D4VD & Rap Lyrics That Send A Singer To The Death Chamber?

Back in September last year, we wrote an article about David Burke AKA D4VD, and Celestre Rivas Hernandez. At the time, true crime followers chatted about whether “artistic expression” would be enough to land him jail. Well, there’s a very interesting new report out that brings that argument back into focus. Read on for more details.

The Bloody Merch

The whole question about Burke and Celeste Rivas focused on whether songs could be viewed as a confession. While it seems unthinkable, it really isn’t, and that plays out in Texas this month. In the case of D4VD, it should be noted that he’s still not named as a suspect in the murder of Celestre Rivas, but that doesn’t stop speculation.

Remember, many people questioned D4VD’s “bloodthirsty” artistic expressions. From bloody merch to the lyrics of Romantic Homicide:

In the back of my mind / I killed you / And I didn’t even regret it / I can’t believe I said it / But it’s true / I hate you.

Well, the true crime armchair court of opinion already decided it should count against the rapper. However, a legal expert, Charles Latibeaudiere noted that, “You can’t prosecute someone based on their art.” Or can you?

Art As Evidence 

According to a report by The Guardian this week, it seems that during court proceedings, there’s a very thin line between creativity and criminal intent. Notably, it’s not just random, because there’s a man on death row right now, who expects his life to end on April 30. Notably, he’s also a rapper.

In 2009, Broadnax and his cousin were found guilty of killing two men, Matthew Butler and Stephen Swan. It all went down during a robbery in Garland, Texas.

In their report, the outlet mentioned that James Broadnax sat for 16 years in a “6ft-by-10ft cell on death row in Texas.” Why? Well, he ended up convicted of murder, and the prosecution used 40 pages of his “teenage rap lyrics” to convince a jury of his “future dangerousness.”

Lyric Seen As A Murder Plan

It seems rather interesting that defenders of D4VD describe his lyrics and merch as “artistic expression.” But in the case of Broadnax’s, his lyrics ended up described as a “homicidal master plan.”

Some experts question how that happened. After all, when Johnny Cash sang about shooting a man in Reno “just to watch him die,” he carried right on living the life of a popular singer without landing up behind bars.

The Statistics 

According to research described by The Guardian:

• 826 cases since the late ’80s used rap lyrics as evidence.
• 33 death penalty cases admitted lyrics during trial; 10 of those were in Texas.
• In a 1996 study, the “exact same lyrical passage” was rated as significantly more dangerous when participants were told it was a rap song versus a country song.

Creative Consequences 

While critics lean into the race of a convicted singer, for the purposes of this article, it’s a simple fact that many artistic people faced severe consequences.

In recent times, folks like Kevin Liles and Travis Scott join the fight against a death sentence based on lyrics or poems written in a notebook. As far as they’re concerned, there’s just no way that imagination should indict someone.

Fact vs Fiction In Songs 

Interestingly, they have a good argument about how rapping a story isn’t an “autobiography,” and should be treated as fiction. Notably, in the case of Broadnax, his defense team argued that the “gangsta rap” persona was a shield for a kid who survived an “abusive childhood.” And, that doesn’t automatically mean he ever committed a crime.

TIme Runs Out

It turns out that for James Broadnax the death chamber looms, so the fight for his life runs out of time. Notably, his cousin, Demarius Cummings, “who is serving a life sentence, signed a sworn declaration saying he alone shot the two victims.” Additionally, “DNA evidence” points to him as being “the lone shooter.”

What are your thoughts? Do you feel a bit surprised that in fact, it seems that artistic expression can be used to convict someone of murder? Should D4VD be worried? While Celestre Rivas was found dead in California, the possibility that she died in Texas can’t be ruled out at this time.

Let us know what you think in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your true crime news and updates. Plus, remember to give our crime channel on TikTok a follow.