The Local four man hip–hop group 4 Peace will be filming a portion of their music video for the song “Start Peace” at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department House of Correction this week. Three members of the quartet visited the facility on Thursday, July 20, shortly before appearing on the Sheriff’s Department weekly BNN cable show, Common Ground.

The members of 4 Peace, Edo G., D Quest, Twice Thou, and Wyatt Jackson, have been part of the Boston hip–hop scene for years, either in other groups or working solo. They came together last winter after an emotional anti–violence meeting at the Jubilee Church in Mattapan.

“After the meeting, Rodney Dailey came up to us and said we should do a song promoting peace,” said Twice Thou. “A few days later, Wyatt started making calls to get a group together to do it.”

Dailey, founder of the Gang Peace and Street Peace programs, now works for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, helping ex–offenders find employment and reducing recidivism.

4 Peace hopes that by producing an album and video promoting peace they will be able to reach an audience that might not respond to other types of anti–violence programs.

“You can’t preach the message,” said Twice Thou. “You’ve got to bring it in a vehicle people already know and relate to.” D Quest agreed, saying, “We might have a better chance at getting the message across to kids before they get in to trouble.”

By filming a portion of their music video at the House of Correction, 4 Peace hopes that they will be able to have an effect on both the at risk youth who may become involved in crime and violence, and the offenders who have already committed crimes but have the opportunity to turn their lives around. “Kids look up to criminals and think that going to jail is cool. If we can show the inmates promoting peace, maybe the kids who look up to them will promote peace too,” said Twice Thou.

The group’s work doesn’t stop with their music. Earlier this year, the group unveiled a “Start Peace” t-shirt line, sold at Twice Thou’s store Antonio Ansaldi, to counter the “Stop Snitchin’” shirts that have been credited with intimidating police witnesses and interfering with police investigations. Half of the money raised by the shirts will be donated to the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, and 4 Peace is looking for more ways to have an impact.

“We’d like to come back to the House of Correction,” said Edo G. “If Sheriff Cabral will have us, we’d like to come in once a month and teach a music class and give the inmates something constructive and positive.”

4 Peace’s music video is set to air in August, with an album soon to follow.

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