Torrence Hatch, the Baton Rouge, La., rapper better known to fans as Lil Boosie, faced the trial of his life in May. Charged with first-degree murder in the 2009 shooting death of Terry Boyd, Boosie stood accused of paying his friend Mike "Marlo Mike" Loudon $2,800 to carry out the hit. A conviction would have put him behind bars for good. But local prosecutors had very little with which to work. With no physical evidence tying Boosie to the crime, they built their case on a prior confession from Marlo Mike -- a statement he later recanted at trial -- and, more important, Boosie's rap lyrics.