The story of Kalief Browder is disheartening and has now reached more people through the recent docu-series produced by Jay Z and TIME. Kalief Browder was a young man arrested at the age of 16 for alleged robbery and imprisoned without conviction for three years. He spent those years at Rikers Island, with nearly two-thirds of that being in solitary confinement. Browder was released in 2013 from Rikers after the charges were dropped and eventually took his own life in 2015 in his home at Bronx at just 22 years old.
Maino has been in a similar situation when he was 16 years of age. The documentary has inspired him to create a new song where he lets his frustrations out. Listen to ‘The Ghost Of Kalief Browder’ below.
I realize everyone won’t be able to relate to this one. But this story, His story really hit home for me. I watched the documentary and It brought back so many memories of Pain and loss. Suffering and Hopelessness. You see like Kalief, I too was incarcerated at 16 years old and walked the same corridors and lived in the same housing Units as he did. I also spent years in solitary confinement. Everyday I realize that I am blessed to have made it past those circumstances and to be free, continuously striving. But everybody is affected differently, and i guess he wasn’t able to continue his path any longer. Some people will never know wut it is to have their liberty taken from them. To live in a cell for 23 hrs a day for months and months. To be fed thru a food slot. To try to keep hope in a hopeless environment. Trying to feel alive in a dead place. Man!!! I was so moved by this story it inspired me. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of Kalief Browders. And for them I made this. Salute. Stay strong. Stay alive #TheGhostOfKaliefBrowder
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