How Jools TV’s Trap, Drill, And Reggae Jingles Reimagine ‘Edutainment’ For Black And Brown Children

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 8, 2024

How Jools TV’s Trap, Drill, And Reggae Jingles Reimagine ‘Edutainment’ For Black And Brown Children

Jools TV is taking YouTube by storm with its "edutainment" content for kids and the culture.

Jools TV is growing in popularity as the perfect example of what you get when you combine education with entertainment for children and the culture.

Founded in 2020 by The Brim family’s mom and dad duo Justin and Patrice, Jools TV‘s adventure, learning, and music platform has children falling in love with its signature trapery rhymes. With 560,000 YouTube subscribers (and growing), the animated kids channel puts diversity at the forefront of its education and entertainment content.

It’s a passion project birthed out of pain after Justin and Patrice lost their eldest son, JJ, at the age of three. The Chicago family sought to ensure a fulfilling upbringing for their second son, Jaxon, when they decided to honor JJ’s memory by crafting an animated platform for their children. With the addition of two more sons, Jett and Jhy, the Brims launched Jools TV in 2020.

“As first-time parents, we were navigating the world of YouTube, searching for content that was suitable for our child, and noticed a lack of representation,” Justin and Patrice told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We found some channels that we allowed our son to watch, and as he watched them, my husband and I were in the background, remixing the songs he was listening to.”

With diversity and inclusion in mind, the Brims decided to launch a platform where children like their own would feel seen and represented while their caregivers jammed along.

“We also reminisced about how awesome it would be to start our own channel to offer our child and countless other children representation in the space,” they said. “That’s when we decided to take matters into our own hands and create Jools TV—a channel that would entertain and educate children while promoting diversity.”

Jools TV, short for “Js Of Our Lives,” addresses the need for diverse representation and engaging animation in children’s programming. Through its “edu-tainment” (a blend of education and entertainment), Jools TV aims to empower the next generation in a captivating manner suitable for kids of all ages.

In its four years of operation, Jools TV has accumulated over 100 million total views. Among the platform’s notable supporters include Cardi B, who cites the channel as her son’s “absolute favorite,” Missy Elliott, Ciara and Russell Wilson, Michael B. Jordan, and NFL player Alexander Johnson.

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“Our rapid growth shows that there was a need for our channel. Additionally, we believe that our product can serve as a wonderful opportunity for parents and children to connect and enjoy together,” the Brims says. “We have infused melodies from popular ’90s and 2000s songs with famous nursery rhymes for kids, we aim to create a sense of nostalgia and familiarity for both parents and children.”

Each installment of this family-produced series imparts valuable life lessons, accompanied by catchy “Trapery Rhymes.” All aspects of content creation, from conception to completion, are handled internally. Their energetic hip-hop renditions serve as engaging vehicles for teaching children essential life skills while ensuring they remain entertained and informed.

“We regularly ask our children about their interests, school experiences, and sources of entertainment to collect data for our channel,” the Brims explain. “Our four boys range in age from 4 months to 8 years old, so it helps us to know what topics resonate with them. We also review a list of popular nursery rhymes and relatable subjects for children their age.”

The latest addition to Jools media empire is the book JJ’s Affirmations. The self-empowerment book for kids looks to spark conversations about self-acceptance, diversity, and individuality.

“We were thrilled to release this book because it features our eldest son, JJ, as the main character,” Justin and Patrice shared. “The book is a tribute to who he was when he was alive—an affirming, kind, and caring person toward his family and everyone he met.

“The story aims to encourage children and adults alike that loving oneself is the best form of self-care. We have plans to release three more books this year, each authored by one of our children,” they added.

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Depicting a variety of characters and narratives can introduce children to experiences beyond their daily lives and play a crucial role in their growth and development. The Brims family are making edutaining content creation look easy and they have no plans of slowing down.

“Our goal is to expand our brand globally. We are increasing our content output and expanding our merchandise line, and we are excited to introduce a new channel to the brand,” they shared.

Rafah, Gaza, Israeli airstrike, Hamas, International, Global

by Sharelle B. McNair

May 8, 2024

Israel Increases Pressure After Hamas Accepts Proposal To Cease-Fire In Gaza

Hamas finally agreed to a potential cease-fire in Gaza shortly before Israel announced an expansion on U.S. support in the Palestinian enclave.

According to Basem Naim, the chief of Hamas’ political and foreign relations department and a member of the Gaza bureau, Hamas accepted ideas proposed by Qatar and Egypt during intensive negotiations involving the U.S. but stated it was “early” to reveal plan terms.

Israeli officials appeared suspicious of the agreement, allegedly suggesting it was far off from what was initially offered, but Israeli newspaper Haaretz said the deal was very close to what was accepted by Israel, according to the outlet. In response, Israeli diplomats announced they would continue amping up the assault on the Gazan town of Rafah, home to 1.5 million Palestinians now sheltering in place.

In a statement, Israel said a team will be sent, along with Egyptian and Qatari dignitaries, to discuss the next moves with Hamas in order “to exhaust the possibility of reaching an agreement under conditions acceptable to Israel.” While it hasn’t been determined who else will be involved in the negotiations, U.S. officials said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet ― including rival Benny Gantz ― “have not appeared to approach the latest phase of negotiations in good faith.”

For weeks, the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have been speaking about a truce proposal between Israel and Hamas. According to The Hill, the Biden administration expressed concern over Hamas’s cease-fire response after warning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching an attack on Rafah.

National security communications adviser John Kirby said President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu before Hamas’ response, with the primary goal of having hostages released. “We want to get these hostages out, we want to get a cease-fire for six weeks, we want to increase humanitarian assistance, and the last thing I want to do is say anything at this podium that’s going to put that process at risk,” Kirby said.

The White House feels a temporary cease-fire is the best way to secure the release of Israeli hostages. In November 2023, shortly after the first attack on Oct. 7, the same strategy, lasting one week, resulted in the release of more than 100 hostages.

President Biden has continued to show empathy for Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the attacks against Palestinians. As violent protests have taken over college campuses across the country, Biden said he believes in the right to protest, but peacefully, and professed violence won’t be tolerated, stating the United States wasn’t a “lawless country” and that in a “civil society, order must prevail.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

May 8, 2024

Formerly Incarcerated Mom Goes Viral For Passing Bar Exam On 1st Try

Owes decided to pursue her law degree after finishing her sentence on Rikers Island and subsequent probation.

A single mom in New York has gone viral for passing the bar exam on her first try. Despite her former incarceration, Afrika Owes accomplished her goals in a heartwarming moment for viewers.

On April 25, Owes posted a video to Tiktok of her finding out she passed the bar exam. Owes, wearing her Fordham School of Law sweatshirt, had her brother behind her as she realized she achieved her dreams.

“POV: You’re a formerly incarcerated single mom who passed the bar early on the first try,” Owes titled the video. The law student has four-year-old son named Kairos, who also appears in her other videos.

@afrika.owes Thank you to my angels, my momma, my grandma. Thank you for my son, my brother, my family and my tribe. I’m beyond happy to join the ranks of the 2% of Black women Attorneys in the U.S. #singlemom #attorney #blackattorney #lawyer ♬ golden hour – piano version – main character melodies

She began screaming, “I passed!” as tears began to flow. She then referred to her deceased mother and grandmother, who inspired her to pursue a law degree.

“Thank you to my angels, my momma, my grandma,” she wrote in the caption. “Thank you for my son, my brother, my family, and my tribe. I’m beyond happy to join the ranks of the 2% of Black women Attorneys in the U.S.”

Good Morning America later spoke to Owes about her untraditional journey to law school. The Harlem native served six months on Rikers Island in 2011 for gang-related conspiracy and weapons possession, followed by a year-long probation. She was 17 years old at the time of her incarceration.

“From that, I only served six months on Rikers Island and then I had a few years of probation,” she shared with the show. “And then after, successfully completing two years of college, which was a condition of my release, I was taken off of probation. I was adjudicated as a youthful offender.”

Her family taught her the “importance of knowing the law” as her mother, Karen Owes, often advocated on behalf of the residents in Harlem. After serving time, Owes envisioned a greater purpose for her life through the field of law.

Owes is now among the only 59% of test-takers who pass on the first try, a statistic confirmed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The American Bar Association reported that only 57% of Black participants passed the bar exam, making her feat even more remarkable.

“I strayed from my path, but they made sure that I got right back on track. They didn’t judge me, and they never let me go,” stated Owes. “I want my story to be a testament to that, for communities as well, that everybody makes mistakes.”

Owes expects to graduate from Fordham this May. With her passing the bar exam, she will pursue a career in tax law with other aspirations of a judicial clerkship. The school’s Dean, Matthew Diller, also shared how Owes’ journey is a triumph.

“I have gotten to know Afrika during her time as a student, and she has been a tremendously positive force at our school — bringing students together as both a leader of the Black Law Students Association and our Student Bar Association,” he shared. “Her story is inspiring, and I am excited to see the contributions that she will make to our profession and our society in the years to come.”

Kendrick Lamar, Drake, lawsuit, Universal

by Daniel Johnson

May 8, 2024

Kendrick Lamar and Drake Allegedly Let Content Creators Use Music

Typically, if a record label claims that a content creator’s video or stream contains copyrighted material, the content is removed by the host, to the disappointment of the content creator, who is sometimes left with a lost revenue stream.

A popular streamer who uses the handle @YourRageZ on X, formerly known as Twitter, asserted in a pair of tweets that the music he used in his reaction videos on Twitch to diss songs by Drake and Kendrick Lamar did not come with an automatic DMCA removal. The user credited the artists for both songs remaining up on the platform.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, has long been a thorn in the sides of many content creators as record labels have been able to broker agreements with technology companies like Meta, YouTube, and Twitch to regulate their content. A record label typically claims that a content creator’s video or stream contains copyrighted material. In that case, the host removes the content, to the disappointment of the creator, who is sometimes left with a lost revenue stream.

Newsweek reported that this is not the case with the latest diss tracks from Kendrick Lamar and Drake. As The Verge reported in 2019, DMCA requests are typically not directly handled by individual artists but by their record labels. Newsweek contacted representatives from Drake and Lamar’s record labels but could not obtain comment before publishing its article.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been embroiled in a war of words and escalating diss tracks, which have resulted in claims of domestic abuse, pedophilia, and other serious allegations, prompting online discussion about the nature of men and the limits of diss tracks themselves. As it relates to content creation, however, it remains to be seen if this reflects a shift in DMCA enforcement from record labels or a blip on the radar. Still, for whatever it represents on a broader scale, for content creators, it means relief.

https://twitter.com/YourRAGEz/status/1787326981568127321?t=tftytZ_Jkk_npgMLQlD01w&s=19

Jeff Becker, an entertainment lawyer at Swanson, Martin & Bell, told The Verge that one issue complicating DMCA enforcement is that generally, unless a creator has received consent from all parties involved in the production of a song, that is, an artist, the label, and any composers or writers, copyright law can be invoked by any one or all of the parties and a creator will have to alter their content to fall within the bounds of DMCA enforcement.

Highlighting the fickle nature of DMCA enforcement, other experts believe that some videos should be covered by the DMCA’s Fair Use clause, which makes exceptions for “transformative works” yet does not specify what makes a work transformative.

In February, Universal Music Group, which owns copyrights to the music of Taylor Swift, Drake, and Olivia Rodrigo, among others, pulled its music from Tik-Tok, claiming that the move concerned low artist compensation rates, exploitative AI technology, and limited content moderation.

However, Ashleigh Wade, an assistant media studies professor, told The Cavalier Daily that the move likely had more to do with UMG’s profit margins.

“I think part of the reason is because TikTok profits more from people engaging on TikTok and creating content on TikTok using these artists’ music than Universal Music Group does with streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.”

Wade continued, “There’s probably a concern about the potential for [UMG’s] artists to be connected to harmful material because there’s no regulation of that kind of content. Now the question is, is it a genuine concern, or is it a concern over getting sued?”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

May 8, 2024

Cardi B And Sha’Carri Richardson Link Up In New Olympics Ads

Cardi B and Sha'Carri Richardson speak on Paris and an athlete's intense schedule while getting their nails done in the new clip.

Cardi B and Sha’Carri Richardson go for the gold in advertising. The ‘Up’ rapper and Olympic hopeful star in NBCUniversal’s new ads for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The commercial, “When Sha’Carri met Cardi,” debuted during NBC’s Kentucky Derby broadcast on May 4. The 2-minute clip featured the Grammy-winner indulging in a self-care moment with the track star as the duo got their nails done.

“I’ve been dying to meet you, and I’ve been dying to talk to you,” shared Cardi as Richardson arrived at her door.

The 24-year-old responded, “No, seriously, like, have a deep, real conversation. Not no surface level, some depth.”

Cardi B inquired about Richardson’s preparation for the Summer games during their nail appointment.

She asked, “I want to know a little bit about the training. How many times a week do you train? How many hours?”

Richardson shared insight into the schedule of an Olympic hopeful, sharing that her “nine to five” job is to train on the race track.

She continued, “It’s worth the hard work, it’s worth the sacrifices. In those moments it shows that this is why I do what I do.”

Richardson is all-in this year, letting nothing stop her from the world’s stage in track and field. Before this, Richardson was disqualified from the previous Olympic games in Tokyo after testing positive for cannabis use.

“I have no plans of letting life, adversity, any obstacles stopping me form being in Paris,” the athlete proclaimed.

The duo shared their love of Paris, and Richardson ended the snippet by asking Cardi B to spectate the games. In a statement about the latest advertisement, NBCUniversal’s CMO Jenny Storms spoke on the decision to pair Cardi with Richardson.

“With the Paris Olympics quickly approaching, we are continuing our push to create combustible moments that will break through the clutter and resonate across multiple audiences,” expressed Storms in a press statement obtained by Forbes.

“Pairing Sha’Carri with Cardi was a natural fit. They are titans in their respective fields, mutual fans of each other, and share many common interests. Audiences across sports, music, and pop culture will gravitate to their genuine affection and respect.”

However, the conversation does not end there, with more parts soon released to viewers. The Olympics themselves kick off in the City of Lights on July 26.

Social Security Funding, Solvency,overpayments

by Daniel Johnson

May 8, 2024

Social Security Funding Solvency Timeline Extended To 2035

In a statement reacting to the report, President Joe Biden indicated his plan has helped to extend Medicare solvency by a decade, and expressed a desire to keep Republicans from cutting the entitlement programs.

The projected timeline for Social Security is being extended by a year, stretching the deadline for any potential cuts to the program to the year 2035 because of a robust performance by the United States market. The projection, drawn from the Social Security Board of Trustees 2024 report, was described by Commissioner of Social Security Martin O’Malley as “good news,” but O’Malley also wants Congress to make sure the program can pay out its benefits “into the foreseeable future.”

As CBS News reports, in a press release accompanying the report, O’Malley said, “This year’s report is a measure of good news for the millions of Americans who depend on Social Security, including the roughly 50 percent of seniors for whom Social Security is the difference between poverty and living in dignity — any potential benefit reduction event has been pushed off from 2034 to 2035.

More people are contributing to Social Security thanks to strong economic policies that have yielded impressive wage growth, historic job creation, and a steady, low unemployment rate. So long as Americans across our country continue to work, Social Security can — and will — continue to pay benefits,” O’Malley said. “Congress can and should take action to extend the financial health of the Trust Fund into the foreseeable future, just as it did in the past on a bipartisan basis. Eliminating the shortfall will bring peace of mind to Social Security’s 70 million-plus beneficiaries, the 180 million workers and their families who contribute to Social Security, and the entire nation.”

The funding for Social Security has been an issue of concern stretching back to 1983, when the Reagan administration enacted a series of reforms to Social Security funding, including an increase to payroll taxes, taxation of benefits to high-income beneficiaries, and an increase of the retirement age from 65 to 67. As Brookings notes in a 2023 analysis of issues currently facing the program, the anticipation of baby boomers reaching the age of retirement was expected to increase spending on Social Security, and it has; to remedy this issue, Brookings suggests either increasing revenues or cutting benefits or a combination of both.

In a statement reacting to the report, President Joe Biden indicated that his plan has helped to extend Medicare solvency by a decade and expressed a desire to keep Republicans from cutting entitlement programs.

“As long as I am President, I will keep strengthening Social Security and Medicare and protecting them from Republicans’ attempts to cut benefits Americans have earned. Since I took office, my economic plan and strong recovery from the pandemic have helped extend Medicare solvency by a decade, with today’s report showing a full five years of additional solvency. My plan would extend Medicare solvency permanently by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share and lowering prescription drug costs.”

Biden’s Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, as Vox reports, spent much of his term in office trying to eliminate Medicare and Social Security benefits for disabled and low-income Americans. Republicans in Congress have indicated a desire to issue tax cuts, increase defense spending, and balance the federal budget, which Vox notes is impossible without cutting Social Security and Medicare spending. Eric Levitz writes, “Whatever word salads Trump serves up on cable news, one reality remains clear: A party can either oppose all tax increases or safeguard Americans’ entitlement benefits, but it cannot do both. It’s possible that a unified Republican government would resist the temptation to slash Social Security in 2025. But let a fox guard the hen house long enough, and your chickens will get eaten.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 8, 2024

Tracy Morgan Returns With New Comedy Series, ‘Crutch’

'The Last O.G' star joins ‘The Neighborhood’ universe playing Cedric The Entertainer's cousin, Francois “Frank” Crutchfield AKA Crutch

Paramount announced that it had ordered a new television series starring former “Saturday Night Live” comedian Tracy Morgan.

The series, titled “Crutch,” is a spinoff of the Cedric the Entertainer and Tichina Arnold-helmed “The Neighborhood” sitcom. The show will focus on Morgan’s character, Francois “Frank” Crutchfield, AKA Crutch. He’s described as “a Harlem widower whose empty nest plans are put on hold after his millennial son and free-spirited daughter move back home.”

“Crutch will be navigating the ups and downs of having his kids and grandkids back under one roof, and you know if I am doing this, there will be plenty of laughs along the way,” said Morgan in a written statement. “I am so happy to be able to do this with my brother Cedric The Entertainer, Owen Smith, and the rest of the amazing crew we have put together. Get ready for your new favorite show!”

Cedric The Entertainer and his production company, A Bird and a Bear Entertainment, will produce the comedy series. Owen Smith wrote the premiere script and will serve as showrunner, reuniting him with Morgan. Smith was the showrunner and executive producer on Morgan’s previous comedy series, “The Last O.G.”

“I’m excited to be expanding our ‘The Neighborhood’ universe by producing a show with the legendary comedian Tracy Morgan,” said Cedric The Entertainer. “This new character is the close cousin to my character, Calvin Butler, and you will enjoy some of their many similarities. Morgan plays Crutch, a ‘say-it-like-it-is’ widowed father who is challenged when his two adult children and a couple of grandchildren need to move back home, and let’s say there will be several comedic complications.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Morgan appeared in a 2022 episode of “The Neighborhood” as Cedric’s younger brother Curtis. In “Crutch,” he is introduced as Cedric’s cousin.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 7, 2024

26-Year-Old Man Miraculously Recovers After Being Pushed Into Lake And Left Underwater By Friends

After being hospitalized for more than two weeks, Christopher Gilbert is now off life support.

A Louisiana man who was left underwater for almost 10 minutes after allegedly being pushed into a lake by his friends was hospitalized for more than two weeks. He is now officially off life support.

According to WSFA, 26-year-old Christopher Gilbert will be released from the hospital soon after doctors said that him surviving the ordeal is a “miracle.” He has been taken off life support and should be released soon, according to his family. He ended up in a lake after being with friends at a lakefront restaurant. After the incident, he suffered significant brain damage and was placed on life support.

Claudia Payne, an attorney for Gilbert’s family, said that the group of friends told police officers that the 26-year-old had fallen into the lake. But, an investigation revealed that Gilbert was allegedly pushed into the lake by a girl who was with the group. Although this determination was made, no one has been arrested.

According to KSLA, a report from the Farmerville Police Department revealed that a bystander, along with police officers, helped administer CPR to Gilbert before medical personnel arrived on the scene. He was in about 15 feet of water when they pulled him out; the bystander informed the police. He was taken to Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport, where he remains.

“Right now, he’s not out of the red or in the clear, but he has made a lot of progress,” Yolanda George, Gilbert’s mother, said.

Community activist Terrance Winn reiterated the need to seek justice for Gilbert while seeking answers about the actions that happened that day.

“We want the same justice that white people would get. That Black kid deserves it. He didn’t do anything wrong to be pushed into the water. And that’s a sad thing that we in 2024, and we still arguing the politics of race instead of justice,” Winn said.

by Daniel Johnson

May 7, 2024

New Survey Indicates Many Voters Undecided On Trump vs. Biden

The poll carries an error percentage of 3% in either direction but revealed that while Trump has lost support among various demographics, Biden has gained support.

A poll of 1,000 potential voters indicates there are plenty of undecided voters in the upcoming presidential election. It also indicates that waning Black support for Biden, something that has been dogging him for most of the campaign cycle to this point, is improving.

As USA Today reported, the poll, jointly conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University, carries an error percentage of 3% in either direction but revealed that while Trump has lost support among various demographics, Biden has gained support. This has resulted in the two being virtually tied just four months away from the election, which David Paleologos, the director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, described as the doorstep of the election.

“When we think about the race tied with just 26 weeks to go, we have to consider that people tune out politics and the party conventions in July and August,” Paleologos told USA Today. “That leaves just 17 weeks for candidates to actively campaign, and it’s actually 13 or 14 weeks when you consider states where early voting starts weeks before Election Day. We’re basically at the doorstep of the election, and the outcome is a coin flip.”

Among those who indicated a preference for third-party candidates like Princeton professor Cornel West, who is running as an Independent, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, and Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voters are malleable; 80% of those supporting Kennedy, 88% of those supporting West, 56% of those supporting Stein, and 65% of respondents who planned to support the eventual Libertarian candidate indicated that they remain open to changing their vote. Third-party votes typically receive more attention in close contests, where their impact is most acutely felt.

Among young voters, The New York Times indicates that though they are more likely than others to support Palestine, most young voters cite other concerns. Devon Schwartz, a University of Texas at Austin student, told the outlet that their stances on Gaza are too similar to be of concern regarding his vote.

“When you have two presidents that have the same stance on one issue, that automatically puts that issue — I hate to say lower down the list, because it’s obviously an important issue, but it doesn’t make it an issue where I’m going to choose Donald Trump over Joe Biden.” Schwartz still plans on voting for Biden but notes that Biden needs to adjust his policies. “I want to see policy changes from Joe Biden,” he said. “I don’t want to vote for Donald Trump and then just see the same exact policies.”

Cameron Driggers, a 19-year-old University of Florida student and member of the youth council of Florida’s Democratic Party, told the outlet that although he recognizes that Trump is likely to be worse across the board than Biden, Driggers worries that Biden is close to crossing the hard lines of some.

“You hear from a lot of people who are just increasingly apathetic about voting for Joe Biden. He continues to basically spit in the face of youth organizers around the country,” he said. “He’s especially enraging the people who turn out votes. I do recognize that Trump is almost certainly going to be worse than Biden on all of these issues,” Driggers said. “But at a certain point, you know, there has to be a line” for Biden. “And I believe he’s close to crossing that.”

Brenda Birungi, Radio Show, UK, free flow, NPR, national prison radio, poetry, rap

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 7, 2024

How Lady Unchained Uses Her Radio Show To Give Voice And Community To Inmates In The UK

How the UK's "Free Flow" radio allows inmates countrywide to connect through creative expression.

Meet Lady Unchained, the host behind the United Kingdom’s “Free Flow” radio show, which allows inmates nationwide to practice and show off their rapping and poetry skills.

The award-winning poet, author, and broadcaster helmed the show for London’s National Prison Radio (NPR), a station only available to His Majesty’s inmates, The Guardian reports. Each week, “Free Flow” entertains thousands of listeners who tune in to hear Lady Unchained play a series of hip-hop instrumentals to which they get the chance to write music and spoken word pieces.

For the last six years, listeners have been able to dial in and freestyle into an answering machine that Lady Unchained replays later and offers her feedback. In addition to the music and talent showcase, Lady Unchained, a former inmate herself, shares advice and tips on how to build a crime-free future through creative expression and positive living.

“It’s a community of listeners who are going through personal journeys,” Lady Unchained says. “Sometimes people aren’t even rapping. They’re just calling in to say: ‘Big up the guy who called in last because I felt what he was saying.’ That for me is everything.”

The show puts the UK’s nearly 90,000 inmates in connection with each other through music and exemplifies how technology and music advancements are paving lanes for sustainable, therapeutic, and rehabilitative activities for the prison community. The callers, mostly male inmates, share their rhymes about their personal experiences including drug addiction, parental relationships, and childhood traumas, along with promises of bettering themselves and encouraging others going through similarly challenging situations.

Lady Unchained is planning to release a live spoken word album of the 20-minute master track the show generated from inmates calling in during the UK’s Black History Month in October to share their verses to Tupac Shakur’s “Changes.” The groundbreaking results of “Free Flow” have garnered the show silver in the best commercial partnership category at last year’s Audio and Radio Industry awards, bronze for best music entertainment show in 2021, and 11 nominations at this year’s awards.

“I get messages all the time saying: ‘I’m out – thanks for playing my voice.’ We recognize that there is a massive community of people returning to society who had the show as their lifeline,” Lady Unchained says.

“My dream is that the people who are coming out are able to build a new narrative for what ex-offenders look like and sound like. It’s the importance of showing a different style of rapping, of telling your story without adding that glorification of what you’ve done on the roads, which could lead to you being connected to an offense because you’ve rapped about it in your bars. It’s about trying to change the narrative. Saying: ‘You don’t have to continue doing road when you get out. Now you’ve got a new community in Free Flow: come spit some bars and be creative.’”