Travis Scott Files Supreme Court Brief: Use of Rap Lyrics in Death Sentence Violates Constitution
Houston-born rapper Travis Scott has filed an amicus curiae brief with the United States Supreme Court, arguing that prosecutors' reliance on a defendant's rap lyrics to justify a death sentence was unconstitutional and unfairly targeted the genre of rap music. The filing, submitted on March 9, 2026, supports James Garfield Broadnax, a Black man convicted in 2009 of a double murder near Garland, Texas. After his conviction, prosecutors presented the nearly all-white jury with over 40 pages of Broadnax's handwritten rap lyrics during the sentencing phase. The jury requested to review the lyrics twice before deciding on capital punishment, leading to Broadnax's placement on death row. In Scott's brief—filed by his legal team, including attorney Alex Spiro (known for representing high-profile clients like Jay-Z)—the artist contends that this approach violated Broadnax's First Amendment rights. Prosecutors argued that Broadnax posed a future danger simply because ...