MSNBC legal analyst and civil rights attorney, Charles Coleman Jr. wants musicians to protect their intellectual property. Amidst the YSL RICO case against Young Thug, Coleman addressed the criminalization surrounding hip-hop.
At the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards, Coleman spoke to rolling out about how hip-hop fans can safeguard the culture and the music.
What is an underlying issue in hip-hop culture?
Right now, especially with us talking about hip-hop at 50 years old and the BET Hip-Hop Awards. There’s a criminalization around hip-hop where you see they’re trying to use lyrics that rappers are using as art against them to convict them criminally.
We have to stand up and protect that art form because it speaks for our community. It’s a big thing. It’s something that I champion as a civil rights attorney. It’s something I know about as a former prosecutor and when I’m on air, I talk about it. It’s something that’s near and dear to my heart because that’s how we express ourselves. This is where we find our voice. [With hip-hop] at 50 years old, we have to be about protecting it.
What outcomes are you hoping to witness from the YSL RICO case against Young Thug?
I think that artists have to stand up for their art. They have to be clear about the fact that this is what we create. At the same time, I think it should be a wake-up call for artists as well to understand that there’s a need to be responsible with your art as well. How you express yourself matters. It shouldn’t be used against you, but outside of being criminalized for it, you do have an obligation to use your platforms and your art responsibly.
