Posted on 08/07/2022 3:49:46 PM PDT by TigerClaws
WASHINGTON (WLS) -- A new bill introduced in Congress Wednesday would protect recording artists from having their lyrics used against them in court.
The RAP Act, which stands for Restoring Artistic Protection Act, aims to protect a musician's right to creative expression.
"Except as provided in subsection (b), evidence of a defendant's creative or artistic expression, whether original or derivative, is not admissible against such defendant in a criminal case," the bill states.
The subsection includes exceptions, where the lyrics may be admitted if it has been determined that the defendant "intended a literal meaning," they intended to adopt a literal meaning of unoriginal content, if the lyrics include specific references to the alleged crime, the lyrics are needed to determine facts of the case or if "the expression has distinct probative value not provided by other admissible evidence." Tommy Munsdwell Canady, a rapper from Racine, Wisconsin, is currently serving a life sentence for murder after his rap lyrics were used against him in a trial.
Gunna and Young Thug are examples of other rappers embroiled in legal issues where the law, if enacted, might apply.
The bill's sponsors use the example of Bob Marley who recorded "I Shot the Sheriff," which was not an actual confession to a real crime.
Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia, a cosponsor of the bill, said the bill targets an issue of free speech, CNN reported.
"Without further Congressional action, the freedom of speech and of artistic expression present in music will continue to be stifled, and that expression will be chilled, until the voices behind that protected speech are silenced," Johnson said in a statement.
Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, another cosponsor of the bill, said in the same statement that he was "deeply moved" by the story of a 17-year-old serving a life sentence after having been convicted in part on lyric evidence and "continues to pursue his art in the face of our carceral systems that would otherwise stifle Black art."
"We cannot imprison our talented artists for expressing their experiences nor will we let their creativity be suppressed," Bowman said.
Music industry leaders and groups, like the Black Music Action Coalition, are showing strong support for the new legislation.
The “Black art”s hardly seem in need of or worthy of protection.
Isn’t someone’s poetry already irrelevant to whether he committed a particular crime of not?
If your name is Young Thug, I’m fine using that against you in court.
So these fellows “rap” about a murder then commit the murder and the “song” can’t be used as evidence?
If this makes it into Law, I can see a fabulous Rap Career before me!
Talented artists?
How is that an example? Was Bob Marley ever arrested for shooting the Sheriff? Was his song ever entered as evidence against him in any court proceeding?
Stupid!
I’m curious. Where is Congress given the power to decide what evidence can be admitted to state criminal courts? Or does this bill just refer to Federal charges?
I don’t see that as an example, either-might as well use that Guns and Roses tune-”I Used to Love Her-but I had to kill her”-and buried her in the backyard. I don’t recall any of those band members having been arrested for killing someone, or burying them in the backyard-makes no sense...
A lot of those Rap “artists” are real criminals-but I don’t think they are confessing the crimes in the lyrics-the intent maybe...
Yay! This gives me a new tag line.
If you read the exceptions in paragraph four above it lists every rational reason to bring an “artists” lyrics into a trial.
I can’t believe that any lawyer has brought song lyrics into a trial for any other reasons and if they did it would be tossed out upon objection of irrelevance by the opposing legal team.
FWIW, I heard the song is about a dog.
Do dogs complain?
So... Alex Jones was just rapping about Sandy Hook... artistic expression and all
There’s nothing “creative” about that noise pollution...
So, what if a rapper records a song about shooting the President. Would liberals be OK with that? Probably.
I like the song-have it on a CD with some Punk-I listen to when I’m in my truck-and it is about a woman who bitched too much-not a dog...
“I used to love her, but I had to kill her
I used to love her, but I had to kill her
I had to put her six feet under
And I can still hear her complain”
This law will turn out not to apply when some stupid neo-nazi releases a song celebrating Hitler.
It is designed to protect protected groups.
But I shot a man in Reno
Just to see him die.
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