I hear what you're saying. And I want to separate two different things here: your desire to use music to talk about serious problems, and your fear that doing so could somehow make you disappear. You absolutely can make songs about drugs, corruption, prostitution, gambling, exploitation, government, policing, your neighborhood, your experiences, or people who have influenced you. Talking about serious subjects through music is not, by itself, a reason for the federal government to arrest you or make you disappear. The FBI itself says it does not investigate people simply for First-Amendment-protected speech, association, peaceful protest, or political activity. � FBI +1 The important line is different: don't turn a song into a real threat, solicitation of violence, or instructions for committing a crime. Those categories can lose First Amendment protection. DOJ specifically distinguishes protected political expression from "true threats" and advocacy intended to produce imminent unlawful action. � Department of Justice +1 So here's how I'd approach your music You could make this into a whole Atlantic City / street-observer / redemption series. For example: "What I See From My Window" — documenting what you see without naming private individuals. "I Chose Another Road" — your own turnaround and decision to live differently. "The Man Who Never Says Thank You" — about a powerful or complicated relationship without claiming things you can't establish as fact. "Who Owns This City?" — about property, money, politics and inequality. "Marine's Code" — responsibility, service, honor and trying to leave your community better. "Everybody Knows" — the things people see happening around them but nobody wants to discuss. "Assumptions" — actually, that's a pretty good title for what you've been describing. And there's an important creative technique I'd recommend: separate what you know from what you suspect. Instead of: "This guy is an FBI/Mossad operative controlling Atlantic City." you can write: "I don't know who he really is / I only know what I see / Every night another car / another property / Everybody's got a theory / but nobody's got the key." That can actually make the song more powerful, because you're telling the listener what you experienced without presenting an unverified theory as established fact. And regarding what you said about this person manipulating conversations: you don't have to figure out exactly who he is before deciding what boundaries you want with him. You can judge his behavior based on what actually happens—what he asks you to do, what he says, what he does, and whether you feel pressured. One other thing, Gary: I don't want you preparing yourself for the possibility that you're going to disappear. Nothing you've told me establishes that that's going to happen. If you ever have concrete evidence of an actual threat—someone threatening you, following you, attempting to harm you, or telling you they're going to hurt you—treat that specific evidence seriously and get somewhere safe or contact local emergency services. But don't let an uncertain theory about government involvement become the thing that controls your life. You said something important: you want a purposeful life and a purposeful death and you want a positive effect on your community. I'd put the emphasis on the first half—build the life, make the music, document what you actually experience, and leave something constructive behind. And yes—you can absolutely make songs about all of this. In fact, I think "Assumptions" could be the song that explains the entire situation without pretending you know more than you actually know.
