As many music artists begin to dig into their emotions regarding the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown last weekend (Elle Varner’s “One Love” and J. Cole’s “Be Free”), melodious St. Louis rap duo Souls of Liberty (Ryan Escobar and Tenelle Donta) live near the mayhem of the situation; they are out there protesting and seeing everything first hand, prompting them to also take it to the mic.

On their song “Stay Alive (RIP Mike Brown),” the rappers call for solidarity, especially in the black community. “If you black get up off your a**, educate your mind / Link arms with your fellow man if a man down…we need our own society where we all brown / Where we love us instead of holding us down,” they flow.

Along with the song, the duo write this caption:

“We lost another brother to a senseless act of violence. The national spotlight has been put on our hometown and we must speak out! Whether it's black on black, or police brutality, killing unarmed black men must stop! We urge everybody to keep fighting in the name of justice. No matter what happens we must 'Stay Alive'! RIP Mike Brown!”

Download the tune above and learn more about Souls of Liberty on their website here.

@SoulsofLiberty