variety.com
10.03.2024 / 00:13
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‘Songs From the Hole’ Review: The Mesmerizing Story of a Rap Album Created Behind Bars That Helped a Convict Find Redemption
Todd Gilchrist editor Visual albums — a bunch of videos strung together to commemorate the release of new work from a musical artist — typically either feel like shameless promotion or a vanity project. “Songs From the Hole” not only earns the label honestly, but actually takes this co-called next-level artistic endeavor to, well, another level: Chronicling the incarceration of James “JJ’88” Jacobs, who went to jail at age 15 for murder, co-writer and director Contessa Gayles combines nakedly vulnerable reflections from Jacobs with poetic recreations for a deeply affecting experience, both musically and dramatically.