NWA's catalog began to create a shift and not only the type of music that was coming out, but how it was speaking to certain social conditions. And so as that debate continued raging into the early 90s, you began to see prosecutors using rap lyrics as a form of evidence against people in trial. She also had prosecutors literally saying these rap lyrics are almost like party confessions.
Two of the biggest rappers in the world, Young Thug and Gunna, are behind bars. And their bars will likely be used as evidence when they go to trial.
This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and edited and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.
Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained
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