2026 State of the Art Prize, Pennsylvania

About BL Shirelle

Philadelphia, PA

BL Shirelle is a songwriter/rapper, producer, and formerly incarcerated artist, and is the Co-Executive Director of FREER Records (formerly Die Jim Crow Records) a record label for prison-impacted artists. Growing up in 1990s uptown Philadelphia during the crack epidemic, BL was exposed early on to the harsh realities of addiction. She began expressing her experiences and emotions, starting to write raps in the third grade. Though she was passionate about pursuing a career in music, she was involved in a police shooting which left her not only wounded, but also spending most of her twenties in the Pennsylvania prison system. During her second and final stint, she decided it was time to get serious. She spent her last few years incarcerated practicing guitar, writing lyrics, and participating in a TedX event in which she helmed a prison band. When BL was released in 2015, she hit the ground running. Within a few years, she had released two projects, joined the board of FREER Records, and developed a clear leadership role within the organization. Her label debut solo album Assata Troi, which she also executive produced, garnered critical acclaim. She collaborates with grassroots activists in Philadelphia who fight to pass life-changing legislation for prison-impacted women. She has been a guest speaker at several universities, and is a teacher assistant at Yale Divinity School of Music and Wesleyan University .

BL Shirelle is a songwriter/rapper, producer, and formerly incarcerated artist, and is the Co-Executive Director of FREER Records (formerly Die Jim Crow Records) a record label for prison-impacted artists. Growing up in 1990s uptown Philadelphia during the crack epidemic, BL was exposed early on to the harsh realities of addiction. She began expressing her experiences and emotions, starting to write raps in the third grade. Though she was passionate about pursuing a career in music, she was involved in a police shooting which left her not only wounded, but also spending most of her twenties in the Pennsylvania prison system. During her second and final stint, she decided it was time to get serious. She spent her last few years incarcerated practicing guitar, writing lyrics, and participating in a TedX event in which she helmed a prison band. When BL was released in 2015, she hit the ground running. Within a few years, she had released two projects, joined the board of FREER Records, and developed a clear leadership role within the organization. Her label debut solo album Assata Troi, which she also executive produced, garnered critical acclaim. She collaborates with grassroots activists in Philadelphia who fight to pass life-changing legislation for prison-impacted women. She has been a guest speaker at several universities, and is a teacher assistant at Yale Divinity School of Music and Wesleyan University .