logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2017
52m 53s

Rap on Trial

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode

Olutosin Oduwole was an aspiring rapper and college student when he was arrested in 2007. He was given an unusual charge: "attempting to make a terrorist threat." Prosecutors used his writings — which he maintains were rap lyrics — to build their case against him. This week on Hidden Brain, we revisit Oduwole's story, and how public perceptions of rap music may have played a role.

Up next
Jul 7
You 2.0: The Passion Pill
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” The idea is that pursuing your passion will feel invigorating — almost magical. But passions can easily wane over time. This week, behavioral scientist Jon Jachimowicz looks at how to ... Show More
49m 25s
Jun 30
You 2.0: What Is Your Life For?
What should you do with your life? There's no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. But there are scientifically-tested methods that can help you to feel more in harmony with yourself and the world. This week, and in a companion conversation for Hidden Brain+, researcher Vic ... Show More
1h 3m
Jun 23
Win Hearts, Then Minds + Your Questions Answered on Identity and "Covering"
There’s a saying that’s attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher. It’s a nice idea. But when people don’t share our values, it’s hard for us to tolerate theirs. This week, we bring you a favorite episode with sociologist Robb Wil ... Show More
1h 25m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2020
Lyrics On Trial: Mac Phipps (Pt 2)
"A bullet in your brain." What right does the justice system have to decide whether a rapper's words are imagination or intent to kill? In this continuation of Mac Phipps' story, police pressure witnesses, while prosecutors use the artist's own lyrics to build a murder case again ... Show More
56m 21s
Dec 2023
Should rap lyrics be allowed as evidence in criminal trials?
Grammy award-winning rapper Young Thug is currently on trial for gang-related charges in Atlanta, US. Prosecutors claim that the rap label he founded, Young Stoner Life (YSL) Records, is a front for an organised crime syndicate responsible for ‘75-80% of violent crime’ in the cit ... Show More
15m 16s
May 2022
Lyrics Still On Trial: Young Thug and Gunna
Last week, two of Atlanta's biggest rappers Young Thug and Gunna were arrested under the RICO Act. The DA charged their crew YSL as a gang and the indictment read more like a lyrical analysis than a police report. If this sounds familiar, it's because these same tactics were used ... Show More
14m 42s
Dec 2023
Bryan McCann, "The Mark of Criminality: Rhetoric, Race, and Gangsta Rap in the War-on-Crime Era" (U Alabama Press, 2017)
On this episode, Dr. Lee Pierce (she/they)--Asst. Prof. of Communication at SUNY Geneseo--interviews Bryan McCann (he/his)--Associate Professor of Communication at Louisiana State University--on a dope new work of cultural criticism The Mark of Criminality: Rhetoric, Race, and Ga ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 2019
Bryan McCann, "The Mark of Criminality: Rhetoric, Race, and Gangsta Rap in the War-on-Crime Era" (U Alabama Press, 2017)
On this episode, Dr. Lee Pierce (she/they)--Asst. Prof. of Communication at SUNY Geneseo--interviews Bryan McCann (he/his)--Associate Professor of Communication at Louisiana State University--on a dope new work of cultural criticism The Mark of Criminality: Rhetoric, Race, and Ga ... Show More
1h 2m
Jul 2020
Le tournant des années 2000: du rap conscient, aux émeutes et au gangsta rap
Au début des années 2000, parler du rap revenait à parler du rap conscient. Le propre du rap était de faire réfléchir, de dénoncer les injustices et de transmettre un message. À cette époque, de nombreux rappeurs dénoncent, analysent, et encore, aujourd’hui, on étudie les textes ... Show More
48m 30s
May 2019
Who Killed Conscious Rap? Find Out on 'The Stakes'
Drug wars, recessions and record violence in the 1980s had US cities in crisis. Hip hop artists responded by shifting from party music to a new style called "conscious rap." Artists like Public Enemy and Digable Planets championed a sound that was political, community-minded and ... Show More
25m 6s
Oct 2020
The Conspiracy Against Hip-Hop
In this first episode, a mysterious conspiracy letter sends us on a journey to find out just how entangled hip-hop and mass incarceration have become over the last 40 years. We travel back in time to 1980s Atlanta with Killer Mike, 1990s Oakland with Too Short and beyond. From Re ... Show More
51m 55s
May 2024
Episode 571: Criminal Dean Thornton releases rap song about Drogheda feud
A Drogheda feud member, convicted of a brutal abduction and torture, has launched his rap career with a highly produced music video about crime and carnage on the streets of his home town. Criminal Dean Thornton is hoping to find fame with his song about feuding, guns and gangste ... Show More
17m 53s
Dec 2023
One Thing: Rap Lyrics & RICO: Young Thug on Trial
A high-profile criminal trial is underway in Atlanta that could have major implications for the music industry. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has alleged Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug is the cofounder of a criminal street gang responsible for violent acts and is ... Show More
15m 56s