‘Helping people survive’: how creating a hip-hop album supported incarcerated artists

“Art was helping people survive an incredibly desperate time.” Noam Brown, a children’s musician and Chip committee member, began dreaming up the idea of an album; Morse, whose research looks at LGBTQ+ cultural production, particularly collaborative media production with incarcerated artists, co-signed the project. The organization began fundraising, applying for grants and putting the word out that they were producing an album; Gary Field, an incarcerated organizer, writer and scholar, became the executive producer, helping to connect the artists with Chip. “People couldn’t even talk to their families, never mind collaborate on something as complicated as producing a studio album. Artists who were already out were able to spend time in the studio, including Chance, who returned to south Florida after her release. She began working with the group and helped organize a poetry event, where she met Field, Brown and Morse.