Sean Chung, a 20-year-old New York City rapper who goes by JP SMOOV, was jailed for the lyrics in his song entitled, “KAR,” on which he spits: “Tell the judge to get off my c***, put the DA in a box,” the New York Daily News reports. Officials have taken this as a direct threat to Queens District Attorney, Richard Brown. Chung was out on bail for a murder conspiracy charge for an alleged plan to kill two member of a rival gang. The video was released in November 2015, and the rapper was remanded back to the Rikers Island jail complex on Feb. 22.
Chung faces 25 years to life if convicted of the conspiracy charge. His attorney, Audrey Thomas, claims the “KAR” track was written two years ago, even before he was charged in 2014.
“The song predates his arrest. He’s been rapping since he was 15, he was arrested at 18,” Thomas said. “Whatever happened to the First Amendment?”
One week after Chung was sent to Rikers Island, he was attacked by two inmates and stabbed. He suffered wounds to his face and head. Thomas asserts, “He wouldn’t have been stabbed if he wasn’t in jail.” He also took the liberty of comparing his client’s music to Beyonce and Donald Trump.
“My position is that his rap lyrics are no more offensive or dangerous than any other successful musician, like Beyonce Knowles in her (video for the) song ‘Formation,’” she said. “Yet she is being praised in our society. Why is it that Mr. Chung goes to jail on remand status when Donald Trump can … threaten to murder the families of terrorists?”
An appeal for the remand decision was filed on Monday (Mar. 7).