In 2008, 19-year-old James Broadnax was found guilty of capital murder for the deaths of Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler. During his trial, prosecutors introduced over 40 pages of his rap lyrics, which the jury reviewed two times. Ultimately, he was sentenced to death, per The New York Times. Broadnax is currently 37, and his execution date is rapidly approaching.

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Some of the biggest names in hip-hop, however, have come together in an attempt to save his life.

In an amici curiae brief filed by Dallas appellate attorney Chad Baruch on behalf of Killer Mike, T.I., Young Thug, Fat Joe, N.O.R.E., and more yesterday (March 9), he argues that Broadnax’s constitutional rights have been violated. “Rap lyrics are creative expression,” Baruch explained. “When prosecutors treat them as literal evidence of future violence, they invite jurors to decide a death-penalty case based on fear and stereotypes instead of the law.”

Travis Scott’s legal team also filed their own amicus brief. “The prosecutors argued Mr. Broadnax was likely to be dangerous in the future simply because he engaged in ‘gangster rap,’” it reads. “Such an argument functionally operates as a categorical and straightforwardly unconstitutional content-based penalty on rap music as a form of expression.”

“At a certain level of abstraction, the reality is even more problematic,” it continues. “Taking rap music out of context subjects the entire genre to prosecution.” An attorney representing Scott, Ellyde R. Thompson, tells Rolling Stone that Broadnax’s case “implicates fundamental constitutional rights.” Moreover, she claims that “a death sentence should never be based in any part on constitutionally protected artistic expression.”

At the time of writing, the Supreme Court has yet to make a decision. James Broadnax’s execution is currently scheduled for April 30, 2026.