Philadelphia native BL Shirelle is an accomplished musician, producer and songwriter. In addition, Shirelle serves as Deputy Director of Die Jim Crow, the first non-profit record label in United States history for currently and formerly incarcerated artists.
After serving ten years in prison herself, Shirelle is dedicated to social change and activism through her music and work with Die Jim Crow Records. Shirelle has been a guest speaker at colleges across America, educating youth on mass incarceration. She has spoken at Yale, Augustana University, Stockton University, Goucher University, and Susquehanna University. She also continues to work with artists still in prison to produce and share their music on high-quality platforms.
Her debut solo album ASSATA TROI will be released with Die Jim Crow Records June 19th, 2020. Shirelle's new wave, yet classic sound is a sonic exploration of Hip Hop, Rock, Blues, and R&B, with incredible lyricism coupled with complex instrumentation.
Shirelle and her work have been featured in, La Times, NPR, RollingStone, PBS/Whyy, The Indypendent, Flowertown, Ms. Magazine, Bushwick Daily, Aesthetics For Birds, and We Want The Airwaves, Philly Inquirer among others.