Art Being Used Against Artist Essay

Taylor Del Real
Instructor Mendoza
English 2
19 June 2023
Art Being Used Against the Artist
Jumping to conclusions and staking claims with assumptions is a deadly game that could escalate if not kept in check. The limitations of free speech have been tested as rappers’ lyrics have been used against them as evidence of their guilt. The assumptions made by prosecutors about the origins of lyrics often paint a false narrative of the defendant and negatively impact their case. Rap music is an influential medium for artistic expression, capturing cultural, social, and personal experiences. Failures in the legal system have turned this medium against the artist and may prohibit future artists from expressing themselves. Rap lyrics' creative aspect

Rap music has been consistently berated by the public since its conception. This is due to the vulgar and intense lyrics often incorporated in the genre. While this is not a concept unique to rap, it is presented as such when brought up in criminal cases. Briana Younger, a writer for the New Yorker, challenges these assumptions of character by presenting examples of the issue before addressing why it is detrimental to the rap community and a failure of the legal system, “By introducing the work of a rapper into the courtroom, prosecutors are relying on racism to do its job—insisting that those in the courtroom accept, as fact, the worst kinds of stereotypes about this music and the people who make it” (par. 9). Younger explains how prosecutors utilize the storytelling found in rap music and claiming it is founded in truth. This strategy is founded on the assumption that the unfavorable stigma associated with rap music—which is frequently associated with ethnic minorities—can be used to prejudice the jury against the

Alan Jackson, a former prosecutor who utilized rap lyrics as evidence, argues that the lyrics are merely accessories to the evidence, “...if in fact we suspect someone of a crime and in their possession we find either rap music, rap lyrics, etc. that tends to corroborate other evidence that we have against that person, why should you be able to get a pass just because you call it art?” (par. 22). His belief falls in line with a misguided and old-age way of viewing the rap genre. Music is a medium often used to release pent-up emotions, indulge in fantasies, and build reputations. Those who see the genre in this light are the ones pushing an end to the degradation of rap. A former prosecutor and current law professor, Paul Butler, is one of these people, “But the difference between Johnny Cash and hip-hop artists is that most hip-hop artists are young, black men. Black men are perennial suspects” (par. 18). He argued that the aforementioned uses of rap as a creative genre could also be found in every other genre. Butler believes this key aspect of the argument to be proof of racial bias in the courtroom. While Jackson denies this claim, he does not provide evidence to suggest