‘Songs from the Hole’ Holds Powerful Private Screening in NYC Ahead of Netflix Debut
Private NYC screening of Songs from the Hole spotlights JJ’88’s journey from prison to powerful art.
By Mark ElibertAug. 4 2025, Published 5:03 p.m. ET
The team behind the acclaimed documentary and visual album Songs from the Hole hosted an intimate private screening at Firehouse: DCTV’s Cinema for Documentary Film in SoHo, New York, last week.
Bleu Magazine was present at the screening for the powerful film, which has already won a SXSW Audience Award. The event drew a diverse crowd of artists, journalists, and tastemakers for a night of reflection, storytelling, and celebration.
Songs from the Hole, directed by Contessa Gayles and co-produced with the star of the documentary JJ’88, tells the story of the formerly incarcerated artist and his journey through solitary confinement, transformation, and musical creation.
“I’ve been thinking about freedom since the day I got locked up when I was 15,” JJ’88 says early in the film. “The worst thing I’ve ever done was the day I took a life.” The documentary doesn’t shy away from his past—instead, it uses it as a springboard to examine growth and redemption through the lens of art and community.
Following the screening, an emotionally resonant conversation took place between JJ’88, Gayles, and producer Richie Reseda. The discussion was moderated by one of the film’s executive producers, the award-winning writer and cultural critic Dream Hampton. Together, the panel explored the deeply personal themes at the heart of the documentary: trauma, accountability, healing, and artistic liberation.
In a previous interview with BlackStar Projects, Gayles described the film as being about “faith, family, freedom, and the transformative, liberatory healing power of art and imagination.” Much of the music featured in the film was written by JJ’88 while in solitary confinement and later brought to life in collaboration with Reseda.
After the Q&A, guests transitioned to nearby La Victoria for a celebratory reception, where DJ Quiana Parks curated a soulful soundtrack that kept the energy alive into the night.
Songs from the Hole premieres on Netflix August 13, the same day JJ’88’s new EP—featuring music originally written and recorded in prison—hits streaming platforms.
