⏳🎨 GET TO KNOW KEITH BRAZLEY

In 2014, our Founder Fury Young attended the Angola Prison Rodeo. While there, he purchased an art piece from a visual artist named Keith Brazley. This piece, called “Rainbow Children,” sold on the last day of our art exhibit FREER by FREER Records. Recently released from Angola prison, Keith discusses his life and times and his love for art, family and God.

Edited by BL Shirelle

My name is Keith Brazley and I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana. I come from a pretty big family. My father was killed when I was four years old. My mother had eight children and I was the only boy. I had seven sisters and because of that – growing up in the Seminole Housing Projects, she was kind of concerned that I would grow up too heavily influenced by all the women in my house; so my mom allowed me to roam and figure out life as a young man.

*Keith’s painting “A Sista In Prayer” hangs at 2015 Die Jim Crow art show.*

By age eighteen, I had 23 juvenile arrests. From selling drugs, to robbery and burglary. Through my twenties I lived the life of a criminal - in the streets constantly - but heading into my thirties I was being urged to settle down and build a family. I ended up getting with a young Jezebel. I was selling heroin for her, taking care of her, her kids, her crack habit and eventually my own dependency to crack cocaine. She would cheat on me with a guy, and any time she wanted him and not me – she would kick me out the house. When she was ready to let me back in, I would go running back like a sad puppy. That dynamic eventually led to my murder charge.

I got into a fight with the guy and he pulled out a knife. He was many inches taller than me so I jumped on his back. In his attempt to throw me off his back he stabbed himself one time, and unfortunately, he hit a main artery and died. It was self defense to me, manslaughter at best, because I never touched the weapon; but they told me I couldn't prove he had the knife. I had to take it to trial. I was a multiple offender – they were trying to give me LIFE anyway so I figured I might as well fight it. Ten jurors found me guilty, two jurors found me NOT GUILTY, but in the state of LOUISIANA – that is enough for a conviction. (See Jim Crow Juries - Promise of Justice Initiative)

I was sentenced to LIFE at Angola Prison. I had been to other prisons before, but none of them was quite like Angola. Angola is really the BELLY OF THE BEAST – it got so much ingrained hatred. It’s the place where all the most hardened criminals are. Rapists, murderers, serial killers… those 30 years were terrible. You have to live like a savage in there. You didn't wanna be punked out so you do what you gotta do to survive and make it. They got guys who did everything they could to show you they’re rehabilitated, but in Angola they don't acknowledge it and they still treat you like trash. There's a lot of guys with LIFE sentences that are walking beside each other angry – some because they didn’t actually commit the crime. You got guys who were big and healthy and all of a sudden they got stage 4 cancer, especially guys who don't get no visits – I started to think they were shooting cancer in these folks experimenting. I was a victim of medical negligence when I had to get my leg amputated from untreated diabetes. I couldn't smile in the position I was in – I could fake it, but deep down I was hurt and even now I’m scarred. When I think about everything I've been through in my life, I cry.

I always could draw, I’ve been drawing since I was four years old. I didn’t know I knew how to paint until I got to Angola. When I got to paint I took off like a fish in water! Painting really made me think about how I’m gone get up out this spider web. Every time I would go to jail, I would go to God. God would always help me, but my problem was I always left God in jail. Keep God in your life and everything will be beautiful. It gives me the greatest joy in the world if I can put a smile on people's faces. I feel like this is the purpose God made for me. The potential money I can make helps me grease the wheel, but the smile is like dope in my veins. Right now I'm trying to get my painting career together. I'm not trying to be rich, I strive for serenity and a peace of mind.

The piece y’all sold at the art exhibit is called “Rainbow Children.” When I originally saw the Prince album cover it reminded me of my sisters. We come in all different shades, we have different daddies and personality traits. It inspired me to think about my own family while I was in there. My sisters are very supportive. We don’t always see eye to eye since I’ve been out, but it’s important for us to resolve issues the same day. They’re getting to know me and vice versa. One of my sisters is a police officer, Mrs. Tanya Watson. We’re starting an organization together named “A Cop & A Crook,” and we're gonna try to give hope and help people stay out here in society. They tore the projects down, people scattered all over New Orleans, under the bridges – I never dreamed it would be like this.

If you’d like to reach out to Keith, contact us at info at freerrecords dot com.

⏳🎨 GET TO KNOW KEITH BRAZLEY

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