Don't Shoot: Artists Unite For The Ferguson Anthem

By Kate Mueller on September 10, 2014

The Game brings in 2 Chainz, Rick Ross and others for song in memory of Mike Brown

AIDS in Africa, the 9/11 attacks, the Haiti earthquake, the Mike Brown shooting – what do all of these issues have in common? Music.

It seems as if every major catastrophe has its own anthem. The Ferguson police shooting, and events that followed, inspired artists to use their musical talents to support Mike Brown.

Hands in the sky, still was left in the road
Ribbon in the sky, Michael Brown, another soul
- Rick Ross

However, “Don’t Shoot” is distinctively different from the other ‘support anthems’ we’ve heard in the past, mostly because it’s a rap song infused with an R&B chorus.

Rapper The Game organized the ensemble and got some of the most sought after entertainers to join as features.

image via singersroom.com

“I managed to get everyone on fairly easy, simply because we have hearts. We care and are inclined to take a positive approach to resolving an issue that has existed since the beginning of mankind and that’s RACISM and hatred towards one another as human beings.”
- The Game via HotNewHipHop.com

However, the song is not perfect by any means. The Game could have made the song a lot better with a few more additions to the artist lineup or simply by adjusting the lineup to include a more diverse group and audience.

Hip-hop ONLY

Maybe it was short notice, or not even a thought at all, but The Game should have brought in other members of the music industry. The great thing about hip-hop is that it allows a message to get through to the audience, but keeping this song stuck in one or two genres does not allow the song to truly thrive.

Hip-hop has done some of the best collaborations with other genres – Kayne West and Adam Levine, Jay-Z and Linkin Park, Nelly and Tim McGraw, Run DMC and Aerosmith, to name a few.

So, why wouldn’t they think to include some other people to increase the audience of the important message?

A racial divide

So, let’s say The Game knew he wanted to keep it as a rap/R&B track. That’s fine; after all, rap is his specialty.

But does anyone else remember the 2014 Grammys where Macklemore took home the award for best rap album, while Justin Timberlake took home a few Grammys of his own in rap and R&B categories?

The hip-hop community is not produced by and for the black community only, and this song should have reflected on that–especially when the subject is so racially charged.

Bringing in rap and R&B artists from different backgrounds would have shown the unity within the hip-hop community and inspired that same unity in our neighborhoods.

Where are the women?

Women were also left off the list of artists, which was surprising in the fact that women have nearly ruled the rap and R&B charts this summer.

Bringing in Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, Jhene Aiko or any woman at all would have been a good idea. Yes, the song is about dealing with life and its problems as a young black MALE, but that doesn’t mean women have not been involved.

News recently broke that the man that shot Renisha McBride received a sentence of 17 years in prison. She, too, was innocent, young and black.

The Inappropriate Award goes to …

Diddy. Radio rap is full of product placements and advertisements whether we’re hearing about Bentleys or Versace. A song dedicated to the memory of Mike Brown, you would think, shouldn’t have any of this, right? Wrong.

Diddy wins the ‘inappropriate award’ for advertising his Ciroc vodka. It could have been unintentional, but it also seems pretty convenient. To his defense, he followed the line by addressing past victims and the similar injustices they faced. I guess we can forgive him.

Police taking shots and I ain’t talkin’ bout Ciroc
I’m talking bout Emmett Till, I’m talking bout Ezell Ford
I’m talking bout Sean Bell, they never go to jail for
Trayvon over Skittles, Mike Brown Cigarillos
History keeps repeating itself, like a Biggie instrumental
- Diddy

There were some good points in the song, though …

More than just lyrics

The most important thing about this song is its message. Even if you know nothing about the events in Ferguson, this song paints a picture of it all–even the beginnings of the court case.

And I’m already hearing bout this lopsided jury
Three faces like his, the rest another story
- Curren$y

What do you pour over your head for social justice?

Many of us have participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness and money. While everyone can agree that it is a great cause, some find the timing to be poor.

Both Fabolous and Wale, who dedicated his entire verse to the issue, addressed this further.

Yeah, I seen a lot of ice water tossed, and I know it’s for a cause
My only question is, what we doing for the loss
Of Mike Brown? Cause right now, I challenge you to use your talents to
Speak up, and don’t you ever let them silence you
- Fabolous

Heard another brother slain up in St. Louis
Sure the mother feel the pain, but what you famous doing?
I’m sure the general population trying to be more active
But when the light finally catches you, you ice challenge
Okay, and I support the ALS just like the rest of them
But you have yet to pay your debt, so you just flexing then
Cause everybody care for a minute, then stop
People only there for a minute, then stop
And what’s the point of giving if you ain’t giving your all?
- Wale

Police = Army?

2 Chainz is known for his interesting lyrics and style, but he offered some great points in his verse about the militarization of police and the police’s use of excessive force.

Tired of the okie-dokie, lying you Pinocchio
Driving while black, tell me, where am I supposed to go?
Gun shots hit the car, now I got the holy ghost
If excessive force was a drug, then they overdosed
Got us tryna protest, it’s a slow process
Heard it’s a lot of rotten eggs in the crow’s nest
People praying on they feet, police holding on they heat
Turned on the news and seen a tank rolling down the street
- 2 Chainz

Riots are not the answer

Diddy criticized the use of violence and riots to inspire social change, while Yo Gotti criticized the media’s portrayal of the incident.

America’s a glass house and my revenge is mental
Rather use my brain than throw a cocktail through a window
- Diddy

News say we’re looting, paint pictures like we some animals
- Yo Gotti

 Justice for Mike Brown

image via hiphopgivesback.com

Not only do the lyrics tell the story, but the song’s proceeds benefit Mike Brown’s family. All of the money earned by the sales of the song go to Mike Brown’s GoFundMe charity page.

This is definitely the biggest and most important part of the song because it shows that these celebrities and artists wanted to make no money off of the sales, but instead, put the money toward getting justice for Mike Brown.

Listen to the song below.

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