How to Stay Free When You Were Born Into a Life of Crime
In the penultimate episode of our 'Track Change' podcast, Devonte James comes home from jail, knowing full well he's "gotta break these chains" of his troubled past.
Devonte James has had an incredibly hard life. He was born to a mother who was a drug dealer and user, and he has been in and out of incarceration himself since juvey. With their shared criminal history and recent setbacks, mother and son are rooting for each other to turn a corner, as you’ll hear in episode four of Narratively’s new podcast, Track Change.
In the episode, Devonte records music with our host, Speech Thomas, Grammy-winning frontman of the hip-hop collective Arrested Development, in a makeshift studio in Virginia’s Richmond City Jail, on the eve of Devonte’s release. The young man’s wounded yet hopeful lyrics in his song “Broken Chains” seem directed as much at himself as they are at others:
The world counted me out
Thinking I’m just another Black man looking for just another hand out.
I'm gonna prove ‘em wrong and succeed, the power lies in me …
So listen to these words when you feeling like life is over
I said, listen to these words when you feeling like life is over, hold up
The only question is, will Devonte’s own message ring true to him when times inevitably get tough?
Hear his story by listening to the newest episode of Track Change. Subscribe at NPR, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.