Rap lyrics in evidence
As far as I am concerned, rap is pollution. It contaminates our culture and puts the wrong message in the minds of the young. Props to prosecutors who are now using rap lyrics against the hoods who glorify gang violence and anarchy in their music.
When police arrested Ronell Wilson, his pockets were stuffed with the type of violent poetry that boys have been scribbling in notebooks since the advent of gangsta rap.
In his lyrics, Wilson called himself “Rated R,” warned any challengers to wear a bulletproof vest, and boasted of leaving .45-caliber slugs in the heads of his enemies.
The clumsy verses may never land Wilson a record deal, but to prosecutors, they were solid gold.
Wilson went on trial in federal court in Brooklyn this month on charges he murdered two undercover police officers, and the government presented the lyrics to a jury as evidence that the 23-year-old is a remorseless killer.
Prosecutor Morris J. Fodeman asked jurors to take special note of one stanza: “Ain’t goin’ stop to I’m dead.”
The jury convicted Wilson on Wednesday, and he now faces a possible death sentence.
December 22nd, 2006 at 8:30 am
Isn’t this pretty evidentially sketchy?
December 22nd, 2006 at 9:14 am
Well, it’s open to other interpretation - “My client isn’t really the vicious criminal he claims in his music, he’s actually a poser who, when he pretends to be ‘keeping it real’ is actually just faking to make money and meet girls.” But in many cases, the raps describe acts similar to the crime charged. Using a profane lyric that did not discuss relevant facts would be bad form - that’s the “evidence of bad character” defense attorneys are worried about. But if the defendant is describing the act, or the victim, or something similar, you’re basically talking about a confession that rhymes.
December 22nd, 2006 at 9:46 am
Well, at least the portions referenced seemed pretty general - if there were some lyrics that laid out a little more detail of the specific crime, then I might buy the “rhyming confession” thing.
If offered during the sentencing phase to show lack of remorse, that would be more appropriate.
December 22nd, 2006 at 9:56 am
My guess is that the lyrics came in to show evidence of motive, common scheme or plan, intent, absence of mistake under Rule 404(b). I’ll look for more info on this trial and post it.
December 22nd, 2006 at 10:09 am
No one says you have to like rap, William, but you’re painting with an extremely broad brush by saying that “rap is pollution.” It actually is a great deal more than that. Read “Black Noise,” which is the seminal academic perspectice on hip hop. I’ve met and spoken with the author several times; she is beyond brilliant.
December 22nd, 2006 at 10:26 am
Post-crime writings that have the effect of a confession, OK. Anything else, no way. It would be like putting James Woods’s movie clips in evidence to show that he was a hit man, or putting “Johnny 99″ into evidence to show that Bruce Springsteen violates traffic laws. (”Down in the part of town, where when you hit a red light you don’t stop….”). Heck, even the “memoirs” that claim to be true are often a million little lies. The evidentiary value of stuff like that is zero.
As for your view that rap is pollution, give it a few years and your kids will be listening to it. A few more and it’ll be on “oldies” stations.
December 22nd, 2006 at 2:43 pm
Personally, I think that hillbilly crap that is so pervasive in the south is pollution. But I recognize it’s about interpretation and subjective taste. I don’t hear you raging about David Coe’s racism and that pollution. Maybe you should.
December 22nd, 2006 at 2:51 pm
I should add, more as a funny story than anything of substance, when I was a prosecutor, I was involved with the prosecution of a well known up and coming rapper out of FL who has a contract with Ludacris or somebody big like that. We had him and his bodyguard/driver on some silly misdemeanor crap. Somehow, he got a Public Defender in the case. To get a PD, you have to file an affidavit of indigency stating you are, well, indigent.
So I get to investigating and I find out about his wealth, and that he has a VERY expensive luxury vehicle registered to his name. Bingo. He perjured himself (felony) in his affidavit. Even better, we downloaded his songs. His top hit was “I got bond money!” The lyrics include “Two things I ain’t hurting for are p…y and money…” My first thought was “Admission against interest!”
Unfortunately, I went into private practice shortly thereafter and did not get a chance to follow it through.
By the way, his music is great, if a little (lot) profane.
December 22nd, 2006 at 7:44 pm
Yeah, I hear David Alan Coe all over the south. It’s blasting out of cars at red lights. Its blaring out of local electronics stores. Kids at bus stops are singing along to David Alan Coe on their I-pods nearly every day.
(Please tell me a professional lawyer didn’t just make such a retarded comment.)
I will give William credit, he didn’t feel the need to resort to ethnic slurs, unlike T-Unit. For the record, one hardly ever hears actual Hillbilly music most anywhere in the South, and David Alan Coe is from Indiana or Ohio, or one of those other states where men are too stupid to know how ugly black socks are with sandals and the women don’t shave their legs.
December 22nd, 2006 at 11:17 pm
Franklin,
While your attempt to characterize my comment as something it as not may, in your mind, have contributed to your argument, in reality it revealed your willingness to distort when it suits you. The point, as you well know, is that rap isn’t the only music with lyrics that offend. And while David Coe may not be as pervasive as rap, ALL rap isn’t as negative as David Coe. So to try to compare the pervasiveness of ONE country singer to ALL of rap is just plain…dare I say, retarded.
And “ethnic slur”? Since when did “hillbilly” become an ethnicity? You’re really reaching. Or distorting. But then, you’ve demonstrated that you’re more than willing to do so when it suits you.
December 23rd, 2006 at 9:24 pm
Well I am glad we agree that comparing one country singer to a broad sampling of rap music is retarded. You did it, I’m glad you can own it.
And Hillbilly refers, specifically, to the predominantly Anglo-Celtic people of Appalachia and the Ozarks, so it certainly is an ethnic grouping, unless you think ethnicity is synonymous with race. But then, you think comparing a single singer of a genre to a broad sampling of another genre makes some sense, perhaps you’ll believe anything.
Next time I hear “Push That Pigs Foot Closer to the Fire” anywhere outside my own home and Everett’s Music Barn, I’ll think of my retarded lawyer friend, T-Unit.
December 24th, 2006 at 3:19 am
Let’s see now. Johnny Cash actually shot that man in Reno just to watch him die? Eric Clapton shot the sheriff? And Mick Jagger killed the Kennedys?
Give me a break.
December 26th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
if you do not think that rap is trash that kills are fooling yourself. kids in the old days had a mom and dad who told them right from wrong. all adults told them right from wrong. society told them right from wrong. rock and roll was a slang term for sex but that does not mater because kids today live by their music more than any other generation. the “tunes” mean more to them than anything or anyone. their music is all that have that says this is who i am. they do not know their daddy. they do not know grandma and grandpa (or they know granny and papa and not mom and dad). they move from place to place and have no home. elvis aint got nothing on these rappers. children are dumber today that when you guys grew up. they do not understand ( or care to understand) real life vs hollywood-music industry. their lives are sometimes so sad and empty. the world is not changing…the people in it are
December 27th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
John I think you’re confusing traditional Western folk genre’s where ballads can tell stories in the first person with rap, which is largely a confessional style. When a rapper sings about his pose and his crack he is bragging about *himself* not telling a story.
December 28th, 2006 at 9:59 am
Of course. Lyrics from black people = confessions. Lyrics from white people = wonderful fiction. Whatever.
December 28th, 2006 at 4:59 pm
rap is sorry music
that aint no jive.
it is a wonder they are all still alive
they bust a cap and bang them a hoe
they creep and holla, ride and roll
they call each other nigga and sport “mad bling”
what in hell does that all mean?
snoop, biggie, 2pac, fiddy
they can not just have a real name. what a pity.
what is really sad is that i suck at making rap
but if kids think this is cool i can hock this crap
December 29th, 2006 at 10:07 pm
Ah, so IT IS a race issue for the retarded yankee lawyer!
January 3rd, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Rap is childish and silly. As an uncle of mine once put it “I stopped making rhymes like that when I was 12 years old”. Even the rap “music” that isn’t crude, vulgar, and offensive is nothing more than mediocre poetry set to a beat that grates on one’s hearing.
Don’t believe me? Look above, where “Lucas” has just written a passable rap song in an internet comment box. If this were really great art, would he be wasting his talents by throwing away a good rap on the internet?
I’ve heard 4-year olds write better poetry than these rappers. Most rappers (and rap fans) wouldn’t recognize musical talent if it bit them in the “bling”.