After a few delays this compilation of hip-hop and spoken word to benefit the Prison Moratorium Project hit the streets this March. The album was planned to release in correlation with a book by the same title written by William Upski Wimsatt. Both have helped bring about a country-wide campaign to oppose the prison industry, including benefit shows by some of the artists supporting the album, a speaking tour by Upski, and sidewalk tagging of the catchy slogan "No More Prisons."
Raptivism is an up and coming indie label that promises to only produce albums that are "connected to a progressive political issue that we feel the hip-hop community should know about." And they certainly had no problem finding a great line up of artists that were willing to speak out against prisons, turning an originally modest project into a huge success. The need for prison activism is underscored by the fact that track 2, by B.K.N.Y., states that there are approximately 1.5 million people incarcerated in the U$, and by the time the album was in stores that number reached 2 million!
The release of No More Prisons demonstrates the potential for indie labels to succeed in hip-hop, which has been largely co-opted by the corporate media. Raptivism states that the imprisonment of Blacks and Latinos in the hip-hop community "has highlighted the huge divide between the reality of the hip-hop nation and the selling of hip-hop culture. No More Prisons is a step away from this divide." The need for the people to control their own media is clear in the music industry, which forces artists into roles that will make money. This is why labels like Raptivism are necessary. We cannot depend on corporate owned media to do what's best for people when their main goal is profit. In "Lunchbreak," Helixx C. Armaggedon, who's vocals are complimented nicely by Pri the Honey Dark, states, "I see million dollar rap videos showing me what I be missin'. But nobody takes their money to build an educational system. We need to build our own schools without no hesitation. Fuck the board of education."
This album is 74 minutes of criticism of and commentary on the prison industrial complex as well as the police and the courts. There are many good revolutionary voices featured, including Hedrush, dead prez and People's Army who combined to produce the track "Murda Box," which is sure to keep heads bouncing. One line is, "These crackers say we get a jury of our own peers. Knowin' if we really got a jury of our own peers we'd put the system on trial. See, that's how we know that's some bullshit." The song makes a call to "break'em out!" of a system that "ain't got nuttin to do with rehabilitation." The song ends with an acknowledgement of the strong national contradiction within the prison industry; while Blacks and Latinos fill the cells, "It's white people making all the money off these prisons, from the wardens to the lawyers, to contracting companies and even the long distance phone call places." Evidence of this exists throughout rural white amerika where communities call for more prisons to bring more business.
In "Dedicated" by Sister Asia and featuring Steele and Top Dog, the chorus is "You can lock my body, but my mind is free." On the one hand, the conditions in prisons themselves can have horrible effects on the human mind, while the staff often administers mind altering drugs to those who aren't broken by the surrounding conditions alone. Still it is true that people usually have the ability to build their mind, and to learn from their experiences in prison. MIM has been working with prisoners for years to help them educate themselves politically through our Free Books for Prisoners program and correspondence program, as well as our recently launched education program, U.B.A.R.S. Many prisoners are even able to contribute to the movement by writing articles, doing artwork, legal work, and leading study groups. Like Yazeed says in "Underground Railroad," "It's time to educate, and overtake, oppressors."
Vinia Mojica takes an individualist stance in her song "Evolution." The chorus is, "Love is what we need, love will make it right, evolution of you and me." She goes on to talk about breaking through all the walls in front of her. She seems to be taking a 'love conquers all' view of the world rather than recognizing the need for struggle. This is one of the weaker songs on the album, politically.
Hurricane G. raps about the militarization of urban hoods in the song, "No More Prisons." The Coup talks about the targeting of "Blacks, Chinese, and Mexicans" as well, "every brother is suspect, don't even have to fit the M.O." In their song "Drug Warz," the chorus is, "I broke the shackles. I'm runnin, you comin? Burn the plantation. Bust the exodus. Nothing to loose, let's move." MIM believes that the principle contradiction in the world as well as in this country is the national contradiction. The issues of prisons and the police and the targeting of oppressed nations by these forces make this contradiction clear. The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense began to organize largely around protecting people from police brutality. Today they might have focused more on fighting the prison industrial complex. While much of the white nation will deny the national contradiction and try to call for 'color-blind' policies to solve the problem, the oppressed are always more willing to recognize it. Then, as El Battalion says in "Siege," when the oppressed attempt to stand up for themselves, "You call it hate when I call for self-defense."
MIM urges people to go beyone the short-sighted goals of groups like the Prison Moratorium Project (PMP). While the PMP has carried out successful campaigns to educate about prison issues, they lack the overall revolutionary strategy that will bring an end to national oppression. Fighting prisons is an important struggle right now, but its power is only fully realized when put in context of the internationalist revolutionary movement and the struggle against imperialism in general. Prisons are just one manifestation of imperialism today. The PMP was partially founded by the Democratic Socialists of America, which is not a revolutionary group, but only works for reforms within the imperialist system.