Rikers Island Inmates Regularly Receive Free Hip-Hop Concerts For Good Behavior

Russell Simmons once said about hip-hop: “The thing about hip-hop is that it's from the underground, ideas from the underbelly, from people who have mostly been locked out, who have not been recognized.”

It seems like officials at Rikers Island in New York have taken that quote to heart in light of a report that states that inmates at the jail are regularly treated to concerts by famous rappers as a incentive to continue their good behavior, and to keep them from “stabbing each other”, according to a source.

Earlier this month, we posted a report that Russell Simmons and LL Cool J visited Rikers Island last month to speak to the inmates and motivate them, but according to this new report, LL Cool J put on a performance for the inmates. “One inmate assisted [LL Cool J] in back vocals on a song” according to the report.

LL was not the only rapper to perform for the inmates at Rikers. Treach from Naughty By Nature also stopped by the jail to perform for the inmates earlier this year after a brief overnight stay at the Hudson County jail in New Jersey. According to a spokesman from the Department of Corrections, these performances from the rappers are done pro-bono, and give the prisoners some “positive reinforcement”.—Marvin Jules

[NY Post]