Author Adisa Banjoko will be speaking at Hastings College of Law on ‘Hip Hop & Legal Rights''.

Lecturer and Author Adisa Banjoko proudly joins forces with civil rights attorney, John Burris Esq. and many others to discuss the topic of Hip Hop / Rap Lyrics as Evidence in Criminal Prosecutions and Beyond at Hastings College of  Law on April 18, 2007 from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

This symposium, will address how hip hop and rap has become an artistic and lucrative avenue for youths without conventional book smarts or athletic talents to escape hard lifestyles in order to succeed in life. However, some of the "hard" personas and lyrics that are necessary for a rap artist’s career success are also helping to seal that rapper's fate in the courtroom. Courts trying to draw the line between the entertainer/artist/rapper and the individual on trial are having a tough time. Yet, a study has shown, and commentators have suggested, that this type of evidence is unnecessary and extremely prejudicial in the eyes of jurors.

Lecturer and Author Adisa Banjoko has been featured on numerous radio, talk shows and magazines addressing the impact that hip hop artist have on global economics, politics and more. Working in the world of journalism since 1989, Adisa was a pioneer in collating the connecting between hip hop, politics and religion. His unique approach to the subject has earned him many invitations to lecture across the world.  Banjoko has lectured at prestigious Universities such as Harvard, Brown, U.C. Berkeley and most recently Williams College. Adisa is honored to be joining great minds such as of John Burris, Harry Dorfman and Vikram Amar to discuss a topic that greatly impacts the current judicial system.

*Additional information is available at www.uchastings.edu