California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill into law that restricts the use of rap lyrics as evidence in court in the state.
The bill, titled The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, is seen as a crucial step in not injecting racial bias into court proceedings.
The new law underscores a larger national conversation around prohibiting the use of rap lyrics as evidence, a tactic critics have called a racist double standard and an infringement on First Amendment rights.
The law is also applicable to the use of performance art, visual art, poetry, literature, film, and other media.
Recently, Atlanta rappers Young Thug and Gunna were indicted, and their lyrics were directly quoted and used against them in an ongoing RICO trial.
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