ART AND EVIDENCE: JUDICIAL TOOLS FOR DETERMINING THE ADMISSIBILITY OF RAP LYRICS IN CRIMINAL TRIALS

Volume 98, No. 3, Spring 2026

By Hon. Giovanni O. Campbell & Arlo B. Blaisus [PDF]

Overall, this Article intends to support trial judges as they endeavor to promote fairness in the trial process. To this end, Section III of this Article provides a series of questions distilled from the voluminous case law on the topic, evidentiary principles, and observations about the common themes of the rap genre. These questions serve as a guide for trial judges as they assess the probative value and prejudicial effect of the proffered evidence, and helps navigate constitutional objections.

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