‘I always be sneaky’: Boise eight-year-old hides self-made book on library shelf
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‘The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis’ by Dillon Helbig ‘His Self’ is now available to check out.
BOISE, Idaho — Eight-year-old Dillon Helbig has always had big aspirations.
“I’ve been wanting to put a book in the library since I was five,” Dillon said.
Three years is a long time to wait when you are only eight years old.
So when his grandmother gave him an empty journal, he decided to go all in.
After what Dillion said was two or three days of writing and drawing in December, he finished his very first book: ‘The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis’ by Dillon Helbig ‘His Self’.
The book is about Dillion, who, one night, is decorating a tree when the star on top explodes.
“I think someone overnight put a bomb in there and it just exploded,” Dillon said.
After that, he gets sucked into a portal and goes back in time to the very first Thanksgiving.
“Everything about it was a bit crazy,” he said.
With the book finished, Dillon knew he had to get it on the shelf at his local library, but he was not sure how.
So, Dillon decided to go the undercover route.
“I always be (sic) sneaky, like how I get chocolate,” he told us.
“There was a lot of librarians that I had to sneak past so do you know what I did?” Dillion asked.
“What did you do?” Brian Holmes asked.
“I covered up this part and covered the back with my body and just snuck it in and then I started to walk, and then I came in this aisle, no wait this aisle, and then I put my book right here. Wait, right there,” Dillon said.
“I didn’t know that was his ultimate plan,” Dillon’s mom Susan Helbig said.
And there it stayed, but who knows for how long, because the next time Dillon came to see it, it was gone.
So his mom called the library.
“His parents were worried we would find his book and we would get rid of it,” Lake Hazel Library branch manager Alex Hartman said. “Which was an unfounded fear because if there’s ever a place a book would be safe, it would be here.”
Hartman was able to find it eventually, over in the ‘stories’ section.
“Dillon’s book definitely fit all the criteria that we would look for to include a book in our collection,” Hartman said.
So, with Dillon’s permission, they processed it, put on the proper stickers, and now ‘The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis’ is a full-fledged library book.
“Now it’s in the system, anybody with a library card can check out the book,” Hartman said.
However, you may have to wait a while, as there is already a waiting list.
There is some good news: Dillon said a sequel is in the works.
NASCAR Secures Ice Cube for Mid-Race Concert
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The sanctioning body just added another big name to the Busch Light Clash lineup. NASCAR has announced that Ice Cube will perform a concert during the stage break of the 150-lap main event.
NASCAR released a video on January 16 to announce that Ice Cube will be part of the first Cup Series race inside of the LA Memorial Coliseum. FOX will broadcast his performance while the 23 drivers prepare for the final dash to the checkered flag. This performance will mark Ice Cube’s second time taking in a Cup Series race after he previously attended the Auto Club 400 in 2018 and spent time chatting with Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney among others.
It’s going to be a good day. Can’t wait for the @icecube performance at the race break during the #BuschLightClash. 🎟: https://t.co/7bpRDf9Gsk pic.twitter.com/QOL2Iyo8qd — NASCAR (@NASCAR) January 16, 2022
“Ice Cube is more than a rapper, actor and entertainer,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president for strategy and innovation, in a statement. “He’s an icon who has risen to the top in all of his endeavors. We’re honored to have him perform at this first-of-its-kind event in the heart of Los Angeles.”
Ice Cube is the latest big name to join the fold for the Busch Light Clash on February 6, but he won’t be the last. NASCAR’s press release stated that there will be additional celebrity participation announced in the coming weeks.
Another Performer Will Set Up the Busch Light Clash
While Ice Cube will perform in the middle of the Busch Light Clash, another big name will take to the stage before the green flag waves. Pitbull will perform a 45-minute concert prior to the exhibition race.
NASCAR issued a press release on December 8 and announced that the Trackhouse Racing co-owner will head to Los Angeles for the first-ever Cup Series race inside of the Coliseum. He will set up yet another NASCAR race after previously serving as the grand marshal of the 2021 Daytona 500 and performing with Blake Shelton at the 2020 FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
Once Pitbull finishes his 45-minute performance, the 23 Cup Series drivers that secured spots in the Busch Light Clash will head onto the custom-built short track for the first official race in the Gen 7 stock cars. They will complete 150 laps on the quarter-mile oval while preparing for the 2022 season.
NASCAR Issued the Preliminary Entry List
NASCAR has provided information about two of the special guests at the Busch Light Clash. The sanctioning body has also revealed some of the drivers that will compete in the exhibition race.
The preliminary entry list for the Busch Light Clash included 36 entries from Front Row Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, Richard Childress Racing, and the other teams with Cup Series charters. The majority feature the expected drivers like Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, and Denny Hamlin. However, there are some intriguing updates.
The Busch Light Clash will feature Ryan Preece as the driver of the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang. He is a reserve driver for Stewart-Haas Racing, but he will make multiple starts for RWR in 2022 as part of a technical alliance between the two teams.
Similarly, AJ Allmendinger will take over the No. 16 entry for Kaulig Racing as he prepares for a season where he rotates with Noah Gragson and Daniel Hemric in the Cup Series. Meanwhile, his teammate in Landon Cassill will drive the No. 77 entry for Spire Motorsports.
READ NEXT: Kaulig Racing’s Culture Plays a Key Role in Trophy Hunting [EXCLUSIVE]
Jets’ Samberg Should Stay in Lineup Over Stanley When Dillon Returns
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The Winnipeg Jets are facing a defensive dilemma with Brenden Dillon set to return to the lineup as soon as Thursday, and will have to decide whether to remove a promising prospect or an underperforming regular.
The promising prospect is Dylan Samberg, and the underperforming regular is Logan Stanley. The Jets should go with the former.
Samberg Strong in First Two NHL Outings
Samberg was strong and not sheltered in the first two NHL games of his career. His debut last Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings — when Dillon and Stanley were both in COVID protocol — was nearly perfect. The 22-year-old played 17:52, blocked a team-high five shots, and dished out three hits. He also snagged his first-career point, assisting Andrew Copp’s game-opening goal.
Related: Jets’ Prospects & Depth Will Be Tested By COVID Outbreak
The 2017 second-rounder stayed in the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Washington Capitals, playing 10:57, posting a plus-one rating, and registering one shot to go along with one hit.
Dylan Samberg picks the pocket of Alex Ovechkin to shut down a scoring chance 💪 #GoJetsGo | #WPGvsWSH pic.twitter.com/gVwlfwtvNb — Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 19, 2022
Samberg also proved he can perform well in a penalty-killing role. With Stanley — who has the second-most penalty killing time on the Jets’ — out Thursday, interim head coach Dave Lowry showed trust in Samberg to fill that role. The 2017 second-rounder led all Jets’ defensemen in PK ice time with 3:57 and the Jets killed off all five penalties.
He didn’t have as big a PK role against the Capitals, playing just 32 seconds, but the Jets were only shorthanded twice.
Samberg Has Chemistry With Fellow Minnesotan
Dave Lowry also set Samberg up for success, pairing him with fellow Minnesotan and offseason workout partner Neal Pionk. Putting Samberg with a familiar face and relative veteran contributed to his confidence.
“We grew up probably 10 minutes from each other, went to a high school of only about 600 kids and obviously played for the same youth program, same high-school program and same college program,” Pionk told the Winnipeg Free Press on Saturday. “And to be not only playing together but to be paired together in an NHL game, it was pretty special. I’m sure the whole town watched on Thursday night.” From ‘D-Men impress in debut,’ Winnipeg Free Press, Jan. 15, 2022.
Samberg has found quick chemistry with Neal Pionk. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)
Pionk was impressed with what he called Samberg’s “veteran looks,” noting a couple of plays in particular.
“Samberg had the puck on the wall, pinned against the wall a couple of times, and instead of just shovelling it out in the neutral zone, he found a pop centre, or he found me on the weak side. It’s little plays like that where you’re not necessarily expecting a guy in their debut to make,” Pionk said.
Stanley Hasn’t Excelled This Season
Stanley was always considered a project who many thought would never become a viable NHL defenseman. He only saw his role burgeon — suddenly and unexpectedly — in the shortened 2020-21 season.
He played 37 games and was dependable, but he hasn’t taken a similar leap forward this season. He possession numbers have taken a dive — his CORSI has dropped to 44.6 from 50.6 and his Fenwick has dropped to 46.0 from 51.3. That’s a big problem considering possession was one of his biggest strengths last season.
Logan Stanley’s game hasn’t progressed much since last season. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
While he hasn’t played terribly by any means, his foot speed is still an issue and his decisions with the puck in the defensive and neutral zone have been suspect at times. While he just came out of COVID protocol prior to Tuesday’s game, it was one of his worst showings in recent memory, as he was minus-2 and seemed outmatched by the Capitals’ aggressive play style.
Logan Stanley certainly isn’t doing himself any favours inside the DZ tonight.
Have to wonder if he suits up Thursday. #NHLJets — JetsNation (@NHLJetsNation) January 19, 2022
Despite his size, he is not the second coming of Zdeno Chara, nor is he the second-coming of Dustin Byfuglien. He is a third-pairing defenseman and the Jets need to be realistic about his ceiling. He is more revered by the fan base than he should be, likely because he’s created some viral moments like his “victory” celebration after scrapping with the Maple Leafs’ Wayne Simmonds in a December barn burner.
Samberg Is a Top Prospect, and Should Be Treated As Such
Samberg has been one of the Jets’ most highly-anticipated prospects since being drafted. His intelligence, poise, and ability to make the right play at high speed — all of which he’s put on display in a small sample size — are just some of the reasons he’s been long-projected as top-four mainstay of the future.
The future is now. Dave Lowry has a chance to differentiate himself further from the departed Paul Maurice by giving his young players a chance to prove their worth at the NHL. Stanley saw an opportunity when back-end injuries arose last season and took it, establishing himself as a consistent defenseman when the Jets were thin on the back-end.
Dave Lowry should treat Samberg like the top prospect he is and keep him in the lineup. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
But that was last season and this is now. With the Jets trying to stay in the playoff conversation, Samberg has more upside and deserves the opportunity to make his mark. As the road trip rolls on through Nashville, Boston, and Pittsburgh, the Samberg/Pionk and Josh Morrissey/Dylan DeMelo pairings should stay together, while Nate Schmidt and Dillon should make up the other pairing (Schmidt on his off-side, which he prefers anyway.)
This would give Dave Lowry three viable defensive units he could deploy evenly. Not running players into the ground with too much ice time will be important as the Jets enter a very busy portion of their schedule, with seven games slated between now through Feb. 1.
Biden goes long form
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Biden goes long form Presented by Walmart
Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With Allie Bice.
Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Max
JOE BIDEN does solo press conferences so rarely that the build up to Wednesday’s session became a news story in its own right.
The networks and cable news outlets gave the news conference the primetime treatment. The four big broadcast networks carried much of the beginning of Biden’s remarks, while the cable news networks carried the entire two hour affair. CNN aired a scorecard of the administration’s wins and losses over the last 12 months, while Fox News ran a highlight reel of White House correspondent PETER DOOCY’s moments confronting the president over the past year on issues like Afghanistan and Covid-19.
In preparation for the event, the White House Correspondents Association told members last week that, at the White House’s instructions, they still had to “live under a 42-person cap” due to distancing requirements sparked by Omicron. The organization chose 30 reporters representing half of the press corps, attempting to ensure news organizations with the biggest reach were represented.
For the lucky few who got to attend, Biden’s presser was an event-filled two hours—one conducted with utter disregard to this newsletters’ typical early evening deadline. For those who missed the affair, here are the highlights:
Length of the press conference: 1 hour 51 minutes (and he started on time!)
Stamina!: That’s longer than the longest news conferences by Trump (1 hr 26 mins) and Obama (1 hr 27 mins), per veteran White house reporter MARK KNOLLER.
Biden’s Covid mea culpa: “Should we have done more testing earlier? Yes”
But actually: “I didn’t overpromise, but I have probably outperformed what anyone thought would happen."
The queen of follow-ups: NBC’s KRISTEN WELKER, who managed to sneak in six (!!!) questions.
Biggest surprise: Biden specifically called on News Nation’s ALLISON HARRIS third, an unexpected move by a president whose White House tends to field questions from legacy news outlets first.
Biden on Republicans: “I did not anticipate that there would be such a stalwart effort to make sure that the most important thing was that President Biden didn’t get anything done.”
But what about Obama? “[Republicans] weren’t nearly as obstructionist as they are now.”
A top Republican Senate aide’s take: “This press conference was Ron Klain’s nightmare come true. The President got to speak his own mind without the White House staff interfering.”
Bookmark this quote: “Big nations can’t bluff.” (Was that, in a way, a bluff?)
Any staff shakeup?: “I’m satisfied with the team.”
New Year’s resolutions: Paraphrasing Biden here, he said he’d get out of D.C. more often, receive more outside advice, and get more involved with Democrats’ midterm campaigns.
News on BBB: “It’s clear to me that we are going to have to break it up.”
On Afghanistan: “I make no apologies for what I did.”
What about Kamala?: “She’s gonna be my running mate” in 2024, if he runs.
The polls? “I don’t believe the polls.”
Post-presser chyrons:
CNN: “BIDEN: IT’S BEEN A YEAR OF CHALLENGES BUT ALSO A YEAR OF ENORMOUS PROGRESS”
MSNBC: “BIDEN LOOKS FOR RESET AFTER CHALLENGING FIRST YEAR”
FOX: “BIDEN GRILLED BY REPORTERS ON CRISIS-FILLED YEAR”
Funniest out-of-context quote: “It’s okay, I’m a big boy.”
POTUS plays pundit:
On voting rights — “I predict we’ll get something done on the electoral reform side.”
On Putin’s Ukraine invasion strategy — “My guess is he will move in, he has to do something."
On cable news (sort of) — “The cables are heading south, they’re losing viewership. Fox is doing okay for a while, but it’s not gaining. A lot of the rest are predicted to be not very much in the mix in the next four to five years. I don’t know if that’s true or not.”
Psaki clean-up: After Biden’s comments on Russia, press secretary JEN PSAKI sent a statement that led with, “President Biden has been clear with the Russian President: If any Russian military forces move across the Ukrainian border, that’s a renewed invasion, and it will be met with a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and our Allies.”
SEND YOUR HAWT TAKE — We want to incorporate more of your feedback. Is there something we missed in today’s edition? Do you have a tip to share or a thought on our coverage? Send us an email or text and we will try to include your feedback in the next day’s edition. Can be anonymous, on background, etc. Email us at [email protected] or you can text/Signal Alex at 8183240098 or Max at 7143455427.
Yesterday, we wrote about how even some of Biden’s most vocal supporters among the pundit class have begun to cool on the president.
JENNIFER RUBIN, who didn’t respond to our email yesterday, tweeted: “I don’t say he is ‘in trouble’…typical.” JEFF HAUSER took issue with complaints about the president’s focus on voting rights: “the idea that Biden, who entered the race focused on civil rights issues in 2019, is undermining his campaign’s logic by fighting for civil rights.,.. that’s insane.”
A former senior Trump admin official chimed in to roll their eyes at Biden complaints about the press, pointing to the reaction to the new website that allowed people to order at home Covid tests for free. “Republicans find the Biden Administration’s complaints about the way the media treats them laughable….If the last Administration had launched a website in the middle of record case counts that limited you to four tests and wouldn’t get you the tests for at best two weeks…there would be a 24-7 news cycle about those facts and deeming this an absolute failure.”
Do you work in the Biden administration? Are you in touch with the White House? Are you Speaker NANCY PELOSI? We want to hear from you — and we’ll keep you anonymous. Email us at [email protected] or you can text/Signal Alex at 8183240098.
A message from Walmart: Walmart is expanding InHome delivery to reach 30 million homes. Since 2019, Walmart’s InHome delivery service has given time back to families by using highly-trained associates to deliver fresh groceries directly to customers. This year, Walmart will hire more than 3,000 associate delivery drivers, promoting from within, and build out a fleet of 100% all-electric vehicles, expanding service from 6 million to over 30 million U.S. homes by the end of the year. Learn more.
POTUS PUZZLER
From the White House Historical Association
Which first lady ensured the White House had a music room and three pianos?
(Answer at the bottom.)
The Oval
BIDEN FRIEND LOSES JOB — New York Times security guard JACQUELYN BRITTANY announced today that the Times laid her off. Brittany officially put in Biden’s name for the Democratic nomination at the DNC in 2020 and had a starring role in the NYT documentary about their editorial board endorsement.
“I do love The New York Times, but in that case I think I was more the voice for the people, ya know,” she told us last year. We asked her what happened and she wrote, “Such a long story but they felt like it’s the right thing to do. Wrong!! Can’t say too much just yet.” The Times confirmed to us that she was no longer with the company, but did not disclose the reasons why.
KLAIN BLITZ: Chief of staff RON KLAIN is doing a round of on-the-record media, with interviews in the Wall Street Journal and POLITICO. He’ll also be on Morning Joe tomorrow.
REED SPEAKS: The Washington Post had a rare, if boring, on-the-record comment from deputy chief of staff BRUCE REED in their story today: “The White House has done a very good job of helping the president carry out the agenda he ran on with the narrowest of margins in Congress and in the midst of enormous challenges at home and abroad. So I think that the strategy for the year ahead is the same formula we followed for the past year, which is keep working, keep getting things done, keep moving the ball downfield.”
TOUGH QUOTE FOR JOD: EDWARD ISAAC DOVERE’s latest CNN story has some tough words for the White House political team overseen by deputy chief of staff JEN O’MALLEY DILLON.
“It’s hard for me to believe that the President knows how little his political shop is doing to support Democratic majorities in the Senate and the House. All of us believe that the President would be shocked to learn how little the White House political team is doing,” said one senior Democratic elected official in Washington, voicing widespread worries about the midterms.
THE BUREAUCRATS
WALENSKY’S APOLOGY TOUR (SORTA) — Walenksy has given interviews to the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and now the Boston Globe recently as she fights back against criticism of her stewardship over the CDC. While she acknowledged missteps to the Journal earlier this week, the Globe’s JESS BIDGOOD led her story today with this:
“Dr. Rochelle Walensky forcefully defended her bumpy CDC tenure in a Globe interview this week, describing her critics as ‘naysayers’ who have helped sow the public confusion she has been accused of creating and pointing out that many Americans are still not following her agency’s most basic guidance.”
Agenda Setting
YOU’VE GOT TO AC-CENT-U-ATE THE POSITIVE — As Biden nears his one-year mark in office, his administration is urging Democrats nervous about losing Congress in November to talk up the party’s legislative accomplishments , SARAH FERRIS and NICHOLAS WU report.
While the Senate nears an ugly clash on election reform, key White House officials spent Tuesday on a pair of calls with rank-and-file House aides, stressing the party’s victories on a bipartisan infrastructure law signed in November and a massive pandemic relief bill passed in March. Senior House Democrats picked up that focus on Wednesday, ticking off upbeat statistics on the economy and controlling the coronavirus.
Advise and Consent
TROUBLE BREWING FOR FDA NOM — ALICE MIRANDA OLLSTEIN and LAUREN GARDNER report that the FDA’s decision to ease access to abortion pills is fueling a new push by anti-abortion rights groups to derail the president’s nominee to lead the agency, ROBERT CALIFF, potentially endangering his confirmation.
The effort has already swung some previously undecided Republican senators, like TOMMY TUBERVILLE of Alabama and ROGER MARSHALL of Kansas. Both initially praised Califf during his confirmation hearing in the Senate health committee and appeared inclined to support him before voting against advancing the nomination in committee over “pro-life issues.”
Filling the Ranks
MORE TOP DIPLOMATS TAPPED — Biden announced plans on Wednesday to nominate four new ambassadors, moving to fill vacancies at U.S. embassies in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Chad and Denmark, reports SAMUEL BENSON.
Three of the nominees are former ambassadors, including JANE HARTLEY, an adviser and former ambassador to France and Monaco whom Biden will nominate as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. Biden’s pick for ambassador to Brazil is ELIZABETH BAGLEY, a longtime diplomat and attorney.
FOR PROS: The president also announced today he will nominate KATHRYN HUFF as the permanent head of the Energy Department’s nuclear energy program, KELSEY TAMBORINO reports.
A message from Walmart:
What We’re Reading
Biden administration defends Trump-era migrant expulsions, citing Covid-19 risk (CBS News’ Camilo Montoya-Galvez)
Power struggle among Biden appointees gets personal over race (WaPo’s Dan Lamothe)
What We’re Watching
Klain on MSNBC’s Morning Joe tomorrow at 6 a.m. ET, Psaki on America’s Newsroom with former White House press secretary DANA PERINO.
Where’s Joe
He received the President’s Daily Brief in the morning. The president also held a press conference in the East Room.
Where’s Kamala
She swore in MARK BRZEZINSKI to serve as the ambassador to Poland in the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office in the afternoon.
A message from Walmart: Walmart’s InHome delivery service expansion is an important piece of the retailer’s low-cost last-mile delivery strategy. In support, Walmart will hire more than 3,000 associate delivery drivers by promoting from within, building on a track record that saw more than 300,000 associates elevated across the company in 2021. Additionally, the company will build out a fleet of 100% all-electric vehicles, supported by a growing infrastructure of 1,396 EV charging stations at stores across 41 states. Learn more about Walmart’s InHome service and commitment to sustainable and innovative delivery.
The Oppo Book
Both senior adviser BRIAN DEESE and Attorney General MERRICK GARLAND are fans of pop star TAYLOR SWIFT.
Deese admitted his fandom — and simultaneously blew up Garland’s spot — during a POLITICO Playbook interview in 2016, when he was working in the Obama administration. At the time, President BARACK OBAMA had just nominated Garland to fill the late Justice ANTHONY SCALIA’s spot on the Supreme Court.
Deese said that after listening to Swift with his 4-year-old daughter, who played her music on repeat, he got “reasonably into” the pop star’s work too.
“I’ve felt a little more self-conscious about that until, in the last week or two, getting to know Judge Garland is also reasonably into Taylor Swift,” Deese said. “I feel like I’m in pretty good company in that respect.”
We asked the Justice Department and the NEC if Deese and Garland had thoughts about the recent scarf/JAKE GYLLENHAAL controversy. They did not respond.
POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER
A music aficionado, first lady ABIGAIL FILLMORE was known to play duets with her talented daughter, MARY ABIGAIL.
Got a better question? Send us your hardest trivia question on the presidents and we may feature it on Wednesdays.
Edited by Emily Cadei
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Jay-Z and Meek Mill Team Up to Block Rap Lyrics From Being Used in Court
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Jay-Z is leading a list of music industry titans throwing their support behind a proposed New York state law that aims to stop prosecutors from using rap lyrics as purported blueprints to alleged crimes, Rolling Stone has learned.
The rap superstar, born Shawn Carter, is teaming up with Meek Mill, Big Sean, Fat Joe, Kelly Rowland, Yo Gotti, Killer Mike, Robin Thicke, and others as celebrity signatories on a new letter urging state lawmakers — and ultimately Gov. Kathy Hochul — to make the recently proposed bill titled “Rap Music on Trial” (S.7527/A.8681) a state law.
The legislation, first unveiled in November, successfully sailed through the Senate Codes committee on Tuesday, marking its first step toward getting a full vote on the senate floor.
“This is an issue that’s important to (Jay-Z) and all the other artists that have come together to try to bring about this change. This is a long time coming. Mr. Carter is from New York, and if he can lend his name and his weight, that’s what he wants to do,” Jay-Z’s lawyer Alex Spiro, a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, tells Rolling Stone.
Spiro co-wrote the letter with University of Richmond Professor Erik Nielson, who authored the book “Rap on Trial” with University of Georgia law professor Andrea Dennis. The lawyer said he and Hova — who previously fought back against the lack of racial diversity on arbitration panels, leading to national reforms — consider the proposed legislation a bellwether that could spread to other states.
“By changing the law here, you do a lot of good for the cases that it affects, but you also send a message that progress is coming. We expect it will be followed in a lot of places,” Spiro said.
“Our lyrics are a creative form of self-expression and entertainment – just like any other genre. We want our words to be recognized as art rather than being weaponized to get convictions in court. I hope the governor and all the lawmakers in New York take our letter into consideration, protect our artistic rights and make the right decision to pass this bill,” Fat Joe told Rolling Stone on Tuesday.
“This reform is urgently needed,” the new letter from Spiro and Nielson, signed by the influential artists, reads. “Rather than acknowledge rap music as a form of artistic expression, police and prosecutors argue that the lyrics should be interpreted literally – in the words of one prosecutor, as ‘autobiographical journals’ – even though the genre is rooted in a long tradition of storytelling that privileges figurative language, is steeped in hyperbole, and employs all of the same poetic devices we find in more traditional works of poetry.”
The new legislation from Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), Senator Jamaal Bailey (D-The Bronx), and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz (D-Queens) would amend state law to limit the admissibility of a defendant’s music or other “creative expression” as evidence shown to a jury. According to the draft legislation, the bill would set a new high bar compelling prosecutors to provide “clear and convincing evidence” that a defendant’s creative expression, such as a rap song, is “literal, rather than figurative or fictional.”
“It’s humbling to have the who’s who of hip-hop supporting this legislation. I think it points to how important it is in this moment to protect freedom of expression,” Hoylman told Rolling Stone on Tuesday.
He previously pointed out that no one believes Johnny Cash “shot a man in Reno just to watch him die” or that David Byrne is a “psycho killer,” but over and over, rap musicians involved in criminal cases face the prospect, or reality, of having their lyrics used against them in front of criminal juries.
Before his senseless murder last month, Los Angeles rapper Drakeo the Ruler was subjected to one of the most egregious cases where lyrics were used to bolster a prosecutor’s theory of culpability.
Drakeo, born Darrell Caldwell, was ultimately acquitted in the 2016 murder of a 24-year-old man outside a party in Carson, California, but he still spent three years in prison as prosecutors tried in vain to build their failed case against him. Although investigators agreed from the start he didn’t pull the trigger, they relentlessly targeted him with the theory the fatal shooting stemmed from his beef with the rapper RJ, born Rodney Brown.
During Caldwell’s trial in Compton, California, prosecutors introduced the lyrics from his 2016 song “Flex Freestyle,” to convince jurors he brought armed associates to the Carson party to target RJ.
“I’m ridin’ around town with a Tommy gun and a Jag/And you can disregard the yelling, RJ tied up in the back,” the lyrics state. Meanwhile, RJ wasn’t even at the party.
“I didn’t even think they could do that,” Caldwell told Rolling Stone during a phone interview in November. “I heard about them doing it before, but it was just the way they were doing it. How they were using it against me. It didn’t make no sense. It was just crazy.”
In a statement, Sen. Bailey said the new bill will prohibit this type of practice in New York because prosecutors will be required to show a “strong, factual nexus between the art and the facts of the case,” instead of using creative expression to create a theory.
“Presuming a defendant’s guilt based solely on musical genre or creative expression is antithetical to our foundational rights and perpetuates the systemic racism that is embedded into the criminal justice system through discriminatory conflations of hip-hop and rap with criminality,” Bailey said in the statement Tuesday.