OUR STORY

First, a concept album.

In 2013, musician and activist Fury Young embarked on a journey to make a concept album, Die Jim Crow, about racial justice in the U.S. Prison system. Though Young had never been incarcerated or produced a single song, his personal experiences with friends who had been to prison led to him pursue the project with ceaseless conviction. For six years, Young gained access to prisons across the country, built close relationships with musicians and writers both in and once-in the system, and recorded over 60 incarcerated musicians. 

Then, a record label.

After a 2019 trip to the South, where Young and co-producer Dr. Israel recorded 25 new collaborators across three prisons, it became clear that Die Jim Crow was no longer just a single LP project. With dozens of unreleased tracks and so many powerful voices demanding to be heard, Die Jim Crow Records (DJC) officially launched later that year as the nation’s first non-profit record label for formerly and currently incarcerated musicians. Young took on the role of Executive Director, with longtime DJC artist BL Shirelle joining as Deputy Director. In 2022, to foreground the leadership of formerly incarcerated artists, the label adopted a Co-Executive Director model, and is now jointly led by BL Shirelle and Fury Young. With successful releases by groundbreaking acts such as Territorial, Simply Naomi, Lifers Groove, and B. Alexis, DJC quickly became an art powerhouse and home for incarcerated musicians and those navigating reentry.

To a FREER future.

In January 2024, shortly after Die Jim Crow celebrated its 10 Year Anniversary, the label evolved into FREER Records, reflecting our commitment to open creative expression for all, and our belief that though we may never be free, we can always be freer. 

Today, we are a diverse and inclusive organization, working with artists from all walks of lives. Our roster of artists continues to reflect the anti-Black racism that drives the US prison system, but also speaks to other forms of racism and other-ing. Our musicians include senior citizens, people with disabilities, Native Americans, veterans, people who are HIV+, and queer and transgender people.

Today, we continue to expand genres, introduce new artists, and grow live programming and collaborations with advocates and prison-impacted creators.