The Bootlegging, Blues Singing Star of 1930s Prison Radio

A black-and-white photo of a group of musicians dressed in white, with some wearing cowboy hats, standing in a horseshoe shape, while a Black woman in a white dress sings into a microphone. The group is standing on the rodeo grounds, and in the background are the stands where the audience is seated.

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The Bootlegging, Blues Singing Star of 1930s Prison Radio

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April 13, 2026

Filed 1:00 p.m. EDT 04.12.2026 Hattie Ellis was poised for post-prison fame. Then she encountered shotcallers who didn’t value her ...

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Mac Dre Used Jail Phones to Record an Album — And Fight the System

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April 8, 2026

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Filed 1:00 p.m. EDT 04.05.2026 In his signature trickster style, the Vallejo, California, rapper recorded an album on jail phones ...

A photo of nine men wearing prison uniforms standing atop a pile of rocks at a prison. Some are standing at the ridge of the rockpile, one of them holding a saxophone and another, his left leg splayed over a bongo drum. In front of them sits a man with long sideburns and a guitar resting on his lap. On each side of him stand two men. In the foreground, one man with an afro sits smiling, his right elbow on his right knee. Just to the right sits a bald man, smiling, and holding a guitar.

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Stevie Wonder and James Brown Put This Prison Funk Band on the Map

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March 30, 2026

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Filed 1:00 p.m. EDT 03.29.2026 The Power of Attorney played shows with superstars, went to industry parties, and wore outside ...

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How I Became an Opera Composer in a Maximum Security Prison

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April 18, 2025

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The sounds of my natural world are cacophonous. I constantly hear the booming bass of heavy metal gates slamming against ...

An illustration shows a bearded Black man, wearing a kufi cap and red prison uniform, holding up a phone to his ear. While on the phone, he writes lyrics onto a notebook.

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How a Rapper Used a Death Row Phone to Record an Album in North Carolina

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May 31, 2024

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By Alim Braxton and Mark Katz Perspectives from those who work and live in the criminal justice system. Sign up ...

Tag: music in prison