A Mississauga rapper is appealing to poetic licence to defend himself against charges of criminal harassment and threatening death that stem from the lyrics in one of his songs.
“It’s really rap being under attack, because I’ve never heard of this before,” said Darren John, 36, a broad-shouldered man with chin-length dreadlocks who battle raps under the stage name Avalanche the Architect.
“If this was a heavy metal group that did this, I don’t think it would happen,” he said. “I’m not going to accept anything except absolute exoneration.”
John briefly appeared in a North York courtroom on Tuesday, where his lawyer, Alison Mackay, requested that his trial be postponed so the Crown and defence can review independently transcribed lyrics of the song, “Got Yourself a Gun.”
John’s argument that artistic freedom should protect him from his charges rings hollow to Sonia Harry. The 33-year-old event co-ordinator went to police last May, when John released the song after they had a falling out and she stopped booking him for rap and hip-hop gigs. John was charged with two counts of uttering threats to cause bodily harm or death, and one count of criminal harassment.
Read more about John’s attempt to show that his lyrics are just that here
Source: thestar
