Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Being from MA, the area these two rocket scientists are from, not a big surprise.
When two aspiring hip-hop artists from Massachusetts were hauled into court last month and charged with making threats against police in a rap video, everyone in the court room, from the defense attorneys to the prosecutors, agreed on one thing:
Matthew Rufino, 24, and Jason Foley, 28, do not have a bright future ahead in hip hop.
Watch 4 Me, the low-budget YouTube video that landed the pair behind bars, shows Rufino and Foley rapping inside some kind of dark tent, with blurry google images of shootouts and mangled police cruisers to illustrate their violent lyrics.
The four-minute clip, posted by 508 Productions on Nov. 1, is an unmistakeably amateur attempt at gangsta rap. But unlike the commenters on YouTube, Massachusetts State Police didn’t take the video lightly.
On Nov. 20, Rufino and Foley were arrested and charged with making threats to commit a crime, threats to use a firearm and intimidation of a witness. They were ordered held without bail at a dangerousness hearing Monday, and they’re now awaiting trial inside state prison.
The lyrics, etc here:
http://www.thathottness.com/blog/str...sta-rap-video/
Although the write up above does not come across - to me at least - as being anti LRO, the statement "The Bristol County DA also seems to be blazing a trail in trying to prosecute a rapper for anti-cop lyrics" seems factually incorrect.
Anti cop lyrics are general "I hate all you cops, you all suck" etc, etc.
Naming specific people, and making threats against specific people, by name, is not simply anti-cop.
I'm not an attorney, but it seems to me the author missed the point here.
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Will
Naming specific people, and making threats against specific people, by name, is not simply anti-cop.
They named names but did they make a threat to those individuals? There were veiled threats made later but not at any individual.
Quote:
NBPD (ha ha)…fuck you, this is for you.
For my fucking probation officer, too.
(name removed), fuck you [gunshot].
Officer (name removed), fuck you [gunshot].
NBPD, fuck you [gunshot].
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Just about the lowest point in contemporary culture is GANGSTA RAP. It takes so little talent to do one. Too bad so many morons want to be part of it and follow it. IMHO
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
My only thought is why doesn't this work for regular people.
Someone can threaten to kill you, but without a music video it really doesn't matter.
I doubt these guys were for real going to do anything, unlike all the stalker freaks who do.
Oh well. I don't think jail fixes anything except for those who are already terrified of the law.
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
This will be an interesting test of the 1st amendment.
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
What about Cop Killer by Body Count? Probably 300 times better musically, I don't know I can't watch videos at work, so I have no idea how bad these two idiots sound. But surely as bad as far as talking about violence towards cops.
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Djoser
What about Cop Killer by Body Count? Probably 300 times better musically, I don't know I can't watch videos at work, so I have no idea how bad these two idiots sound. But surely as bad as far as talking about violence towards cops.
Unlike Ice-T, who is now on Law and Order BTW, they mentioned specific people. Now to have a legitimate "Terroristic Threat", used to be assault, the people mentioned have to have had a genuine fear from the threat.
I see two problems, was there an actual threat made to a specific person and were the police really in genuine fear?
Detective Fuhrman were you ever in genuine fear of my punk-ass-bitch clients?
Ladies and gentlemen of the supposed jury, if the fear does not fit you must acquit.
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Earl_the_Pearl
They named names but did they make a threat to those individuals? There were veiled threats made later but not at any individual.
I don't agree. If you keep it in context, saying the the next time you pull me over, it will be over my dead body, and naming the specific trooper, while waving guns around, seems quite specific to me, but yes, it's not as direct as saying "I plan to drive to your house at 9am on Sat and kill you" type thing. Will be interesting to see where groups like the ACLU fall on this one.
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Yeah saying you are going to kill a specific cop by name would seem to be inviting legal trouble. Not too swift.
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Paris
This will be an interesting test of the 1st amendment.
Agreed. It's really on the line of what is 1A protected. Will be interesting to see what the ACLU does with it. Me, I think they passed that line, just as yelling fire in a movie theater is not protected by the 1A.
If you or I were named by name in such a vid, would we not feel it was a direct threat of violence? I would. You are their PO and see them regularly, would you take that as a direct threat? I would. The DA agrees it appears.
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kittygirl
My only thought is why doesn't this work for regular people.
Someone can threaten to kill you, but without a music video it really doesn't matter.
I doubt these guys were for real going to do anything, unlike all the stalker freaks who do.
Oh well. I don't think jail fixes anything except for those who are already terrified of the law.
It's not legal to threaten to kill someone, but you have to have some proof they did it. If said stalker freak makes a youtube vid naming names and making specific threats, then you have something. The problem with stalker types is they are usually smart enough not to give you enough actual proof the cops can act on, often until it's too late....your first line of defense is the police, but your last line of defense is you, but that's another topic! So we don't stray too OT, here's and oldie but goodie thread on that:
http://www.stripperweb.com/forum/sho...ighlight=glock
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Freedom of speech is one thing, but freedom of threats is altogether another.
'You can't fictitiously yell "fire" in a crowded theater', or publically say lies about another non-public person are the typical answers to the limts of free speech.
You know, sometimes "artists" are just so caught up in their own business that they do not understand that they also have responsibilities, just like the rest of us.
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Quote:
Originally Posted by
threlayer
Freedom of speech is one thing, but freedom of threats is altogether another.
'You can't fictitiously yell "fire" in a crowded theater', or publically say lies about another non-public person are the typical answers to the limts of free speech.
You know, sometimes "artists" are just so caught up in their own business that they do not understand that they also have responsibilities, just like the rest of us.
Well said, although these kids were far from artists on any level. ;D
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Assault: (Law) an act, criminal or tortious, that threatens physical harm to a person, whether or not actual harm is done : he appeared in court charged with assault.
If they named names and said they wanted to shoot them, they have already broken the law. There is no 1A issue raised - that has been settled a long time ago.
(Battery is when an assault turns into harmful action against a person.)
Re: Two morons arrested for "gangsta Rap" vid
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deogol
Assault: (Law) an act, criminal or tortious, that threatens physical harm to a person, whether or not actual harm is done : he appeared in court charged with assault.
If a man confined to a wheelchair said he was going to kick someone in the shin that would not be assault as he does not have the capacity to carry it out.
In that so called song they never mentioned a name along with a violent act. They mentioned names and violent acts but not together. If OJ got off they can get off.