Rapper Gets 2 Years for Cop-Killing Song

A Florida rapper is sentenced to two years in prison for a song called 'Kill Me a Cop' that he produced as a teenager.

Authorities say 20-year-old Antavio Johnson raps about killing two Lakeland, Fla., police officers in the tune, which cops found on MySpace while surfing for gang-related activity.

Johnson pleaded no contest to two counts of corruption by threat of a public servant and was sentenced to two years in prison last month. He was already in jail on a cocaine charge at the time. ...

Singing about killing a cop was not Johnson's first mistake. Pleading guilty and not hiring a lawyer were. Just ask Ice Cube and N.W.A., who sang '%#@* tha Police' as a form of police protest more than 20 years ago.

Back in 1988, N.W.A had everyone from the FBI to the Secret Service breathing down its neck and lawsuits galore. If someone could have figured out a way to charge the group with a crime, lock 'em up and throw away the key, I'm sure it would've happened.

According to the Daily Beast, Johnson was trying to make a similar lyrical protest when he wrote 'Kill Me a Cop,' about two police officers who harassed him.

The song announced: "Im'ma kill me a cop one day." It called out two specific officers by name, both of whom would be shot with a "glock" in the "dome" if they ever "get my timing wrong." The best part is not the snappy lyrics. If you Google this kid's name, you'll see that he's a self-proclaimed Christian rapper.

Anyway, did Johnson deserve a two-year sentence for some stupid lyrics he wrote as a teenager? No, of course not.

Should we be surprised that a judge would hand down such a harsh sentence? No. Not at all. To quote professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.: "This is what happens to black men in America!"

After all, there's some real irony here. This case is not about free speech and it's not about a legitimate threat to a police officer's life. It's about Johnson and the N.W.A. and Gates and countless others who have been complaining about an unfair justice system for decades. At the root of this system is institutionalized police harassment of black people.

But wait a minute, you say. Shouldn't Johnson get some punishment for making a specific threat at these cops? Yes. If you threaten a cop, there should be consequences. But two years in jail for a song that was never played on the radio? This sounds like more injustice and harassment to me.

Did we accuse John McCain of war crimes for singing "bomb, bomb Iran?"

It's not about a crime, it's about the authority and attempts to silence protest. And until something changes, people like Johnson will be rapping and singing about police harassment for decades to come.

The good news is this young man has a lawyer now and the ACLU at his back. He could get his sentence knocked down or thrown out in an appeal.

I posted the song below. Hope I don't get arrested for it.

The following video contains mature content. Viewer discretion is advised.

+ Courtroom Yawner Jailed for 6 Months

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Female Rappers: Now and Then

Female Rappers: The Way They Were
These days, there aren't many female rappers actively recording. However, throughout the late 1980s and the 1990s female rappers were all the rage on the music scene. Beyond their feminine flow and their radio radio rhyme styles, acts such as Salt-N-Pepa, Lil' Kim, Eve, YoYo and Queen Latifah have weathered many storms in the male dominated world of hip hop. From TV shows to major endorsement deals, some have even bested their male counterparts in their many career pursuits. And on the other hand, some have met career-derailing fates. BlackVoices.com invite you to take a candid look at how some of the major players are doing now, and what they were like back in the day. Check it out.

BlackVoices.com

Mel B Pictures

In this photo provided by Kraft Foods, Spice Girl "Mel B" poses for a photo wearing a T-shirt she designed based on the classic pink ribbon used for breast cancer awareness, after a fashion show and launch of "Pose for the Cure" web site to help Kraft Foods raise money for the 'Susan G. Komen for the Cure' fight against breast cancer in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008. The shirt is for sale on the web site and the net proceeds will benefit the foundation. (AP Photo/Kraft Foods, Ray Stubblebine) **NO SALES**

In this undated image released by Oxfam Tuesday Sept. 23, 2008, British singer Mel B participates in the 'In My Name' global campaign calling for action against poverty and demanding world leaders keep their promises on millennium development goals. (AP Photo/Oxfam, HO) ** NO SALES **

In this photo provided by Kraft Foods, Spice Girl Mel B, left, serves as the emcee at a fashion show and launch of "Pose for the Cure" web site to help Kraft Foods raise money for the 'Susan G. Komen for the Cure' fight against breast cancer in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008. Mel B wears a T-shirt she designed based on the classic pink ribbon used for breast cancer awareness. The shirt is for sale on the web site and the net proceeds will benefit the foundation. The woman at right is unidentified. (AP Photo/Kraft Foods, Ray Stubblebine) **NO SALES**

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: TV personality and designer Khloe Kardashian and Olympic-level swimmer and model Amanda Beard (R) pose backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )

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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Ultimo Scottish designer lingerie brand founder Michelle Mone (L) and pop singer Melanie Brown pose backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )

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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Pop singer Melanie Brown poses backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )

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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Pop singer Melanie Brown and Olympic-level swimmer and model Amanda Beard (R) pose backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )

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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Pop singer Melanie Brown and singer Aubrey O'Day (R) poses backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )

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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Pop singer Melanie Brown, Olympic-level swimmer and model Amanda Beard, singer Aubrey O'Day and TV personality and designer Khloe Kardashian pose backstage at the Mel B With Ultimo Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion on September 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images )

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