In Prison - a cd release from Trikont

News of a interesting concept for an album release, from German compant Trikont comes details of an album built up using "Afroamerican Prison Music from Blues to HipHop" as th esource. Compiled by Jonathan Fischer and Ian Ensslen

Clip below from the website

(link at bottom)

No country in the world locks up more of its citizens than the United States of America. Nearly half of the 2.2 million prisoners are African Americans - which equals four times the actual black population percentage. One out of eight African American men between age 20 and 35 is in prison: A circumstance, which has serious effects upon African American society and culture - and not at last upon the topics of its music. When Angela Davis draws a historical line from slavery to the American justice and prison system of today, it was black popular music that always mirrored the experience of racial discrimination and degradation, as well as fierce resistance and the will to survive.

From the work songs of the chain gangs to the wails of imprisoned bluesmen like Robert Pete Williams, from the prison-soul of the Escorts to the enraged HipHop-accusations of Tupac Shakur ("16 on Death Row"), Brand Nubian ("Criminal Minded") or K-Solo ("Premonition Of A Black Prisoner"). Featuring among others Fred Mc Dowell, Lifer's Group, Dead Prez, Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack, The Escorts, The Temptations, Akon, The Last Poets, Tupac Shakur, The Escorts, Robert Pete Williams, Nina Simone

click the links with a * to listen

*1tBIG LOUISIANA, REV. ROGERS & ROOSEVELT CHARLES Berta 03:51

2 BRAND NUBIAN Claimin' I'm A Criminal 05:29

3 BOBBY WOMACK Arkansas State Prison 02:59

4 FRED MCDOWELL I'm In Jail Again 04:06

5 KAY KAY AND THE RAYS Lone Star Justice 03:20

6 DEAD PREZ Behind Enemy Lines 03:03

*7 CURTIS MAYFIELD Short Eyes 05:46

8 THE LAST POETS The Court Room 02:30

9 LIFERS GROUP Living Proof 04:10

10 NINA SIMONE Work Song 03:07

*11 JAMES RUSSELL I Had Five Long Years 02:16

12 K-SOLO Premonition Of A Black Prisoner 03:32

*13 THE ESCORTS Disrespect Can Wreck 04:38

14 AKON Locked Up 03:56

15 2 PAC 16 On Death Row 05:42

16 BILLY BOY ARNOLD Prisoner's Plea 03:33

*17 THE TEMPTATIONS Run Charlie Run 02:59

18 THE SOUL SNATCHERZ Free 04:42

19 ROBERT PETE WILLIAMS Pardon Denied Again 04:44