A Maryland court has ruled that rap lyrics can be used as evidence of a defendant’s guilt. Attorney Dina LaPolt writes that the decision is “blatantly racist” and “sets a dangerous precedent.”
Rap Lyrics Can Be Used Against Defendant
The case in question is that of Lawrence Montague, who was charged with murdering George Forrester in 2017. Montague allegedly shot Forrester after the victim tried to buy drugs with a counterfeit bill. Montague, an aspiring rapper, recorded a verse that contributed to his conviction.
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Prosecutors used Montague’s rap lyrics as evidence against him. He was sentenced to 50 years on murder and weapons charges. Montague’s lawyers challenged the use of his lyrics in the case, but Maryland’s highest court upheld the decision.
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In an op-ed piece for Variety, attorney Dina LaPolt writes that the ruling is “culturally problematic” and shows a misunderstanding of hip-hop music.
“In the 1970s, hip-hop emerged in the South Bronx as a response to the combined effects of poverty, unemployment, gang violence, and isolation from mainstream America. Early pioneers developed the genre, in part, to end gang violence — rap was an outlet that transformed the competitiveness and territoriality of gang life into something artistic and productive.
“Ignorant of this perspective, the Court’s opinion hastily draws conclusions from Montague’s lyrics, making up connections between the lyrics and the crime that are simply not there.”
Cambodian Rappers Given Prison Time For Rhymes
Kea Sokun and Long Putheara, two young rappers from Cambodia, were sentenced to prison time for lyrics that allegedly incited violent crimes. Sokun was given a year and a half in jail, while Putheara was given five months.
In the latest development in a long season of repression in Cambodia, a court has convicted two rappers of incitement for writing lyrics that referenced social justice and the loss of territory to Vietnam.
