Rap lyrics have long been used as evidence in court. A Georgia bill aims to give artists more protections

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March 5th, 2025

A mural at the birthplace of hip-hop at Bronx’s Sedgwick Houses features an image of the genre’s creator, DJ Kool Herc, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in New York. Rap lyrics have been used as evidence in criminal court cases for decades, but a new Georgia bill aims to extend the protection of creative expression to artists. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Rap lyrics have a long history of being used as evidence in criminal court cases. But, in Georgia, a bill recommending protections for artists is now on the table.

So, let’s take it back. Imagine it’s 1991. The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff just dropped a clean-cut anthem of the summer, “Summertime.”

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