XIX: ROLLING STONE “HEADED” PREMIERE & SINGLE RELEASE
Today, Juneteenth, we are excited to announce two exciting releases:
The “Headed to the Streets” music video, directed by Fury Young and starring B.L. Shirelle and Anthony “Big Ant” McKinney, has been released on RollingStone.com. We have also released “Headed” as a single with dope remixes from Bill Laswell and our very own dr. Israel.
Cover art for “Headed to the Streets” single. Photo by Gregory Coraggio.
On June 19, 1865, slavery was abolished in the state of Texas. This day in history is commemorated as Juneteenth, or, Freedom Day, and celebrates the spirit of abolition and independence (read more about the history of Juneteenth in this New Yorker article by Jelani Cobb).
The black and white film footage used in the “Headed to the Streets” music video was filmed at Ellis Unit, a Texas prison, 101 years later. The footage is pulled from Toshi and Pete Seeger’s 1966 film “Afro-American Work Songs in a Texas Prison,” which documents the culture, music, and pain of African American prisoners as they work in the fields of Ellis Unit as wards of the state. The “Headed to the Streets” music video is dedicated to the men of Ellis Unit. Thank you to Tinya Seeger for the use of this footage.
“Headed to the Streets” was filmed over a period of several months during 2017. The studio locations were shot at revolutionsound studio and Sets & Effects, a Bushwick, Brooklyn, wood shop, with exteriors shot around Brooklyn and in Jackson and Avon By-The-Sea, New Jersey. The footage of Anthony “Big Ant” McKinney was filmed at Warren Correctional Institution and London CI via jpay videogram, a 30-second video service for incarcerated people to communicate with those on the outside. McKinney is the co-composer/vocalist and drummer on the song. He is currently serving 28 years to life for a murder he maintains he did not commit. Listen to his song “Tired & Weary,” which depicts his struggles in the system.
Anthony “Big Ant” McKinney
The song is the brainchild of Philly artist B.L. Shirelle, who wrote the lyrics a few months before she was set to be released from Muncy State Correctional Institution in Muncy, PA. Her words were sent to Big Ant and Mark B. Springer at Warren CI for composition. In November 2015, Fury Young and dr. Israel recorded Ant’s vocal and the song’s instrumental track with incarcerated musicians at WCI. When B.L. was released in December 2015, her vocals were recorded in Philly. The lead guitar is by gHSTS & gUITARS, who spent his youth in and out of juvenile facilities in New York. The background vocals in the last chorus are by Ezette Edouard and Dexter Nurse, who were both incarcerated in the New York state prison system.
We look forward to further exploring the scope of the project through more music videos and remixes. Enjoy “Headed to the Streets.”
Fury Young
Die Jim Crow producer
Director, “Headed to the Streets”
B.L. Shirelle on location in Avon By-The-Sea, NJ. Photo by Fury Young
(L-R) Ezette Edouard, Valerie Seeley, B.L. Shirelle at revolutionsound in Bushwick, BK. Photo by Mickey Hoover.
“HEADED TO THE STREETS”
DEDICATED TO THE MEN OF ELLIS UNIT.
featuring
B.L. Shirelle
Anthony “Big Ant” McKinney
Ezette Edouard
Valerie Seeley
gHSTS & gUITARS
Director / Producer / Editor / Concept
Fury Young
Produced by
Cat Navarro
Co-Producers
Lawrence Miller
Mickey Hoover
Director of Photography
Carlos Garcia de Dios
Production Designer
Mickey Hoover
Color Grade & Animation
Keith Jenson
Visual Effects
Brian Keefe
Digital Consultant
John Christian Warren
Editing Consultant
Mickey Hoover
Dave Jones
Royal Young
Finishing Assistant Editor
Patrice D. Bowman
Coloring Consultant
Mickey Hoover
Dave Jones
Fury Young
Drone Operator
Gregory Coraggio
Gaffer
Chris Insignares
1st AC
Aspet Manukyan
Jon-Luke Kvapil
Sarah Jacobson
G&E
Jordan Fuller
Avi Hartman
Production Coordinator
Leah Samuel
Pyrotechnics
Lawrence Miller
Scenic & Carpentry
Jarvis Earnshaw
Scott Goodman
Avi Hartman
Mickey Hoover
Lawrence Miller
Fury Young
Equipment provided by StrikingNY
Cage built by
Sets & Effects
Joe Montalvo
Shot at:
Avon By-The-Sea, NJ
Jackson, NJ
Brooklyn, NY
The G Train & Church Av F/G
revolutionsound
Sets & Effects
Warren Correctional Institution, OH
London Correctional Institution, OH
also featuring:
Ira Harrell
the men of Ellis Unit
dr. Israel
Quirk Springer
Subway:
Lee Brozgol
Susan Donohue
Avi Hartman
Tom McDonald
Cat Navarro
Selam Samuel
Alex Sniderman
G.P. Wash
Royal Young
Special Thank You:
Tinya Seeger
American Folklife Center Library of Congress,
for clips from “Afro American Work Songs in a Texas Prison” (1966)
Directed by Toshi and Pete Seeger
Produced by Bruce Jackson & Toshi and Pete Seeger
Film Collection 1955-1965
Thank You (alphabetical):
Avon By-The-Sea, NJ
Babbi & Zayde
Jacques Brierre
Lee & Alizah Brozgold
Colin Chiucchini
Ben Cripps
Ross Dawson
Matt Delaney
dr. Israel
Patrick Eaton
Peter Foster
Hannah Guerrero
Mary Hamrick
The Harrell Family
Todd Harvey
David & Danise Hoover
Bill Irwin
Dave Jones
Johnnie Lindsey
Lorena Liñero
Rick Martinez
Kerry McGuigan
Brett & Michele Miller
Janet & Tom Noordzy
Anny Oberlink
Maggie Prendergast
Chris Rafferty
revolutionsound
Carmen Rodriguez
Katherine Rubin
Scout
Tinya Seeger
Sets & Effects
Ruby Singh
Alex Sniderman
Mark B. Springer
Britni West
Charles “C-Will” Williams
Royal Young
