Members of the hip-hop community are seeking justice for Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man who was chased by two White men and shot by one of the men while jogging through a Georgia neighborhood.
According to a report from CNN on Wednesday (May 6), Arbery was going for a jog in an area outside Brunswick, Ga. on February 23 when former police officer, Gregory McMichaels, and his son, Travis, who was armed, chased him down. Reports also claim that McMichaels suspected Arbery was responsible for a string of break-ins in the area.
Shortly after the men chased Arbery, a struggle transpired between Arbery and Travis. McMichaels' son fired three shots, killing Arbery. Two months after the killing, Tom Durden, the district attorney for the Atlantic Judicial Circuit, has announced that the case will be presented in front of a grand jury, along with the video footage of the incident that was posted online Tuesday (May 5) by a local radio station. The video has since been removed from station's website, according to CNN.
On Wednesday (May 6), rappers like, Big Boi, Smino, LL Cool J and more voiced their support for the 25-year-old unarmed man by uploading social media posts including the hashtags "#AhmadArbery" and "#Justice forAhmadArbery" to help bring attention to Arbery's killing.
The rappers' messages come after reports that Arbery's case will go to a grand jury in coastal Georgia. However, the New York Times reports that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Georgia Supreme Court has prohibited grand juries through June 12.
Hip-hop is no stranger to rallying behind men, who have been unjustly murdered. Back in 2012, rappers stood in solidarity for Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black male who was murdered while walking home through a gated community. Artists were vocal about Trayvon's killer, George Zimmerman, being found not guilty and have continued to keep his memory alive.
Eight years later, hip-hop is still actively seeking justice for those who have been victims of senseless acts of violence.
The investigation into Ahmaud Arbery's killing is ongoing.
See more reactions from hip-hop below.
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