April 14, 2026
Maryland Passes New Law To Restrict Prosecutors From Using Rap Lyrics In Criminal Cases
Maryland's new PACE Act makes it the third state to pass laws restricting prosecutors' use of rap lyrics in criminal cases.
Maryland has passed a new law as part of a nationwide effort to limit prosecutors‘ use of rap lyrics in criminal cases.
Passed April 9, Maryland’s Protecting Artists’ Creative Expression (PACE) Act restricts when prosecutors can use rap lyrics as evidence, Billboard reports. Under the new law, lyrics and other creative works can only be admitted if a judge determines they meet strict standards—including proving they were intended as literal statements tied to the case.
The law, expected to be signed by Gov. Wes Moore, is part of a broader push to curb the practice, which critics argue undermines free speech and can bias juries—pointing to recent cases involving Young Thug and Lil Durk, where lyrics were used in indictments.
“The passage of the PACE Act in Maryland marks an important victory for music creators,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “Silencing any genre or form of artistic expression is an attack on creative freedom.”
While the law, also known as House Bill 687, doesn’t ban the use of lyrics in criminal cases, it requires prosecutors to prove—by a preponderance of the evidence—that the lyrics are relevant. Judges must determine that they were intended as literal statements, directly tied to the case, and material to a disputed fact before they can be admitted.
Maryland becomes the third state to curb the practice, following a 2022 law in California and similar limits in Louisiana. New York has considered comparable measures, while federal legislation has been introduced multiple times in Congress.
Music industry veteran Kevin Liles, chairman of the Free Our Art campaign, advocated for the Maryland bill and hopes its passage encourages other states to address what he calls the “growing weaponization of creative expression in courtrooms across America.”
“As a kid growing up in Baltimore, music found me and hip-hop saved my life,” Liles said. “When this bill is signed, we’re turning our attention to New York State next, and we hope to have two bills passed this year.”