The godfather of hip hop, rapper, and filmmaker Ice Cube from Los Angeles spoke exclusively to prison radio show ‘Jailbreak’ about his own experiences in the American prison system.
The radio crackles and the voice of Jailbreak producer Kate Pinnock comes through: “Jailbreak’s coming straight to your cell. You’re gonna be locked up and rockin’ for the next hour.”
Jailbreak is a prison radio show produced at Sydney’s 2SER 107.3FM, streaming Sundays at 9.30pm and Thursdays 5am, and nationally on the Community Radio Network, along with a number of community radio stations.
American rapper Ice Cube was recently interviewed on Jailbreak, and he spoke about the power of imagination and how this can get you through your time in prison.
Pinnock met Ice Cube through a Canberra hip-hop crew, a community of rappers mostly with lived experience of prison led by former Jailbreak host and now record label owner Big Dave.
Asked if he had a message for the 40,000 Australian listeners in prison who would have loved to be at this show, Ice Cube spoke about the importance of using prison time to your advantage to better yourself.
“Ya gotta lotta time in there,” he said. “When yo released, be productive man, because legal money is way easier to get than illegal money! So, get ya hair right, come on back out there, let’s makes some legal money together!”
Pinnock has been producing Jailbreak for 17 years. She said prison radio can work magic. “Listening to radio unlocks your imagination and takes you to another place,” Pinnock said.“Radio is a simple, powerful medium that crosses the physical barriers of prison walls, the social barriers of disadvantage, stigma, discrimination, and the barriers of politics and bureaucracy of the criminal justice system.”
Radio is the strategic force behind the Jailbreak Health Project (JHP), funded by NSW Health, providing harm-minimising health promotion, targeted at vulnerable at-risk communities, such as incarcerated people.
“People don’t even have to be locked up in a prison to feel isolated,” Pinnock said.
“Families feel socially isolated through the stigma and shame of prison. Jailbreak reaches out to families and the wider community.”
The music and stories of people in prison are at the core of the Jailbreak program. The interview with Ice Cube is a great example of how a personal experience of incarceration draws the Jailbreak listener in.
For listeners in difficult situations such as being in prison, hearing stories, music and voices they relate to, presented by people in prison, offers reassurance that they’re not forgotten, that others go through the same thing and that they’re not alone. It gives hope that things get better.
Ice Cube grew up in South Central Los Angeles where he said the odds of making it to where is now were slim.
“I had people try to knock me down,” he told Jailbreak.
“I got locked up at 19 years old on a humbug charge. Thank God I beat the rap and still be out here. I just think about all the kids who don’t have bail money, who can’t fight for themselves. That’s what I do in my records, I try to speak for the people who can’t speak for themselves. Tell how it feels from the ‘hood or when they go to prison or given a bad shot in life.”
The godfather of hip hop, rapper, and filmmaker Ice Cube from Los Angeles spoke exclusively to prison radio show ‘Jailbreak’ about his own experiences in the American prison system.
The radio crackles and the voice of Jailbreak producer Kate Pinnock comes through: “Jailbreak’s coming straight to your cell. You’re gonna be locked up and rockin’ for the next hour.”
Jailbreak is a prison radio show produced at Sydney’s 2SER 107.3FM, streaming Sundays at 9.30pm and Thursdays 5am, and nationally on the Community Radio Network, along with a number of community radio stations.
American rapper Ice Cube was recently interviewed on Jailbreak, and he spoke about the power of imagination and how this can get you through your time in prison.
Pinnock met Ice Cube through a Canberra hip-hop crew, a community of rappers mostly with lived experience of prison led by former Jailbreak host and now record label owner Big Dave.
Asked if he had a message for the 40,000 Australian listeners in prison who would have loved to be at this show, Ice Cube spoke about the importance of using prison time to your advantage to better yourself.
“Ya gotta lotta time in there,” he said. “When yo released, be productive man, because legal money is way easier to get than illegal money! So, get ya hair right, come on back out there, let’s makes some legal money together!”
Pinnock has been producing Jailbreak for 17 years. She said prison radio can work magic. “Listening to radio unlocks your imagination and takes you to another place,” Pinnock said.“Radio is a simple, powerful medium that crosses the physical barriers of prison walls, the social barriers of disadvantage, stigma, discrimination, and the barriers of politics and bureaucracy of the criminal justice system.”
Radio is the strategic force behind the Jailbreak Health Project (JHP), funded by NSW Health, providing harm-minimising health promotion, targeted at vulnerable at-risk communities, such as incarcerated people.
“People don’t even have to be locked up in a prison to feel isolated,” Pinnock said.
“Families feel socially isolated through the stigma and shame of prison. Jailbreak reaches out to families and the wider community.”
The music and stories of people in prison are at the core of the Jailbreak program. The interview with Ice Cube is a great example of how a personal experience of incarceration draws the Jailbreak listener in.
For listeners in difficult situations such as being in prison, hearing stories, music and voices they relate to, presented by people in prison, offers reassurance that they’re not forgotten, that others go through the same thing and that they’re not alone. It gives hope that things get better.
Ice Cube grew up in South Central Los Angeles where he said the odds of making it to where is now were slim.
“I had people try to knock me down,” he told Jailbreak.
“I got locked up at 19 years old on a humbug charge. Thank God I beat the rap and still be out here. I just think about all the kids who don’t have bail money, who can’t fight for themselves. That’s what I do in my records, I try to speak for the people who can’t speak for themselves. Tell how it feels from the ‘hood or when they go to prison or given a bad shot in life.”
Ice Cube said he comes from the gutter like everyone else.
“I made up my mind and nothing’s more powerful than a made-up mind, and if you make up your mind on what you wanna do, you can accomplish it. That’s what I did!” he said.
“I refuse to let the streets kill me or incarcerate me! It’s a job to stay outta prison. You have to manoeuvre to stay outta prison. Just being a nice guy ain’t gonna keep you outta there.”
Ice Cube also talked about Key Ball, who spent 17 years in prison, got out, changed his life and is now “rolling” on the tour.
“It’s a positive story for anyone who thinks ‘man, I been down 10 years, I been down 15 years, I can’t get back,’” Ice Cube said.
“You can get back if you got the right attitude. I’m praying for you! Come outta there and stay outta there!”
Pinnock said the Jailbreak program is “enormously supportive for listeners who may be in the same place” as the inspiring storytellers it features.
“People in prison are just ordinary people who stuff up,” she said.
“They’re often the best people you’ll ever meet, who’ve struggled in life with unbelievable stories of trauma. It takes enormous courage and generosity in spirit to share personal struggles and experiences on radio.”
Jailbreak visits any NSW correctional centre and has been known to visit prisons interstate.
Jailbreak is the longest continuously broadcasting prison radio program in the world. In 2022, Norway hosted the first world prison podcast radio production conference in Oslo, representing Australia’s Jailbreak, UK’s National Prison Radio, Norway’s Radroven and USA podcasts Ear Hustle and Uncuffed.
In March this year Jailbreak launched its first podcast, and a growing number of Jailbreak podcast episodes are playable online direct to listeners in NSW prisons via link on the inmate tablets.
You can listen to the whole Ice Cube interview speaking to Kate Pinnock in one of the Jailbreak podcast episodes shortly to be uploaded to the inmate tablets in NSW.
Ice Cube said he comes from the gutter like everyone else.
“I made up my mind and nothing’s more powerful than a made-up mind, and if you make up your mind on what you wanna do, you can accomplish it. That’s what I did!” he said.
“I refuse to let the streets kill me or incarcerate me! It’s a job to stay outta prison. You have to manoeuvre to stay outta prison. Just being a nice guy ain’t gonna keep you outta there.”
Ice Cube also talked about Key Ball, who spent 17 years in prison, got out, changed his life and is now “rolling” on the tour.
“It’s a positive story for anyone who thinks ‘man, I been down 10 years, I been down 15 years, I can’t get back,’” Ice Cube said.
“You can get back if you got the right attitude. I’m praying for you! Come outta there and stay outta there!”
Pinnock said the Jailbreak program is “enormously supportive for listeners who may be in the same place” as the inspiring storytellers it features.
“People in prison are just ordinary people who stuff up,” she said.
“They’re often the best people you’ll ever meet, who’ve struggled in life with unbelievable stories of trauma. It takes enormous courage and generosity in spirit to share personal struggles and experiences on radio.”
Jailbreak visits any NSW correctional centre and has been known to visit prisons interstate.
Jailbreak is the longest continuously broadcasting prison radio program in the world. In 2022, Norway hosted the first world prison podcast radio production conference in Oslo, representing Australia’s Jailbreak, UK’s National Prison Radio, Norway’s Radroven and USA podcasts Ear Hustle and Uncuffed.
In March this year Jailbreak launched its first podcast, and a growing number of Jailbreak podcast episodes are playable online direct to listeners in NSW prisons via link on the inmate tablets.
You can listen to the whole Ice Cube interview speaking to Kate Pinnock in one of the Jailbreak podcast episodes shortly to be uploaded to the inmate tablets in NSW.
