Mumia Abu-Jamal in popular culture

There are examples from 1995 to the present time of references to Mumia Abu-Jamal being given exposure in notable popular music recordings and musical performances. KRS One, Chumbawamba, Rage Against the Machine, Unbound Allstars, Saul Williams, Anti-flag, Immortal Technique and Snoop Dogg are among artists to have authored those references. He and his case have been the subject of three documentary films and a shorter 20/20 television special which aired shortly after the 27th anniversary of his apprehension.

The references and treatment evoke him either as a representative of death row prisoners in the United States, as a revolutionary, as a man either deservingly or undeservingly subject to punishment, or as a convicted murderer capable of enlisting others to the cause of maintaining his life and opposing the imposition of capital punishment.

Music

• In 1995 rapper KRS One released the album 'KRS-One (album)' featuring the song, "Free Mumia".
• In 1997 (December 10), English band Chumbawamba performed the song "Tubthumping" on the Late Show with David Letterman. Shortly before performing, the band decided to replace one of the choruses with a stripped down chant of "Free Mumia Abu-Jamal". While it was assumed by the band that this would be edited out of the broadcast version, it was broadcast as performed.
• In 1999 the band Rage Against The Machine released a song called 'Voice of the Voiceless' on their album The Battle of Los Angeles
• In 1999 Without Apology released the support album 'Reggae Free Mumia'.
• In 1999 the one-off collaboration of various hip-hop and rock artists Unbound Allstars released the LP 'Mumia 911'.
• In 2001 Saul Williams released "Penny for a Thought" on his album Amethyst Rock Star.The song contains the line "How much will it cost to free Mumia? Who do I make checks payable to?"
• In 2002 the band Anti-Flag released a song called 'Mumia's Song' on their Mobilize album. The song Vices on their 2008 Album Bright Lights of America features a recording of Abu-Jamal speaking about the US Prison System.
• In 2002 the hip-hop group Jurassic 5 released a song on their Power In Numbers album entitled 'Freedom', which includes the line 'Got people screamin' "free Mumia Jamal" / But two out of three of ya'll will probably be at the mall'
• In 2003, rapper Immortal Technique released the album Revolutionary Vol. 2 which was endorsed by Mumia Abu-Jamal, who introduces the album ("Revolutionary Intro" track 1) and also provides a speech about hip hop's relationship to Homeland security in the track "Homeland and Hip Hop".
• In 2005 (recorded 2004) rapper Immortal Technique released a 12" vinyl called 'Bin Laden Remix (Bin Laden Pt. 2)' which was produced by DJ Green Lantern, featuring Chuck D and KRS 1, Mos Def and Eminem. Track 7 on the record was called 'The War Vs. Us All by Mumia Abu-Jamal.
• In 2008 Snoop Dogg recorded a track with Massive Attack called 'Calling Mumia'. It was recorded under the alias of '100 Suns' and features on the soundtrack of the 2007 documentary 'In Prison My Whole Life' which revolves around the life of Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Film

Anti-Mumia

• 1998 December 9, - ABC 20/20 special with Sam Donaldson
• 2009 Documentary - The Barrel of a Gun by Tigre Hill

Pro-Mumia

• 1997 Documentary - Mumia Abu Jamal: A Case For Reasonable Doubt?
• 2001 Documentary - Framing an Execution: The Media & Mumia Abu-Jamal (a response to ABC's December 9 1998 20/20 special with Sam Donaldson)
• 2008 Documentary - In Prison My Whole Life - by William Francome with Colin Firth as executive producer

Sources and further reading

by Abu-Jamal, Mumia

• • Live from Death Row. HarperTrade, 1996. ISBN 978-0-380-72766-7
  • Ich Schreibe um zu Leben. Zeugnisse eines zum Tode Verurteilten (I Write to live. Testimonies of a Person Sentenced to Death). Atlantik (Bremen), 1997. ISBN 978-3-926529-20-6
  • All Things Censored. Seven Stories Press, 2000. ISBN 978-1-58322-022-1
  • Das Imperium kennt kein Gesetz (The Empire Knows No Law). Atlantik (Bremen), 2002. ISBN 978-3-926529-59-6
  • Death Blossoms: Reflections from a Prisoner of Conscience. South End Press, 2003. ISBN 978-0-89608-699-9
  • Faith of Our Fathers: An Examination of the Spiritual Life of African and African-American People. Africa World Press, 2003. ISBN 978-1-59221-019-0
  • We Want Freedom: A Life in the Black Panther Party. South End Press, 2004. ISBN 978-0-89608-718-7

Pro-Mumia

• 1995 - Race for Justice: Mumia Abu-Jamal's Fight Against the Death Penalty by Weinglass, Leonard. Common Courage Press, 1995. ISBN 978-1-56751-070-6
• 1996 - In Defense of Mumia: An Anthology of Prose, Poetry and Art by S. E. Anderson and Tony Medina. New York : Writers & Readers Publishing, Inc.
• 2000 - On a Move: The Story of Mumia Abu-Jamal by Bisson, Terry. Litmus Books, 2000. ISBN 978-0-87486-901-9
• 2001 - The Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Life in the Balance by Amnesty International. (Open Media Pamphlet Series). Open Media, 2001. ISBN 978-1-58322-081-8
• 2002 - Executing Justice: An Inside Account of the Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal by Williams, Daniel R. St. Martin's Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0-375-76124-9
• 2002 - Killing Time:: An Investigation into the Death Row Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. by Lindorff, David. Common Courage Press, 2002. ISBN 978-1-56751-228-1
• 2006 - Race Against Death. Mumia Abu-Jamal: a Black Revolutionary in White America by Schiffmann, Michael (Wettlauf gegen den Tod: Mumia Abu-Jamal - Ein schwarzer Revolutionär im weissen Amerika), Promedia, Wien;
• 2008 - The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal by O'Connor, J. Patrick Lawrence Hill Books

Anti-Mumia

• 2006 - Mumia Abu Jamal: The Patron Saint of American Cop Killers by Hayden, John. iUniverse, 2006. ISBN 978-0-595-38474-7
• 2007 - Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice by Faulkner, Maureen, Smerconish, Michael A.. The Lyons Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1-59921-376-7

References