Mural by Kenya D. Lawton of Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell) Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives) Two men were convicted in federal court on Tuesday in Brooklyn of murdering Jason “Jam ...

A rap scholar testified 'gangsta rap' often uses fictional characters and hyperbole as attorneys for Yella Beezy fight to exclude lyrics as evidence.

Most rap lyrics by Yella Beezy cannot be used as evidence against him in his murder-for-hire trial, a Dallas judge ruled Monday. The use of rap lyrics in criminal prosecutions has become a ...

After years of criticism, the use of songs as evidence continues unabated. Can new legislation – and the support of hip-hop's biggest stars – finally turn the tide? By Bill Donahue When Vonte Skinner ...

On the afternoon of March 16th, 2017, aspiring rapper Anthony Murillo stood to hear the jury’s verdict – the culmination of a weeklong trial in which prosecutors argued that he had used a rap song to ...

On July 2, U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan ruled that B.G. must turn in his written lyrics to the government before releasing them. The ruling is the latest setback the rapper born Christopher Dorsey ...

Rap is often treated as background music for workouts, commutes, or parties. In a classroom context, it can look like “just entertainment.” Yet rap lyrics are built on the same foundations students ...

When Anthony Elonis began posting violent rap lyrics on Facebook in October of 2010, he probably never expected a visit from the FBI—or that a federal jury would later find him guilty on multiple ...

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. Next month, the Supreme Court of New Jersey will hear arguments about whether rap ...

While many rappers indulge in luxuries like fancy jewelry and cars, there's one intangible aspect that serves as a more significant flex: A father's relationship with his children. Rap's bond with ...

Moroccan rapper El Mahdi Lyoubi, aka Mehdi Black Wind, was arrested this month on charges of defaming the king. The trumped-up charges reflect the monarchy’s trouble coping with the youth revolt ...