Rap Trap: Hip-Hop on Trial Menu About Releases Releases February 16, 2023 ABC News Studios Documentary Hour Explores Use of Lyrics in Criminal Case Against Hip-Hop Stars Young Thug and Gunna The 2022 arrest and indictment of hip-hop stars Young Thug (Jeffery Williams) and Gunna (Sergio Kitchens) stunned the hip-hop world and reignited a national conversation about the use of lyrics in the courtroom. For some, the lyrics were evidence of potential wrongdoing. But for others, the case spotlighted a disturbing trend of criminalizing Black art that goes back decades, prompting a national movement to protect art and creative expression. A new ABC News Studios documentary hour, “Rap Trap: Hip-Hop on Trial,” explores the criminal case against the rappers and asks the question: Should rap lyrics be used in criminal prosecutions, and what effect would that have on artists’ free speech rights? The documentary dives into historical perceptions of the genre and other examples of when lyrics have been used against an artist in the courtroom, including the case of activist and rapper McKinley Phipps Jr., who served 21 years in prison for a crime he says he did not commit. Phipps and hi Press Release - Specials
February 16, 2023 ABC News Studios Documentary Hour Explores Use of Lyrics in Criminal Case Against Hip-Hop Stars Young Thug and Gunna The 2022 arrest and indictment of hip-hop stars Young Thug (Jeffery Williams) and Gunna (Sergio Kitchens) stunned the hip-hop world and reignited a national conversation about the use of lyrics in the courtroom. For some, the lyrics were evidence of potential wrongdoing. But for others, the case spotlighted a disturbing trend of criminalizing Black art that goes back decades, prompting a national movement to protect art and creative expression. A new ABC News Studios documentary hour, “Rap Trap: Hip-Hop on Trial,” explores the criminal case against the rappers and asks the question: Should rap lyrics be used in criminal prosecutions, and what effect would that have on artists’ free speech rights? The documentary dives into historical perceptions of the genre and other examples of when lyrics have been used against an artist in the courtroom, including the case of activist and rapper McKinley Phipps Jr., who served 21 years in prison for a crime he says he did not commit. Phipps and hi Press Release - Specials
