Young Thug and Gunna's label head Kevin Liles is campaigning for their freedom, and he's also dismissing the notion hip hop culture played a part in Takeoff's death.
Kevin helped foster Migos' career with Coach K and Pee Thomas and Wednesday morning on "The Breakfast Club," he lamented Takeoff's slaying -- blaming it more on Black-on-Black conditioning and the "oppressive" U.S.A. for disillusioning Black people's values.
He cited several issues ... lack of education, poverty, racism and guns themselves as the culture's true killers, and chalked up rappers' explicit lyrics to simple education.
When pressed by Charlamagne about the content of rappers' lyrics and their potential psychological influence, Kevin deflected and cited Johnny Cash, Freddie Mercury and even Bob Marley's song "I Shot the Sheriff" as comparable cases.
Later in the interview, Kevin called Young Thug and Gunna "pillars" of the community amid their massive RICO case, and called out the justice system for having them sit behind bars for nearly a year ahead of the trial.
Kevin thinks their case will jeopardize the development of future Spike Lees or Steven Spielbergs -- as prosecuting rappers for select song lyrics could ultimately stifle creativity in all art forms.
Takeoff was shot and killed early Tuesday morning following an altercation outside a Houston bowling alley. As we first reported, investigators are currently looking for at least one person of interest ... an armed man captured on video.