“It happens very frequently,” says lawyer Maryanne Kaishian of Brooklyn Defenders, a Brooklyn-based public defender service that represents nearly 35,000 people each year. “And it can happen in a few different ways. One way is that the lyrics are actually introduced as evidence in criminal cases. Another way is that the lyrics inform prosecutors about their case. They connect people through the groups that create music together and imbue guilt to the entire group.” Kaishian adds, “And it also takes place through police surveillance. We know for a fact that the police watch places where young people can upload their music. They surveil those sites, listen to the music, and note what kind of music they're making and who is making the music.”

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