‘Songs From the Hole’ (2025) Netflix Review - The Roller-Coaster Ride of James Jacobs

For those of you who know the story of James “JJ’88” Jacobs, Songs from the Whole will give you the detailed account of the actual happening of the events. And for those who don’t know, read on to find out what happens.  James was a teenager when he received his sentence for killing a boy on April 16, 2004. But life had other plans. In the years that he spent in prison, he found a lot of comfort and solace in music. He used his life as a plot for composing music. The documentary gives us a good view of who he actually was. James was born into a devout family in the year 1989 to parents Janine and William Jacobs. He grew up in North Long Beach and had two siblings, namely an elder brother named Victor and a younger sister named Renesha. Victor was known to be a bully, which greatly influenced James. What also affected him was his parents’ divorce. By the time he turned 15, he was already a part of gangs he shouldn’t have joined. On the fateful night of 16th April, he had an altercation with an older teenager outside a nightclub in Bellflower, California. In this fight, he ended up killing him. Three days later, he was struck with another tragedy when his brother was killed in a similar incident of street violence. Initially, James was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment.

As a teenager, this incident, coupled with the grief of his own brother’s death, left James feeling so guilty to the extent that in the coming years, he was slowly becoming suicidal. But that’s where music came into his life as a savior. He started creating biographical music, which, as mentioned above, was inspired by the happenings of his own life.  What’s beautiful about his music is that when you listen to it, it is clear that the music is self-crafted and not some studio recording.  By the time he turned 25, he started taking music more seriously than ever.  After multiple efforts to get him out of prison, in the year 2022, he was released from prison, after having spent 18 years of his life there.

When we talk about the documentary as a whole, it manages to create that thin balance where it doesn’t fully victimize James but also tells us the impact such incidents have on teenagers and their rage issues. We see how gun violence is highly dangerous, whether it is an adult or a juvenile. In the case of James, we see how it transformed him for life. We are also interested to know how this incident has impacted his life ahead. The interviews make this documentary even more interesting to watch.  His family, now consisting of father, mother, and sister, talks freely about their grief and healing from losing both their sons.

I must say, the documentary is high on emotions. You might feel very emotional once the credits roll. But overall, it's informative and a good watch from both a former prisoner’s point of view and the family who suffers alongside him. We also get to learn about prison reforms. It's fast and quick, making it a perfect watch for everyone.

Final Score- [8/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Choudhuri
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times