The Supreme Court declined Monday to take up the case of rapper Jamal Knox, who argued he was sent to prison for a song that was protected by the First Amendment
By avoiding the issue for now, the justices left for another day a look at the contours of so called"true threats" -- speech that falls outside the protections of the First Amendment. The case was of keen interest to rappers who weighed in to argue that rap music is a"work of poetry" where"meter and rhyme are primary," and words are often chosen for their contribution to a song's rhythm rather than its precise message.
"Read MoreThe officers testified that the lyrics of the song, which also includes the line,"Let's kill these cops cuz they don't do us no good," made them"nervous" and concerned for their safety, with one saying it led him to leave the police force.A trial court found Knox guilty in 2013, rejecting his arguments that his song was speech protected under the First Amendment. The court held that the song amounted to a"true threat.
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