America’s prison system has made an impact on just about every part of our culture – including our music. Through the stories of five musicians, Colin Asher’s The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music looks at the ways discriminative policing, perceptions of criminality, and mass incarceration have shaped blues, country, rap, and hip-hop throughout the 20th century. Joined by the Marshall Project’s Maurice Chammah, Asher shares insights and stories from the book in between a curated vinyl set. – Caroline Drew
