It was emotionally stirring to stand before the U.S. Capitol on April 27. It was Advocacy Day, the day immediately following the 2023 GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards, and members of congress and music industry leaders met at a press conference to announce the reintroduction of the Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act, while also reflecting on what hip-hop means to them.

"Imagine being a young, Black teenager in New York City and watching the movie Do the Right Thing, directed by Spike Lee. The story of Radio Raheem. The story of Sal's Pizza. The story of no Black people on the wall," said Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who along with Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) introduced the bill on that glorious spring day.

"Now, I'm in Congress in 2020, walking around asking, 'Where the hell are all the Black people on the wall?' because of a movie like that," the congressman continued. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, X-Clan, Public Enemy, Brand Nubian."

Rep. Bowman went on to express how Rakim's philosophy of self-knowledge provided a foundation for his thinking. But then, a moment of startling truth struck, one totally apropos to the occasion for this gathering.

"I could differentiate between N.W.A.'s music and how I should behave in society," Rep. Bowman stated. "I didn't want to go mimic what they were saying. I knew it was them expressing what was going on in their community and them sensationalizing certain things.

"That's what artists do. That's what Stephen King does. That's what George Lucas does," he added. "Pick your art, pick your director, pick your writer, pick your author — this is what they do."

Read More: Here's What Went Down At GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day 2023, A Fight For All Music Creators On Capitol Hill

The Restoring Artistic Protection Act is a bill that would limit the use of song lyrics as evidence in courtrooms nationwide; while it applies to all styles of artistic expression, it disproportionately affects artists who are people of color, particularly members of the hip-hop sphere.

While GRAMMYs On The Hill, which advocated for the bill, may have come and gone, carry the fight forward with these impactful quotations from the Advocacy Day press conference and the GRAMMYs On The Hill red carpet.

It’s a really slippery slope. If you start allowing art to be used as evidence, it’s going to change the nature of how people filter the way they think and write. It’s going to change their storytelling ability. When you’re creating, you have to be free to tell a story — to create magic, to dream. This isn’t reality TV. These aren’t documentaries. These are things that are sometimes escapism. Sometimes, they’re fantasies. They’re aspirational. There are a lot of reasons why people write songs, and we can’t have these lyricists or writers held liable for things they say in the middle of a piece of art.

— Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy

[The First Amendment] is the foundational stone of democracy. If you don't have freedom of expression, if you don't enable artists to create without fear of prosecution or censoring, you don't have democracy.

— Panos A. Panay, President of the Recording Academy

The government should not be able to silence artists simply because they write, draw, sing, or rap about controversial or taboo subjects.

— Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA)

As a music creator myself, I know how important it is that we safeguard artists' freedom to create at all costs and to work to eradicate the biases that come with the unconstitutional practice of using lyrics as evidence, which disproportionately affect artists of color and penalizes the creativity of Black and Brown creatives. This discriminatory practice must come to a halt, and not only for artists making rap music. Criminalizing creative works has a dangerous impact on all genres of music, on all forms of creative expression from hip-hop to jazz to classical dance to literature.

— Rico Love, Vice Chair on the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy and Black Music Collective Chair

You know, rap music actually is folk music, because folk music is the voice of the people. And this is the voice of a community of people that must never be stifled, must never be muzzled. [It] must never be a rolling stone, a rabbit hole into more and more censorship because people are afraid that if they say something, it might be admissible in court and it might be held against them — when, actually, it falls under the First Amendment and it is their right to express themselves because they're expressing the voice of the people.

— Actress, comedian, writer, and president of SAG-AFTRA Fran Drescher

So let's not just simply think that rap artists deserve to be prosecuted based on their lyrics and nothing will happen to my music or to my graffiti or to my poetry, to my song in a different genre, or to my play or my TV show, my pilot. Let's all come together at this point and nip it in the bud while we still have a chance to do so. If we let it keep going, the monster will just get bigger and bigger.

— Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA)

I know this may come as a surprise, but sometimes, art depicts violence. Whether it's Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, Bob Marley's 'I Shot the Sheriff,' Johnny Cash's 'Folsom City Blues' — it's all protected, all of it. Ice-T isn't a 'cop killer' — nor is he a cop, despite now playing one on TV.

— Joe Cohn, director of FIRE's Legislative and Policy department

Our creativity is our humanity and our art is our air. If you crush our art, you take away our air. You choke us off from breathing and participating in a democracy.

— Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)

Hip-hop is the most significant cultural force on the planet. It grew out of the pain, the struggle, the disenfranchisement, and joy of young Black America. Hip-hop affects the voices of the unheard and the most often under attack just for our existence. We are clear that through hip-hop culture, many have broken cycles of intergenerational poverty. Therefore, we are not confused by this attack on our culture. We are clear that this is another angle to ensure that the prison-industrial complex has a steady flow of subjects to bear out the intended design. This did not lose us.

— Acclaimed rapper and co-chair of the Black Music Action Coalition Willie "Prophet" Stiggers

Hip-hop is what made me. It's who I am. If you cut me open, I bleed the culture. From my time as a teenager, from running Def Jam for more than 20 years or leading Electra 300 today, I've seen this issue across nearly four decades in the music business. And so, to paraphrase Fannie Hamer, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of the same damn thing.

— Kevin Liles, CEO, Chairman of the Board, Co-Founder of 300 Entertainment

We cannot stop at today. We have to continue to fight this fight every single day because our First Amendment dictates that we have the freedom to speak and express ourselves.

— Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)

How The 2023 GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards Addressed The Changing Music Landscape, Celebrated Music Champions & Pushed The Industry Toward Progress

In a landmark victory for songwriters, the U.S. Copyright Office issued a new rule on July 10 that ensures songwriters who reclaim their works from their publishers will also receive streaming royalties for those works through The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC).

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. spoke on the ruling: "After years of engagement and activism on this issue, the Academy applauds the Copyright Office for protecting the rights of songwriters and affirming their ability to receive appropriate compensation after reclaiming their copyrights. We also thank our friends in the music community for their partnership and collaboration as we fought for this important victory."

Songwriters often sign over the copyright to their music to publishers who then promote, license, and monetize their work. By law, songwriters have "termination rights" which allow them to end their publisher agreement and regain their copyrights after a period of time under certain conditions. 

However, the MLC — which administers a blanket license for streaming platforms to use songs — initially determined that royalties generated from streams would continue to go to the license holder at the time a song is uploaded to a streaming service rather than to the current copyright owner at the time a song is streamed. 

Starting back in 2020, the Recording Academy, along with other songwriter groups, opposed this practice as it undermined the purpose of termination rights, which exist to level the playing field for songwriters and other creators who may have entered into unfavorable deals. 

Since 2020, the Recording Academy held multiple ex parte meetings with the Copyright Office to discuss the impacts of the MLC's determination, and submitted formal comments and reply comments throughout the Office's rulemaking proceedings.

In stating its position, the Academy argued its belief that termination rights are among the most important protections that songwriters, artists, and other creators have for their work. The Academy also urged the USCO to avoid weakening or infringing on these protections. 

The U.S. Copyright Office has since agreed with the Recording Academy and deemed the MLC's decision an "erroneous" rule, stating that if a songwriter reclaims the copyright to their music, they should receive the royalties. And after multiple years of rulemaking, the Copyright Office published a final rule last week directing the MLC to distribute royalty payments in accordance with the Copyright Act.

The rule:

• Directs the MLC to make future royalty payments to the copyright holder at the time a stream is played.

• Directs the MLC to engage in a "corrective adjustment" process to address any overpayments made due to the erroneous rule. 

The Recording Academy is proud to champion ownership rights for songwriters and to amplify the voices of small creators. For more information about the new rule, visit here.

Watch: House Judiciary Subcommittee Holds "Radio, Music And Copyrights: 100 Years Of Inequity For Recording Artists" Hearing

On July 9, the Recording Academy, in coordination with the National Independent Venues Association (NIVA), participated in the Fix the Tix Day of Action, which aims to ban fake tickets, deceptive marketing, and hidden costs. This joint push mobilized industry organizations, professionals and fans alike to urge lawmakers to pass the Fans First Act.

Backed by the Recording Academy and introduced by GRAMMYs On The Hill honorees Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), the Fans First Act is the most comprehensive reform undertaken to improve the concert ticket marketplace for consumers.

About the Fans First Act, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said: "With the introduction of the Fans First Act today, the Recording Academy applauds Senators Klobuchar, Cornyn, Blackburn, Luján, Wicker and Welch for taking this important step towards comprehensive ticketing reform.

"As we work together to improve the ticket marketplace," he added, "we urge Congress to act on this bill quickly and continue its effort to protect both artists and fans by increasing transparency and limiting bad actors that take away from the joyous experience of live music."

The Fans First Act requires ticket sellers to disclose and itemize fees upfront, prohibits the use of bots to purchase tickets online and requires sellers to refund consumers the full ticket price if the event is canceled. It also penalizes deceptive marketing tactics — like fake websites — that trick consumers into paying more for tickets that may never get them into a show.

Finally, it prohibits the use of speculative tickets. Also known as "specs," these are tickets that a seller claims they possess but do not actually possess. A new case study across five independent venues in the Washington, D.C. area shows that in 2024, 73,000 speculative tickets have been listed for resale at these venues, totaling an estimated $49 million in potentially fraudulent sales.

The Recording Academy is advocating for Congress to listen to the artists on the stage and pass the Fans First Act to protect consumers, elevate creative economic development, and restore trust in the ticketing experience for fans and artists. 

Click here to take action — and keep watching our Advocacy page for updates on how the Recording Academy fights for all music people!

Watch: House Judiciary Subcommittee Holds "Radio, Music And Copyrights: 100 Years Of Inequity For Recording Artists" Hearing

On Wednesday, June 26, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet held a hearing titled "Radio, Music, and Copyrights: 100 Years of Inequity for Recording Artists." The aim of this hearing was to examine an injustice affecting the music community: creators not receiving royalty payments for public broadcasting of their sound recordings on terrestrial radio.

The hearing explored the legislative proposal, the American Music Fairness Act of 2023, which would require a license for broadcasting sound recording via AM/FM radio, and ensure that music creators receive compensation for their work no matter the platform. You can watch the deliberations below:

The hearing witnesses included country legend Randy Travis, who boasts seven GRAMMYs and 16 nominations; Curtis LeGeyt, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Broadcasters; Michael Huppe, the President and Chief Executive Officer of SoundExchange; and Eddie Harrell Jr., the Regional Vice President and General Manager of Radio One, Inc., in Cleveland.

As Travis had a stroke 10 years ago that limits his ability to speak, his wife, Mary Travis, testified on his behalf. Her testimony wrapped with, "We ask your help in righting the wrong… ensure that artists are paid for their work, their identity is theirs alone, and the soundtracks of our lives continue to play on… Forever and Ever, Amen!" evoking one of her husband's most iconic tracks. 

The Recording Academy is a long-term proponent of the American Music Fairness Act. Sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), the AMFA is a balanced solution that ensures music creators are fairly compensated when their songs are played on AM/FM radio, but with carefully crafted exemptions to protect small and local broadcasters.

During the hearing, several members of the subcommittee expressed strong support for the American Music Fairness Act, and many encouraged the radio industry to work with artists and record labels on reaching a solution to end the century-long injustice.

The bill recognizes the property rights of creators, while supporting community broadcasters across the United States. For close to a century, performers, musicians, and studio professionals have been denied the basic right to receive compensation for their work when their music is played by AM/FM radio.

From the foundational performers of the past to today's iconic stars and the thousands of indispensable backing vocalists, instrumentalists, producers, engineers, and mixers, precisely zero dollars have gone to the creators behind the music played on the radio. 

To make matters worse, the United States is one of the only countries in the world– a distinction it shares with countries like Cuba, North Korea,and Iran–  where this inequity exists, costing artists hundreds of millions of dollars in lost reciprocal royalties overseas in addition to the royalties that aren't paid at home. 

The Recording Academy has been championing this issue for almost two decades — and they're far from alone. In December of 2022, during the 117th Congress, identical legislation passed out of the House Judiciary without any recorded opposition — just another reason why the Recording Academy has faith that the AMFA has legs.

Click here for ways to support the American Music Fairness Act and get involved in the advocacy for music creators, and stay tuned for more information about the Academy's continued fight for all music people.

How Newly Elected Recording Academy Trustees Are Involved In Advocacy: Dani Deahl, Taylor Hanson & More

The Recording Academy's Board of Trustees has a history of being filled with members that are both passionate about making music and advocating for music creators. The newly elected slate of trustees is no exception and four of the new members continuously show their dedication to advocacy.

Those Trustees are Dani Deahl, Taylor Hanson, Torae Carr, and Sara Gazerak. They're four of a total of 19 leaders of diverse backgrounds and disciplines who have assumed their position on the 2024-2025 Board of Trustees.

Effective June 1, the newly elected Trustees joined the Academy's midterm Trustees, including National Officers Tammy Hurt (Chair), Dr. Chelsey Green (Vice Chair), Gebre Waddell (Secretary/Treasurer), and Christine Albert (Chair Emeritus).

Their mission is to uphold the Academy's core values: to serve and represent the music community at-large through its commitment to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, fight for creators' rights, protect music people in need, preserve music's history, and invest in its future.

About that fight for creator's rights, specifically: read on for these four Trustees' advocacy bona fides.

Dani Deahl

This prominent artist, DJ and producer previously served as the Recording Academy's Chicago Chapter Governor. She's also been a prolific advocate for music makers and the greater music industry. 

In March, Deahl testified in front of the Illinois House and Senate on HB 4875/SB 3325 alongside fellow Chicago Chapter member Jeff Becker. HB 4875/SB 3325 represents a crucial step towards modernizing Illinois's Right of Publicity Act for the AI era.

By granting additional enforcement rights and remedies, the bill was created to shield musicians from exploitation by generative AI systems. While existing copyright laws offer some protection, the amendments directly address gaps in safeguarding an artist's name, image, likeness, and voice.

Shortly after the Academy and Deahl's advocacy efforts in Springfield, HB 4875/SB 3325 passed through both the Illinois House and Senate and is with Governor J.B. Pritzker waiting to be signed into law.

On Friday, May 3, Deahl participated in the Recording Academy's Inaugural GRAMMYs on the Hill Future Forum. Designed to provide a space to explore the most pressing issues facing music, this momentous occasion served as a pivotal platform to delve into the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the music community. The afternoon consisted of a series of panel discussions curated to explore both the promise and the peril that AI presents to music makers.

Deahl joined GRAMMY nominated producer, emcee, vocalist, and thought leader, Kokayi, and Recording Academy's Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer, Todd Dupler, for the first panel of the afternoon. 

Throughout the discussion, Deahl demonstrated live how she ethically uses AI as a tool to enhance her music, including stem separation, voice or tone replacement, and song generation. Dani also attended and participated in the 2024 GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards and Advocacy Day.

Taylor Hanson

You know that surname: he's a former Texas Chapter President, three-time GRAMMY nominated artist and member of the band Hanson.

Last August, Recording Academy members of the Texas Chapter, including Taylor Hanson, headed to Oklahoma City to meet with state government officials to build up the relationship between the Oklahoma music community and state leaders.

Throughout the day, the group met with Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell and the Deputy Director of the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, Jeanette Stanton, at the state's Capitol before heading to the Governor's Mansion.

During the meeting, they discussed the importance of the music community in Oklahoma, ways the state can continue to be involved in supporting the music community, and how the Recording Academy can be a resource for ensuring artists' voices are heard.

At the Governor's Mansion, Hanson participated in a panel with other Texas Chapter members on the Recording Academy and how Oklahoma Academy members and music creators can get involved. Specifically, the group highlighted the Recording Academy's District Advocate Day, which Hanson has been a vocal supporter of.

Taylor Hanson has participated in numerous District Advocate meetings, attended the 2024 GRAMMY Advocacy Brunch, and has also used his social platform to spread awareness about the Recording Academy's grassroots advocacy movements.

Torae Carr

On May 7, 2024, this rapper and former New York Chapter President joined other members of the Recording Academy's New York chapter and took to the state capitol in Albany. The purpose was to advocate for the passage of A 127, a crucial piece of legislation designed to safeguard the creative works of artists across New York.

Throughout the day, the group met with key members of the Assembly to express their support for the bill and highlight the crucial need to protect artistic freedom during legal proceedings.

At the time of the advocacy day, A 127 had already passed through the senate. Since then, it has been voted through the Assembly Codes Committee with the goal to be voted on in the Assembly in the coming days. 

Sara Gazerack

Gazerack isn't just a GRAMMY-winning jazz vocalist: she serves as one of the Los Angeles Chapter's Advocacy Representatives and most recently was a Los Angeles Chapter Governor.

This spring, Sarah joined some 60 GRAMMY winners, nominees, and Recording Academy executives in DC for GRAMMYs on the Hill. Sara met with Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), and policy staff of Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA).

The Advocacy Day consisted of meetings with Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill and a visit to the White House for a roundtable discussion on  AI policy, ticket reforms, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the president's work on gun violence, before a special conversation with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The Recording Academy commends these Trustees for their commitment to advocacy for music people — and to follow their future work in this regard, keep checking RecordingAcademy.com/Advocacy for up-to-date info!

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