Chicago Native Vic Mensa teamed up with Wyclef Jean and Chance The Rapper to release a new song “SHELTER.”
The track draws about the killings of Breonna Taylor, Philando Castille, and Elijah McClain and the incarceration of Julius Jones. The song supports a fundraiser for Jones, who is on death row for murder in Oklahoma despite abundant evidence supporting his claim of innocence.
“Shelter is a spiritual note, a healing frequency,” Vic Mensa explained in a press release. “It was inspired not by Hollywood or Paris, but by what’s going on on the ground — in the real world, with the real people.” Wyclef Jean added, “The journey of this song was so important. It’s very crucial we, as musicians, use our voice to represent those who are not so easily able to be heard.”
Vic Mensa shared on social media, “Julius was 19 years old at the University of Oklahoma pursuing a basketball scholarship when he was wrongly arrested and charged with first degree murder. Julius will be executed by the State of Oklahoma for a crime he did not commit. Viola Davis’ “The Last Defense” docuseries closely-examines and exposes the flaws in Julius’ case. All donations to this fundraiser will go directly to his cause.”