Former No Limit Star C-Murder Declares Hunger Strike Protesting Prison Conditions (Audio)

Twenty years ago this March, No Limit Records rapper C-Murder released his platinum solo debut, Life Or Death. The TRU and 504 Boyz member (and brother of label founder Master P) was one of No Limit’s homegrown New Orleans, Louisiana success stories. That career trajectory was derailed after the artist born Corey Miller’s 2002 arrest and subsequent second-degree murder conviction of 16-year-old Steve Thomas. He is currently serving a life sentence, despite numerous appeals to his conviction and sentence.

C-Murder is presently an inmate at Louisiana’s Angola Prison, and the concept of “life or death” is still driving his voice. There, the “Down For My N’s” creator (with Snoop Dogg and Magic) is going public with a pledge to lead a hunger strike in protest of prison conditions. Speaking to AllHipHop by phone, C-Murder declares, “I am now on a hunger strike to fight against these injustices, against my peers and against myself. I filed racial harassment charges against Assistant Warden [Barrett] Boeker,” says the rapper. The protest reportedly began yesterday (January 30). “For retaliation purposes, he ordered me into the dungeon,” he continues, adding that the cell was in silent, solitary confinement. “Only in Angola can a warden be arrested for rape and continue to serve as an officer in the penal system.” In late 2016, The Huffington Post reported of Boeker’s charges of second-degree rape. The warden was placed on administrative leave. The charges against the assistant warden were dropped in March of 2017 after a grand jury decided not to indict. Earlier that year, Warden Burl Cain resigned during publicized questions about his business dealings.

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The TRU Records founder alleges that Boeker carries a litany of accusations of sexual misconduct and other complaints from Angola inmates. C-Murder demands an investigation. “We cannot survive and live in such deplorable, inhumane conditions. Lethal cases of cancer and infections are at [their] peak,” he adds, before apparently suggesting prison officers brutalizing handcuffed inmates. “We seek help and assistance from our public and lawmakers. Angola is a disaster.” He says, “My hunger strike is my whisper that I pray will become a scream,” referring to bringing awareness of the alleged abuse and misconduct to the surface.

Another Louisiana rapper and C-Murder album collaborator, Lil Boosie Badazz, has also served time at Angola.

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Earlier this month, C-Murder’s brother and former backer, Master P, previewed the trailer for upcoming historical No Limit Records documentary, The Real Story. Despite his sentence, C continues to release music. In 2016, he and Boosie released Penitentiary Chances on TRU/RBC Records. Miller has reportedly been internally investigated for recording music and corresponding videos while inside the prison, which is a violation. The rapper has challenged those claims.