Papoose and Torae Argue For NY ‘Rap On Trial’ Bill

Hip Hop’s birthplace, New York, is staging a different kind of battle involving rap lyrics — while some prosecutors want to pin crimes on artists through their lyrics, but rappers and lawmakers are taking immediate action.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with MCs Papoose and Torae following their impassioned appearance at the state Capitol in Albany, where they met with the Lieutenant Governor and other officials to campaign for Bill AB127.

The bill is intended to stop artists from having their lyrics used against them in court and Pap, Torae, Kevin Liles and other members of the Recording Academy all joined forces to raise the awareness.

They’re both BK-bred from the true school of hip hop culture, and defenders of the nuanced and explicit detailing of crime-laden minority neighborhoods often heard in rap lyrics.

To be clear, they’re advocating for MCs who rap about crimes … not for people who are actually committing crimes. The bill aims to prevent prosecutors from using artists’ lyrics against them in court.

We also got their take on the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, which from numbers alone, is hip hop’s biggest battle to date.

Unlike some alarmed reactions to the lyrical battle … Pap and Torae both feel you can’t make an omelet without smashing eggs. In other words: rap is, and always will be, about competition, and the clash was, overall, good for hip hop.

Now that things have cooled off between K.Dot and the Canadian, Pap and Torae believe AB127 should be a priority for all MCs.