T.I. and Bun B sat down with Ari Melber at ComplexCon 2022’s "The War on Rap" panel, Saturday. During the event, they discussed the controversial use of rap lyrics in criminal cases.
The sit-down comes ahead of the trial for Young Thug and Gunna's recent RICO arrest. Prosecutors in the case have stated their intention to use the two rapper's lyrics against them.
“So Johnny Depp was on trial for allegations of violence," Melber remarked at one point, as noted by the outlet. "How do you prove whether he was violent or not? Do you go to the evidence, the facts about his life, or do you go to the fact that he played a violent pirate?”
“He played a violent drug dealer in Blow too,” Bun B noted.
Melber continued: “We want to show you the contrast because whatever came up in that trial they never brought in his lines from a film, the way they’re bringing lines from other art against Black artists.”
Later, Bun B explained that the public rarely treats hip-hop as a legitimate art form. In not doing so, the legendary artist says that they devalue the culture as a result.
“Hip-hop is always looked at as cool, like the culture is cool, it’s fun, it’s hip, it’s edgy, it’s all that but it’s never described as art,” he explained. “It’s never put in that box. It’s never labeled as such. Which allows them to denigrate the culture… It allows it to label it outside everything they deem classy or worthy or of value. It’s very easy to devalue hip-hop culture by using lyrics like they put up on there to literally box everyone in under that one thing.”
Bun B added: “When YSL is on trial, hip-hop is on trial.”
Young Thug and Gunna’s RICO trial will officially begin on January 9, 2023. Judge Ural Glanville has denied the prosecution's request to push the date back.
ComplexCon will continue in Long Beach, California on Sunday.
[Via]