Rap and politics. They go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly, like peas and carrots. Or maybe more like a plaid shirt and striped pants. The two cultures have knocked heads ever since the birth of the genre and recent news is no exception. On the 18^th of January, the New Jersey Supreme Court decided to attempt to utilize rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials and investigations. This isn’t the first time that lyrical content has been used in the court room before however. Is this a violation of free speech? A violation of our given rights? Whatever the case, rap continues to stir controversy in nearly every realm of society and politics is no exception. Ever since raps origin, artists have slandered and explicitly “name-called” everything from political parties to politicians themselves. Here is a list of ten popular hip-hop/politician run-in’s, in no particular order.

-Zach Davis (@ZadricDavis)