The article highlights the transformative power of music among incarcerated individuals, specifically focusing on the artist Julius Smith, known as Prince Jooveh. While serving a lengthy prison sentence in Florida, Jooveh records a song reflecting on the realities of poverty, systemic racism, and the prison-industrial complex. Upcoming album 'Bending the Bars' aims to shed light on personal stories of love and remorse, countering negative perceptions perpetuated by current political narratives. The piece emphasizes the necessity of artistic expression for both personal healing and challenging societal stereotypes.
I don't fuck with none of y'all cops, eighty percent of y'all are cowards, y'all stay up in our business. We are not free. The only thing we are guilty of is pain and poverty.
Making music transforms how incarcerated people see themselves. Hearing their music also transforms how the public sees them. The image of incarcerated people is being used by the Trump administration to make the case for deportations.
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