Beyond the Prison Walls: An Abolitionist Analysis of Carceral Imagery in Music

• In Event: Consuming Carcerality as Entertainment: Critical Perspectives and Opportunities to Practice Hope and Resistance

Abstract

This paper applies an abolitionist lens to explore how musicians use their creative outlets to advocate for the dismantling of the carceral system. Throughout their work, various artists use lyrics, music videos, and live performances to draw attention to the pains inflicted by mass incarceration and the possibility for alternative approaches. In doing so, musicians intentionally utilize their platforms to spread messages of resistance, survival, and justice in ways that allow audiences to build meaningful connections within their communities. In the process, music can become a pillar of radical engagement within mainstream political spaces. Using lyrics, music videos, and live performances from various genres (including but not limited to Country, Hip-Hop, Rap, Pop, and Rock and Roll), this paper will examine how musical artists directly and indirectly generate abolitionist sentiment aimed at undermining the US carceral state. This analysis also carries broader implications surrounding abolition, the utility of creative artistry, and the power of the music-community relationship with an eye towards sparking further discussions, debates, and future research.

Author

• Hayley Jackey, Old Dominion University