Hip-Hop Megastar Jim Jones Puts out Video Calling on Spitzer to Reform Racist Rock Drug Laws

Harsh mandatory minimum sentences. Extreme racial disparities. Mass incarceration. Lack of affordable drug treatment. Loss of civil liberties. Destruction of families. A waste of billions of taxpayer dollars. What is it? If you guessed 'war on drugs', you'd be right. But would you have guessed that one of the hottest hip hop stars in the country has just released a new song and video calling for an end to this war?

Today marks the 34th anniversary of New York's draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws. New York's laws carry national significance, because they provided the model for the drug war, which is America's longest running war. Under the Rockefeller Drug Laws and the failed drug war, our country addresses drug use and abuse as a criminal issue, not a public health issue. Disaster and destruction has been the result.

But the call for reform is getting louder every day, and the movement for reform is growing. In observance of the anniversary of the failed Rockefeller Drug Laws, hip-hop megastar Jim Jones just released his new rap single, "Lockdown, USA," which calls for real reform of the RDLs and an end to the war on drugs. Jones joined with the Drug Policy Alliance in the campaign to win real reform of the RDL's. You can watch the video on DPA's website here. The song is a single from the forthcoming documentary, Lockdown, USA.

In the song, Jones gives a history of the drug war in New York and calls upon NY Governor Elliot Spitzer directly to enact key reforms. This is fitting, because while campaigning for Governor, Spitzer was clear that he supported real reform of the laws. Since his election, Spitzer has been eerily silent on this position on the Rockefeller Drug Laws. So what gives?

The problem is certainly extreme enough to warrant the governor's attention. In New York, over 14,000 people are incarcerated under the Rockefeller Drug Laws. And despite the fact that drug use is equal across racial categories, a staggering 91% of those incarcerated under the Rockefeller Drug Laws are Black and Latino. Nationally, there are over 2.3 million people in U.S. prisons and jails -- almost 500,000 of whom are incarcerated for drug charges.

Jim Jones, a member of the popular hip hop crew The Diplomats, rocketed to stardom on the success of his smash hit, "We Fly High," the number one rap single on the Billboard Monitor Rap Chart, from the number one album on the Billboard Independent Chart, Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment). Raised in Harlem -- a community that has been hard-hit by the failed Rockefeller Drug Laws -- Jones has seen first-hand the racially discriminatory impact of the war on drugs, making his call for reform on "Lockdown, USA" that much more meaningful.

The new song and video are being released as part of the effort to win real reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. DPA chairs Real Reform New York, a coalition made up of dozens of organizations representing thousands of community members, activists, advocates, policy and treatment experts, survivors, their friends and families. The coalition seeks to replace the ineffective Rockefeller Drug Laws with cost effective, community-based alternatives that promote real justice and public safety.

Earlier this year, under pressure from the coalition, the New York State Assembly passed a bill that would enact real reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Advocates are looking to Spitzer to use his leadership power to finally get rid of the racist laws, and Spitzer now has the opportunity to make good on his promise of real reform by urging the State Senate to act.

Hopefully, the song and video will push Spitzer to keep his promise. Jones is currently one of the top hip-hop artists in America. His songs are being played around the world. When a high-profile star like Jones cuts a politically charged song and video--and then releases them, free, for use by the movement -- it's a strong sign that the ground is shifting. Jones should be commended for his contribution. Combining Jim Jones's star power and song/video with the organizing strategy of Real Reform New York may mean that the Rockefeller Drug Laws are finally on their way out. Jones has provided a theme song for the movement as we organize from the streets all the way into the State House. We're just waiting for the governor to follow through.