WHAT WE DO

Record, produce, and release music by people in prison and returned citizens.

We connect with musicians in prisons and develop relationships with prisons so that we can bring in recording gear and ensure the musicians have access to instruments and practice time. We ensure our recording and production is at a high level, so we can deliver projects that are competitive with other commercial releases. Artists on our label own their masters and receive 60% of royalties during our exclusive license. Whenever incarcerated artists cannot be compensated, we hold the proceeds until their release or dispose of them according to their directives.

Develop multimedia projects and events that bring stories to life and connect them to a wide audience.

We complement musical releases and with music videos and documentaries.  We market our releases to a wide audience, seeking press coverage in major publications and in local news sources. We host vibrant and celebratory live events, and use visual storytelling to connect our incarcerated artists with a live audience. We regularly partner with prison-impacted grassroots activists doing frontline work, creating music and visuals that uplift their work.

Train prison-impacted musicians in music, media, and administration skills.

We provide prison-impacted musicians with resources and support they need to flourish artistically. In bringing our projects to life, we create opportunities for prison-impacted people to work with us as paid contractors. This allows them to earn income and learn key skills in music production, video editing, graphic design, and business operations. We also provide paid opportunities for returning citizens to gain experience in non-profit administration, development, and communications.

Build a strong community of musicians, activists, and listeners.

We build strong, long-lasting relationships with musicians, so that we can support their well-being and artistic development. We organically build a network of collaborating musicians through word of mouth and community outreach.

We were built on a DIY spirit of social justice and engage in activist efforts that benefit our community, whether it be showing up to a parole hearing or supplying people in prisons with musical instruments.

WHO WE WORK WITH

We work with talented musicians that we discover through word-of-mouth or who’ve reached out to us directly after hearing about our work.

We started off as a concept album about the Black experience of incarceration and re-entry in America. Our roster of artist continues to reflect the anti-Black racism that underlies the US prison system, but also speaks to other forms of other-ing and racism. We work in men and women’s prisons, and we collaborate closely with senior citizens, people with disabilities, Native Americans, veterans, queer and transgender people. We are committed to uplifting underrepresented voices in an already marginalized population.

HOW WE GOT HERE

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. 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. It soon became clear that Die Jim Crow wouldn’t just be single LP project. With dozens of unreleased tracks and so many powerful voices demanding to be heard, Die Jim Crow Records (DJC) officially launched in 2019 as the nation’s first non-profit record label for formerly and currently incarcerated musicians. In 2022, long-time FREER Records artist BL Shirelle joined Fury Young as Co-Executive Director. 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. 

OUR IMPACT

•  3 LPs, 4 EPs, and 18 Singles by prison-impacted musicians released to international acclaim and a growing audience of 100,000+ streams. [UPDATE NUMBERS]

• 65 incarcerated musicians recorded. 18 formerly incarcerated musicians recorded. 17 prisons visited or recorded in 10 states across America. [UPDATE]

• [QUANTIFY] live events featuring # incarcerated and # formerly incarcerated musicians.

• ## of Visual Albums/Music videos

• Wide-ranging critical claim for our artists, with features in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, BBC, Pitchfork, The Marshall Project, Grammys.com, Washington Post, Colorado Public Radio, Detroit Metro Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Oxygen, WNYC's The Takeaway, Interview Magazine, Arte TV France, The Atlantic, and Passion of Weiss, among others

• Our PPE Into Prisons virtual concert series at the height of the pandemic, featuring major musical acts alongside prison-impacted artists, raised $25K to send 30,285 masks to 26 prisons and jails in 16 states.

• Our Instruments Into Prisons campaign with the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers has sent 13 facilities 150+ pieces of instruments/gear, serving dozens of incarcerated musicians with a market value of over $20K in equipment.