[kj] OT: Gangsta rap = ploy to populate private prisons for $?

[Brendan Quinn]

Had this forwarded to me by my mate at work.won't be news to some, but
thought some of you might like it. It's about a supposed plan to promote
gangsta rap in order to generate $ from private prisons. Conspiracy theory
stuff for sure.




Hello,

After more than 20 years, I've finally decided to tell the world what I
witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in
popular music, and ultimately American society. I have struggled for a long
time weighing the pros and cons of making this story public as I was
reluctant to implicate the individuals who were present that day. So I've
simply decided to leave out names and all the details that may risk my
personal well being and that of those who were, like me, dragged into
something they weren't ready for.

Between the late 80's and early 90's, I was what you may call a "decision
maker" with one of the more established company in the music industry. I
came from Europe in the early 80's and quickly established myself in the
business. The industry was different back then. Since technology and media
weren't accessible to people like they are today, the industry had more
control over the public and had the means to influence them anyway it
wanted. This may explain why in early 1991, I was invited to attend a closed
door meeting with a small group of music business insiders to discuss rap
music's new direction. Little did I know that we would be asked to
participate in one of the most unethical and destructive business practice
I've ever seen.

The meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them familiar faces.
Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of the meeting as many of
us did not care for rap music and failed to see the purpose of being invited
to a private gathering to discuss its future. Among the attendees was a
small group of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt
to socialize beyond their circle. Based on their behavior and formal
appearances, they didn't seem to be in our industry. Our casual chatter was
interrupted when we were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement
preventing us from publicly discussing the information presented during the
meeting. Needless to say, this intrigued and in some cases disturbed many of
us. The agreement was only a page long but very clear on the matter and
consequences which stated that violating the terms would result in job
termination. We asked several people what this meeting was about and the
reason for such secrecy but couldn't find anyone who had answers for us. A
few people refused to sign and walked out. No one stopped them. I was
tempted to follow but curiosity got the best of me. A man who was part of
the "unfamiliar" group collected the agreements from us.

Quickly after the meeting began, one of my industry colleagues (who shall
remain nameless like everyone else) thanked us for attending. He then gave
the floor to a man who only introduced himself by first name and gave no
further details about his personal background. I think he was the owner of
the residence but it was never confirmed. He briefly praised all of us for
the success we had achieved in our industry and congratulated us for being
selected as part of this small group of "decision makers". At this point I
begin to feel slightly uncomfortable at the strangeness of this gathering.
The subject quickly changed as the speaker went on to tell us that the
respective companies we represented had invested in a very profitable
industry which could become even more rewarding with our active involvement.
He explained that the companies we work for had invested millions into the
building of privately owned prisons and that our positions of influence in
the music industry would actually impact the profitability of these
investments. I remember many of us in the group immediately looking at each
other in confusion. At the time, I didn't know what a private prison was but
I wasn't the only one. Sure enough, someone asked what these prisons were
and what any of this had to do with us. We were told that these prisons were
built by privately owned companies who received funding from the government
based on the number of inmates. The more inmates, the more money the
government would pay these prisons. It was also made clear to us that since
these prisons are privately owned, as they become publicly traded, we'd be
able to buy shares. Most of us were taken back by this. Again, a couple of
people asked what this had to do with us. At this point, my industry
colleague who had first opened the meeting took the floor again and answered
our questions. He told us that since our employers had become silent
investors in this prison business, it was now in their interest to make sure
that these prisons remained filled. Our job would be to help make this
happen by marketing music which promotes criminal behavior, rap being the
music of choice. He assured us that this would be a great situation for us
because rap music was becoming an increasingly profitable market for our
companies, and as employee, we'd also be able to buy personal stocks in
these prisons. Immediately, silence came over the room. You could have heard
a pin drop. I remember looking around to make sure I wasn't dreaming and saw
half of the people with dropped jaws. My daze was interrupted when someone
shouted, "Is this a f****** joke?" At this point things became chaotic. Two
of the men who were part of the "unfamiliar" group grabbed the man who
shouted out and attempted to remove him from the house. A few of us, myself
included, tried to intervene. One of them pulled out a gun and we all backed
off. They separated us from the crowd and all four of us were escorted
outside. My industry colleague who had opened the meeting earlier hurried
out to meet us and reminded us that we had signed agreement and would suffer
the consequences of speaking about this publicly or even with those who
attended the meeting. I asked him why he was involved with something this
corrupt and he replied that it was bigger than the music business and
nothing we'd want to challenge without risking consequences. We all
protested and as he walked back into the house I remember word for word the
last thing he said, "It's out of my hands now. Remember you signed an
agreement." He then closed the door behind him. The men rushed us to our
cars and actually watched until we drove off.

A million things were going through my mind as I drove away and I eventually
decided to pull over and park on a side street in order to collect my
thoughts. I replayed everything in my mind repeatedly and it all seemed very
surreal to me. I was angry with myself for not having taken a more active
role in questioning what had been presented to us. I'd like to believe the
shock of it all is what suspended my better nature. After what seemed like
an eternity, I was able to calm myself enough to make it home. I didn't talk
or call anyone that night. The next day back at the office, I was visibly
out of it but blamed it on being under the weather. No one else in my
department had been invited to the meeting and I felt a sense of guilt for
not being able to share what I had witnessed. I thought about contacting the
3 others who wear kicked out of the house but I didn't remember their names
and thought that tracking them down would probably bring unwanted attention.
I considered speaking out publicly at the risk of losing my job but I
realized I'd probably be jeopardizing more than my job and I wasn't willing
to risk anything happening to my family. I thought about those men with guns
and wondered who they were? I had been told that this was bigger than the
music business and all I could do was let my imagination run free. There
were no answers and no one to talk to. I tried to do a little bit of
research on private prisons but didn't uncover anything about the music
business' involvement. However, the information I did find confirmed how
dangerous this prison business really was. Days turned into weeks and weeks
into months. Eventually, it was as if the meeting had never taken place. It
all seemed surreal. I became more reclusive and stopped going to any
industry events unless professionally obligated to do so. On two occasions,
I found myself attending the same function as my former colleague. Both
times, our eyes met but nothing more was exchanged. 

As the months passed, rap music had definitely changed direction. I was
never a fan of it but even I could tell the difference. Rap acts that talked
about politics or harmless fun were quickly fading away as gangster rap
started dominating the airwaves. Only a few months had passed since the
meeting but I suspect that the ideas presented that day had been
successfully implemented. It was as if the order has been given to all major
label executives. The music was climbing the charts and most companies when
more than happy to capitalize on it. Each one was churning out their very
own gangster rap acts on an assembly line. Everyone bought into it,
consumers included. Violence and drug use became a central theme in most rap
music. I spoke to a few of my peers in the industry to get their opinions on
the new trend but was told repeatedly that it was all about supply and
demand. Sadly many of them even expressed that the music reinforced their
prejudice of minorities.

I officially quit the music business in 1993 but my heart had already left
months before. I broke ties with the majority of my peers and removed myself
from this thing I had once loved. I took some time off, returned to Europe
for a few years, settled out of state, and lived a "quiet" life away from
the world of entertainment. As the years passed, I managed to keep my
secret, fearful of sharing it with the wrong person but also a little
ashamed of not having had the balls to blow the whistle. But as rap got
worse, my guilt grew. Fortunately, in the late 90's, having the internet as
a resource which wasn't at my disposal in the early days made it easier for
me to investigate what is now labeled the prison industrial complex. Now
that I have a greater understanding of how private prisons operate, things
make much more sense than they ever have. I see how the criminalization of
rap music played a big part in promoting racial stereotypes and misguided so
many impressionable young minds into adopting these glorified criminal
behaviors which often lead to incarceration. Twenty years of guilt is a
heavy load to carry but the least I can do now is to share my story, hoping
that fans of rap music realize how they've been used for the past 2 decades.
Although I plan on remaining anonymous for obvious reasons, my goal now is
to get this information out to as many people as possible. Please help me
spread the word. Hopefully, others who attended the meeting back in 1991
will be inspired by this and tell their own stories. Most importantly, if
only one life has been touched by my story, I pray it makes the weight of my
guilt a little more tolerable.

Thank you.

Sent from my iPhone
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