A new book, The Anthology of Rap, tracks the development of the genre -- from New York house parties to Eminem and Jay-Z -- by presenting lyrics from some of America’s greatest rappers as poetry.

UGA professor Andrea Dennis, the leading expert on this issue, said, “Rap music lyrics are not simply rhyming poems or declarative sentences, as many individuals believe.

When Rap Lyrics Become Incriminating Speech ... Williams emerged from Atlanta’s thriving poetry scene in 2011 with I Came From Nothing, ...

Of course, all songs’ lyrics are a form of poetry, and at no point did Americans lack affection for them. But true verse of the kind featured in hip-hop — poetry that does not rely on melody ...

Should Rap Lyrics Be Admissible in Court? ... But its breadth spans beyond rap, protecting other genres of music as well as poetry, film, dance, visual art and writing.

Despite these similarities, significant differences set rap and poetry apart. Rap is typically performed with musical accompaniment, including beats and instrumental tracks that complement the lyrics.

A California bill that prevents prosecutors from using rap lyrics and other creative works during criminal proceedings could soon become law. Last week, California's State Senate and Assembly both ...

The Restoring Artistic Protection Act (RAP Act) seeks to protect artists from the the use of their lyrics against them as evidence in court.

Rap lyrics, which can have violent, crime-related themes, are routinely used as evidence against amateur rappers in court, executives said.

California bill restricts use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, which limits the ways an artist's music ...

SACRAMENTO -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on Friday that limits the use of rap lyrics in criminal court cases in the state. The measure, also known as Assembly Bill 2799 ...

The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act restricts the use of rap lyrics during criminal trials in the state Brenton Blanchet is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. He has been working at PEOPLE since ...