Hip-hop artists Killer Mike, Big Boi, and T.I. filed a petition with the US Supreme Court to back up young Mississippi rapper Taylor Bell's First Amendment case. The artists claim that the court's prejudice to hip-hop music resulted to mistrial of Bell's case.
News Republic reported that Atlanta rappers Killer Mike, Big Boi, and T.I. filed an amicus brief to support the case of young Mississippi rapper named Taylor Bell a.k.a. T-Bizzie. Bell was suspended from Itawamba County after recording and posting a rap song online about two high school teachers allegedly committing sexual harassment acts on female students.
In their brief, Killer Mike and fellow artists argued that Bell and rap music have the right for protection under the First Amendment. "The government punished a young man for his art-and, more disturbing, for the musical genre by which he chose to express himself."
Bell mentioned the names of two teachers and portrayed violent deeds to be done to them in his rap song. Some of the threatening lyrics pointed out were: "I'm going to hit you with my rueger / Looking down girls' shirts / Drool running down your mouth / Going to get a pistol down your mouth." He recorded the song on a professional studio away from school and posted its music video on Facebook and later on YouTube.
The Itawamba County School Board accused Bell of harassing, intimidating, and threatening school teachers in his rap song. Bell defended himself saying that he did not mean to actually shoot anyone. He said that he just wanted to "increase awareness of the situation" among students.
In the end, Bell was suspended from his high school. Howl and Echoes reported that Bell being punished for his music sparked a First Amendment case. Bell said that his punishment violated his First Amendment right to free speech.
The brief filed by the Atlanta rappers also gave attention to the legal system's biased perception on rap music, reported The New York Times. They argued that Bell used figurative language typical of rap music. However, the school board and the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit interpreted the lyrics literally, showing that they do not recognize rap as artistic expression.
"Anyone who is learned in law is capable of separating art and lyrics, whether you agree with them or not, and actual human behavior," Mike said. "I think the courts understand it when it's Johnny Cash. I think they understand it when it's Robert Nesta Marley."
Bell, now 22, appreciated the support of the big hip-hop stars. Today, he continues to rap as T-Bizzle and is working on his musical career.
