Prison music nowadays

"Both are now considered to be amongst the top tier of flamenco singers. The contest is now a national event, held every other year."

http://www.roir-usa.com/8246.htm

i also have a rounder cd of "rhymes" recorded in prisons (it is called get your ass in the water and swim like me)--they are extremely obscene, and often hilarious in a very, very dark way.

http://www.rounder.com/images/album/ROUN/ROUN2014_Cover.jpg

i suspect the rhyming dozens have come and gone, but no doubt there are a lot of raps being made in prisons in their place.

i don't know how many prisons maintain collections of musical instruments and otherwise encourage musical activities. the angola pen. had a lot of guitarists (but only a few guitars), a few harmony groups, etc. i wonder if the increasingly rationalized (i was going to say "draconian," but then chain gangs are pretty fucking draconian) character of american prisons has eliminated these sort of things....

This is sort of what I'm getting at. No doubt there are great prison rappers. I wonder why they haven't been documented? Security measure? Lack of interest/access?

-- ben tausig (btausi...) (webmail), June 29th, 2004 11:45 AM. (later) (link)

maybe no governors have an interest. lead belly was released from prison (into john lomax's "care" wtf) by the governor.

-- ben tausig (btausi...) (webmail), June 29th, 2004 11:45 AM. (later) (link)

maybe no governors have an interest. lead belly was released from prison (into john lomax's "care" wtf) by the governor.

this thread title sounds like some old fogey's lament: "oh, prison music nowadays!"

Shortly after releasing his 1992 debut LP Psycho Active, he was convicted on murder charges -- in fact, the album's violent lyrics were even cited as evidence at the trial.

d'oh

I want more details on the case. Why'd he kill her?

The rapper is being sued by his victim's family under the "Son of Sam" law, and tougher prison regulations mean that this could be his last album.

awwwww.

Why they trying to give me deuce-5 to life?
They trying to give me 25 to life cause I'm guilty till proven
innocent...

I open up the front page of the Sacramento Bee
And read the article that Dan McGrath wrote about me
He has his own opinion and it's his job to write it
I say he's being biased and completly one sided
The media write their stories for the public to consume
And any chance I have of getting a fair trial in Sac is doomed
Any potential jurors mind is being contaminated
From reading all the bull they wrote about X-Raided
I never told anybody to go out kill somebody's folks

And blaming it all on me and
a song I wrote is a complete joke
They're looking for a move but they're looking in the dark
Putting a noose around my neck and a bullet in my heart
Just because I'm capable of killing doesn't mean I kill
And just because I'm capable of killing doesn't mean I will
I wish they all knew, how can I make you feel me?
X-Raided didn't do it but I've gotta ride cause I'm guilty till
proven innocent...

Why they trying to give me deuce-5 to life?
They trying to give me 25 to life cause I'm guilty till proven
innocent...

I'm knowing I'm going to end up in the pen
Fighting my appeal and hoping that I win
It's me and Baby Bread fighting this f**ked up case
Like Dooney and B-Dub trying to get these years erased
In Sac there ain't no love when you're from the Garden Blocc
Maniac, C-Mooney, Baby Snake and Lil' Venom already got washed
I'm trying to keep my head up but my load is getting heavy
It makes me want to do like Sicx: take some Tylenol and get it
over with
But instead I just maintain and do everything to keep my
composure
Representing the Blocc to the fullest and riding like a soldier
I told you fools the X-Loc ain't going out like the average
I didn't kill your folks but if you run up then I gotta loc up
like a savage
On that ass, bitch, it ain't nothing personal thang, it's just
about survival
And I'm going to be 125 years old before I die
if I can help it
You made your threats and I felt it but I ain't dead yet
So you niggas talking about
what you're going to do when you see me
I'll be on the weights, wearing state boots and a beanie
I wish I didn't have to be this way but it's reality
So I'm strapped based on the fact
I'm guilty till proven innocent...

Why they trying to give me deuce-5 to life?
They trying to give me 25 to life
cause I'm guilty till proven innocent...

Great article on the Texas Prison Rodeo, and the incarcerated musicians that recorded and performed: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/10/prison-music-texas-rodeo-redemption-songs

Of note, this huge playlist (100+ songs) of these recordings: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnttmJ0CBX4Ojaz64Nbe6HSRdhh_4-fmr

https://i.discogs.com/A85PxxjPN-ZlcBhju4X8AzhhKWEY3m2njwMIlMRcBqg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1MTkz/ODE0LTE3NTg3NDM5/NTctMzAzOC5qcGVn.jpeg