A Hip Hop Theory of Justice

Professor Paul Butler, George Washington University Law School, recently guest blogged for the Washington Post where he described his vision of a new kind of American social justice, one influenced by the hip hop nation. For the Washington Post, Professor Butler wrote:

"Imagine crime and punishment in a hip-hop nation. Believe it or not, the culture provides a blueprint for the transformation of American criminal justice. Hip-hop leads us toward a system that would enhance public safety and treat all people with respect. Who would have thought that the most thuggish art could improve law and order? . . . .

Hip hop is obsessed with criminal justice. Its fashion actually began as a tribute to the loose baggy clothes that prison inmates wear. Thousands of hip-hop songs consider crime and punishment. They evaluate justice from the bottom up. No other form of pop culture does a better job at reminding Americans that we have the highest rate of incarceration in the world, and that communities can be destroyed by both crime and punishment."

For Professor Butler's entire post, see the WashingtonPost.com.

In guest blogging for the Post, Professor Butler is excerpting his groundbreaking new book "Let's Get Free: A Hip Hop Theory of Justice." The book is exceptional. Anyone interested in the transformative power of hip hop should get this book and read it carefully.

Stay tuned for a comprehensive review of the book in coming weeks . . . .