Cyrus Langhorne
Maybach Music Group's Wale, Nelly, Bow Wow, Tyga and more high-profile hip-hop artists joined the nationwide Mike Brown movement this weekend following the teenager's controversial Missouri shooting.
According to reports, the rap stars attended R&B singer Chris Brown‘s celebrity flag football game Saturday (August 16) to promote non-violence in Los Angeles.
At the end of the game, Missouri native Nelly got on the mic and asked everyone to put their hands up and say “Don’t Shoot” in protest of the police shooting that left African-American teenager Michael Brown dead in Ferguson, Miss. Chris, Bow Wow, Trey, Lil Mama, Wale, and the rest of the stadium stood in solidarity with their hands up. “If anybody can sympathize with what my city is going through, it’s this city of L.A. right now on so many levels,” said Nelly, who was wearing a #MikeBrown tank top. “So for that respect alone, I’m asking you, I’m begging you, and I’m pleading for you to just raise your hands for a second.” (Rap-Up)
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)
Heading into the weekend, Roc Nation’s J. Cole directly addressed Brown’s death with the release of a new tribute song.
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)
Along with performing with a Mike Brown shirt, rap star Jeezy has relied on social media to to speak out on the teen’s death.
“It’s a shame in today’s Society we have to protect our loved ones from those who are sworn to protect us. We have to stand strong together and let our voices be heard across the nation. We will not tolerate innocent children being slain. Michael Brown may you rest with the Angels!!! #saveourchildren #St.Louisstandup,” Jeezy captioned to a photo of Mike Brown.
“St.Louis was Luv!! #justiceformichaelbrown #saveourchildren”
“I had to see it for myself!! The answer is not tearing down our own neighborhoods and communities, the answer is goin to the source of the problem in numbers. So many numbers that they know they don’t have a chance. We want justice not chaos!! #ferguson #st.louis #saveourchildren #justiceformichaelbrown,” Jeezy captioned August 13. (Jeezy’s Instagram)
