Rap video filmed inside Michigan prison prompts investigation, possible criminal charges

A rap video filmed by two inmates at a Michigan prison prompted an investigation and could lead to criminal charges, according to officials.

The inmates, who referred to themselves as “24 SuperBadd37” and “82 Treezy Banger,” at the MaComb County Correctional Facility recorded a music video titled “In Dis Cell” and posted it on YouTube on Nov. 3, Michigan Department of Corrections public information officer Chris Gautz told McClatchy News on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

During a routine search, prison officers discovered a piece of paper with a YouTube link written on it, Gautz said. The officers followed the link and found the video “ that was clearly filmed inside that prison,” he said. “The prisoners didn’t attempt to disguise themselves in any way. It was very simple for staff to recognize who the prisoners were.”

The music video includes shots of the prisoners standing in their cells, sitting on furniture, or moving around while lip-syncing and moving to the beat. Behind them, a white towel covers the window of the cell door. The audio sounds crunchy and crackly as if recorded through a cellphone. Multiple shots show a hallway with prison guards who don’t appear to notice they’re being filmed.

“I hear it’s not particularly good from a musical perspective,” a Michigan legislative liaison, Kyle Kaminski, said of the video, The Detroit Free Press reported.

In one clip, an inmate appears to be speaking on a cellphone, implying the pair had two phones. Prison officials, however, believe the prisoner was actually using an mp3 device, Gautz said.

The inmates in the video are both level four prisoners, one step below maximum security, and in their early 30s, Gautz said. One is serving time for second-degree murder. The other is serving time for armed robbery and has two counts of possession of contraband from time served earlier at another prison, he said.

The duo filmed the video on a cellphone sometime in September before they were moved to different cells, Gautz said. The video has prompted an internal investigation and criminal investigation by the Michigan State Police.

Prisoner possession of a cellphone is prohibited and a criminal offense, according to Michigan’s laws. Cell phones are “a very serious danger… inside of a correctional facility,” he said Prisoners can use a phone to “conduct a criminal enterprise,” plan a “hit” on another person, harass the victims of their crimes or the witnesses involving in any pending cases, or “coordinate an escape,” Gautz explained.

The inmates in the video were placed in segregation, Gautz said. Prison officials are waiting to hear if the MaComb County Prosecutor will file any charges following this incident.

MaComb County Correctional Facilities is about 35 miles northeast of Detroit.

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