Supreme Court brief that might get Jamal Knox released

If you don't know who Jamal Knox is, or better known for his rapper name Mayhem Mal, he is a young rapper who recently went to jail because of his lyrics from his song "F*** the Police." In this song, he specifically rapped about threatening two police officers, causing him to be in prison for up to 6 years. Recently, Famous rap artists 21 Savage, Killer Mike, Chance the Rapper, Meek Mill, and more, filed a Supreme Court brief in hopes of getting their friend out. These rappers and Jamal Knox's lawyers believe that his first amendment rights are being violated.

21 Savage (left) Jamal Knox (right)

In this brief, the friends and fellow Hip-hop artists of Knox try to explain that there is a difference between a real and blatant threat and lyrics that are common in rap songs. Many artists use music as a form of expression, allowing them to say what they want about how they're feeling emotionally. Other artists, especially hip-hop artists, use their music as a way to take a stand and speak out about politics, which is what these men were trying to say. The brief also stated that this case is "troubled and problematic" because Knox is being sentenced to prison, while other artist who use the same threatening lyrics are walking free. (Supreme Court Brief)

This case reminds me of when the hip-hop/rap group N.W.A came out with their song titled similarly as Knox's, "F*** tha Police." A very similar thing happened where the group was not allowed to perform that song or they would be arrested...so they sang the song. They were later acquitted. Another similar case that this reminds me of is one that was filed in early 1990's about the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew. They released an album titled "As Nasty As They Wanna Be", the first album to be considered "obscene" and illegal to own or sell. After being taken to the Supreme Court, the group was able to prove that their lyrics were a form of expression, making it hard for the court to disprove.

This all happened fairly recently so there is no news on what will happen to Jamal Knox but, considering what happened in the past i believe the end will be positive. It's understandable as to why older folks think these lyrics are "obscene", especially for the youths ears. But there is more to hip-hop than the swear words. Tupac had many against his lyrics as well but if you really read into his poetry and try to comprehend what messages he's relaying, then you have a better appreciation for the music.

If you believe that hip-hop is just swear words and offensive language then you should definitely check out some of Tupac's music and poetry. Heres a link where you can read some of his more popular releases : https://mypoeticside.com/poets/tupac-shakur-poems

Here is the PDF link to the Supreme Court brief for Jamal Knox that was referenced: https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/18/18-949/90947/20190306152355894_11%20AM%20Final%20Knox%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf