2019: A YEAR IN REVIEW
It seems like every year is the "most significant year yet" for Die Jim Crow, as I wrote in 2018's recap, but 2019 was indisputably the most profound evolution for the project yet; the year of DJC expanding from a concept album to the first non-profit record label in the US for formerly and currently incarcerated musicians. It has been the year that has seen the most financial growth (in revenue and expenses), the most recordings in prisons, and the first year of having non-technician employees besides myself. Here are some highlights:
March: After a trip down south in which dr. Israel and I record 25 new collaborators in three prisons, as well as Albert Woodfox, I decide that Die Jim Crow is not just going to be a concept album. It is a record label.
July: A Die Jim Crow artist since 2015 (who I began communicating with while she was incarcerated), BL Shirelle comes on as Deputy Director, co-managing the label with me.
September - October: We successfully fund a $50K Kickstarter with the support of 335 backers from all over the US and a few folks overseas!
November: Die Jim Crow receives a grant from the Ford Foundation.
November: BL and I announce our plans for 2020: in addition to the Single of the Month initiative, we will be dropping BL's debut LP, Assata Troi, and a collaborative LP from our April 2018 recordings at Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility.
We've been blazing ahead on the Assata Troi LP, with BL knocking out her vocals last week at Home Room Studios in Philly. The album is sounding excellent.
Valerie Seeley has also begun working on a song which she wrote while in prison titled "Survival of Domestic Violence." The straight forward title speaks for itself. Seeley spent 18 years in prison for second degree murder, taking the life of her partner during an episode of abuse. She is collaborating on the song with singers Apostle Heloise and Pastor Anna (both featured on the Die Jim Crow EP) and keys player Ben Pagano ("Plastic Bag" on EP). We are aiming to release the song in October 2020; Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In terms of recordings in prison, 2020 will see us back at Allendale CI (Fairfax, SC) and Camille Griffin Graham CI (Columbia, SC) in February. In the Fall we're excited to record for the first time at Arkansas Valley CF in Ordway, CO. The Allendale project is a hip hop collective called The Masses, Camille is a solo rap album from B. Alexis, and Arkansas Valley is TBD.
In short, we've got a lot coming up.
Happy New Year, thank you for supporting, and keep close watch... 2020 might just be our "most significant year yet"... again!
Onward,
Fury Young
