On Hip-hop and Mass Incarceration in America

Louder Than a Riot explores the often wildly unjust criminal justice sentences, altercations, and policies that course through the sounds of hip-hop. [LTAR promo image ]( André Bransford / NPR Nobody needs reminding, but 2020’s been an incredible, up-ending year of revolution, change, and demonstrations. Like the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once pointed out, "A riot is the language of the unheard." In both 2020 and in Dr. King’s day, riots mark pivotal, moments when communities - specifically, communities of color - take a system to task. Our latest show, Louder Than A Riot, traces revolution through sounds and stories of hip-hop. The show understands that the genre is inherently protest music - the sound of civil unrest, the art made by the unspoken-for, the unrepresented, the silenced, and the often-exploited. Join us for stories that trace the intimate and thorny relationship between hip-hop and incarceration in America. With episodes that toe the line between true crime and American noir, Louder Than a Riot explores the often wildly unjust criminal justice sentences, altercations, and policies that course through the sounds of hip-hop. At its core, it’s a show that’s invested in power from all angles. It’s about the power of the music industry over these stars, the power of the cultural forces that systemically keep persons of color in check, the shows of power part and parcel to the game of hip-hop, and the power of the prison industrial complex. Listen now to hear the history of rhyme and punishment in America. [LISTEN NOW]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]