Hip-Hop Lives Here
Hip-Hop Lives Here
New York City, NY - Meek Mill has had his say on the video footage of prison inmate Robert Brooks being beaten by correctional officers shortly before his death.
Bodycam footage of the incident at Marcy Correctional Facility has been released to the public after 13 guards beat Brooks while he was handcuffed in a medical room with the inmate dying a day later.
Brooks’ death was ruled a result of “asphyxia due to compression of the neck”. It is not known what led to him being taken to the medical room.
Meek, who was previously incarcerated himself, and since become active in prison reform, hit out at the conduct seen in the video.
He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “I never fully watched this til today … this what it is for Black men in America if you get caught without them cameras around. If you been to jail b4 you seen this with your own eyes!”
As a result of the incident, New York governor Kathy Hochul has announced the firing of 13 prison officers involved in the incident as well as one nurse.
Hochul added in a statement: “The state of New York has zero tolerance for individuals who break the law, and I am committed to holding everyone involved fully accountable.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James has also opened an investigation into Brooks’ death.
James also said: “I release the videos because I have a responsibility and duty to provide the Brooks family, their loved ones, and all New Yorkers with transparency and accountability.”
Brooks was reportedly serving a 12 year sentence for first-degree assault and had only been transferred to the New York prison on the day of the incident.
Brooks’ family have since hired legal representation and said in a statement: “He deserved to live, and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff.”
The prison was criticized in a report by Correctional Association of New York last year which found instances of “pervasive allegations of racial discrimination” such as Black inmates being refused entry to mess halls and “mistreatment by staff”.
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Teyana Taylor believes stepping away from music for five years was one of the best decisions she could have made, saying she has since watched her prayers come true.
The singer and One Battle After Another actress announced her retirement from music in 2020 after becoming frustrated with the lack of support from her record label for her third release, The Album.
During her time away from the music industry, Taylor turned her attention to acting and built an impressive screen career, appearing in films including A Thousand and One, Coming 2 America and One Battle After Another, as well as the television series All's Fair.
Looking back on the decision, the 34 year old told ELLE for its Women in Hollywood issue that she was thankful she had found the courage to walk away, even without knowing what would come next.
“I have a lot of gratitude for how I am able to see all of my prayers answered, all of the tears wiped. It was tough because I said I retired, and I didn't know what was next. I was afraid, but I wasn't afraid to take the leap,” she explained. “I've always had a strong relationship with God and felt him saying, 'Okay, do you trust me? I know you've been trusting, but do you really, really trust me? You ready to let me take that teddy bear from you so I can give you something bigger and better?'”
Speaking about her upcoming feature directorial debut, Get Lite, Taylor added that her ambitions behind the camera were also beginning to become a reality. “I told y'all that one day I'm going to be a big director, and (the fact that) that is coming to fruition shows his power.”
Taylor made her musical comeback in August with her fourth studio album, Escape Room, which she has described as her most personal and emotionally open work so far.
Although she has returned to music, Taylor continues to pursue acting, with upcoming appearances in The Rip, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and 72 Hours, which features Kevin Hart.
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