As a racketeering trial begins in Atlanta, much of the focus is on the high-profile defendant, the best-selling rapper Young Thug.

Joe Coscarelli, a culture reporter for The New York Times, explains why, in a sense, hip-hop itself is on trial.

Guest: Joe Coscarelli, a culture reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• A judge ruled in November thatthug-lyrics-ysl-rico-trial.html"> at least 17 specific sets of lines from the Atlanta artist and his collaborators could be used by prosecutors in the racketeering trial of YSL, a chart-topping hip-hop label and collective.
• Here’sthug-ysl-rico-trial.html"> what to know about the trial.

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