{"id":128759,"date":"2024-07-11T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/?post_type=pamlongform&#038;p=128759"},"modified":"2025-12-22T17:07:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T15:07:54","slug":"behind-the-bars-jail-time-records","status":"publish","type":"pamlongform","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/stories\/behind-the-bars-jail-time-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the bars with Jail Time Records"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_0545b63292eed7e8f167fc04857e2365\" id=\"longform-section-block_0545b63292eed7e8f167fc04857e2365\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <video poster=\" https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-09-04-at-11.02.49.png \" class=\"desktop-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Clip-HD-720.mov\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video><video poster=\" https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-09-04-at-11.02.58.png \" class=\" mobile-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Clip-HD-720.mov\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-x-large-font-size wp-elements-7a932fb75dbadf185c5fd20fd92fdaea\">Behind the bars with Jail Time Records<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" id=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-da960c6646d0d67ce340ea090d985a87\"><strong>Enter the Central Prison of Douala and meet the collective that\u2019s lighting up the mic for current and former prisoners to reimagine the stigma around incarceration, provide a path for reinsertion, and drop heavy tracks from behind bars.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"has-link-color has-text-color has-white-color wp-block-post-author-name wp-elements-0afed41d702f51668f17d14dbade251f\">Christian Askin<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"has-link-color has-text-color has-white-color wp-block-post-date wp-elements-167ad1daa366d27040a2b610947c9eaa\"><time datetime=\"2024-07-11T10:00:00+02:00\">11 July 2024<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"Intro\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_53dea39a738b216f624a8a9835ff51f7\" id=\"longform-section-block_53dea39a738b216f624a8a9835ff51f7\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7226a2fc99c4b5fb91cbb2f2612e8845\">The mic is on. Headphones bump a beat into Empereur\u2019s head. \u201cLaaaapopete&#8221; (he&#8217;s back) he raps, sweat dripping down his face. There\u2019s no AC here. No luxuries. And nowhere to get any. Not really. &#8220;Obina omalaba\u201d (you know you&#8217;re hot) he continues in his raspy tone. Around here, Empereur is a leader, a chief. But it\u2019s rugged and dangerous types that follow. A gang. &#8220;Laaaapopete, laaaapopete&#8221;. Empereur sticks his head out from the booth, more sweat. In the bare bones studio box is a dreaded and confident figure sitting behind a computer, looking back at Empereur, smiling. Around him a ragtag collection of young&#8217;ins with tattered clothes sing back, \u201cndongo\u201d (pepper). Laaaapopete. Ndongo! Laaaapopete. Ndongo! Painted on the wall is a series of shirtless figures, names scrawled beneath in black ink. Israel\u2026 Dione\u2026 The session is packed. Joyful. Outside of the studio is a dirt alley. Throughout the alley are a series of sheet metal cells packed with beds and contraband. Around those cells is a 2 meter high wall. Atop the wall, the ensnared grip of barbed wire and a sign reading \u201cPrison Centrale de Douala\u201d. Around this sign is New Bell, a working class, immigrant neighborhood of Cameroon\u2019s economic capital. Back in the middle, the chanting continues, the mic is still on, recording. This is Jail Time Records.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-eff7909e4d6af5eb288e7448f7de95df\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jailtimerecords.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jail Time<\/a> is a collective founded by former detainee and Cameroonian music producer Steve Happi and Italian artist and NGO volunteer Dione Roach. In 2018, Jail Time built the first music studio inside a prison in Africa. New Bell prison is the country\u2019s most notorious incarceration facility and, in Cameroon, like in much of the world, the stigma attached to convicts and former detainees is a heavy cross to bear. What began as a music project has evolved into a human one, with stories of hope, aspiration, and redemption. Since its founding in 2018, Jail Time has also added a studio outside the prison, in Douala, serving as a reinsertion pipeline where ex-detainees have a place to continue their work, lean on the founders for help, and have a sense of stability in what is often a turbulent and troubling life on the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-167c99eb2e56b524151ece70a3d47f16\">At its modest scale, Jail Time has done much to transform the surrounding public\u2019s perception of who an incarcerated person is and can be. They can be sensitive or funny. Troubled or at peace. They can be role models and artists. They can err without being errors. Guilty or innocent. With a compilation out and the budding Jail Time Productions (providing the visual backdrop to the world inside the prison and life on the streets of Douala) on the way, Jail Time is building a foundation for social change through the power of music. But it isn\u2019t easy. Working with detainees inside requires a saintly patience, and working with former detainees outside requires an ultimate generosity of spirit. Oftentimes lives hang in the balance. Whether it\u2019s the dangers of drug abuse, the violent realities of the street, or the inevitable contact with the force of law that may once again strip away someone\u2019s freedom, Jail Time and its founders have given themselves, and their lives, to the project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"The outside looking in\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_1c31ac1777b0daa7c708169b904b86c2\" id=\"longform-section-block_1c31ac1777b0daa7c708169b904b86c2\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <video poster=\"  \" class=\"desktop-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Prison-Outside-Colored.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video><video poster=\"  \" class=\" mobile-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Prison-Outside-Colored.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-x-large-font-size wp-elements-a259f35d7c65af6b313cf9bd9878ea08\"><strong>The outside looking in<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" id=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a seductive allure that emerges from the imagination of prison. Ideas of gangs, unwritten codes, and the terrifying presence of evil. We fetishise it on television, stigmatize it in our social spheres, and glorify it in music. With all this noise it\u2019s hard to accurately imagine the day-to-day reality of an inmate.&nbsp; Both the mundane and the horrifying. It\u2019s easy to dehumanize instead. We slap on labels like &#8220;convict&#8221; or &#8220;criminal&#8221;, forgetting the all too human series of follies and misfortune that lead someone to end up behind bars. Even more difficult, to imagine the complicated emotional struggles a person in that environment must confront within themselves.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Like a prisoner, a prison also has a story. Often troubled. New Bell is no different. Historically the neighborhood of New Bell was known as the \u201cStrangers Quarter\u201d. In 1914, during the German colonial regime, the Strangers Quarter of New Bell was created as part of an urbanization plan intending to relocate the local Duala population and the growing number of African immigrants to the outskirts of the city, reserving the center for Europeans and colonial officials. This included a one kilometer-wide Free Zone to separate the populations. A policy which the French kept in place after ousting the Germans in 1916.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As reliance on cheap African labor increased into the 1920s, New Bell, previously left to its own devices, was suddenly instituted with strict controls over movement and settlement, forcibly compelling residents to work for European interests. Those who did not comply were classified as delinquents, the definition and punishments of crime thus broadened and an increasing number of New Bell residents fell under the criminal category (Schler, 2003). Nonetheless, controlling the growing New Bell population remained difficult. Clandestine trade, movement, and resistance to the colonial regime persisted. In 1923, Governor Marchand devised an identity card system measuring the forefinger in order to control and categorize the population. To enforce this growing criminalisation of what residents and colonial agents referred to as \u2018The Bush\u2019, a prison was built and expanded to hold a growing number of &#8220;non-compliants&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"677\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Interior-New-Bell-1010x677.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-128853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Interior-New-Bell-1010x677.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Interior-New-Bell-759x509.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Interior-New-Bell-2048x1374.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Interior-New-Bell-1440x966.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Interior-New-Bell-661x443.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Interior-New-Bell-465x312.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Interior-New-Bell-375x251.jpg 375w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Interior-New-Bell.jpg 2836w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Prison corridor inside New Bell. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>During the colonial regime the prison was known for its brutality, use of violence, and broad application of death sentences. Into the 1950s, as New Bell became a hub of nationalist resistance and anti-colonial thought, colonial enforces once again cracked down on the native population, overpopulating the prisons, and making no effort to improve standards of living or care. After independence from the French colonial regime in 1960, the prison remained in effect. Decades of conflict, resistance, and mismanagement have left New Bell an underserved community, and its prison a brutal environment for both serious offenders, those awaiting judgment, and marginalized citizens subject to charges of petty crime.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, the prison doesn\u2019t appear as anything particularly special. The bustling city of Douala with a population of over 5 million residents sprawling along the Wouri river moves in a hectic buzz around the tall, tan walls, and a modest sign betrays nothing of the history and cruel reality of the prison and those who live inside. Yet, the history of New Bell and its building surrounded in barbed wire have the ancient echo of unfolding time. The diverse population of the prison is a reflection of the port city\u2019s colonial history, the cruel legacy of crime, and the conditions of inmates as the clumsy leftovers of mismanagement and an uncaring administrative arm. Looking back perhaps it all feels inevitable. Permanent. The empty shadow of a cell where history and biography collide.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" id=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cffe6aa0adb81a88dbf1dcf707788054\">Prison is a wild world<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f6be0675cada626e62672109e6aa96af\">Steve Happi was born in Douala. From a young age Steve became interested in music, though not necessarily the music of his peers. \u201c<em>I was a weirdo. A teenager from Cameroon listening to electro music,<\/em>\u201d Steve explains. As early as 16 Steve began producing tracks inspired by European house and other electronic genres. He connected with Avicii on a music blog before the Swedish EDM producer became a global sensation, and looked up to producers like Daft Punk or Swedish House Mafia. From the influence of his older brothers he also picked up on 2000s American hip-hop from Lil Wayne to Rough Riders. Learning to DJ, he would travel for gigs to Morocco, the Mediterranean, and elsewhere, before returning home to begin a Bachelors in International Business Management. Though Steve quickly learned this wasn\u2019t his path, spending more late nights in studios than early mornings in class, eventually deciding to pursue music full-time, with his brothers, launching a local festival, \u00c7a vient de la rue, and a record label, God Made.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d6fb055fa2f58b596a3563e61b24e695\">Things took a turn when Steve\u2019s father passed away in 2017. Steve, a Christian, had a dispute with his family over the burial rights of his father, who were animists. Unwilling to let his family members decapitate his father in a traditional burial, Steve buried his father on his own terms, without their consent. Members of Steve\u2019s family who worked within the justice system accused Steve and his two older brothers of murder. <em>\u201cIt was totally absurd,<\/em>\u201d Steve recounts, \u201c<em>he died of a heart attack, it was recognised by the hospital. But my father\u2019s little sister, who is a judge, used her position to apply pressure on us.<\/em>\u201c Steve and his brothers were taken to New Bell Prison, awaiting trial. He would remain there for two years before the charges were eventually dropped and Steve and his brothers were exonerated of all crimes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_be578315a43fed7fe93d9832d554becb\" id=\"longform-section-block_be578315a43fed7fe93d9832d554becb\" class=\"section w-full relative grid grow-animate longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-DOX.jpg\" class=\"desktop-img absolute top-0 w-full h-full object-cover invisible pointer-events-none lg:visible lg:pointer-events-autoh-screen w-screen left-0\" alt=\"desktop-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-DOX.jpg 5616w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-DOX-759x506.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-DOX-1010x673.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-DOX-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-DOX-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-DOX-661x441.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-DOX-465x310.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-DOX-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/375043900.png\" class=\"mobile-img absolute top-0 w-full h-full object-cover visible lg:invisible pointer-events-auto lg:pointer-events-noneh-screen w-screen left-0\" alt=\"mobile-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/375043900.png 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/375043900-759x1349.png 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/375043900-1010x1796.png 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/375043900-661x1175.png 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/375043900-465x827.png 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/375043900-375x667.png 375w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/375043900-864x1536.png 864w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-black-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-3e66a3e3e2183f3cbf47a6f7cee61e43\">Steve and his brothers were taken to New Bell Prison, awaiting trial. They would remain there for two years before the charges were eventually dropped and Steve and his brothers were exonerated of all crimes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" id=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-68e9742e602f610b8946eb72e78584c9\">Steve\u2019s story is unfortunately all too common. Harsh punishments, corruption, and fallout of a penal system that puts pressure on those with no recourse is the norm. Drug possession, vagabonding, and lack of ID, are the types of minor infractions that can snowball into a long term prison sentence, or charges that force people to await trial from the inside, often with little idea on when their court date might be. Some estimates of the number of inmates on pretrial detention are as high as 69%. This, coupled with the lack of oversight and shoddy living conditions, can lead to a physical and psychological rot that transforms an already vulnerable population into hardened criminals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bd041caf8cca880e85883960bd9f010b\">\u201c<em>Prison is a wild world man\u2026<\/em>\u201d Steve says, remembering the night he entered New Bell. \u201c<em>You arrive at night and straight away you see thousands of people behind bars. These strong faces in the night, criminals, screaming at you, \u2018Fuck you, you\u2019re gonna die!\u2019 this and that. They try to intimidate you. It\u2019s like being around a bunch of wild animals ready to eat you. It\u2019s a really tough experience. Words aren\u2019t enough to describe it. You have to live it to understand it.<\/em>\u201d Steve lived it, adapted, and found his way of surviving on the inside. Leaving music aside at first, Steve started a new audio project. \u201c<em>Every night I met people who would share their stories and I would take voice notes. These stories\u2026 not beautiful, but strange, I would record them on my phone. Just to learn.<\/em>\u201d Steve made the rounds, taking in each inmate\u2019s story, learning all he could about the harsh milieu. One day Steve was speaking with his brother, known as D.O.X.. He told Steve there was an Italian girl coming to some freestyle sessions over in the Death Sentence Quarter, and that apparently she was building a music studio inside the prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"Riots or church\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_d1c60d130ff3edd9a4fb403f93fe92d6\" id=\"longform-section-block_d1c60d130ff3edd9a4fb403f93fe92d6\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <video poster=\"  \" class=\"desktop-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Stone-Clip-HD-Cut-720.mov\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video><video poster=\"  \" class=\" mobile-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Stone-Clip-HD-Cut-720.mov\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-x-large-font-size wp-elements-f212e97f6aed0a6e85c95f92e3d9d033\">Riots or church<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" id=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>In the beginning it was really difficult,<\/em>\u201d explains <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_1liqmJXgIM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stone Larabik<\/a>, founder of the prison rap collective <em>La meute des penseurs<\/em> and original Jail Time Records artist. \u201c<em>Getting a whole bunch of guys together in a prison isn&#8217;t a given. Everyone&#8217;s got their own things to do. Everyone has to find something to eat. You have to try to captivate them,<\/em>\u201d Stone says from the studio inside New Bell. Words not to be taken lightly. Before prison Stone was in a special faction of the Cameroonian military known as the presidential guard. Stationed in Gara Boulai on the Cameroonian, Central African frontier, Stone and his battalion were tasked with holding the border. After what Stone describes as a misunderstanding with a stolen firearm while on leave, he ended up getting a hefty prison sentence and was sent to New Bell in 2016.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Well into the 21st Century New Bell is still known as Cameroon\u2019s harshest prison. Overpopulation, lack of oversight, and internal corruption have made conditions in New Bell at times intolerable. In 2005 a riot broke out when one inmate was beaten to death by a group known as the \u201canti-gang\u201d, a collection of prisoners used to maintain order by the underemployed guard staff. After the attack, the other inmates retaliated, resulting in 15 injuries and a public scandal. \u201c<em>The New Bell prison was originally supposed to house 800 inmates but some 3,100 people (were) locked up there, with about a third waiting trial,<\/em>\u201d said the prison&#8217;s registrar, Jean-Pierre Ayissi Biyegue in 2005. The prison also has a history of attempted prison breaks. In 2017, three inmates made their escape with a fake wooden gun wrapped in black tape. The attempt was deadly for one, the others successfully made their escape. It\u2019s estimated that at the time the prison was overpopulated by 380% (<a href=\"https:\/\/actucameroun.com\/2017\/01\/10\/cameroun-douala-evasion-mortelle-a-la-prison-de-new-bell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Actu Cameroon<\/a>).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Within the prison there are neighborhoods that are divided up much like the different sectors of Douala. Stone was sent to the Death Sentence Quarter, and while capital punishment is still a legal penalty in Cameroon, no executions have been carried out since 1997. So, this section of the prison has been for lifers, long sentences, and the \u201ccondemned\u201d. Then there\u2019s the Latin Quarter, a dangerous zone where the young&#8217;ins from the ghetto make the rules. There&#8217;s the Hangar where kids can rest, the Muslim Zone with its mosque, shoemakers, and men drinking chai tea, Akwa, named after Douala\u2019s commercial district, 3\u00e8me Age for the older inmates, and Texas&#8230; \u201c<em>That\u2019s the Far West,<\/em>\u201d says D.O.X., who stumbled upon Stone Larabik and his crew during one of their organized rap sessions. \u201c<em>That\u2019s where the big bandits are. That\u2019s a kind of neighborhood you wouldn\u2019t find in Douala. But everywhere else, it\u2019s like a little Cameroon.<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"662\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.24-1010x662.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-128764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.24-1010x662.png 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.24-759x498.png 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.24-1440x944.png 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.24-661x434.png 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.24-465x305.png 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.24-375x246.png 375w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.24.png 2034w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stone Larabik in the Death Sentence Quarter, surrounded by his rap collective <em>La muete des penseures<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In this little Cameroon guards let inmates set up shops, do commerce, and imitate life on the outside. But two things aren\u2019t allowed, and subject to seizure when the guards come to search; drugs and telephones. Stone, who has been rapping since his army days, ignored the rules, securing a phone so he and his crew could make beats for their raps. \u201c<em>I downloaded, n-Track an application onto my Samsung Galaxy. When I woke up in the morning the first thing I would do is exercise. After that, eat. Then, I\u2019d lie on my mattress with my little phone, hiding in the shade. I\u2019d record my voice on my personal headphones then have my mates listen to it. We talk about it, and do it again. That&#8217;s how I spent my time. Hidden in the shade, with a telephone as contraband\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This is how music was recorded in New Bell pre-2018. But despite the cheap hardware and clandestine nature, Stone kept at it. And took it a step further. \u201c<em>There was no way to express ourselves except through riots or church. So I thought, why not organize a rap collective where the guys could speak freely?<\/em>\u201d One day, during a dance event organized within the prison by an NGO, Stone and his collective took the mic. Dione, the Italian volunteer behind the event, took notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" id=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ef37cef21cd91b5231c2f33abf45f272\"><strong>Even in hell you can be free<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-138eedeabc53077b4dfdc3624684b59d\">Dione Roach is an artist and photographer from Italy. Graduating from UEL in London with a degree in Fine Arts, Dione has led a multidisciplinary life, working in photography, video production, painting, and community art projects around the world, including in South America. \u201c<em>I think that being aware of the privilege I had in being exposed to art from a very young age, and being always and unconditionally supported to do so,made me want to share this experience with people that have not received that support either from their families or from their surroundings, or have never been given the tools and means to go forwards with their creative passions,<\/em>\u201d Dione told <a href=\"https:\/\/metalmagazine.eu\/en\/post\/jail-time-records\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Metal Magazine<\/a> in 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_4eae16b559230146d592690789998dde\" id=\"longform-section-block_4eae16b559230146d592690789998dde\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-JailTime.jpg\" class=\"desktop-img absolute top-0 w-full h-full object-cover invisible pointer-events-none lg:visible lg:pointer-events-autoh-screen w-screen left-0\" alt=\"desktop-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-JailTime.jpg 8192w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-JailTime-759x400.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-JailTime-1010x533.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-JailTime-2048x1080.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-JailTime-1440x759.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-JailTime-661x349.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-JailTime-465x245.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-JailTime-375x198.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-Group.jpg\" class=\"mobile-img absolute top-0 w-full h-full object-cover visible lg:invisible pointer-events-auto lg:pointer-events-noneh-screen w-screen left-0\" alt=\"mobile-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-Group.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-Group-759x1349.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-Group-1010x1796.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-Group-661x1175.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-Group-465x827.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Dione-Group-375x667.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-b72f06c7c03381ff0f2eeb3a35d69707\">\u201c<em>I wasn\u2019t meant to work there<\/em>, <em>but after the visit I kept thinking about the opportunities to use art inside.<\/em>\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" id=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6aff944b16646821f4b6b1fc884caea3\">In 2018 Dione went to Cameroon to continue her work, this time doing a year of civil service for the Italian NGO, COE (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coeweb.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Centro Orientamento Educativo<\/a>), organizing cultural activities and teaching photography at an art school in Douala. After a visit to New Bell for a sewing workshop, Dione couldn\u2019t get the place out of her mind. \u201c<em>I wasn\u2019t meant to work there,<\/em>\u201d Dione laughs, \u201c<em>but after the visit I kept thinking about it and the opportunities to use art inside.<\/em>\u201d She started doing painting workshops. A longtime fan of dance, Dione also decided to set up an event for the prisoners, relying on the network of dancers in her orbit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f0e10ecc67244566a95083c96e6c2aec\">It was during one of these dance events that a group of prisoners came over, drawn in by the rarity of an amplified mic. Someone took it and began to freestyle. Dione didn\u2019t know it at the time but this was a member of the prison collective \u201cla meute des penseurs\u201d or \u201cthe thinker\u2019s pack\u201d. Astonished, Dione followed up. \u201c<em>I went to one of their rehearsals in the death sentence quarter and it was amazing. It\u2019s just such an extreme situation to be doing that,<\/em>\u201d Dione explains. \u201c<em>Going to the prison and kind of seeing the guys singing and thinking, wow, even within such a terrible living situation, and maybe even no matter what they have done, you can still have that power to express yourself and seek some kind of redemption or liberation through art<\/em>.\u201d Dione continues, \u201c<em>You know? Even if you\u2019re living in hell you can be free.<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\" style=\"color:#ffffff\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"674\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.10-1010x674.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-128767\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.10-1010x674.png 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.10-759x506.png 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.10-1440x960.png 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.10-661x441.png 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.10-465x310.png 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.10-375x250.png 375w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-11.17.10.png 2012w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stone Larabik takes the mic during a performance in New Bell Prison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d1d8333c2101b132c6bb22210b757ad7\">In the middle of tragedy, in a quarter where everything, literally <em>everything<\/em>, can be taken away, this group expressed their voice. \u201c<em>Let\u2019s make an album,<\/em>\u201d Dione told the crew. \u201c<em>I\u2019ll find a way to bring some recording material to the prison.<\/em>\u201d Dione\u2019s work with the prison administration was surprisingly smooth. There were no objections, and Dione was allowed to build a studio on the inside, with partial financing by the NGO, and some clever partnerships with Italian fashion brands. But there was a hitch. \u201c<em>When we got the studio ready we didn\u2019t have anyone to run it,<\/em>\u201d Dione says. But someone mentioned a former music producer inside the prison who was going around collecting vocal testimony. Each one looking for the other, the two eventually met. \u201c<em>We immediately had a connection,<\/em>\u201d Dione explains, \u201c<em>we had the same kind of ideas and sensitivity for the project.<\/em>\u201d Steve became the studio manager. Shortly after Dione had to return home to Italy for a few months. \u201c<em>I came back and they had recorded loads of music! Not just rap, but all kinds of music with all kinds of different people,<\/em>\u201d Dione exclaims. \u201c<em>That\u2019s when we had the idea to create a record label.<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"Open &#038; Closed\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_c6d2addbaab7203ca1cbf2644880ad54\" id=\"longform-section-block_c6d2addbaab7203ca1cbf2644880ad54\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <video poster=\"  \" class=\"desktop-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-720.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video><video poster=\"  \" class=\" mobile-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-720.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-x-large-font-size wp-elements-da3a25f95f0dfa8725607275156fd2db\"><strong>Open &amp; closed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" id=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the beginning, Steve was left with the mission to record an album with Stone and his collective <em>La muete des penseurs<\/em>. But that mission quickly evolved. \u201c<em>I was interested in discovering new talent,<\/em>\u201d says Steve, \u201cf<em>rom my time in prison, recording people, I already knew a lot of other artists. So I decided to open the project up.<\/em>\u201d Between studio sessions Steve would make the rounds throughout the prison, scouting talent, asking those around if they knew any artists, and seeking out the people he already knew had something to offer. Little by little talent began flooding in, some with a background in music, others trying their hand for the first time. \u201c<em>I even had the idea to bring people in just to have a good time,<\/em>\u201d says Steve. \u201c<em>There\u2019s not just those who make music, but those who bring the energy, the fun\u2026 People who are a part of the movement.<\/em>\u201d People like Ba\u2019a who had never made music emerged as a hidden star. Or Djafar, who had been making music all his life, but didn\u2019t have the <em>look<\/em> one expected of an artist, and wouldn\u2019t otherwise have gotten a chance. Unlikely characters coming in and out, ready with ideas, or simply there to witness.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the two years that followed, Jail Time released an astonishing double-sided compilation, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/4aeJwKnyejtioZQRSty5C2?si=VCBBwGtFQS-64y3ncecH-g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jail Time, Vol. 1<\/a>, featuring 24 tracks and including 13 artists. The are beats made by Steve, reworked and thought over, selected from an even larger catalog of tracks that have been made and saved over countless hours inside the New Bell studio. As Jail Time grew, and the project became well known within the prison, artists began to compete for opportunities like music videos or the best beats. A new work ethic emerged where each artist was trying to make the best possible song. \u201c<em>Before a concert or before an event in prison, people wanted to get in the studio and make a new song. It created an ambiance where everyone was super motivated and productive,<\/em>\u201d says Steve. \u201c<em>The studio has a long term impact. Even if there are some disputes and some jealousy, it creates a sense of pride.<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/4aeJwKnyejtioZQRSty5C2?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameBorder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Steve also played a role in broadening the musical horizons of the studio participants. While many had the culture of Western hip-hop, Steve insisted inmates bringing something of their own to the musical foray, whether that be their language or traditional sound. Cameroon itself is said to have at least 250 languages and ethnic groups. This diversity is a source of vast cultural wealth, musically and otherwise. In the Off the Map documentary with Steve, we see him insist to Djafar to bring an element of Nguon culture, a part of the historic Kingdom of Bamum from northwest Cameroon. \u201c<em>I told the guys during a brainstorm session, that we as Africans also have something to share. And if you want people to listen to you, you have to teach people something about yourself and where you come from\u2026 Too often we have the tendency to lose ourselves in the culture of others.<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;The examples, like the backstories and cultural legacies of the inmates, are vast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_0947ecdeb7a2f28f9868d4c0e21bd99e\" id=\"longform-section-block_0947ecdeb7a2f28f9868d4c0e21bd99e\" class=\"section w-full relative grid grow-animate longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/djafar-3-copy.jpg\" class=\"desktop-img absolute top-0 w-full h-full object-cover invisible pointer-events-none lg:visible lg:pointer-events-autoh-screen w-screen left-0\" alt=\"desktop-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/djafar-3-copy.jpg 6000w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/djafar-3-copy-759x506.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/djafar-3-copy-1010x673.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/djafar-3-copy-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/djafar-3-copy-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/djafar-3-copy-661x441.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/djafar-3-copy-465x310.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/djafar-3-copy-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Djafar-New-Bell.jpg\" class=\"mobile-img absolute top-0 w-full h-full object-cover visible lg:invisible pointer-events-auto lg:pointer-events-noneh-screen w-screen left-0\" alt=\"mobile-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Djafar-New-Bell.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Djafar-New-Bell-759x1349.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Djafar-New-Bell-1010x1796.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Djafar-New-Bell-661x1175.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Djafar-New-Bell-465x827.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Djafar-New-Bell-375x667.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-291ed9819cb84d98d53672017a404768\">There&#8217;s Bamum singing by Djafar<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"block_61c77630e6eddcf531709bc95ce65674\" class=\"fadeInImageWrapper\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kengol-DJ.jpg\" class=\"block_61c77630e6eddcf531709bc95ce65674 desktop-img\" alt=\"desktop-image\" id=\"block_61c77630e6eddcf531709bc95ce65674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kengol-DJ.jpg 5184w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kengol-DJ-759x506.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kengol-DJ-1010x673.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kengol-DJ-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kengol-DJ-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kengol-DJ-661x441.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kengol-DJ-465x310.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kengol-DJ-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Kengol-Wall.jpg\" class=\"block_61c77630e6eddcf531709bc95ce65674 mobile-img\" alt=\"mobile-image\" id=\"block_61c77630e6eddcf531709bc95ce65674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Kengol-Wall.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Kengol-Wall-759x1349.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Kengol-Wall-1010x1796.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Kengol-Wall-661x1175.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Kengol-Wall-465x827.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Kengol-Wall-375x667.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-91f86a2616831dfa29e66172ffc0a484\">the Atalaku drill of Kengol DJ,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"block_cde239d3503e9493aa219d4172737e2a\" class=\"fadeInImageWrapper\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/moussinghi.jpg\" class=\"block_cde239d3503e9493aa219d4172737e2a desktop-img\" alt=\"desktop-image\" id=\"block_cde239d3503e9493aa219d4172737e2a\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/moussinghi.jpg 5616w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/moussinghi-759x506.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/moussinghi-1010x673.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/moussinghi-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/moussinghi-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/moussinghi-661x441.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/moussinghi-465x310.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/moussinghi-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Moussinghi-Mobile.jpg\" class=\"block_cde239d3503e9493aa219d4172737e2a mobile-img\" alt=\"mobile-image\" id=\"block_cde239d3503e9493aa219d4172737e2a\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Moussinghi-Mobile.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Moussinghi-Mobile-759x1349.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Moussinghi-Mobile-1010x1796.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Moussinghi-Mobile-661x1175.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Moussinghi-Mobile-465x827.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Moussinghi-Mobile-375x667.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e6cf6be45acd75fa3ff51fb9e9577c4e\">singing in Duala by Moussinghi,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"block_1f89e1025ed862f1e9832532b794a3cc\" class=\"fadeInImageWrapper\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio.jpg\" class=\"block_1f89e1025ed862f1e9832532b794a3cc desktop-img\" alt=\"desktop-image\" id=\"block_1f89e1025ed862f1e9832532b794a3cc\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio.jpg 5616w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-759x506.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-1010x673.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-661x441.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-465x310.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Mobile.jpg\" class=\"block_1f89e1025ed862f1e9832532b794a3cc mobile-img\" alt=\"mobile-image\" id=\"block_1f89e1025ed862f1e9832532b794a3cc\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Mobile.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Mobile-759x1349.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Mobile-1010x1796.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Mobile-661x1175.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Mobile-465x827.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Mobile-375x667.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d98d9eeca5711a93c50070398c2f8bba\">and the mbole drill that Steve has been working into Jail Time productions.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"block_316c65dac17121e40a0b43a93ac8be75\" class=\"fadeInImageWrapper\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Prison.jpg\" class=\"block_316c65dac17121e40a0b43a93ac8be75 desktop-img\" alt=\"desktop-image\" id=\"block_316c65dac17121e40a0b43a93ac8be75\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Prison.jpg 5616w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Prison-759x506.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Prison-1010x673.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Prison-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Prison-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Prison-661x441.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Prison-465x310.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Prison-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Eyes.jpg\" class=\"block_316c65dac17121e40a0b43a93ac8be75 mobile-img\" alt=\"mobile-image\" id=\"block_316c65dac17121e40a0b43a93ac8be75\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Eyes.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Eyes-759x1349.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Eyes-1010x1796.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Eyes-661x1175.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Eyes-465x827.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Steve-Studio-Eyes-375x667.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-black-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-e06c4fd5379e258d9161ff0988141e3c\">It makes for a vast palette of sounds that can be found on the compilation, and a project uncannily representative of Cameroon\u2019s cultural diversity. \u201c<em>We\u2019ll do electro with nguon on top,<\/em>\u201d says Steve, \u201c<em>hip-hop with Bafia, Bassa, or Duala\u2026 It\u2019s a way for us to share, to connect, to see who we are.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" id=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-24ae844548d077ba9f20c14704c32188\"><strong>Music is a weapon<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cdc9b778b38e4f09a28e03d430f737ee\">\u201c<em>Sitting behind the computer, recording them, listening to the story, I&#8217;ve been drawn into their lives,<\/em>\u201d says Steve. \u201c<em>They are sharing a lot with me through those tracks.<\/em>\u201d Take Stone Larabik\u2019s track \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jWzKVywd8wI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">P\u00e8re irresponsable<\/a>\u201d (Irresponsible father). In it, the hardened army man laments the suffering of a life without a father, while making amends with the fact that he, also a father, has been taken away from his own daughter. &#8220;<em>It gives you strength, it gives you faith. It&#8217;s like a dream,<\/em>\u201d Stone says of the creative process.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-30e108a95eb93ef064b69ec19481b4bb\">\u201c<em>Empereur is a child of the chiefdom, of traditional practices, of the Duala,<\/em>\u201d Steve explains, \u201c<em>but he was sent away from his family to live in Yaound\u00e9, and he rebelled into the street.<\/em>\u201d Another hardened case, Empereur is serving a long prison sentence, unlikely to be released anytime soon. \u201c<em>He is kind of the boss of the Latin Quarter,<\/em>\u201d Steve explains. But that didn\u2019t give him any priority access to the studio. As the team worked, Empereur would come in, test ideas, using his Sawa mother tongue of the Duala, and little by little earned his stripes. In the studio, he\u2019s on the same playing field as the others, the hierarchies of street life reconfigured into 4\/4 measures and clever licks. \u201c<em>He\u2019s hard on the outside, but he knows how to be kind,<\/em>\u201d says D.O.X.. In the process Empereur can focus on another discipline, recalculate \u201cmight is right\u201d relationships, and step into a creative world where sensitivity and collaboration are the way forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_98d6cc094d7516b80d7efa2fd956fabc\" id=\"longform-section-block_98d6cc094d7516b80d7efa2fd956fabc\" class=\"section w-full relative grid grow-animate longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Empereur-Inside-2.jpg\" class=\"desktop-img absolute top-0 w-full h-full object-cover invisible pointer-events-none lg:visible lg:pointer-events-autoh-screen w-screen left-0\" alt=\"desktop-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Empereur-Inside-2.jpg 5616w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Empereur-Inside-2-759x506.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Empereur-Inside-2-1010x673.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Empereur-Inside-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Empereur-Inside-2-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Empereur-Inside-2-661x441.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Empereur-Inside-2-465x310.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Empereur-Inside-2-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Latin-Mobile.jpg\" class=\"mobile-img absolute top-0 w-full h-full object-cover visible lg:invisible pointer-events-auto lg:pointer-events-noneh-screen w-screen left-0\" alt=\"mobile-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Latin-Mobile.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Latin-Mobile-759x1349.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Latin-Mobile-1010x1796.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Latin-Mobile-661x1175.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Latin-Mobile-465x827.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Latin-Mobile-375x667.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-34ccf55424e2fd7a4bbd06ab9a1eb722\">Empereur poses in the Latin Quarter of New Bell Prison, an area known for its gang activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"block_b2819a489d29f0bad88afc055d1801d2\" class=\"fadeInImageWrapper\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stone_Inside.jpg\" class=\"block_b2819a489d29f0bad88afc055d1801d2 desktop-img\" alt=\"desktop-image\" id=\"block_b2819a489d29f0bad88afc055d1801d2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stone_Inside.jpg 5616w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stone_Inside-759x506.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stone_Inside-1010x673.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stone_Inside-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stone_Inside-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stone_Inside-661x441.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stone_Inside-465x310.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stone_Inside-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Mobile-2.jpg\" class=\"block_b2819a489d29f0bad88afc055d1801d2 mobile-img\" alt=\"mobile-image\" id=\"block_b2819a489d29f0bad88afc055d1801d2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Mobile-2.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Mobile-2-759x1349.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Mobile-2-1010x1796.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Mobile-2-661x1175.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Mobile-2-465x827.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Empereur-Mobile-2-375x667.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"block_8c3392f47efdd37f0f2671994153ed05\" class=\"fadeInImageWrapper\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jeje-1-copy.jpg\" class=\"block_8c3392f47efdd37f0f2671994153ed05 desktop-img\" alt=\"desktop-image\" id=\"block_8c3392f47efdd37f0f2671994153ed05\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jeje-1-copy.jpg 5616w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jeje-1-copy-759x506.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jeje-1-copy-1010x673.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jeje-1-copy-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jeje-1-copy-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jeje-1-copy-661x441.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jeje-1-copy-465x310.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jeje-1-copy-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jeje-Mobile.jpg\" class=\"block_8c3392f47efdd37f0f2671994153ed05 mobile-img\" alt=\"mobile-image\" id=\"block_8c3392f47efdd37f0f2671994153ed05\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jeje-Mobile.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jeje-Mobile-759x1349.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jeje-Mobile-1010x1796.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jeje-Mobile-661x1175.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jeje-Mobile-465x827.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jeje-Mobile-375x667.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>    \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f4e8ee199487140494c16929aefc4e6d\">Jeje, born in Nigeria, is one of Jail Time&#8217;s only female artists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" id=\"longform-section-block_2ab3441cde8a5c3904f399914c116f91\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section has-black-background-color \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section has-black-background-color\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4126117743fe2c1a5724a65c3c854c43\">When Jeje was a teenager, she was sent to live with her uncle in Douala. While there, she was abused by her uncle who she described as constantly angry, violent, and unreasonable. Eventually Jeje decided to run away and get back to Nigeria and her family. For her escape, she stole what cash her uncle had in the house, and used some of it to pay a man that was supposed to sneak her back across the Nigerian border. During the trip, the man stole the rest of Jeje\u2019s money and abandoned her. Jeje survived on what little cash she had hidden away, before getting caught by Cameroonian authorities, charged with theft, and sent to the women\u2019s quarter of New Bell prison. It\u2019s a small population of roughly 50 female inmates compared to the 6000 in the men\u2019s prison, but the conditions aren\u2019t much better.&nbsp; \u201c<em>At least with music, when I\u2019m feeling a little bit worried, I could go to the studio, try a vibe with the new family, and help me to forget my sorrow<\/em>,\u201d Jeje says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e79b75e047da7a77801a40d2dd4c6087\">Anxiety, fear, and stress are dealt generously from the inside, for women and men alike. \u201c<em>For me it was terrifying,<\/em>\u201d Jeje says of life behind bars, \u201c<em>there are fights, there\u2019s noise, it\u2019s not easy to be on your own.<\/em>\u201d Jeje has since been released, with two singles to her name; \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0eOrS_eHyu8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Show Me the Way<\/a>\u201d written and recorded from inside prison, and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lPHPPHQRDxI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">This Life<\/a>\u201d made on the outside. \u201c<em>Making music helped me cope,<\/em>\u201d says Jeje. \u201c<em>When I\u2019m working with Steve, he gives you confidence, he pushes you to do something more.<\/em>\u201d For Jeje, Jail Time is more than just music, \u201c<em>it\u2019s the sound of a new chance in life. It\u2019s the sound of freedom.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"Jail Time Productions\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_268571a59506d18ee34f211f1261e694\" id=\"longform-section-block_268571a59506d18ee34f211f1261e694\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <video poster=\"  \" class=\"desktop-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/overhead-prison-720.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video><video poster=\"  \" class=\" mobile-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/overhead-prison-720.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-x-large-font-size wp-elements-a4d647c80bcd6da986b377b116a15633\"><strong>Jail Time Productions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" id=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Dione and her students are also providing the visual element to go alongside the music. Music videos show the chaotic interior of New Bell with the makeshift cells, stone walls, and crowded alleys. Little corridors and hanging laundry, it can feel like the shots are coming from a marketplace or shantytown. Not to mention the creative energy that explodes from scenes in \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=I6mgeYZHj5A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SA NGANDO<\/a>\u201d by Empereur who raps into the camera surrounded by hands of inmates painted red, dancers shaking in blue, comedic violence, loose legged jerking, all in the hectic decor of the prison. It\u2019s astonishing. Dione, who shot the video from the inside, has unprecedented access. \u201c<em>Dione is really loved in prison. Loved for real,<\/em>\u201d says Steve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>It gives them a focus,<\/em>\u201d says Dione of the work on Jail Time Records and Productions. \u201c<em>There\u2019s so much idleness in prison.<\/em>\u201d Dione has been filling the idle gaps with courses on photography and videography. One step at a time the students and inmates are able to take control, grab the camera, and produce something for themselves. Even Steve has benefited from this crash course. \u201c<em>She\u2019s holding the camera, I\u2019m holding the bags,<\/em>\u201d Steve laughs about their music video sessions. Steve, now a budding videographer says with a smile, \u201c<em>she gave me her blueprint.<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignwide is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Jail Time * Lala Badman - Ijo kolokolo (made in prison)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wilNzjhcRXQ?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/pan-african-music.com&#038;autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s an internal economy that shows promise. The more music that\u2019s produced, the greater the demand for videos, professionals to mix and master, promoters to push the sound, studio managers\u2026 it goes on. It\u2019s a positive counterbalance to the informal and illicit economies that dominate Cameroon\u2019s private sector which includes about 90% of the labor force and 50% of the GDP. As Jail Time Productions develops, with the help of international actors and the charitable donations necessary to get it off the ground, the structure provides an alternative to the illicit trade practices like smuggling, counterfeiting, and fraud that are accessible to ex-convicts but can lead one back behind bars.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>And there\u2019s reputable names turning heads. \u201c<em>It feels big and important with the international team involved,<\/em>\u201d Dione says of their work. The photography and music videos have gotten international press from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/bvjzm8\/jail-time-records-prison-recording-studio-africa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vice<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nts.live\/videos\/jail-time-records\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NTS<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/p097wrlv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BBC<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/crackmagazine.net\/article\/profiles\/jail-time-records-the-collective-running-a-record-label-inside-a-cameroonian-prison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Crack Magazine<\/a>. Dione\u2019s artistic vision, from the stark black and white photography to the physical music videos, are works of art in themselves. The context gives it meaning. \u201c<em>A lot of them were not that serious at music before or always did it out of love or hobby, but never really invested themselves. But now, they take it really seriously. And you see a huge change in the quality of the work from when they started,<\/em>\u201d Dione explains. \u201c<em>It\u2019s such a powerful message to the world.<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" id=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The work starts outside<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>At the end of the day it&#8217;s cool, all those videos and everything, but the center of the project is the human being,<\/em>\u201d Steve emphasizes. \u201c<em>It&#8217;s about reinsertion. We\u2019re trying to get them a life.<\/em>\u201d It didn\u2019t take long for Steve and Dione to realize that Jail Time had an even greater role to play on the outside. \u201c<em>When they&#8217;re in prison, they&#8217;re in prison,<\/em>\u201d says Steve, \u201c<em>all we can do is make them forget about the pain. But when you\u2019re out, you\u2019re working on the development of a human.<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Recidivism is a global phenomenon that judicial systems around the world seem inept to confront. Cameroon is no different. The reasons are many. Some may end up in prison for non-violent crimes of circumstance, like Djafar who Steve described as being at the \u201c<em>wrong place at the wrong time<\/em>\u201d without any official ID. But once inside it\u2019s easy to get caught up into the criminal underworld that maintains a vigilante order and offers pathways to petty cash and clout. A field survey from 2020 found that 47% of prisoners in Cameroon are serving at least their second sentence (<a href=\"https:\/\/abjournals.org\/african-journal-of-social-sciences-and-humanities-research-ajsshr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/journal\/published_paper\/volume-3\/issue-4\/AJSSHR_XJBWX4CO.pdf\">African British Journal<\/a>). There\u2019s also the stigma that follows former inmates once they reach the outside. Family members can reject those they see as criminals, employers are hesitant to offer opportunities, and old habits of drug use can crumble any wherewithal that may be left.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>And there\u2019s the hundred and one fastidious little tasks that need to get done regardless. \u201c<em>We find them a house when they&#8217;re outside. We find them a phone. They lose them all the time. And mostly we want to find them a job. And an ID card, which is the most difficult thing because they\u2019ve often lost their birth certificate,<\/em>\u201d says Steve, ever-patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_d0f222a1dbefbedbb015961feb910b91\" id=\"longform-section-block_d0f222a1dbefbedbb015961feb910b91\" class=\"section w-full relative grid grow-animate longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <video poster=\"  \" class=\"desktop-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Moussinghi-Outside.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video><video poster=\"  \" class=\" mobile-video w-full h-full object-cover h-screen w-screen left-0\" muted loop playsinline><source src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Moussinghi-Outside.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><\/video>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-black-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-980a0e18cd56e7c2bd1c445f24cbd280\">Moussinghi has been in and out of prison his entire life. During his last stint, which came after a violent interaction with the police, Moussinghi found Jail Time. Since his release he\u2019s been a hopeful case for reinsertion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\" pointer-events-none h-screen100 lg:h-screen100\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" id=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<p>Which doesn\u2019t mean things are easy, or the path to the good life is smooth. But so far Moussinghi has been able to remain on the outside, stay focused, and imagine that another alternative is possible. This spirit is incarnated on Moussinghi\u2019s track \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xf7bZv46Ev0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sacrifice<\/a>\u201d where he explains, \u201c<em>it\u2019s about where you get energy, where you start something, and believe in where you want to be tomorrow,<\/em>\u201d he continues, \u201c<em>I see changes coming. I\u2019ve got hope.<\/em>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Steve has given an emphasis on the development of skills through Jail Time. Computer literacy, production basics, recording, graphic design, administrative management, Jail Time has been trying to give the tools to inmates that allow them to run the project on their own. \u201c<em>A big part of my mission is to create autonomy,<\/em>\u201d says Steve, \u201c<em>that, without me, the studio still runs.<\/em>\u201d It\u2019s these kinds of skills, and the discipline required to master them, that can transform into real world opportunities. Each Jail Time member can play a role within the production entity of the collective, because making music is not just about who\u2019s behind the mic.&nbsp; \u201c<em>I started as a prisoner, I became a studio manager, now Djafar is the studio manager\u2026<\/em>\u201d Steve explains. \u201c<em>That aspect, education, I hold close to the heart.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" id=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A life beyond bars<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Histories are written. Sometimes they\u2019re carved onto stone walls, counting down days, names or initials. A scratch. Sometimes they\u2019re scars. Or tattoos with shoddy ink and dull needles. Sometimes they\u2019re written in sound. The testimony of spoken word. But even in the writing of history the truth is floating somewhere in-between. On another plane. Hidden in collective memory, or the dull patterns that take shape on tactile walls in the night. What can we know of a person from the markings on their chest? From a court stenographer\u2019s busy fingers? From the list of papers with <strong>CRIMINAL RECORD<\/strong> written in bold on top? And of a prison\u2026 where countless lives have passed. Where death and redemption live in close quarters. Who are we to know? Who are we to judge? Jail Time gives the space for those whose history is wrenched around their heart, tensed in the muscle beneath their skin. It\u2019s an opportunity to rewrite what was, to reform the hidden associations that we connect to the ideas of criminal and prison. It\u2019s a chance to realize how we are defined by what we see, and in turn, where we go from here. On empty audio workstations and quiet music studios, Jail Time is rewriting histories. In bureaucratic office buildings and noisy city streets, the collective is also allowing for new stories to exist. One outside of prison walls. Stories where we can be free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:150px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"Watch\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_ace6feeab28a2dc2ec1c56170bc9f657\" id=\"longform-section-block_ace6feeab28a2dc2ec1c56170bc9f657\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper here -->\n    <div class=\"relative z-10 single-column max-w-pam mx-auto\">\n        <div class=\"innercontent \">\n            \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">Watch the Off the Map documentary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">Steve Happi, freedom beats from Douala<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignwide is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Steve Happi, Douala hors les murs | Off the Map (Jail Time Records)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pCZtoUaveOs?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/pan-african-music.com&#038;autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:200px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section data-title=\"\" data-scoll-target=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" id=\"longform-section-block_b4a6bd4009a3f4c69a0f3214e2b007b5\" class=\"section w-full relative grid  longform-section \" style=\"\">\n    <!-- Pinned wrapper here -->\n        <div class=\"pinned-wrapper pointer-events-none\">\n        <div class=\"pinned h-screen w-full \">\n            <div class=\"h-screen w-full longform-section\" style=\"\">\n                <div class=\"w-full h-full h-screen w-screen left-0\"><\/div>                <div class=\"desktop fadedImagesWrapper \"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile fadedImagesWrapper\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Content wrapper 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focus:outline-none relative flex items-center justify-between border-2 border-transparent group-focus-within:border-black\">Follow Jail Time Records \n<svg class=\"w-6 h-6 absolute top-4 right-2 group-focus-within:rotate-180 transition-transform ease-out duration-500\t\" width=\"19\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 12\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<line x1=\"1.30907\" y1=\"1.93934\" x2=\"10.3091\" y2=\"10.9393\" stroke=\"black\" stroke-width=\"3\"\/>\n<line x1=\"8.18775\" y1=\"10.9393\" x2=\"17.1878\" y2=\"1.93934\" stroke=\"black\" stroke-width=\"3\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"hidden bg-white  -mt-0.5 border-solid border-2 border-black group-focus-within:block list-none absolute w-full z-10 shadow-lg animate-slideIn after:hidden pb-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jail_time_records\/\">Instagram<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/1gJjBcVkQdlojnn8h5SsnQ?si=s5HeBwZ1TIOf6yFPkPdI6Q\">Spotify<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@jail.time.records?lang=en\">TikTok<\/a><\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div tabindex=\"0\" class=\"group relative inline-block font-sansplomb\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\" min-w-max font-sansplomb pl-2 pb-2 pt-0 pr-12 text-40 bg-headerBg text-black font-bold focus:outline-none relative flex items-center justify-between border-2 border-transparent group-focus-within:border-black\">Follow the Jail Time team  \n<svg class=\"w-6 h-6 absolute top-4 right-2 group-focus-within:rotate-180 transition-transform ease-out duration-500\t\" width=\"19\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 12\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<line x1=\"1.30907\" y1=\"1.93934\" x2=\"10.3091\" y2=\"10.9393\" stroke=\"black\" stroke-width=\"3\"\/>\n<line x1=\"8.18775\" y1=\"10.9393\" x2=\"17.1878\" y2=\"1.93934\" stroke=\"black\" stroke-width=\"3\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"hidden bg-white  -mt-0.5 border-solid border-2 border-black group-focus-within:block list-none absolute w-full z-10 shadow-lg animate-slideIn after:hidden pb-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vidou_h\/\">Steve Happi<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dioneroach\/\">Dione Roach<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/d.o.x_flowww\/\">D.O.X.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/belgieludrovic\/\">Stone Larabik<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/empereur_maxi_ouragan\/\">Empereur<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jail_time_records\/\">Djafar<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jejeofficial01\/\">Jeje<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kengol.dj\/\">Kengol DJ<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/transporteurhamadou\/\">Tranporteur<\/a><\/li><li class=\"py-2 px-4 cursor-pointer text-30 leading-none\"><a class=\"border-black border-b-2 hover:border-solid\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jail_time_records\/\">Moussinghi<\/a><\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"font-sansplomb p-2 text-40 mt-8\">About the author<\/h2>\n\t\t<div class=\"pl-2 font-sansplomb [&#038;_p]:font-sansplomb text-30 [&#038;_p]:text-left leading-heading\">Christian Askin is an American journalist from Arizona and editor of Pan African Music.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"font-sansplomb p-2 text-40 mt-8\">Credits<\/h2>\n\t\t<div class=\"pl-2 font-sansplomb [&#038;_p]:font-sansplomb text-30 [&#038;_p]:text-left leading-heading mb-0\">Video &#038; Photography: Dione Roach <br \/>\r\nTranslation &#038; Proofreading: Kino Sousa<br \/>\r\nEditing: Vladimir Cagnolari <br \/>\r\nColoration: Hazem Berrabah<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"font-sansplomb p-2 text-40 mt-8\">Partenaires<\/h2>\n    <ul class=\"flex gap-4 flex-wrap lg:flex-nowrap pl-2\">\n                    <li>\n\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"759\" height=\"164\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cnc-logo-759x164.png\" class=\"w-24 h-24 object-contain\" alt=\"\" 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<\/ul>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n<\/footer>\n\n\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Enter the Central Prison of Douala and meet Jail Time Records, a label for current and former detainees that reimagines the stigma around incarceration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":128788,"template":"","categories":[7833],"tags":[41349],"yst_prominent_words":[9178,8414,8447,8933,8402,8435,14755,25175,9006,16250,8543,8438,8449],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pamlongform\/128759"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pamlongform"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/pamlongform"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128759"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=128759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}