S. Samuel
Roc Nation's J. Cole has come forward to speak out on heading to the midwest in light of this month's controversial shooting of Missouri teenagers Michael Brown.
Despite ample celebrities discussing the teen’s tragic death on social media, Cole stressed the importance of actual heading to Ferguson.
“We came down here to feel it, ’cause this is history, and we wanna be a part of this just like everybody else,” he said, adding that he felt like, “it coulda been you, it coulda been me, it coulda been our best friends. … At one point in time, me and [my friend] were sitting in the crib talking about this all the time. ‘This is f-ked up!’ And we was young. And we was 20. And we was passionate. It’s like, life goes on, and n–as start worrying about Instagram and reality TV, and ‘What’s popping,’ and ‘I got kids,’ and life happens. And a lot of distractions. Unfortunately, last week, it was the same old, ‘This is f-ked up,’ and this week, it’s like, ‘What can we do?'” (Complex)
Heading into the weekend, Cole directly addressed Brown’s death with the release of a new tribute song called “Be Free.”
In the wake of the police shooting that left African-American teenager Michael Brown dead, J. Cole responds by penning a powerful and emotional plea. Over a bare bones beat, the Roc Nation MC cries out for freedom and justice. “All we wanna do is take the chains off / All we wanna do is be free,” sings a grief-stricken Cole. “Rest in Peace to Michael Brown and to every young black man murdered in America, whether by the hands of white or black,” said Cole. “I pray that one day the world will be filled with peace and rid of injustice. Only then will we all Be Free.” (Rap-Up)
A newly released preliminary private autopsy released Sunday (August 17) reveal he was shot at least six times.
One of the bullets entered the top of Mr. Brown’s skull, suggesting his head was bent forward when it struck him and caused a fatal injury, according to Dr. Michael M. Baden, the former chief medical examiner for the City of New York, who flew to Missouri on Sunday at the family’s request to conduct the separate autopsy. It was likely the last of bullets to hit him, he said. Mr. Brown, 18, was also shot four times in the right arm, he said, adding that all the bullets were fired into his front. (NY Times)
In the Midwest, Mike Brown’s family hosted a publicized rally a week after losing the teen.
A rally today at a church in Ferguson, Mo., the St. Louis suburb torn by demonstrations both peaceful and violent since the killing of an unarmed teen by a police officer last weekend, was “about standing up for our children,” an attorney for the 18-year-old’s family said. “We’re here to talk about standing up for our children, because if we don’t stand up for our children, nobody will stand up for our children,” attorney Benjamin Crump said. (ABC News)
Check out J. Cole’s interview:
