Lyrics On Trial: Mac Phipps (Pt 2) | Louder Than A Riot, S1E3

Lyrics On Trial: Mac Phipps (Pt 2) | Louder Than A Riot, S1E3 with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

"A bullet in your brain." What right does the justice system have to decide whether a rapper's words are imagination or intent to kill? In this continuation of Mac Phipps' story, police pressure witnesses, while prosecutors use the artist's own lyrics to build a murder case against him. And Mac isn't the first: From a century-old folk tune to Ice-T's "Cop Killer," we examine the history of policing Black creativity to reveal a phenomenon that's become common practice in courtrooms — using lyrics as Exhibit A.

ARTWORK by Dale Edwin Murray / MUSIC by Kassa Overall / VIDEO by Renee Klahr

LISTEN TO MORE EPISODES

WHAT'S "LOUDER THAN A RIOT"?

Rhyme and punishment go hand in hand in America. "Louder Than A Riot" reveals the interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration. From Bobby Shmurda to Nipsey Hussle, each episode explores an artist's story to examine a different aspect of the criminal justice system that disproportionately impacts Black America. Hosted by NPR Music's Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden, this podcast is invested in power from all angles — the power the music industry wields over artists, the power of institutional forces that marginalize communities of color, the power of the prison industrial complex and the power dynamics deep-rooted in the rap game.

We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback. Email us at louder@npr.org.

FOLLOW "LOUDER THAN A RIOT"

FOLLOW NPR MUSIC

See “Louder Than A Riot” sponsors and promo codes