Criminal or artist? The trial of the rapper Young Thug
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 13 December 2023
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
He's one of the most popular rappers in America: Young Thug is facing up to 120 years in prison for allegedly being the head of a violent criminal gang. State prosecutors in Georgia are using lyrics from his songs as 'proof' of acts they say he was involved in, including the murder of a rival. But with this line of courtroom argument, is artistic freedom of speech under threat?
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Guest: Keiran Southern, West Coast correspondent, The Times.
Host: Luke Jones.
Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk
Clips: 11Alive, CNN.
Music excerpts:
Camilla Cabello ft Young Thug - Havana (Epic/Syco)
Young Thug - Stoner (Atlantic Records)
Young Thug - Anybody (YSL/300/Atlantic Records)
Young Thug - Slime Shit (300/Atlantic Records)
Young Thug - Just How It Is (YSL/300/Atlantic Records)
Lil Durk - Ahhh Ha (Alamo)
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Transcript
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| 1:08.0 | This isn't a ballad or a book. These are phrases in a song. |
| 1:12.0 | And whatever the listener takes from it you will learn that's what the song |
| 1:18.1 | means. This is art. This is freedom of speech in America. |
| 1:26.4 | In the land of the free and of life, liberty |
| 1:29.8 | and fiercely defended free speech rights, |
| 1:32.2 | why is a rapper in the dock having his lyrics |
| 1:35.2 | used as evidence against him? Grammy Award-winning rapper Young Thug whose legal name |
| 1:39.6 | is Jeffrey Lamar Williams charged as part of a Georgia RICO case. |
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