Support "Bending the Bars" album powered by CHIP

Creating an album is no easy feat. Creating one from inside one of the most overcrowded and under-resourced jail systems in the country? Nearly impossible. But that’s exactly what Bending the Bars set out to do. The result is a groundbreaking hip-hop album written and performed by incarcerated artists from Florida’s Broward County Jail that provides a platform for hidden talent and a blueprint for similar projects nationwide. Released on June 11, 2025 by FREER Music, Bending the Bars will also be followed by a documentary detailing its creation. A series of single releases will precede the full album from April 4, 2025.

Prison may confine bodies, but it can't cage creativity. Executive Producer Gary Field, a writer/scholar incarcerated in Broward County Jail, witnessed firsthand the untapped artistry behind bars. He recounts nightly eruptions of impromptu rap battles; artists banging on doors and chests, trading dirty south freestyles in an environment that had produced hip-hop legends like Kodak Black and YNW Melly. This was talent—raw, untapped, and desperately in need of a platform. “Many incarcerated artists possess the same ingenuity as entrepreneurs and musicians on the outside—they just lacked opportunity.” Teaming up with the Community Hotline for Incarcerated People (CHIP), which collected poetry and music from distressed incarcerated individuals, Gary met co-producers Nikki Morse and Noam Brown and started Bending the Bars.

Recording a high-quality album in jail meant overcoming immense obstacles. Without access to recording equipment, artists rapped into a jail phone, listening to beats through an adjacent phone while CHIP covered call costs and producers cleaned up audio. Outside collaborators, like GRAMMY-winning Alphabet Rockers, helped craft beats and build arrangements in coordination with the artists while honoring artists’ creative control.

At the core of Bending the Bars are universal messages of self-compassion and hope; and an appeal for systemic change. With over 3,000 county jails in the U.S., Bending the Bars serves as a replicable model for using music to empower, rehabilitate, and connect incarcerated individuals with opportunities that extend far beyond prison walls. The upcoming documentary will further provide a roadmap for expanding access to creative platforms nationwide.

Bending the Bars is proof that talent, creativity, and resilience can thrive even in the most unlikely places. It’s an invitation for others to follow suit, to create platforms for the incarcerated, and to recognize the abundant artistry that exists behind bars and razor wire.

Please listen to the Album on all platforms and follow us on IG and TikTok @bending_the_bars

The Community Hotline for Incarcerated People (CHIP) has been taking calls from people incarcerated in South Florida jails since April 2020. CHIP is volunteer powered and committed to abolition, LGBTQ liberation, and anti-racism.

We appreciate any financial contributions you can make, or sharing/re-posting across social media platforms.

Feel free to visit us on Facebook @CHIPsouthflorida and on IG @chip_southflorida, and check out www.chipsouthfl.org for more information or questions.