NORTH CAROLINA — Alim Braxton, an incarcerated individual known as Rrome Alone, released the song "Live on Death Row" in 2024. The track appears on the album "Mercy on My Soul," also released in 2024, and focuses on the themes of redemption, capital punishment, and the justice system.

Braxton is currently on death row in North Carolina. He was sentenced to death for killing another incarcerated person while serving time for two murders in Raleigh, North Carolina. The artist recorded vocals for his music over phone lines and used rap songs played on the radio as a metronome to maintain a steady delivery despite potential delays in his landline phone connection. Nick Neutronz produced "Live on Death Row," with additional vocals by Michael Betts II and Mark Katz, and scratches provided by DJ Spectakular.

Braxton stated the concept for "Live on Death Row" was inspired by the death row writings of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Braxton has also written a book titled "Rap and Redemption on Death Row," which The Marshall Project excerpted in 2024. He writes about the cases of people he believes are innocent on death row through a Substack.

An outside collaborator used artificial intelligence to generate a video of Braxton speaking, utilizing his photo and audio. He has stated that corrections officers were indifferent to lyrics in his song that referenced them. Braxton expressed his view that "Every life hinges on poverty, gender and race, and the pay of the attorney defending your case." He reflected on his past, stating, "Though I can never justify my crimes, I believe in the possibility of redemption." He added, "When I was sentenced, a judge said to me, 'May God have mercy on your soul.' I later reflected and thought, 'You know, God has indeed had mercy on your soul.'" He views rap as a tool and stated, "Rap is only a tool. My ultimate goal is to make amends for the crimes I have committed and to help innocent people on Death Row win their release."

Braxton gained access to a tablet in prison, which allows him to communicate with producers from his cell. He studies Arabic and recites the Qur'an, and has released another song titled "Mu'min and Kufar," which includes a recording of his mother's heartbeat. North Carolina's last execution occurred in 2006. Braxton pointed out that the state has not carried out an execution in two decades, while North Carolina state lawmakers passed a law aiming to shorten death row appeals and restart executions. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed executions to return across the country after a four-year moratorium fifty years prior to June 2026.

Why It Matters

The release of "Live on Death Row" and the associated album from Alim Braxton, an artist incarcerated on death row, brings attention to the perspectives of individuals within the capital punishment system. His work, which includes a book and a Substack dedicated to cases of individuals he believes are innocent, addresses themes of personal responsibility, justice system impartiality, and the concept of redemption.

Braxton's use of technology, such as recording vocals over phone lines and communicating with producers via a prison tablet, highlights methods artists may employ under incarceration. His statements on the justice system and the possibility of redemption contribute to wider discussions surrounding capital punishment, particularly in the context of North Carolina's legislative efforts to resume executions after a nearly two-decade pause.