Travis Scott has raised his voice against the use of rap lyrics to justify the death penalty, calling it a violation of constitutional protections. The rapper is supporting Texas death row inmate James Broadnax, whose handwritten rap lyrics were used as evidence during his sentencing for a double murder conviction.
Broadnax was 19 when prosecutors said he killed two men during a robbery in Garland. In 2009, a jury found him guilty of the killings and sentenced him to death. During the sentencing phase, after the conviction, prosecutors presented about 40 pages of Broadnax’s handwritten rap lyrics to the nearly all-white jury. Prosecutors argued that the lyrics, which referenced robbery, violence, and drug activity, showed Broadnax posed a continuing threat to society and was likely to commit future crimes. The jury then imposed the death penalty.
Broadnax is scheduled for execution on April 30, but his lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to review the case and halt the execution. In support, Scott’s attorney, Alex Spiro, filed an amicus brief arguing that using rap lyrics as evidence effectively punishes artistic expression. The brief points out that prosecutors treated Broadnax as dangerous because he performed what they described as “gangster rap,” a practice the filing says is unconstitutional and targets music based on its content.
The filing also notes that presenting rap lyrics out of their artistic context risks criminalizing the genre itself by treating creative expression as proof of criminal intent. Several other prominent hip-hop artists, including T.I., Young Thug, Killer Mike, and Fat Joe, have signed briefs urging the court to reconsider the use of lyrics as courtroom evidence.
The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether it will hear the case or intervene in the scheduled execution. Advocates argue the outcome could set a landmark precedent for the treatment of art and free expression in the justice system.
