Prison Song
Encyclopedia
- For other meanings of Prison Song please see Prison Song (disambiguation)Prison Song (disambiguation)Prison Song or Prison Songs may mean or refer to:* Prison Song, a 2001 film in the United States* Prison Song , a musical genre in Chinese Rock* "Prison Song ", a song by the band System of a Down...
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Prison Song is a 2001 United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prison film about a boy brought up in group homes with a gift and passion for art.
Overview
The film centers around a character named Elijah (Q-Tip), who is an adolescent (Justin 'DJ Jus' Spaulding) at the story’s outset. His mother (Mary J. BligeMary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
) is a hard-working woman who’s spent the last several years attending night school – with the eventual goal of becoming a lawyer. But given that she’s from a lower class area, she’s having a tough time finding employment as a legal secretary. Her fiance, Cee (Harold Perrineau), a photographer and supporter of the family who has a genuine bond with Elijah later is incarcerated after assaulting an officer who began harassing him on a street corner where he was working taking pictures of pedestirans that passed by. He ends up serving twenty-five to life term for having three consecutive charges.
Later that night Elijah finds himself incarcerated at a juvenile correctional facility for a prank played on a police officer. When his mother comes to get him and is told he could not be released Elijah is taken from her with both trying their best to get to one another. She assaults an officer by stabbing him with a pen and then is taken off to a mental institution. The officer she assaulted tried to stop her when she tries to take Elijah out of the facility. Elijah has one visit with his mother who is unaware of her surroundings due to obvious medication given from the facility. Elijah goes to bed that night with visions of Cee getting arrested and his mother being taken away. The film picks up years later, and Elijah is now a sensitive adult with dreams of becoming an artist. He’s offered a spot at a prestigious art school under scholarship, but it gets taken away and is now unable to afford the tuition. Much to the chagrin of Cee who Elijah still see's through prison visits, Elijah considers a foray into the world of drug dealing. Though he eventually decides against that route, he winds up in jail for accidentally killing one of his foster brothers Big Pete (Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
) by pushing him on to the subway tracks during an altercation. It’s there that Elijah is faced with a prison term of fifteen to life and endures hardships throughout his prison sentence. He gets the chance to escape but goes back and helps a friend. He ends up getting stuck in between a four wall fence and is shot his art later ends up going in an art gallery.
Production
On the basis of his appearances on The Howard Stern Show, Insane Clown PosseInsane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
member Joseph Bruce
Joseph Bruce
Joseph Frank "Joe" Bruce is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler and actor. Bruce is most commonly known as Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse . He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Joseph Utsler and their former manager,...
was offered a role as a bigoted prison guard, described by the producers as "a big white dude with urban slang to his voice". Bruce turned the role down because he did not want to play a racist.
Cast
- Q-TipQ-Tip (rapper)Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
- Elijah - Mary J. BligeMary J. BligeMary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
- Elijah's mother - Harold Perrineau - Uncle Cee
- Fat JoeFat JoeJoseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
- Big Pete - N.O.R.E.N.O.R.E.Victor Santiago, Jr., best known by his stage name N.O.R.E. or Noreaga , is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent...
- Big Ski - Brian Anthony WilsonBrian Anthony WilsonBrian Anthony Wilson is an American film and television actor. He first appeared in the 1997 film The Postman as Woody....
- Prison C.O. (as Brian A. Wilson) - SnowSnow (musician)Darrin O'Brien , better known by his stage name Snow, is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rap and reggae musician. He is best known for his 1992 single "Informer", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.-Life and work:...
- Officer McIntyre - Danny HochDanny HochDanny Hoch is an American writer, director and performance artist. He has acted in larger roles in independent and art house movies and had a few small roles in mainstream Hollywood films, with increasing exposure as in 2007's We Own the Night...
- Harris