Police brutality has been in the national spotlight over the past two years because of several cases -- including Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland and Michael Brown -- of unarmed African-Americans being killed or dying in police custody.
Cellphone cameras and body cameras on police have made misconduct increasingly visible to the public. But despite the violence and death being recorded and replayed for the world to see, few officers are charged in the deaths of the people who've died or been killed in their custody, and the hip-hop community has refused to be silent about it.
Wu Tang Clan producer/leader RZA expressed his frustration over what he sees as a disregard for black lives and the pitfalls of the American justice system Twitter to express his frustration over the apparent devaluation of black lives, and the pitfalls of the American justice system.
In a series of posts on Twitter, RZA said, "How can a original black man be a coon &sell out? You best look deep into my words &make an assessment. Do you still think pork is healthy?"
RZA has previously expressed his support for the "Black Lives Matter" movement, saying, "Of course Black lives matter. All lives matter. I stopped eating meat because their lives matter to me. I don't think it's necessary for us to grow a cow to kill it."
"Of course Black lives matter.. All lives matter"
— RZA! (@RZA) January 8, 2016
He continued, "When you think about some of the brothers who are being brutalized by the police, you also gotta have them take a look and us take a look in the mirror at the image we portray. If I'm a cop and every time I see a young Black youth whether I watch him on TV, movies or just see them hanging out and they not looking properly dressed, properly refined, carrying themselves, conducting themselves at proper hours of the day, things that a man does. You're gonna have a certain fear or stereotype of them. I tell my sons...I say, 'If you're going somewhere, you don't have to wear a hoodie.' We live in New York, so hoodies and that is all good, but sometimes button up your shirt, clean up. Look like a young man. You're not a little kid. I think that's another big issue we've got to pay attention to is the image that we portray that could invoke a fear into a White officer or to any officer."
