Artists like Tory Lanez, Max B, and X-Raided record new music from prison using phone calls and collaborators.
Lil Wayne, Shyne, and Gucci Mane released albums during their jail sentences using previously recorded material.
Some artists like Kodak Black and YNW Melly kept releasing music consistently despite their legal troubles.
Source: Handout / Getty
Tory Lanez isn’t letting prison slow his musical output.
The Canadian rapper and singer announced that he’ll release a new double album, Made You Think I Was Gone…But, on Friday, July 17. The project features one disc dedicated to rap, and another focused on R&B.
His latest project will continue a streak of releases that has included Prison Tapes, Peterson and LOL: Slutty Bass.
Lanez is serving a 10-year California prison sentence after a jury convicted him in 2022 of shooting rapper Megan Thee Stallion following an argument outside a Hollywood Hills party in 2020. He has maintained his innocence and continues to appeal the case.
But none of that has stopped his music career from moving forward.
For many fans, the bigger question isn’t why he’s releasing another album. It’s how.
In most correctional facilities, artists cannot simply walk into a recording booth. Some projects rely on songs completed before incarceration, while others are created through approved phone calls, outside engineers or legally permitted recording methods that vary by facility. Lanez himself claimed he and his engineer figured out how to capture high-quality vocals over prison phone calls, allowing him to continue making new music despite being behind bars.
As unusual as that sounds, Lanez is far from the first artist to find a way to keep the music coming while incarcerated. Some recorded new material from prison. Others released albums that arrived while they were serving time. A few managed to do both.
Here’s a look at the rappers and R&B artists who proved prison walls couldn’t completely silence their music.
Recorded New Music From Prison
1. Tory Lanez
Tory Lanez has become one of hip-hop’s most prolific prison-era artists. Since beginning his sentence, he has released Peterson, Prison Tapes, LOL: Slutty Bass and now plans to drop the double album Made You Think I Was Gone…But. Lanez says he records vocals through prison phone calls before engineers mix and master the tracks.
2. Max B
Few artists embraced prison releases like Max B. During his lengthy incarceration, he released several mixtapes and albums using phone recordings, archived material and outside collaborators. Fans kept his influence alive long before his eventual release.
3. X-Raided
X-Raided built much of his career while serving more than two decades in prison. He pioneered recording verses over prison phone lines and found creative ways to keep releasing music despite strict limitations.
4. C-Murder
C-Murder continued releasing music while serving time after his murder conviction. His prison-era projects relied on previously recorded vocals, outside production and guest appearances to keep his catalog growing.
Albums Released While Serving Time
5. Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne entered New York’s Rikers Island in 2010. Later that year, I Am Not a Human Being debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Wayne had finished recording before reporting to jail, but the album became one of hip-hop’s biggest prison-era releases.
6. Shyne
Shyne’s career changed overnight after the infamous 1999 nightclub shooting involving Sean “Diddy” Combs. While serving nearly nine years in prison, he released Godfather Buried Alive in 2004. The album debuted in the Billboard Top 10.
7. Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane released multiple projects while incarcerated, including Trap House 4 and The State vs. Radric Davis II. Most featured previously recorded material, proving his vault remained one of rap’s deepest.
8. Project Pat
Project Pat served prison time during the early 2000s while his popularity continued to grow. Albums and singles reached fans during that stretch thanks to material completed before his incarceration.
Kept Releasing Music While Locked Up
9. Kodak Black
Kodak Black has spent multiple stretches behind bars throughout his career. During those periods, he continued releasing singles, features and full-length projects. His fan base rarely waited long for new music.
10. YNW Melly
YNW Melly has remained jailed while awaiting trial in a double murder case. Despite those legal battles, he has continued releasing music through previously recorded songs and collaborations.
11. Tay-K
Tay-K’s legal troubles never completely stopped his momentum. After his arrest, new music continued reaching streaming platforms through previously recorded tracks. His catalog remained popular despite his incarceration.
12. BG
The former Hot Boys rapper served more than 11 years in federal prison. During that time, his team released unreleased material and guest appearances that kept his name in the conversation until his release in 2023.
13. Beanie Sigel
Beanie Sigel spent several periods behind bars during his career. Fans still received new music through previously completed recordings and projects that arrived while he served his sentences.
14. Mac Dre
Mac Dre served time in the early 1990s after refusing to cooperate with federal investigators. He wrote lyrics while incarcerated, and recordings tied to that period helped shape the independent legend he became after his release.
15. 03 Greedo
03 Greedo never disappeared during his five-year prison sentence. Before entering prison, he recorded an enormous vault of music. That planning allowed his team to release several albums and collaborations while he was locked up.
