From the Archives 109: Elijah, The Court is Yours (2018)

In 2017, University of Kentucky College of Law students Barrett Block and Zach Atwell composed a song titled "The Court is Yours," based on Nas, "The World is Yours" (1994), for an assignment in Professor Joshua Douglas's Civil Procedure class. The song was performed and recorded by Elijah. Here are the lyrics:[PR] Whose court is this?[Nas] The court is yours, the court is yours[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?"It's yours!"It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?[Nas] The court is yours, the court is yours[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?I pray to Ace, watching The Paper Chase ‘til I’m chargedThen writin in my FRCP, the words in the marginBehold the law I'm spitting, procedural postureUnderstandable smooth wit that litigants win withThe plaintiffs play me for lame, they won't act rightBut with Douglas’ Civ Pro knowledge I attack and fight,Improper jurisdiction on my person, rehearsingPerry Mason rule 12 b 2, cursingMy domicile, and contacts they beguile,I ain’t availed the forum state a trialWhether long arm or due process, there’s no jurisdictionI call it, the rules make the court's power fictionI’m waving, but never waiving jurisdictionI'm out for precedents to represent me (Say what?)I'm out for precedents to represent me (Say what?)I'm out for good precedent to represent me[Chorus: Nas, Pete Rock][PR] Whose court is this?[Nas] The court is yours, the court is yours[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mine[PR] Whose court is this?[Nas] The court is yours, the court is yours[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?"It's yours!"It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?[Nas] The court is yours, the court is yours[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?To my man Burnham, God bless your life"It's yoursTo International Shoe, God bless your lifeCrazy baby mamas tag us with service papers when we in CaliBeef with state tax, dudes flipping shoes in the alleyMinimum contacts, panic attack-the court’s caught meRudkewicz called quits on paying dues to BK Flor-I-day,-when you’re contacts a contract, ya can’t get away caught by a jurisdictional lasso, you’ll payThis Calder test hits like a tec paining my neck,Having to inspect my effects in the forum, what the heck?Traditional notions of fairplay and justiceViolate them and ya get jurisdictional ruckusExpress permission to a court is an admissionEven if penned in a ticket or missive outside your intuitionI ain’t clowning, look to Carnival,Left frowning from venue selection-must read contracts with stiff discretion"It's yours!"[Chorus: Nas, Pete Rock][PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mine[PR] Whose court is this?[Nas] The court is yours, the court is yours[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?"It's yours!"It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?[Nas] Yo, the court is yours, the court is yours[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?"It's yours!"[PR] Break it down[Pete Rock cuts and scratches "It's yours!"]Kulko’s baby mama trying to rob him of his commasbuying his kid’s ticket not enough for Cali dramaExplodin’ Audis caused the Robinson’s real traumaBut VW couldn’t see their cars in Okla hammaOwning stock / east to west / in peace I can rest,Shaffers stock in state outside the courts test,BM Squibb and Daimler, I’m here to call fibgeneral jurisdiction, a state must be yo crib.J. Mac’s machine caused a big fiascoNo jurisdiction for slicin’ NicastroWhen the police seize your gambling stashWalden says no suit in the state you’re ‘boutta crashTo my boys with that global distribution like AsahiAnd feds finna grill ya in court like you’re mahiThey can’t sue thee, just your intermediaryI got civ pro down so well -it’s scary"It's yours!"[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mine[PR] Whose court is this?[Nas] The court is yours, the court is yours[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?"It's yours!"It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?[Nas] Yeah... the court is yours, the court is yours[PR] It's mine, it's mine, it's mineWhose court is this?"It's yours!"Break it down Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.