Rap on Trial - Decriminalizing Artistic Expression
Under the recently enacted Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, written by Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-South Los Angeles), artists, particularly rap music artists, will not have their work used against them in a courtroom in California as a sole way of connecting them with a crime. In this episode of the Look West podcast Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer sits down with Harvey Mason jr, CEO of the Recording Academy, GRAMMY – Award winning Hip-Hop icon and Founder and CEO of Rock the Bells LL COOL J, and Professor of Criminology, Law & Society Charis Kubrin. In a very animated conversation they talk about why this new law is so important, what it means for creative expression and avoiding implicit bias in the treatment of artists, particularly young men of color.