Videos

Watch An Extended Look At JAY Z’s ‘TIME: The Kalief Browder Story’

blame it on Meka March 1, 2017
kalief-browder-bw-jay-z

Tonight (March 1st) on Spike TV the first of a six-part docu-series on the life of Kalief Browder, TIME, will air. Browder was, in 2010, a New York high school student who — after being accused stealing a backpack — was sent to Rikers Island for three years without a trial or due process (after being charged with second degree robbery, Browder was unable to make his $10,000 bail and subsequently sent to Rikers).

An official selection for the 2017 Sundance film festival, the series aims to tell the tale of a young Black teenager who was imprisoned without conviction for years, essentially wrecking his psyche; Browder was held in solitary confinement or administrative segregation, and after up to six attempts while locked up, shortly after being released he committed suicide in 2015.

The documentary, which is co-produced by JAY Z and Harvey Weinstein, is the first product to come from Jay’s television and film deal with The Weinstein Company. A small clip of episode one has been revealed, which actually shows footage from Rikers Island of a conflict involving Browder and a prison gang which was mismanaged by prison officers. This, as well as several other events, would irreparably change Browder for the worse.

TIME airs at 10pm EST.

JAY Z is also producing a film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning Broadway play, In The Heights, as well.