A rapper from New Orleans who had a success in 1999 must now have the lyrics of his upcoming songs approved by the US government following a court ruling.
Rapper BG (aka Baby Gangsta), whose “Bling Bling” reached number 36 on the Billboard charts 25 years ago, must provide copies to federal officials of upcoming songs before they’re promoted or produced, in accordance with a ruling by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, who presides over the Eastern District of Louisiana. If the lyrics of those songs are “inconsistent with the terms of the singer’s rehabilitation,” it could affect his supervised release.
BG (real name Christopher Dorsey) was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2014 for 2 counts of weapons possession and conspiracy to obstruct justice. He was released last September and can spend the subsequent three years under federal supervision.
He has resumed his music profession and in February performed a concert with one other rapper who was convicted of a criminal offense. Under the terms of his release, he isn’t any longer allowed to have contact with convicted felons – and BG has been arrested again.
As it seems, BG had been given permission to collaborate with the opposite rapper, however the song lyrics they exchanged made authorities doubt BG’s commitment to rehabilitation, ultimately resulting in last Friday’s decision.
Prosecutors had asked the court to ban BG from “promoting and glorifying future gun violence/murder” within the songs he played during his tenure, however the court considered this a violation of freedom of speech.
“To address the government’s legitimate concerns, the court will impose a special requirement that the defendant submit to the United States Parole Board a copy of the lyrics of all songs he has written before producing or promoting those songs,” the judge’s order states. “The government may, if it deems necessary and appropriate, file a further motion for leave to file a ruling to show why the terms of the defendant’s parole should not be modified because his conduct is inconsistent with the goals of rehabilitation.”
