Sean Bell Artists are speaking out !
THE SEAN BELL STORY IS A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. THE VERDICT FOR THE THREE COPS WHO SHOT THE UNARMED MAN ON HIS WEDDING DAY WAS NOT GUILTY. NOW ARTISTS ARE SPEAKING OUT.
I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO HEAR SOME MUSICAL TRIBUTES BY JAY Z OR NAS. IT DOESN’T JUST HIT THE HIP HOP COMMUNITY EITHER. (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN DID A SONG CALLED “41 SHOTS” ABOUT AMADOU DIALLO, ANOTHER UNARMED MAN SHOT TO DEATH BY NYPD.) HERE’S WHAT WE DO KNOW ABOUT ARTISTS SPEAKING OUT IN PROTEST OF THE SEAN BELL VERDICT.
David Banner, The Game and Queens bred lyricist Prodigy have all gone on the record to voice their outrage. Banner talks about what he sees as New York giving African-Americans the middle finger, and the “cowards” who allow it to continue.”I was outraged but I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t get mad anymore,” Banner told SOHH exclusively. “I have to think logically. I think one of the problems with America is that we’ve adapted Bush’s cowboy mentality to everything. With the Sean Bell situation New York is basically saying, ‘f*ck n*ggas.’” Banner was shocked that while the three officers were brought up on eight counts, not even one charge against the cops stuck.
“[They] shot Sean Bell 51* times and they got eight counts and you can’t convict on one count,” Banner said. “Not even endangerment? You shot 51 times homie!” They know that we not gonna do sh*t,” he said. “We ain’t gonna do sh*t but beef amongst ourselves. Our generation is a bunch of cowards and they know that and that’s including me. All of us, we cowards and if you’re not a coward then do something about it. “All these tough ass rappers, where they at now,” he added. “Where are the football players? The basketball players? Where are our senators? Where are the other black cops that work with them cops that shot their children? They’re cowards!” “It pisses me off, I’m hurt and to a certain degree I’m scared, too,” Banner said. “I got to be enough of a man to say that.”
“The NYPD is just a branch of corruption connected to a giant corrupt tree called the United States government,” Prodigy of Mobb Deep said via a press release. “Right now we have a government that controls the people, instead of people that control their government. Until we can do that, there’ll be several more incidents like the murder of Sean Bell.”
The Game will debut a new song addressing the Sean Bell verdict today, AllHipHop.com has learned. The Game will debut his song “911 Is A Joke” tomorrow (April 29) on his new website ThisizGame.com. Like his Compton predecessors N.W.A., who released their classic single “F**k Tha Police” in 1988, The Game addresses police tactics and violence on the track, which also features Black Wall Street artist Clyde Carson. I’m outraged and speaking out for my generation that are afraid to speak out against police brutality and murder,” The Game told AllHipHop.com. “I grew up in Compton and had to stay silent because of the fear that was prevalent in my community, but now that I have a voice I’m speaking out.” “This could have easily been me, my brother, my family. So this song is for Sean Bell from my heart,” The Game continued. “My deepest condolences goes out to his family and wife Nicole Bell.
The Game is currently putting the final touches on his new album LAX (Los Angeles Times), which is due in stores on July 8. Jenny Boom Boom will be talking to game today(Tuesday between 2 and 6pm so make sure you listen !)