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‘Songs from the Hole’: The story behind JJ’88’s documentary and visual album
Actors gaze up to the sky during JJ’88’s “ROOT” in the hip-hop artist and former inmate’s documentary and visual album Songs from the Hole. Before the song starts, protagonist and producer James “JJ’88” Jacobs describes meditating on his and others’ redemption while incarcerated and in solitary confinement.
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“‘I’m dangerous,’ they said.”
Through tears over the phone, James Jacobs, the hip-hop artist who goes by the stage name of JJ’88, tells his father that the hearing to reduce his sentence was denied. In April 2004, a 15-year-old Jacobs shot and killed an 18-year-old at a party in Bellflower, Calif. At the time he received the letter rejecting his request for a resentencing in 2020, he had lived more years in prison than outside of it.
“They don’t believe me. They don’t believe who I am,” he continues. “They said that all the work that I’m doing, my art and my advocacy work … they said that it’s not real. They say I am a clear and present threat to the community.”
In 2020, Jacobs was denied a hearing to reduce his prison sentence. His father, pictured here, grapples with the news while trying to comfort his son.
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As his father tries to comfort him, an automated voice cuts in: “You have 60 seconds remaining.”
Filmmaker and director Contessa Gayles was in the room with Jacobs’ father as he received that call.
“I remember, too, after that moment, obviously being incredibly concerned for you and your well-being,” Gayles tells Jacobs during an interview with NPR, “but I hesitated, for a long time, to ask you if you wanted to continue with the film. … I just was too afraid for your answer.”
The pair had been working with Jacobs’ producer on a documentary and visual album together. But he said he did want to continue.
“I’ve seen hard moments in film before, I’ve seen hard moments talked about in music — really hard moments — and this was one of the hardest moments in my life,” Jacobs says. “I love [Shakespeare’s] Titus Andronicus — it’s a tragic story, and I remember reading that and I was, like, ‘this is art too’ — it doesn’t always have to be this fairytale Disney ending that I was used to, as a kid and as a fan of films. Some stories end in, ‘this guy found spiritual enlightenment but died in prison.’ That’s the wisdom of the world, I guess. That’s the wisdom of our universe. I couldn’t argue with it, so I was comfortable [with continuing the film].”
Actor Miles Lassiter, as “kid James,” wears antlers in Songs from the Hole. Jacobs says it’s the image he’s asked about most often. “These antlers, along with being [for the song] ‘Most Hunted,’ are very gun-hunting, violent-culture — the experience, as a Black man, was that [Black men] were being hunted like deer, like buck in this country. And early references of Black men in this country — we were called Bucks. And so I thought — we [Jacobs and Gayles] thought — it was fitting … that this character represented the coming-of-age through antlers and the symbolism of being hunted with antlers on his head.”
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Songs from the Hole follows Jacobs’ story as he reflects on his coming-of-age within California’s state prison system, finds healing in an unlikely place and contemplates forgiveness. After meeting and befriending Gayles when she was on assignment for CNN at California’s Correctional Training Facility, commonly known as Soledad State Prison, in 2017, Jacobs and his producer, Richie Reseda, reached out with an ambitious idea: to direct and bring to life the visual album that Jacobs had written entirely from solitary confinement. The request reached Gayles at an important moment of her career: when she was ready to pursue independent filmmaking.
Gayles says she was inspired, during the making of Songs from the Hole, by the 2014 film Boyhood. “I was just thinking about representations that we have of white childhood and the plethora that exists of those depictions, and that often, with storytelling around Black people — Black young people — it’s very limited in scope. And so I was just meditating on, ‘[Richard] Linklater spent 12 years making [Boyhood] about white childhood,’ and I was just saying in my head, ‘we deserve to have as much space to be as indulgent and wide-ranging with how we tell the stories of Black childhood.’”
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Reneasha Jacobs holds a photograph of her and James’ older brother, Victor Benjamin. Benjamin was shot and killed on April 19, 2004.
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Actors reenact a memory from Jacobs’ childhood in Songs from the Hole. In the film, Jacobs says, “Memories are crucial in maintaining your sanity in prison. I remember — maybe accurately or inaccurately — but I remember things from my childhood and relive them, sitting on that bunk, and it reminds me that I was a person and I am a person before being incarcerated.”
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![Actor Myles Lassiter portrays young Jacobs lying in the bed of a pickup truck, holding a toy gun, during the song, "Most Hunted." Jacobs says the visual was important to him because "in the song itself, I mentioned ... a couple of references to 'Friday,' one of them being during the hook, 'the government launched four drones. Still, I need a Glock to walk Smoke home. I'm not a man with it. I'm a man without it.' And those lines kind of hint toward quotes from the film 'Friday,' which is where Craig [played by Ice Cube] is in the room with his father. He just discovered that his father just discovered that he owns a gun. And [his dad] says, "Back in my day, we would use these," [referencing his fists]. Are you a man or are you not?" And [Craig] says, 'I'm a man without it. I'm a man without this gun.' And I knew when I first saw that, that I was like, 'I'm a man without a gun, but in this world, they don't see a man unless I have a gun."](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3840x2076+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F73%2Fbf%2F5306a1244a41b25fddca6158fdfd%2Fsfth-most-hunted-truck-bed.jpg)
Actor Myles Lassiter portrays a young Jacobs lying in the bed of a pickup truck, holding a toy gun, during the song, “Most Hunted.” Jacobs says the visual was important to him because “in the song itself, I mentioned … a couple of references to ‘Friday,’ one of them being during the hook, ‘the government launched four drones. Still, I need a Glock to walk Smoke home. I’m not a man with it. I’m a man without it.’ And those lines kind of hint toward quotes from the film ‘Friday,’ which is where Craig [played by Ice Cube] is in the room with his father. He just discovered that his father just discovered that he owns a gun. And [his dad] says, ‘Back in my day, we would use these [referencing his fists]. Are you a man or are you not?’ And [Craig] says, ‘I’m a man without it. I’m a man without this gun.’ And I knew when I first saw that, that I was like, ‘I’m a man without a gun, but in this world, they don’t see a man unless I have a gun.’”
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Throughout its production, the visual album quickly evolved into a documentary, heavily inspired by Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Where Beyoncé added poetic interludes between songs, in Songs from the Hole, the audience learns about Jacobs’ story and how his music spiritually liberates him while simultaneously being among the reasons officials cited for not considering his request for resentencing.
Gayles uses messages Jacobs wrote while in solitary to portray his vision for the album. When asked about the decision, Galyes says, “We really made use of 88’s handwriting because it was so much a part of his process.” She said she also felt “it would be more impactful to have the audience experience 88 in a similar manner to his loved ones … which is primarily over phone calls and letters.”
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Reneasha Jacobs, James’ older sister, holds an old photograph of herself and her two brothers from when they were kids. James shot and killed someone on April 16, 2004. Three days later, their older brother was murdered.
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The film relies heavily on Jacobs’ letters and recorded phone calls, through which he, Gayles and Reseda talk about the album’s production. The letters consist of scripts, shot lists and lyrics. Through the calls, Jacobs serves as the film’s narrator, speaking about his life and the symbolism of the imagery he’d dreamt up in solitary. The film explores cultural themes that touch on Black boyhood, familial relationships, growing up in the church, crime, forgiveness and redemption.
Actor Devonte Hoy depicts Jacobs forgiving the man who murdered his brother. In the film, Jacobs says, “Tears start coming down my face. And I said, ‘Man, you killed my brother.’ And the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘I’m sorry for what I took from you, bro.’ … And I just told him, ‘Man, I forgive you. If you want my forgiveness, you have it.’ And I got up and left.”
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Jacobs was released in 2022, after serving 18 years in prison.
Now, with the film streaming on Netflix and the team holding screenings in prisons across the country, Jacobs says he hopes the parole board commissioners who kept him locked up think differently about him if they see the film.
“If only you understood me, you’d see my humanity,” he says in the film.
“I would absolutely love to show this film to the commissioners that told me I was a danger to society,” he told NPR. “I would love it. I can’t wait to catch word that they watched it so that I can see — let’s talk again; I don’t even have to go to board, but I would love to talk to you now.”
Hoy depicts an older Jacobs talking to his father through glass during a visitation. In the film, Jacobs says he had just finished writing two verses of his song “Steel Grave,” and rapped both verses over the phone for his dad. When he finished, Jacobs says his father asked him, “What happens to the character? You just described he was in this dark world. Does he ever come out?”
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Songs from the Hole is currently streaming on Netflix. Find more of JJ’88’s work at linktr.ee/jj_eightyeight and on Instagram, at @jj_eightyeight, and more of Contessa’s work on her website, ContessaGayles.com, or on Instagram, at @contessagayles.
Rachel Reyes, holds a photo of her son, Ruben Ray Martinez, a U.S. citizen who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a traffic encounter in Texas.
Brenda Bazán for NPR
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Brenda Bazán for NPR
When Rachel Reyes thinks back to her son’s final days, she remembers how excited he was for the year ahead.
Ruben Ray Martinez had just turned 23. Reyes said her son planned to enroll in trade school to become a mechanic. He felt ready to move out of his family’s home in San Antonio and had found an apartment he liked, she added.
But on March 15, 2025, Martinez, a U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a traffic encounter in Texas. He’s considered the first of at least six people to have been killed by immigration agents since the start of President Trump’s second term, according to The Trace, an outlet focused on covering gun violence.
“He would speak with enthusiasm, like he was looking forward to doing things. He thought he’d have more time,” she said. “We all thought he would have more time.”
Martinez’s death came nearly a year before immigration agents fatally shot Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti in separate incidents in Minneapolis. And during that time, Martinez’s mother and the public didn’t know that the officer who killed Martinez worked for ICE.
That only came to light following a public records request by American Oversight, a watchdog group, that sought documents related to ICE’s use of force. Among the records was an ICE incident report that said Martinez accelerated his car and struck a federal agent, prompting another officer to fire defensive shots.
But videos released separately last month suggest a different version of events: Footage from police body cameras appear to show federal agents standing in front of Martinez’s car as it slowly moves. It’s unclear from the videos reviewed by NPR whether the vehicle hit an agent.
Reyes told NPR that she felt betrayed by law enforcement, whom she says she always had a deep respect for. She added that losing her son was already devastating and the recent revelations about ICE’s involvement have made grieving more painful.
“It’s like a constant state of unrest,” she said. “There was no peace and I still don’t have peace.”
Reyes holds a photo of Martinez. From the way that he cared for his siblings and nephew, she believed that Martinez would have made a great father someday.
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‘I heard Ruben say, ‘I’m sorry,’ and then he slumped backward’
Martinez was only supposed to be away from home for one night.
He told his mom that he planned to meet up with a friend and promised to be home the next day, according to Reyes.
“ He was all happy with his backpack getting ready to go,” she said. “And then, the next time I see him brought home, he’s in his urn.”
Martinez and his friend Joshua Orta drove down to South Padre Island, a popular spring break destination in south Texas. Just after midnight, the two approached a busy intersection where a car wreck had occurred earlier that evening. Officers from multiple agencies were on the scene to help manage traffic, including South Padre Island Police, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Homeland Security Investigations, which operates under ICE.
The next moments were caught on videos from officers’ body cameras that were released by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) last month.
Footage from one body camera shows an officer signaling to Martinez to pull over. That officer, Texas Game Warden Juan Rosendo, later said in a police report released by DPS that he spotted an open bottle of alcohol in the car.
In a second body camera, an officer can later be heard saying “keep going.” Martinez starts to drive straight. As he gets closer to the crash site, an officer can be heard yelling, “Stop” and “Hold him.”
Moments later, Martinez’s car appears to have come to a full stop, according to footage from a third body camera. Two officers then approach the front of the vehicle — one of whom attempts to open the car door, the video shows. As this happens, Martinez’s car appears to slowly move forward and to the left. Then, three shots ring out in quick succession. The entire sequence of events lasts less than 30 seconds.
The second body camera shows the shooter pulling Martinez’s body out of the car and onto the ground. Martinez is handcuffed and over a minute later, receives medical attention.
Rachel Reyes holds a jacket that was retrieved from her son’s car after his death.
Brenda Bazán for NPR
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Brenda Bazán for NPR
According to police reports, the agent who opened fire was Homeland Security Investigations Supervisory Special Agent Jack Stevens. In a written statement to investigators, Stevens said he did so as an act of self-defense, claiming that he saw his fellow agent, Hector Sosa, “fall onto the hood of the vehicle.”
How Sosa came into contact with Martinez’s vehicle is unclear from the videos reviewed by NPR. Sosa, in his written statement to investigators, said he was treated for an unspecified knee injury.
Later that night, Orta, who witnessed the shooting from the passenger seat, was taken into questioning. In a video released by DPS, Orta said Martinez was confused because multiple officers were yelling instructions. Martinez was also worried about getting in trouble for driving while intoxicated, according to Orta.
“He was literally just like … panicky,” he told investigators. “He didn’t know what to do, like he definitely didn’t want to go to jail. But as far as running over an officer and endangering, he [wouldn’t] do that.”
Orta went on to say that the car was “barely moving” when he saw an “officer kind of like get on the hood.” He added that Martinez “didn’t necessarily hit him, but like, it kind of like, you know what I mean, caught his feet.”
Orta died in February in an unrelated car crash. In a written statement provided to Reyes’ lawyer before his death and then shared with NPR, Orta wrote “Ruben did not hit anyone,” adding that an agent approached the front of the car and slapped the hood.
He wrote, “Without giving any warning, commands, or opportunity to comply, the agent fired multiple shots at Ruben from an extremely close distance — no more than two feet. I heard Ruben say, ‘I’m sorry,’ and then he slumped backward.”
‘An unwillingness to admit mistakes”
The day after the shooting, a Texas Ranger came to Reyes’ home to tell her that Martinez had been fatally shot by an officer. He did not mention that the officer worked for ICE, she said.
Reyes recalled being in shock and confused at the news because her son was not an aggressive person, she said. Far from it, Martinez was shy and laidback, she added.
“It never made sense to me,” she said. “Ruben wouldn’t use his car to hurt anyone, ever.”
In late February, a grand jury in Texas declined to bring charges against Stevens. In a statement to NPR, ICE’s acting director Todd Lyons said, “We stand by the grand jury’s unanimous decision that found no criminality. This incident was investigated from every possible angle by an independent body, and it cleared our officer.”
Since then, Democratic U.S. Reps. Robert Garcia of California and Greg Casar of Texas have called for an independent investigation into the shooting and why ICE did not disclose its involvement sooner.
Reyes’ attorney, Charles Stam, told NPR that his team is also exploring legal options, adding that he believes federal agents escalated the situation by standing in front of Martinez’s car. “ I think what we’ve seen is an unwillingness to admit mistakes,” he said.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, immigration agents have the right to use deadly force when there’s “reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent threat.” But its policy advises agents to “avoid intentionally and unreasonably placing themselves in positions in which they have no alternative to using deadly force.”
“Sometimes there needs to be the deadly use of force. That’s something that should be undertaken with solemnity,” Stam said. “And if it’s done, there should be an investigation and people should be held accountable for their actions. We’ve seen none of that here.”
A photo of Martinez lies on a jacket that was retrieved from his car after his death.
Brenda Bazán for NPR
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Shy, goofy and loved feeding stray cats
Martinez was quiet when he first met someone — but really, he was goofy and thoughtful, Reyes said. Her son loved feeding stray cats and had a knack for fixing things, especially cars.
From the way that he cared for his siblings and nephew, Reyes believed that Martinez would have made a great father someday. “ He would always make sure to tell them that he loved them every time they left, and he was always playing around with them and joking around,” she said. “He was really good to them.”
For Reyes, it’s been strange to go through the day without hearing his laughter from across the hall or smelling French toast and eggs, which Martinez was learning to perfect.
“ I could always tell when he got started because I could smell the burnt eggs,” she said. “He would FaceTime me in the kitchen like, ‘How do you make your eggs so fluffy?’”
It was especially tough last month — which marked Martinez’s 24th birthday and the anniversary of his death. Reyes used to take her son to a nice restaurant to celebrate his birthday. Although she planned to stay home this year, her family encouraged her to keep the tradition going.
Reyes said it was nice to be at dinner with loved ones, but it wasn’t the same. “It’s just an obvious difference without him here,” Reyes said.
Still, like always, she saved a seat for her son.
By Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Gilad Thaler, Jon Miller, Nikolay Nikolov, June Kim, Paul Abowd and Pierre Kattar
April 14, 2026
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