You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
Back in the late nineteen eighties, Michael Harris, known to many as Harry O, was arrested not only for drug trafficking but for attempted murder, a crime he says he did not commit. But that's only part of the story. He's also known as co founder and co founder of Death Row Records, one of the most prolific music hip hop labels in history. That's only part of the story.
Still later, the victim in harry Oh's case werecanted and the attempted murder charges were dropped, but Harris continued to spend time behind bars for the drug charge, to the tune of thirty three years. It wasn't until twenty twenty one, when then President Donald Trump commuted harry O's sentence that he again saw freedom that has inspired him to delve into politics with even a mission to help voters like you and me understand what policies and programs impact people
the most rite where they are. Harry O joins me, now on the show, how are you this evening?
Thanks for having me on your show. How you doing?
I'm doing well, I know a little something about you.
You were an East LA kid, and back then, just the neighborhood where your family buys a house can be a problem growing up. What do you remember about life at forty six in Central and what did it mean when you moved like to Avalon.
Oh, well, you know you said a problem. I mean it was we had to navigate it. So, you know, growing up, that was just about the time that gangs became an issue. And so when we moved from Avalon to forty sixth Street, you know, you moved from a crypt neighborhood to a blood neighborhood. And me and my brother, we just had to navigate it. Brother, And in a way, I think it worked out because we came from two different neighborhoods, we lived in two different neighborhoods.
It allowed us not.
To take sides and become never after actually became gang members, because we pretty much had friends over here. We had friends over here, and we swore that we would never do that, and so we didn't, and so we just kind of had our own way of moving through our community.
I'm quite sure growing up you saw a lot of people go to prison and you was never your intention to go to prison. But what were you considering growing up if it wasn't gangs, What did you want to do? What did you aspire to do?
I mean, you understand, back in those times, our neighborhoods were pretty vibrant to me. You know, you had you know, black owned businesses, and so you had examples of what business looked like and so and we had mentors in those communities that ran those businesses, that was always trying to share some of that wisdom. So I wanted to be a business owner as a young man, just watching how different people ran their business and the pride they had in doing so.
So at a young age.
My mother also had her own business, so I was able to watch her conduct her business and how she was able to deal with her customers, and how she able to take care of business and take care of books. And I learned a lot from just watching her do what she did.
None of us can foresee what the future may hold, but we all make decisions, and our decisions have either consequences or they have results. Some could say, and I know from the people that I know who've gone to prison right wrong, and different prison changes people. How did you manage to retain your humanity despite those thirty three years.
Well, first of all, you got to have God in your life at some point, or are you just you will just disintegrate in that type of environment. You have to have something that's real. And the only thing I found that was real when prison was God. I mean that as real as you could be. I think people toss that around a lot. But unless you were in a pit like that where prison can be considered, you don't really know what being connected to God. I mean, I wouldn't say you have to go to prison to
be connect to God. Don't get that confused. What I'm saying is that there's nothing between you and God when you're in a situation like that, and if you don't connect to that. I have seen people destroy themselves in those sets, in those settings because they didn't have nothing to rely on.
That was real.
Coming to the end of your prison term, you probably knew or were in contact with Snoop Dogg, who was advocating on your behalf for a pardon or a commutation from then President Trump. How aware were you of President Trump at that time or politics in general.
I mean, like I got thirty three years, I got a lot of time on my hand, so I read a lot, and I used to watch all the news channels, and so I was always concerned about why, you know, every four years or whatever the cycle is for local that we keep having the same issues. And it was like when it comes to our communities, not they were not growing, Actually they was being depleted. And so you can't help to become I won't say in politics, I'm
just in social awareness. Watching people come in and out of prison for the type of crimes they come in a state and federal, I was able to really see a Michael cosm of society and it's like, what's this cycle about, and what is it that we lack some of us that allows us to come in and out of these situations, and what can we do with those who are inside to go back home and become productive citizens. So, coming from my background, coming from the mistakes I have made,
I had a lot to work with. It's one thing to know that you did something that you weren't supposed to do and then take responsibility for it and then try to figure out what you could do on the other side of that responsible taking responsibility, And I was blessing enough to be able to connect with different organizations in San Quentin after doing over tail fifteen almost twenty years, and I was able to connect to these organizations and
dive into them my own personal growth. But then at the same time I was able to also flip that and help create other programs that was digestible to people like myself who needed to see the world different from how they had been seeing it.
And so when it comes.
To politics, your question, it's like, what can we do as a community in terms of bringing real policies to the forefront, Because I noticed in the last few months there's been a lot of smoking mirrors, have been a lot of banter about things that don't really relate to peoples who are out here struggling, you know, for jobs, for career change, opportunities, for capital to invest, or just
to maintain. And so I just set down with a group and we try to figure out not speak for the community, but try to try to sum up some of the things that we know that could apply the more than less and then just try to put that out there, just put that out in the community and say, no, look, this is what we really need to be focused on. And who is supporting that and that's who we want to support.
That's the voice of Harry O as we talk about his time in prison and how it is enlightened him to do something different after his commutation of his sentence by then President Trump, as we talk about this election cycle. It's Later with Mo Kelly. We're live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
I'm speaking with Michael Harry O Harris, who was commuted by then President Trump back in twenty twenty one after serving thirty three years in prison, and he has dedicated his life since then to helping people like you and me better understand the policies the proposals of political candidates and how they really do help or hurt us in this world in which we live. And harry Oh, let me come back to you. I was compelled by your story.
It was it was touching me because not only did you say that God was realer than anything else while you were in prison, it inspired, if I have you correct, it inspired you to do something after this commutation to make sure that all of us are not only invested but involved and understand what's at stake. How do you start, How did you start after your sentence was commuted? And did you have any conversation with President Trump himself?
Of course I had a conversation with him, mainly about the fact that he gave me a commutation.
I wanted to thank him for it.
And it was strange that when we had our conversation, one of the things he said to me is, you don't owe me nothing. You know, I'm just like you. I appreciate that, but anyway I could help me, he says, Look, you don't owe me nothing. Now what you owe me as long as you become a productive citizen out here.
I did the right thing, and that was that was essentially our conversation when I was able to meet him after I got out, and then what I needed to do was get my life together, which I what I did and started to move around in different communities and just start saying a continuation of the same thing that our community was was bleeding out, and so I just
wanted to put together an organization. It's like three years later, you know, three and a half years later, I want to put together an organization that could emplify the issues and put both candidates on front street and if you, if you will, in terms of a challenge, what is it that we're trying to get done in our community that either one of.
You guys can support.
And frankly, the only person has responded is President Trump on a tweet and said that he liked what I was doing and that you know, if he get back in the White House, you know he wants to continue what he started in terms of some of the things that he had done before he left to help support community first. So I think that's a blessing. Like I said,
I put it out to both candidates. This is not the first time I've been in this kind of situation where you know, you put out something that means something to the community and then you hit crickets. But the respond it is a bright moment for me. You know that if somebody's taking what I'm saying sill.
You can't control how a candidate or candidates will respond, how they'll respond, if they'll respond, But if they don't respond, how do you proceed?
How?
In other words, what what do you take from that? What do you say to other people who may be listening to you?
And me?
In this conversation right now.
And I mean that means you didn't hear from the Harris campaign the Trump campaign at least acknowledge you.
But what would then be the next step.
That's the bottom line.
It's not about me, it's not about you, but your platform is powerful. It's about the community saying, first of all, not just for the presidency, but up and down the ballot, here's some policies that we need, here's some policies that we need to enact. And if you're going to keep running for these offices, we need you to hear us. And so rather it be the president of the United States and more sin sikri, governors, local officials that can help start the ball or rolling that helps in our
decision making. If we can't get any not just me, but all of us, if we can't get any feedback or support for the things that matter, then why should we keep voting you into office? And people need to understand the power of their vote in that sense that if you continue to keep voting people in with no benefit to you or your community, that's just pure sanity. They need you to become who they become in terms of those seats that they want the city in but
you don't ask for nothing in return. Yeah, you know, and I know I'm not the only one that feel like this. I would like to hear what you got to say about it. But I've been out there and I've been talking to different people that I've been doing these concert series in different cities just to start the conversation. You know, in terms, every time I pull up into a city with a concert, a lot of people get the benefit from it. So I'm just trying to show
how when we come together we can move economics. We can do it before any election, we can do it on our own, but I like to use those times though that says what are we doing and how we going to do it? Where we don't allow the same thing to keep being on reality.
How do you go about changing that reality which means like we're not going to vote in the same people. That could mean the same party or the same person. Like for example, just because you change foods, it doesn't mean that your diet improves. You could be trading a hamburger for a piece of pizza that doesn't help cholesterol or blood pressure. I know that's a clunky analogy, but you understand what I mean. So how is it we can hold these politicians accountable.
Well, the same way you can vote them in, you can vote them out. Is what I'm saying.
Is when you tell, when you show that you, when you show people that you have a problem with them not representing your issues and your policies, it affects them. It affects them in terms of them being able to get into office. And so I don't know if what we're trying to do now is going to have a major imprint on the election, but it's a start. My thing is what do we do do we just sit here and just not do anything when our voice and our vote will make the difference who becomes the next
president of the United States. So it's important for them to tell us exactly what they're going to do for us.
My guess right now is Michael Harry oh Harris as we talk about the election and also his life since being commuted by then President Trump, and how he's using this time and his talents to make sure that we are fully invested and involved in this upcoming presidential election and also down ballot races. It's later with mo Kelly Harry. Can I get you to hang around for one more segment. I would love to hear more about what you're doing and who you're reaching.
Yes, sir, you're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
And I've been speaking with Michael harry O Harris. I've long known of Harry Oh because he is an original co founder and co founder of Death Row Records, one of the most prolific hip hop music labels in history. I know him from his time in music and that's not done. But more importantly and more presently, he was commuted by then President Trump after serving thirty three years in prison for Tipton murder that he says he did
not commit. But he's dedicated his life and his talents since that time in twenty twenty one to make sure communities are more involved and more informed about these politicians and issues. And HARRYO, let me come back to you. You're talking to me. I'm a little bit older than other folks who maybe need to hear this message. I know that a lot of folks in their twenties and thirties who desperately need to hear your message. How successful have you been with connecting with the younger generation.
Well, I mean it's going to come out in a watch, but you know, just the fact that I've been having these meetings with these young people at these different events and hearing them talk back about what they what they like. The movement is what it is, that's what they say. They said, we feel we hear you, and we feel like we want to be a part of what you're doing. And they want to know more. They want to know
how is it going to make a difference. And so it's not just for me, it's for other people who feel like I do, to come together and help inform them in these ways because they are open to it, because a lot of them haven't never been, never approached politics, because they just feels like it doesn't mean whoever's there is not going to change their life. But that's not true if we don't push whoever that is. It's not about individual it's about the policies that those individuals will
fight for. And it's one thing for somebody who says, well, if I'm in office, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this, but do they have the ability to get it done? Because you know, this got to go through Congress. It's got to go through a lot of steps, you know. That's why I say it's not about one individual. It's about a group of individuals who collectively believe in these policies and help push them through. I can tell you all day. I like that, I'm gonna do that. But
what's the incentive. What's the incentive? The incentive is if your party does not get behind these policies, your party will be affected up and down the ballot.
I completely agree with that.
What do you think from where you set are some of the most important issues that need to be addressed by a future President Trump or a future President Harris?
For instance?
Like I said, I travel around the country a lot, and I see a lot of communities that just seems like deserts. I've been studying a lot about opportunity zones, for example, and a lot of people say, well, that's just for the rich, and so I dibbed into that, Well, it gives a rich an advantage in terms of taxation, but it takes rich people to participate in opportunity zones, but they have to be in put in overlook communities.
So it's just connecting the dots between a system that's in place to build up a community and make sure that the community benefits from these opportunity zones. So we need to be educated on how these different policies around opportunity zones can enrich our community. People gonna get they tax break, they're gonna do what they're gonna do. But can we benefit by building companies and and uh and and and and property and rebuilding our properties in our
community in conjunction with that. So that's one thing you want to see happen. And then you want you want to make sure our schools are top nuts. I mean, other countries are just running over us when it comes to education, and especially in our communities.
And so school choice.
I think things like, even in our community having the best schools, we cannot just send our kids to schools and not make sure that they're getting the best opportunity to be able to compete in this technological world that we live in now and so and even some people who don't want to go to college, there's programs pell grants that could be utilized to help trades where people can learn technical skills and have meaningful employment.
So these are the kind of things.
That you know and bringing capital, having access to capital in these communities to be able to build on these different projects that we have. We have so many different opportunities, but no access to capital. So these are the kind of things that I think that are important for the outside community and for the inside community.
I'm really really.
Connected to what needs to happen when you have a captive audience, if you will, while you in prison. So that's the second part of an agenda where you want to give the reform reform agenda you want you want to make sure that while people are incarcerated, that they're learning and have access as skills while they're there, training skills so that when they come home, the Second Chance
Act should be also available to them. People should be open to giving these people a new opportunity to change their life, especially if they done did the work while they're behind the walls, to come out and be able to take care of their family and being meaningful.
And functional in the visuals and society. I don't seen it happen. I've seen people.
Go through these different programs, get skills and come home and do miraculous things.
Michael Harri Harris, I could speak to you all night, but I don't have that luxury, but I know someone was informed and influenced by this conversation and wants to know more about what you do and how they may connect with you.
How can people go about doing that?
Well, Two, we can go to at Community First Action or also Community First Action dot org and read up on some of the stuff that we're doing and also tie into us and see how we could work together to make these agendas and policies real.
Michael Harrio Harris, I've known of you, as I said before, for many many years from a music industry standpoint, but I'm pleased to see what you're doing in and outside the community, which is trying to make this place a little bit better than how we all found it. So I salute you, and I thank you sir, and one.
Thank you too.
Your platform is powerful, is respected, and we need more people like you that open your doors so we.
Can have these kinds of conversations. So I thank you, my brother.
Thank you as well. It's Later with mo Kelly ca if I AM six forty. We are live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app.
You're listening to Later with mo Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty