Two men were convicted in federal court in Brooklyn for the murder of Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell from the hip hop group Run-DMC. The judge in this case did not allow the jury to hear rap lyrics suggesting the defendant's guilt. In contrast, in Atlanta, rap verses are being used as central evidence in a racketeering trial against hip-hop star Jeffery “Young Thug” Williams and five co-defendants.
The difference in allowing rap lyrics as evidence may be due to the amount of incriminating evidence present in each case. The Brooklyn trial had eyewitnesses and other evidence unrelated to rap lyrics, while the Atlanta trial had less direct evidence linking Young Thug to criminal activities.
