Should rap lyrics be allowed in the courtroom?
Law professor Jack Lerner unpacks Fetty Wap's federal drug trial
Fetty Wap's recent drug trafficking sentence has been extended due to prosecutors' belief that his music glamorizes the drug trade. It raises the age-old question: Should lawyers be allowed to use song lyrics as evidence in court?
Jack Lerner is a professor of law at the University of California, Irvine and co-author of Rap on Trial: A Legal Guide for Attorneys, which explains the system's impact on Black art.
Lerner joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to break down the long history of rappers being tried in a court of law for the things they say in their songs — and how it differs for musicians of different genres.
WATCH | Official Video for Fetty Wap's Trap Queen:
You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Jack Lerner produced by Trishla Parekh and Tyrone Callender.