Because of the lyrics on Tiny Doo's album No Safety, he's facing 25 years to life.
Doo (Brandon Duncan) is being charged under an obscure California law that states anyone who actively participates in a criminal street gang and “who willfully promotes, furthers, assists, or benefits from any felonious criminal conduct by members of that gang” can be charged with any crimes that gang may be involved with.
According to prosecutors, Doo's lyrics suggest he is associated with a San Diego gang responsible for nine shootings. Because of the law -- which has never been implemented before -- Doo is being included in the case against the gang, even though he has no criminal record and the DA's office makes no claim that he had anything to do with the actual crimes.
His case got a lot of attention last year, and he pleaded not guilty in December. There was hopes a judge would dismiss the charges against him on Friday. That didn't happen. But Doo was finally able to make bail, after eight months in prison, and gave an interview to CNN.
"The studio is my canvas. I’m just painting a picture," he said of the album. “I’m not telling anybody to go out and kill somebody."
Check out the whole interview.