'Bending the Bars,' a hip-hop album featuring original songs by formerly or currently incarcerated artists in Florida's Broward county jails, was organized by the abolitionist organization Chip (Community Hotline for Incarcerated People). The project emerged from hotline calls during the early Covid pandemic, where inmates shared creative works as a coping mechanism. Despite significant challenges like limited phone access and censorship, the artists, including Chance, J4, dangeRush, Chuckie Lee, and executive producer Gary Field, managed to record and produce the album, which aims to provide a platform for their talent and highlight the abuses of the prison industrial complex.
‘Helping people survive’: how creating a hip-hop album saved incarcerated artists
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️'Bending the Bars,' a hip-hop album featuring original songs by formerly or currently incarcerated artists in Florida's Broward county jails, was organized by the abolitionist organization Chip (Community Hotline for Incarcerated People). The project emerged from hotline calls during the early Covid pandemic, where inmates shared creative works as a coping mechanism. Despite significant challenges like limited phone access and censorship, the artists, including Chance, J4, dangeRush, Chuckie Lee, and executive producer Gary Field, managed to record and produce the album, which aims to provide a platform for their talent and highlight the abuses of the prison industrial complex.
Trending- 1 April 2020: Chip begins fielding calls from Broward county jails
- 2 Early Covid pandemic: Idea for 'Bending the Bars' album emerges
- 3 2021: ACLU of Florida and Disability Rights Florida file lawsuit using Chip's data
- 4 2021-present: 21 inmates die in Broward jails since 2021
- 5 Recent: 'Bending the Bars' album released
- 6 2026: Documentary about the album process to be released
- Creation and release of the 'Bending the Bars' album
- Increased awareness of conditions and abuses in Florida jails
- Development of strategies for connecting with incarcerated individuals despite system barriers
- Inspiration for future creative endeavors by incarcerated artists
- Forthcoming documentary about the album's creation
What: Formerly and currently incarcerated artists, primarily from Florida's Broward county jails, collaborated to create a hip-hop album titled 'Bending the Bars,' organized by the abolitionist group Chip, to provide a creative outlet and expose issues within the prison system.
When: Wednesday (implied by publication date), April 2020 (Chip began fielding calls), early Covid pandemic (album conception), 2021 (ACLU lawsuit, Chip data used), 2021 (21 inmates died in Broward jails since then), 2010 (Gary Field's writing experience), 2026 (documentary release).
Where: Florida (Broward county jails), San Diego (Chance's base), Phoenix, Arizona (Chance's imprisonment), Miami-Dade (county north of Broward), Lauderhill (Chainless Change location).
Why: The album was created to help incarcerated individuals cope with the harsh realities of prison, particularly during the Covid pandemic, by providing a creative outlet. It also serves as a platform to raise awareness about the abuses and conditions within the prison industrial complex, especially in Broward county.
How: Chip organized the project, fundraising and connecting artists. Incarcerated musicians used two phones (one for mic, one for beat) to record. Eitan Brown served as sound engineer, and Alphabet Rockets helped with beats. Artists outside prison, like Chance, recorded in a studio.