Love Is All

that rap lyrics must be literal admissions of action and intent, that a rapper is necessarily speaking as themself and not from the perspective of a fictional[ized] narrator or artistic persona—unlike for any other genre of music or creative writing—is a legal tool to criminalize and prosecute Black artists

Lyrics are art. Art is not evidence. Mapping Rap On Trial Our research has identified nearly 700 cases, from the late 1980s to present, where rap lyrics have been used as evidence, usually in a criminal context. In some cases the lyrics were presented as evidence at trial; in many others, the lyrics were used to justify charging a suspect, to secure an indictment, to compel a plea bargain, and/or to justify sentencing recommendations. As you zoom in, the map shows the following case information: -- State -- Jurisdiction -- Individual case name (where available)* Note: We have also made a CSV file of this data available here. (*The locations of the pins are approximations and do not indicate the precise location of the case.)

Call me whatever names you wish, but I think this is a much better (and healthier) attitude than “anyone under 18 should never be allowed to see any sexual imagery ever”

(For reference: this was at the Tom of Finland exhibition, containing actual, queer, kinky af pornography. There were definitely some young people there, perhaps in their late teens. There was even a parent with their baby who was probably too young to understand anything at all. And guess what, all those people are probably going to be fine.)

Link to the article

I have trouble reading between the lines and picking up on implicit information? Actually, I’ve learned the importance of giving and receiving precise, specific instructions in order to avoid time consuming miscommunications.

I’m easily bored with only one task? Actually, I have a curious mind and thrive in places with a wide range of tasks as I prefer dynamic environments where I can contribute to many projects.

I have trouble with white lies that are merely social niceties? Actually, I prioritize a transparent work environment where we can tackle issues head-on.

“I got freaks NINE days out of the week — I CAN GET MORE.”

“….—only seven days in a week.”

…