Music Matters Daily: J. Cole Drops 'Be Free' in Honor of Mike Brown

Plus, Emilio Rojas releases "Dead Presidents" video.

J. Cole Drops "Be Free" in Honor of Mike Brown - Artists like Public Enemy used rap as a platform to speak out against public issues. Twenty-five years later it doesn’t seem like much has changed. J. Cole released "Be Free" due to Mike Brown's death in Ferguson, Missouri, as well as other social and racial injustices faced in society daily. The emotional track includes audio from the key witness's recollection of the tragic scene. Shout out to J. Cole for using his voice to express the emotions that thousands share regarding the tragic incident in the Midwest.(Photos from Left: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for D'USSE, Michael Brown Jr via Facebook)

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J. Cole Drops "Be Free" in Honor of Mike Brown - Artists like Public Enemy used rap as a platform to speak out against public issues. Twenty-five years later it doesn’t seem like much has changed. J. Cole released "Be Free" due to Mike Brown's death in Ferguson, Missouri, as well as other social and racial injustices faced in society daily. The emotional track includes audio from the key witness's recollection of the tragic scene. Shout out to J. Cole for using his voice to express the emotions that thousands share regarding the tragic incident in the Midwest.(Photos from Left: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for D'USSE, Michael Brown Jr via Facebook)

15. New Orleans: Big K.R.I.T. - Big K.R.I.T.'s nearby Mississippi roots and bluesy, musical production would help him settle down in the Crescent City quickly. (Photo: Ragnar Singsaas/Redferns via Getty Images)

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Big K.R.I.T. Announces Pay Attention Tour  - Big K.R.I.T. announced his upcoming Pay Attention Tour, featuring Two-9. The tour is named after his latest single, featuring Rico Love. K.R.I.T. said, "I am traveling with a message, a message about our culture, where we were and what we have come to. I want to make sure people are paying attention to what is happening in their lives and in hip hop today." The tour makes stops in every major city from NY to Cali. His sophomore album, Cadillactica, is expected to release before the year is up.(Photo: Ragnar Singsaas/Redferns via Getty Images)

Emilio Rojas "Dead Presidents," Featuring DUBB - New York MC Emilio Rojas releases a video for “Dead Presidents," featuring DUBB. Looking over the city, the black-and-white visual fits over this classic Jay Z-sampled track.(Photo: Same Plate Entertainment)

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Emilio Rojas "Dead Presidents," Featuring DUBB - New York MC Emilio Rojas releases a video for “Dead Presidents," featuring DUBB. Looking over the city, the black-and-white visual fits over this classic Jay Z-sampled track.(Photo: Same Plate Entertainment)

K. Michelle, @kmichelle - Tweet: "Sis, ‪@mimfaust was his roommate home or nah?"Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta star MiMi Faust has been causing a frenzy with her new sex tape opposite boyfriend Nikko Smith. If you're a fan of the show, you may remember K. Michelle fading Nikko and his infamous R&B-singing male roommate for shacking up together. Well now that MiMi and Nikko's steamy sexcapades have been caught on camera for the world to see, K. wants to know if his boy was around for the action. #CameramanMaybe?(Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)

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K. Michelle Releases 'Damn' Video - K. Michelle released the visuals for her new single, "Damn." The video includes footage from the Idris Elba-directed Rebellious Soul Musical set to premiere August 19. From what we can tell, part of the story revolves around a troubled K. Michelle singing through heartbreak.(Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images) 

Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse: Kendrick Lamar, "Control" (Big Sean feat. Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica) - When "Control" dropped, the Internet stopped and paid homage to new legend Kendrick Lamar for a job well done and an intensity that had been missing from the game. A year later and we're still all feeling it as one of the hottest hip hop moments of the decade. (Photo: JLN Photography/WENN.com)

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Fan Made Kendrick Lamar Mini-Docu - Most of us are patiently waiting for Kendrick Lamar's upcoming short film, m.A.A.d. In the meantime, a fan (James Roberts) shows his appreciation for K. Dot by creating a mini-documentary on his career featuring clips from old interviews, freestyles, and performance footage. The 43-minute doc is filled with hidden gems and will make you a pro on K. Dot trivia. (Photo: JLN Photography/WENN.com)

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Fly Union Does It All - After the release of Small Victories, Fly Union has been buzzing on the Internet. This week they step into the visual arena with the release their short film for "Dolla Bills." It is directed by the Greater Than Club (Fly Union) and edited by FlyU's MC Jerreau.(Photo: Fly Union LLC)

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Fly Union Does It All - After the release of Small Victories, Fly Union has been buzzing on the Internet. This week they step into the visual arena with the release their short film for "Dolla Bills." It is directed by the Greater Than Club (Fly Union) and edited by FlyU's MC Jerreau.(Photo: Fly Union LLC)

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Macklemore's Feeling the Pressure - After the success of The Heist, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are feeling the pressure for their upcoming sophomore album. In an interview with Rolling Stone Macklemore explained, "We're definitely working on the next album. Ryan's got a lot of beats, I've got a lot of writing. Obviously there's a ton of pressure — it's a sophomore album, and we never thought The Heist would be as big as it was. Now we have to live up to that." We’re excited to see what will be the outcome of the super duo's follow-up LP.(Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for GQ)

Big Sean and Ariana Grande Collab - Ariana Grande released "Best Mistake," featuring Big Sean, yesterday (Aug. 12). The two have been working together a lot over the past year, stirring up dating rumors. The smooth beat complements their very different voices and the song is the "best mistake" they ever made. (Photo: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage)

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Big Sean and Ariana Grande Collab - Ariana Grande released "Best Mistake," featuring Big Sean, yesterday (Aug. 12). The two have been working together a lot over the past year, stirring up dating rumors. The smooth beat complements their very different voices and the song is the "best mistake" they ever made. (Photo: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage)

Joey Bada$ - New Era leader Joey Bada$ tore down the stage like a veteran performer. The Brooklyn native put on for his city and his energetic set was undeniably one of the biggest highlights of the night. (Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for BET)

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Joey Bada$ Releases 'Big Dusty' Video - Joey Bada$ dropped visuals for the first single, "Big Dusty," off his debut studio album, B4DA$. The classic Brooklyn-sounding track is matched with some gritty visuals featuring the whole Pro Era army. The album is anticipated to drop this fall.(Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for BET)

Kendrick Lamar Recruits Pete Rock for Sophomore LP - Legendary producer Pete Rock worked on Kendrick Lamar's upcoming LP. According to XXL, this is not the first time Pete Rock worked with TDE; he worked along side Ab-Soul and also did a track with ScHoolBoy Q. "I did some scratching and I'm on the hook on one of his songs on his album," Pete confirmed. Seems like Kendrick will deliver another classic.(Photo: Jessica Lehrman/Pitchfork Music Festival)

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Kendrick Lamar Recruits Pete Rock for Sophomore LP - Legendary producer Pete Rock worked on Kendrick Lamar's upcoming LP. According to XXL, this is not the first time Pete Rock worked with TDE; he worked along side Ab-Soul and also did a track with ScHoolBoy Q. "I did some scratching and I'm on the hook on one of his songs on his album," Pete confirmed. Seems like Kendrick will deliver another classic.(Photo: Jessica Lehrman/Pitchfork Music Festival)

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Star Quality - BJ the Chicago Kid shows the crowd at the Music Matters Stage why he is one of the artists to watch for in 2013. The Motown Records crooner had fans buzzing with his powerful vocals and stage presence. (Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for BET)

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BJ the Chicago Kid Spins Fabolous's 'Thim Slick' - R&B singer BJ the Chicago Kid dropped visuals for his song "Perfect." The track samples Fabolous's recent hit "Thim Slick," and spins it to promote natural beauty and encourage women to recognize their worth and to ignore media's unrealistic body standards. The video is as inspirational as the song. Big ups, BJ! (Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for BET) 

Photo By Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Elijah Blake's Upcoming Drift EP - Elijah Blake upcoming EP, Drift, is set to release in September. He recently released the video to his latest No I.D.-produced single, “6.” The video takes us on a journey inspired by his childhood in which he deals with child abuse, single mother issues, and religion. This emotional track leaves us wondering what Elijah has in store for the rest of the project. (Photo: Steve Jennings/Getty Images for Free The Children)

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Elijah Blake's Upcoming Drift EP - Elijah Blake upcoming EP, Drift, is set to release in September. He recently released the video to his latest No I.D.-produced single, “6.” The video takes us on a journey inspired by his childhood in which he deals with child abuse, single mother issues, and religion. This emotional track leaves us wondering what Elijah has in store for the rest of the project. (Photo: Steve Jennings/Getty Images for Free The Children)

Kendrick Lamar's m.A.A.d Is "Unorthodox" - Kendrick Lamar and director Kahlil Joseph's short film collab was uniquely developed, stemming from Kendrick's need for visuals for his Yeezus tour run. "From the very beginning, the process was unorthodox; no treatment or script, no visual references to speak of," members of the production team told the Hollywood Reporter. "Kahlil was really creating everything in his mind as he saw and felt it... his only goal was to 'uniquely represent Kendrick, his music, and the city of Compton.'"(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Clear Channel)

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Kendrick Lamar's m.A.A.d Is "Unorthodox" - Kendrick Lamar and director Kahlil Joseph's short film collab was uniquely developed, stemming from Kendrick's need for visuals for his Yeezus tour run. "From the very beginning, the process was unorthodox; no treatment or script, no visual references to speak of," members of the production team told the Hollywood Reporter. "Kahlil was really creating everything in his mind as he saw and felt it... his only goal was to 'uniquely represent Kendrick, his music, and the city of Compton.'"(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Clear Channel)

Lecrae Becomes First Christian Rapper to Top iTunes - Lecrae's latest single, "All I Need Is You," landed at No. 1 on iTunes, making him the first Christian hip hop artist to top the digital chart. "I think it's phenomenal to make music that challenges people to think on morality, spirituality and the betterment of society," he said. "Many people do that. Some sing country or jazz, I rap."(Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)

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Lecrae Becomes First Christian Rapper to Top iTunes - Lecrae's latest single, "All I Need Is You," landed at No. 1 on iTunes, making him the first Christian hip hop artist to top the digital chart. "I think it's phenomenal to make music that challenges people to think on morality, spirituality and the betterment of society," he said. "Many people do that. Some sing country or jazz, I rap."(Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)

"Dub Sac" - Any narrative about the Cali life wouldn't be complete without acknowledging the home grown, Which is what Ab pays homage to on this cut about smoking on an o-z while riding around. (Photo: Splash News)

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Soulo Freestyles at ShowOff Radio - Whenever Ab-Soul comes to ShowOff Radio, he delivers something dope, from an unreleased track to a freestyle. This time, Statik Selektah drops a beat for Soulo's smooth, flowing freestyle, one of his best to date, showing wordplay and earning oohs and ahhs from Retch, Joey Bada$ and more.(Photo: Splash News)

Vic Mensa Is Major - Save Money artist Vic Mensa released a new track, "Major Payne." The Chicago-bred emcee has blown up since his enrollment into XXL's 2014 Freshman Class. Look out for his next EP, Street Lights, set to release this year. (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Firefly Music Festival)

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Vic Mensa Releases 'Wimme Nah' - After the denial of the Street Lights EP, Vic Mensa has us patiently waiting to see what's next. The XXL Freshman most recently unleashed his experimental flows over a hard-hitting, Kaytranada-produced track, "Wimme Nah." The new song expresses the feeling of triumph when people finally start to recognize your talent.(Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Firefly Music Festival)