Lyrics on trial: how US rappers have their music used against them in court

Today in Focus

The Guardian

Daily News, News

4.6 • 5.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 September 2022

⏱️ 37 minutes

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Summary

Rappers are increasingly finding their music used against them in criminal trials. But as Sam Levin reports, California is taking steps to limit the practice. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is The Guardian.
0:09.4	Today, should song lyrics have a place in the courtroom?
0:23.9	This is the tape tape.
0:24.8	We've been conducting much of detective Jan Trichman,
0:26.9	the St. Andrew Ferris Ferris office, detective Bob Jue,
0:29.8	St. Andrew Ferris Ferris office.
0:31.9	The version to be interviewed is on my kindling, J. Phil.
0:38.8	On the night of February the 20th in the year 2000,
0:42.3	there was a shooting at a hip-hop gig in the town of Slydele
0:45.8	in Louisiana, and a 19-year-old man died.
0:51.6	In the hours afterwards, the police arrested a suspect
0:55.0	and took him in for questioning.
0:56.9	Were you a club investigation pilot of the name?
0:58.8	Yes, sir.
0:59.8	And while we were there, I would get the phone.
1:02.8	More town performance needed.
1:04.4	I ran.
1:05.4	You ran.
1:06.0	Thing?
1:06.5	Yes.
1:07.9	The man they'd arrested on suspicion of murder was Mac Fipps,
1:11.9	the 22-year-old rapper who'd been due to play that night.
	...

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