›

So I was watching a documentary about Angola,LA...

The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
edited June 2005 in Strut Central
So I was watching a documentary about Angola prison in Louisiana the other day and dude was playing the "Jesus Walks" gospel OG on Christmas from prison. Anyone see this? Was this Kanye West's inspiration for doing that song, or just a coincidence? Angola's history and inner workings are fascinating. To anyone who has seen this, I found it to be kinda bugged that this one dude in the movie in the 1970s was put in a 7-8 man lineup IN HANDCUFFS (the only one in handcuffs) and showed the evidence to the parole board. He walks out and the middle parole board review chair was like, "No doubt in my mind he did this." Dudes shook their heads in agreement.Was very surreal to me. Anyway, Kanye connection anyone? Super duper late pass needed on this? Thanks and peaceT.N.

  Comments

  • ayresayres 1,452 Posts
    Kanye got the sample (and lyrics) from Rhymefest, so you gotta ask him.
  • aleitaleit 1,915 Posts
    Was it "The Farm"? Quite a good documentary if so. I showed it to a high school class I taught while living in Michigan. A guy I work closely with down here in Louisiana, who is a constant inspiration, was featured in the film. He was released after serving close to 30 years and is perhaps one of the most positive folks i've met in my life and does amazing work.

    Angola's hx is incredibly fucked up. You might also check out a book called "Worse that Slavery" by David Oshinsky that details the history of Parchman Prison in Mississippi which had a somewhat parallel history to Angola. The overnight capture of freed slaves and the transformation of one institution of slavery to the next- convict leasing- to the next- the southern prison farm, built on former plantations. This is the legacy.
  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    Hey Ar*,
    It was The Farm. Is your dude Logan? Dude seems cool. What also fascinated me about the doc (I had read stuff and seen other docs about Angola) was how people find God and really get into religion in jail when they're doing life. If I was doing a life sentence, I dunno if I would be into the God thang. I was thinking maybe Kanye was watching this way back when post 98 and got inspired by it.
    1
    T.N.
  • aleitaleit 1,915 Posts
    no, it wasn't logan. i'll pm you with the name out of courtesy.

    folks all find different ways to cope w/ their time. some find god, others art, politics, phsyical fitness, some find dead ends, you name it.

    i have learned so much from folks inside over the years- constantly challening perspectives on how to see the world and being thankful for the freedom we take for granted.

    the gates are probably more to keep you out than them inside.
  • Mike_BellMike_Bell 5,736 Posts
    Didn't Gil Scott Heron record a song titled "Angola, LA"?
  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    Yes, or something along those lines...
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    yo ari, was b---- or shana involved in this documentary at all? did the one on the nola panther party ever finish?


    u.s.a. - land of the free (unless you check our population thats incarcerated)
Sign In or Register to comment.