free speech protection for Black and brown artists who have historically had their rap lyrics wielded against them.
- Lawmakers in states like California have looked at similar protections for artists. Others are exploring the creation federal legislation.
Months after New Orleans-based hip hop artist Mac Phipps was granted clemency for a crime he maintains he didn’t commit, he was back making music. Phipps released “21 Summers” last August, a single about the two decades he spent locked up on a manslaughter conviction.
His return to rapping was especially notable since it was the lyrics to his own rap songs that prosecutors used to help put him away.