South Fulton Today

An Atlanta judge has again denied bond for local rap star Gunna on gang-related charges, meaning he will remain behind bars for the foreseeable future.

According to a recent report by FOX 5 Atlanta, Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, has been in jail since May after being named in a RICO Act indictment that charges he and others that include fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug are among the leaders of the local Young Slime Life street gang.

Even as the two rap stars have maintained their innocence, the indictment claims they are linked to drug and weapon trafficking across the state, with some of the others named in the filing now even facing murder charges that prosecutors argue are highlighted in some of their rap lyrics, FOX 5 reports.

Throughout the process, Gunna has maintained that he is innocent, the report states, adding that prosecutors are violating the right to free speech by using song lyrics as evidence against them.

This comes as an ABC News report highlights a wave of support for legislation hoping to limit the practice of using rap lyrics as evidence in criminal cases. As several states, including California push for an end to the practice, many have argued that introducing lyrics into cases such as this implies they are reflections of reality and ultimately discounts rap as a form of artistic expression.

"I will protect Black art like it's my family because it's my family," Kevin Liles, the CEO of 300 Entertainment, the home of Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life label, told "Nightline," adding that to him, this is not just about the lyrics – "our culture is on trial," ABC reports.

First signed into law and enacted in 1970 under then President Richard Nixon, The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, was developed to fight organized crime, drawing from a list of 27 federal crimes and eight state crimes that can include fraud, theft, computer crimes, embezzlement, credit scams, human trafficking and money laundering. According to the report, a RICO violation carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and a fine “greater of $25,000 or three times the amount of the pecuniary gain."