Movie

As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial

87%Critics15 reviews73%Audience1 reviews

6.711average critics score, out of 1020241h 36m

DocumentaryMusic

AS WE SPEAK: RAP MUSIC ON TRIAL follows Bronx rap artist Kemba as he explores the growing weaponization of rap lyrics in the United States criminal-justice system and abroad. His exploration reveals how law enforcement has quietly used artistic creation as evidence in criminal cases for decades. Since the 1990s, more than 700 criminal court cases have used rap lyrics as evidence against defendants, and with the recent criminal trial of rapper Young Thug, this issue has become more mainstream and in the public eye. The film doesn't ask whether someone is innocent or guilty; it asks whether lyrics can be used for conviction.

Directed by:

J.M. Harper