Former No Limit rapper Mac Phipps has been a champion of the Rap Music on Trial legislation, even from Louisiana, where no such bill has been introduced. His special interest in the passage of SB S7527 stems from his 2001 manslaughter conviction, for which he served 21 years of a 30-year prison sentence. Significant evidence points to him having been wrongfully convicted, according to NPR. However, without the use of core evidence in the case, the prosecution utilized Phipps’ lyrics as somewhat of a character witness to villainize him on trial.

“I can vividly remember the prosecutor came across to where I was sitting and he wanted to make a show. He wanted me to hear it. He said something to my lawyer. I can’t remember his exact words, but the gist of what he said was like, ‘Yo, I have all of his lyrics right here.’ Like, he had a folder with both of my albums in it. And he was like, ‘I’m ready for him to get on the stand — I’m ready for him to testify. I got him. I got enough things within the words of his song to get him.’ That’s basically what he told my lawyer,” Phipps recalled of his case to Blavity.

He was granted clemency in 2021 and has since been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform.

“Criminal cases should be tried on factual evidence not the creative expression of an artist, but unfortunately hip-hop has been held to a very different standard in the criminal justice system within the last three decades,” Phipps said in a press release. “The passage of the New York bill gives me hope that situations like the one that I faced will be prevented from happening to other artists in the future.”

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