YNW Melly Prosecutors Submit Dozens Of Songs Into Evidence

BYLavender AlexandriaPublished on January 10, 20241.7K Views

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: YNW Melly attends Murda Beatz 25th Birthday + GRAMMY Celebration on February 08, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for 2wenty 2wenty Music)

58 songs in total had lyrics submitted as evidence.

After multiple delays, YNW Melly's second trial for a pair of 2018 murders is finally set to get underway soon. Opening arguments are expected to begin in early March and the pre-trial proceedings are currently ongoing. That means that evidence is being introduced and weighed by both the prosecution and defense to be used in the upcoming trial. Occasionally this has resulted in victories for Melly like when some of the evidence introduced by the prosecution was ruled ineligible last month.

But now the prosecution has submitted some new evidence that crosses paths with one of the most controversial debates among rappers on trial. According to Bryson "Boom" Paul, the prosecution submitted lyrics from 58 different songs Melly appears on. They also reportedly submitted four of his album covers to evidence. In addition they also asked to include two experts on gangs and rap lyrics as witnesses. Though the judge hasn't officially ruled one way or the other on the submissions, it's a controversial move. Check out the full list of tracks submitted below.

YNW Melly's Lyrics Could Be Used Against Him

If Melly does have to face his lyrics in court come March, he won't be the only one dealing with his own songs in court. Young Thug also had his own lyrics used in court against him as a part of the YSL RICO trial. Thug's defense team in the case had to repeatedly explain the actual origins of lyrics that the prosecution tried to reference to alleged gang activity.

The debate over rap lyrics being used in court has been raging for years. Social justice advocates in the hip-hop world like Killer Mike and Meek Mill have repeatedly spoken out against it. Some states have even made legal maneuvers to prevent lyrics from being used in any criminal court proceedings. What do you think of the prosecution submitting lyric from 58 different YNW Melly songs as evidence? Do you think rap lyrics should be admissible as evidence in trial? Let us know in the comment section below.

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About The Author

Lavender Alexandria

Lavender Alexandria is a music and culture journalist based in Los Angeles, California. She’s covered dozens of musical genres and styles from the most mainstream to the most experimental and underground on her blog and accompanying YouTube channel that looks at music, pop culture, and Billboard charts since 2017: Lav’s Music Corner. Lavender has produced editorial and listicle content both in written and video form over the past far years and has also interviewed up-and-coming artists like Censored Dialogue. Her experiences covering culture have taken her from Hyperpop parties in LA to underground rap shows in Atlanta, to DIY punk shows in Charlotte. Lavender has also written for iHeartRadio, covering some of the biggest artists in Hip Hop such as Ice Spice, Drake, Doja Cat and Cardi B. She also has bylines with ScreenRant and continues to write for Ringtone magazine. Lavender is a lifelong Charlotte Hornets fan and her favorite rap artists include Clipping, Little Simz, Earl Sweatshirt, and Kendrick Lamar.