Kanye West has made a special appearance at a Texas jail, performing tracks from his Jesus His King album for a number of the facility’s inmates.
Back in January of 1968, Johnny Cash made history by releasing At Folsom Prison, the first album recorded live in a US state prison.
While Cash had performed a number of performances at similar facilities over the years, this kicked off something of a trend, with the likes of big-name artists such as BB King and Metallica performing at other prisons, with the latter even filming their ‘St. Anger’ video at the San Quentin State Prison in 2003.
Now, Kanye West has become the latest artist to take his music behind the high walls, with a pair of high-security performances taking place on Friday.
After kicking off with one performance for more than 200 men at the 701 San Jacinto building, @kanyewest ducked down into the underground tunnel and turned up in the main Baker Street jail to do a second show for a smaller crowd of women. https://t.co/VNJqoq3Ult pic.twitter.com/95ZFVWQ0HC
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) November 15, 2019
On this date, @kanyewest visits @HCSOTexas jail system. “This is a mission, not a show”- Kanye
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— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) November 15, 2019
Say what you want about the man. But @kanyewest and his choir brought some light to people who needed it today at the Harris County Jail. pic.twitter.com/ornRlEldNP
— Jason Spencer (@JSpencer_PR) November 15, 2019
What @kanyewest does to inspire the incarcerated is transformative.
Saving one soul at a time.
Inmates who turn to God may get released earlier b/c of good behavior & may be less likely to commit future crimes.
It would be great if other artists followed Kanye’s lead. https://t.co/kK3cTk8dtp
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 16, 2019
As The Houston Chronicle reports, Kanye West and his entourage descended upon the Harris County jail in Houston, Texas late last week to perform a pair of secret performances for inmates.
With West and his fellow musicians decked out in similar outfits, the first performance took place before a crowd of more than 200 men. “This is a mission, not a show,” West told the crowd, ensuring that his motives were not misconstrued as a media stunt.
After wrapping up the first show, the musicians travelled through an underground tunnel to make an appearance at the women’s prison for a second, smaller performance.
Speaking after the performance, CNN reports that a number of officials were supportive of West’s performances and thanked the artist for this philanthropic work.
“Say what you want about the man, but Kanye West and his choir brought some light to people who needed it today at the Harris County Jail,” explained Jason Spencer, a public affairs director for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Likewise, Texas’ Governor Greg Abbott also voiced his support, noting that it would “great if other artists followed Kanye’s lead.”
“What Kanye West does to inspire the incarcerated is transformative,” he continued. “Saving one soul at a time. Inmates who turn to God may get released earlier [because] of good behavior & may be less likely to commit future crimes.”
Check out ‘Follow God’ by Kanye West:
