Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
NationalNewsRace

What Freedom of Speech? Rapper Tiny Doo Facing Life in Prison Because of His Lyrical Content

Posted byBy Christina Montford | Published on: CommentsComments (1)
Tiny Doo

Tiny Doo

San Diego rapper Tiny Doo may be facing life in prison, not because of anything that he did, but because of his rap lyrics detailing gang activity.

Born Brandon Duncan, Tiny Doo is facing attempted murder charges in California after he and 14 other gang members were implicated in nine shootings. Duncan, who has never had any run-ins with the law until now, has not actually been connected to any of the shootings.

So what does Duncan have to do with any of this? Prosecutors are looking to enact a state law that allows for the prosecution of gang members who benefit from the crimes of gang activity and other gang members. According to News10 in San Diego, Duncan clearly expressed his gang affiliation in his music, including his latest album “No Safety.”

Because of this and commonly rapping about gang activity, Duncan fits the bill of someone gaining from gang crime. The prosecution claims that the street cred gained by Duncan and the other gang members have led to more popularity and music sales.

“It’s shocking,” Brian Watkins, Duncan’s lawyer, said. “He has no criminal record. Nothing in his lyrics say go out and commit a crime. Nothing in his lyrics reference these shootings, yet they are holding him liable for conspiracy. There are huge constitutional issues.”

Duncan will be the first person to be tried under the law that Californians voted for. This week, a judge will decide if the case will go to trial.

“Where does that end if that’s the definition of criminal liability? Is Martin Scorsese going to be prosecuted if he meets with mafia members for a movie for his next film?” asked Alex Kreit, Thomas Jefferson School of Law professor. “The Constitution says it can’t be a crime to simply make gangster rap songs and hang out with people that are committing crimes. You have to have more involvement than that.”

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top