A federal judge ruled Thursday that an accused Brooklyn drug kingpin’s violent rap videos can be shown to jurors at his upcoming murder trial in Brooklyn federal court.
Aspiring rapper Ronald “Ra Diggs” Herron’s Internet catalogue – including titles like “Live by the Gun, Die by the Gun” – spin tales of homicide, drug dealing and general ruthlessness inside one of the city’s most volatile housing projects.
A reputed high ranking member of the Bloods, Herron is facing a 23-count racketeering indictment that could land him in jail for the rest of his life if convicted.
His attorneys had doggedly sought to block the YouTube videos from being introduced as evidence and argued that they were fictional representations of ghetto reality and not self-incriminating confessionals.
But prosecutors countered that the gritty tunes clearly spell out Herron’s criminal orientation and are relevant to the charges against him.
Warning: Video contains explicit language
Judge Nicholas Garaufis ruled Thursday that the songs – recorded by Herron’s “Murda Team” crew – were admissible and can be shown to jurors.
He also ruled that his defense can call an expert witness on hip hop culture – Dr. James Peterson of Lehigh University – to explain that the songs are more art than reality.
Herron’s trial is slated to begin later this month.