BHM Part 1: Original & Lead Belly
For Black History Month this year, we’ve continued with our theme from last year of highlighting formerly incarcerated musicians. Today we have a special blog featuring Original from Lifers Group. We also feature our first highlight from the month: the legendary Lead Belly.
BL Shirelle
P I C A R D " O R I G I N A L “ G A L E T T E
Picard “Original” Galette was born in Brooklyn, NY on April 6, 1971. His parents were Haitian immigrants who moved to the US to give their children more opportunities. His life started out with a bang for sure. At nine months he was kidnapped in a supermarket by what his mother described as an Asian woman. She was pregnant with Original’s sibling and sat him on the counter to get something when the woman snatched Original off the counter. Community members chased the woman for blocks until she dropped him in the middle of the street. By the time Original was twelve he was deeply entrenched in the emerging culture of hip hop. Inspired by the likes of Run DMC and Big Daddy Kane, Original became a neighborhood freestyle champ. He never wrote at that time, just cracked jokes through rhyming. The majority of the time he broke his peers down to tears by the end of the cypher.
Original had an affinity for something else though. The streets. By the time he was 17 he had 17 arrests on his jacket for armed robbery and other offenses. His mother was moving the family to Florida for an opportunity to start over. She told Original he had to be home in three days; if not, they would be gone and likely never see him again. He opted to stay with his friends couch surfing, living day to day, as he did not want to move away from the city he grew up in. That would be the last time Original would see his family for years to come. The next time they saw him – unbeknownst to Original at the time – was on Rap City in a music video taped at Rahway State Prison.
Original in “Lifers Group World Tour: Rahway Prison, That’s It” (1991) documentary. Directed by Penelope Spheeris.
At eighteen years old he was serving a 15-year sentence for armed robbery. As the youngest prisoner in Rahway he also had another title: the best rapper. Lifers Group producer Maxwell Melvins approached Original in the yard about being a part of the group. He also advised Original to find some other young people who may be interested in auditioning. Original was the standout MC in the group. His cadence impeccable, content deep, with the voice of veteran emcee, it’s hard to believe he was just a teenager at the time. Lifers Group was nominated for a Grammy, featured on the biggest media outlets in the world, and worked with world renowned producers such as Organized Konfusion. Safe to say Lifers Group was a success, and record exec Dave Funken-Klein took a liking to Original. A former writer for The Source now heading Disney's record label Hollywood BASIC, Funken-Klein sent Original a two year deal while he was still incarcerated as well as a letter to the parole board informing them Original would not commit another crime. He told them that Original was a star and would be active in the LA music industry.
After eight years of incarceration Original was granted parole. He came home to an immense amount of attention and regional hype, doing shows and interviews with Boot Camp Clik, Roxanne Shante, and Treach from Naughty By Nature. He called the label to check on the status of his plane ticket, as he was scheduled to go to LA. That's when he found out Funken-Klein passed away at age 31 from an eight-year battle with cancer. Though devastated from the loss of someone who changed his life, he kept going. He had interest from many major record labels, but with one condition: make gangster music. This was 1996, and gangsta rap’s popularity was overarching and dominant. You had the west coast contributions of Snoop, Ice Cube, and Pac. As far as the east coast, Biggie, Nas and Jay Z were captivating audiences with their tales of drug transactions and other felonious activity. Original refused. His integrity meant more to him. He came into the game speaking from a cautionary standpoint and was not willing to contradict his messaging. He had learned so much. He evolved and elevated his thinking to an upper echelon of consciousness. He wanted to share his Black boy joy, his self love and enlightenment. If he couldn’t do that he was willing to walk away from the opportunity.
So many people have sacrificed their principles for fame, let alone fortune. I think what's most important to note is that Original is not bitter about the trajectory of his career. His relationship with rap culture is one of love. He still raps and writes about topics that he finds uplifting or necessary. He currently works in the construction industry while having custody of his two daughters, and is working on a documentary about Lifers Group with filmmaker Skylar Economy. Original is a hip hop legend who is deserving of our admiration. Nothing like a Black man standing for something. We salute you King! Thank you for your impactful contribution.
BL & Original in 2018 “Headed to the Streets” music video premiere. Photo: Britni West
H U D D I E “ L E A D B E L L Y “ L E D B E T T E R
"Lead Belly crouched over his guitar as he played, as his fingers made the incredible swift, skillful runs, & he sang with an intensity & passion that swayed audiences who could not understand a single word of his songs.. His whole being focused in a song." - John & Alan Lomax
Huddie William Ledbetter (Jan 23 1888 - Dec 6 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk & blues singer, musician, and songwriter notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the 12-string guitar, and the folk standards he introduced, including his renditions of "In The Pines,” "Goodnight, Irene," "Midnight Special," and "Boll Weevil."
Lead Belly's songs covered a wide range of genres and topics including gospel music; blues about women, liquor, prison life, and racism; and folk songs about cowboys, work, sailors, cattle herding, and dancing. In my opinion people slept on his versatility in real time. Also he’s one of the first notable artists to notate street life through his music. Lead Belly was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008.
Between 1915-39, Lead Belly served several prison and jail terms for a variety of criminal charges. He was "discovered" in prison during a visit by folklorists John Lomax and his son Alan. On August 1 1934, Lead Belly was released following a petition the Lomaxes had taken to Louisiana Governor Oscar Allen at his urgent request. According to legend, he had also won an early release in 1925 by singing a song for the governor of Texas when he visited the prison.
Lead Belly died penniless (Black musicians story too often), but within six months his song “Goodnight, Irene” became a million-record hit for the singing group The Weavers; along with other pieces from his repertoire, among them “Midnight Special” and “Rock Island Line.” His influence on later musicians - including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain - was immense.
