Young Thug and YSL's RICO case is obviously a big point of contention in the worlds of crime and hip-hop. On that last point, though, many MCs are concerned of the precedent this case could set, as the court will admit rap lyrics as evidence. Moreover, this debate centers around whether these artistic expressions should be taken as true, especially in an industry in which artists are rewarded for being more outlandish, "hard," and "real in the streets" than the last. A legend in hip-hop, Fat Joe, recently spoke to Gayle King on CNN about how much he and other rappers lie all the time in their music, and why this is a ridiculous conclusion to arrive to on behalf of the justice system.
"I’ve been rapping professionally for 30 years," Fat Joe began. "I’ve lied in almost 95 percent of my songs. I’m being honest. I write like I feel that day. I’m just being creative. You couldn’t build a jail high enough for the lyrics I’ve said on songs, which are all untrue. What I am is a family man, the person who gives back to my community all the time, opens businesses in my community.
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Fat Joe's Appearance On CNN: Watch
"So the music would never amount to the actual person, Joseph Cartagena,” Fat Joe added. "What’s even more horrible is that the district attorneys, they know those lyrics ain’t real. They know that’s creativity. But if it helps their case, they’ll use it to put these guys in jail. And here, we’re having a fun show about it and discussion, but there really is six defendants in Atlanta who might spend the rest of their lives in jail for something that’s totally not true. This is very serious. This destroys families.
"This case right here is setting such a precedent in America," he concluded on a somber note. "Because they’ve used this before in up-and-coming, aspiring artists. They’ve never took a guy off the stage in the arena. You know, a number one artist that my daughter and all the kids look up to, and say, ‘No, you going on trial for this.’ It’s nasty work, it’s real nasty work." For more news and the latest updates on Young Thug, YSL, and Fat Joe, stay logged into HNHH.
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