TWELVOTWO challenges police violence with RELLI KIZAN zine

Arizona-based production and multimedia arts company TWELVOTWO, founded by Ojalá Systems members DJQ and REY, has released a zine accompaniment to REY, PSYPIRITUAL & RND1’s ‘RELLI KIZAN’ album.

The title of the nine-tracker, that came out on October 31 last year, is ‘NAZI KILLER’ spelled backwards. It’s described as “an expression of REY & PSYPIRITUAL’s vivid storytelling about surviving in Arizona over RND1’s pristine production”, featuring poetics raps and experimental beats.

The zine accompaniment is a beautifully designed and thoughtfully put together collection of writing and song lyrics, drawing upon lived experiences, statistics, and calling for gradual police abolition, putting forward the case for defunding police departments and redirecting funds towards non-policing forms of public safety and community support.

One page asserts: “crime is not random. it happens when someone has been unable to meet their basic needs through other means. to really “fight crime” we don’t need more cops: we need more jobs, more educational opportunities, more arts programs, more community centers, more mental health resources, and more of a say in how our own communities function.”

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Speaking about the project, TWELVOTWO said: “The RELLI KIZAN zine focuses on the false narrative that law enforcement properly serves & protects communities across this nation. Using our personal experiences with Arizona law enforcement, we put together statistics, articles & responses that speak on the violence done by police & the nation’s unwillingness to rehabilitate the generational trauma inflicted on Black, Brown & Indigenous communities. Through this zine, we wanted to remind the people in our community that after protests & demonstrations, the conversations around reimagining public safety should continue in our immediate circles & artist spaces. & RELLI KIZAN is an example of this, reclaiming our narrative & sharing it with the people in our communities affected by the violent & harmful nature of our current public safety.

“The RELLI KIZAN album is filled with poignant questions & radical perspectives. Emcees REY & PSYPIRITUAL go back & forth with their multifaceted lyrics & social musings over RND1’s immersive sample-choice & distinctive drum patterns. Songs like BORDER BOYS contemplate surviving in a society that is quick to exploit, dispose of & criminalize young disenfranchised people; while a song like OH LAWD is a spiritual plea to a higher power for a better path than the one that is offered to marginalized communities.

“Both the zine & the album are product of TWELVOTWO, a multimedia company based in Tucson, AZ, co-founded by Ojalá Systems members REY & DJQ. TWELVOTWO is bred from artists without resources or academic opportunities to have viable artistic “careers.” these two artists are working on curating a new era of SouthWest culture through records, independent publishings & other creative endeavors. TWELVOTWO is not a record label & is not a collective. TWELVOTWO is free artists.”

Head to twelvotwo.com to check out the full zine. You can download a PDF for free, or purchase a limited edition print copy for $10. Get the ‘RELLI KIZAN’ album via Bandcamp.

You can also follow TWELVOTWO on SoundCloud, Instagram and Twitter. Watch the video for 'Payaso' below.

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Features Editor, follow him on Twitter

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