The Huffington Post's Nick Wing examines how rap lyrics are being used to incriminate young black men. Jurors are being told to view lyrics as "as literal autobiography, rather than metaphorical or exaggerated storytelling. This works with disturbing effectiveness, critics say, because rap songs often contain lyrics that reinforce racial stereotypes about black males and hyper-sexuality or violence -- helpful when the prosecutor is trying to make the defendant out to be an actual criminal." Wing says that, under the same lens, the songs of Johnny Cash, Third Eye Blind, Guns N' Roses, Neil Young, Maroon 5 and others would be considered confessions and evidence of their connection to actual crimes.
Lawyer and Legal Journalist
