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14-Year Old Kid Expelled


bigted

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http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/23032957

Hip-Hop Researcher Called in Rap Case

"08/19/2005 2:30 PM, AP

The violent rap lyrics that got their teenage author expelled from school are typical of a genre that emphasizes verbal jousting, not necessarily a prelude to violent action, an expert told a federal judge.

Anthony Latour, 14, was expelled from the eighth grade in mid-May for the lyrics, which he wrote outside of school. The American Civil Liberties Union is trying to get him reinstated when classes begin Aug. 31 in the Riverside Beaver County School District.

At a hearing Thursday, ACLU attorney Kim Watterson said Latour's words, although violent, had to be taken in context of "battle rap," a genre in which rappers try to outdo one another with "these flexing of lyrical muscles."

To make her case, she called Bakari Kitwana, an author of three books on hip-hop culture. Chief U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose seemed appreciative.

"Probably of anyone in this room, I am the least familiar with hip-hop culture," said Ambrose. The judge gave no indication on when she would rule in the case.

Kitwana said rap vocabulary is misunderstood by people unfamiliar with hip-hop. Battle rap "can get pretty nasty in terms of the language," he said, but the words don't lead to violence. "It's absolutely a verbal challenge," he said.

One line in Latour's song says: "So watch what you say about me, I'm everywhere son, And the word of mouth is that I'm carrying guns."

School officials learned of LaTour's writings in March and contacted police. That led to criminal charges of making terroristic threats and harassment, which haven't been resolved.

Latour was expelled following a May school board hearing.

Anthony Sanchez, an attorney representing the district, said the district was forced to act and that Latour could have made his case at the expulsion hearing. He had not spoken at that time.

Sanchez said one girl's mother said her daughter had a "mental breakdown" because of harassment and Latour's raps. The girl has since left the district. Watterson contended no one referred to in the songs felt threatened. She and others were identified in court using only pseudonyms.

The school district serves about 2,000 students in three townships in northern Beaver County, about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

Kitwana called Latour's songs "amateurish" and "standard fare" but encouraged him to continue his efforts.

"It's clear to me that he's listening to the music," Kitwana said, noting that Latour's song "The Massacre" seemed to have been written around the time the album of the same name was released by rapper 50 Cent"

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That's the consequence for a kid idolizing 50 Cent! :lolsign: Unfortunately though there's millions of him like that. :thatspdiddybad:

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It's a shame that people do

50 actually said in a song on his G unit album

"Lil Tyrone Sick and tired of getting his ass whipped so hes got his gat down

His momma think it was my fault since he listened to back down"

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I read about that, and it's just sad.

"Lost is when you a slave to the biz

With no care for the cost of what you're saying to kids"

^^ This phrase is so true in this situation. Kids can be inspired to do some crazy stuff by listening to bad music.

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Kids can be inspired to do some crazy stuff by listening to bad music.

I don`t agree with that..Thats like saying the Kids who play Violent Video Games are gonna shoot other Kids!

I think the Kid has to be realy stupid to do such things becaus his Idol talks about that..

I mean where aren`t that old to and i don`t think you or me would have such stupid Ideas even if we would listen only to 50 Cent and stuff!

I mean i listen to Ice-T and until now i never planned to kill a Cop.lol.

Those Kids are just stupid but you can`t blame 50 Cent for it even if his lyrics aren`t how they should be in his Position of beeing an Idol for Milion of Kids..

And what depends that Kid:

I feel sorry for him..He just wrote some violent lyrics as far as i understood so whats the Problem?Those People are just wa over reacting..I mean just becaus he writes stuff like that doesn`t mean he`s gonna do it!

I mean come on..I think all of us wrote or said some agrsief or violent Things sometimes..

Ok you can say he went to far but at the end he din`t do anything..He just wrote some stupid Lyrics..

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Kids can be inspired to do some crazy stuff by listening to bad music.

I don`t agree with that..Thats like saying the Kids who play Violent Video Games are gonna shoot other Kids!

I think the Kid has to be realy stupid to do such things becaus his Idol talks about that..

I mean where aren`t that old to and i don`t think you or me would have such stupid Ideas even if we would listen only to 50 Cent and stuff!

I mean i listen to Ice-T and until now i never planned to kill a Cop.lol.

Those Kids are just stupid but you can`t blame 50 Cent for it even if his lyrics aren`t how they should be in his Position of beeing an Idol for Milion of Kids..

And what depends that Kid:

I feel sorry for him..He just wrote some violent lyrics as far as i understood so whats the Problem?Those People are just wa over reacting..I mean just becaus he writes stuff like that doesn`t mean he`s gonna do it!

I mean come on..I think all of us wrote or said some agrsief or violent Things sometimes..

Ok you can say he went to far but at the end he din`t do anything..He just wrote some stupid Lyrics..

Yeah well I said kids CAN be inspired. I think it would be crazy if kids were shooting other kids from violent video games! There's been stories about kids doing crazy stuff because they're inspired by lyrics, but I'm not saying it's a common thing going on all the time.

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Kids can be inspired to do some crazy stuff by listening to bad music.

I don`t agree with that..Thats like saying the Kids who play Violent Video Games are gonna shoot other Kids!

I think the Kid has to be realy stupid to do such things becaus his Idol talks about that..

I mean where aren`t that old to and i don`t think you or me would have such stupid Ideas even if we would listen only to 50 Cent and stuff!

I mean i listen to Ice-T and until now i never planned to kill a Cop.lol.

Those Kids are just stupid but you can`t blame 50 Cent for it even if his lyrics aren`t how they should be in his Position of beeing an Idol for Milion of Kids..

And what depends that Kid:

I feel sorry for him..He just wrote some violent lyrics as far as i understood so whats the Problem?Those People are just wa over reacting..I mean just becaus he writes stuff like that doesn`t mean he`s gonna do it!

I mean come on..I think all of us wrote or said some agrsief or violent Things sometimes..

Ok you can say he went to far but at the end he din`t do anything..He just wrote some stupid Lyrics..

Yeah well I said kids CAN be inspired. I think it would be crazy if kids were shooting other kids from violent video games! There's been stories about kids doing crazy stuff because they're inspired by lyrics, but I'm not saying it's a common thing going on all the time.

Oh i got that wrong..Sorry :hail:

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