Letter to the Free

E65394

"Letter to the Free" is a politically charged hip-hop song by Common that reflects on mass incarceration and racial injustice in the United States.

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Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf single
song
addresses legacy of slavery in the United States
police violence
prison–industrial complex
racial profiling
artist Common
associatedMovement Black Lives Matter movement
surface form: Black Lives Matter
composer Common
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
featuredArtist Bilal
features jazz-influenced instrumentation
piano-driven production
genre hip hop
hasMusicVideo yes
intendedMessage call for freedom and justice for incarcerated and oppressed people
language English
lyricalForm rap
lyricist Common
medium digital audio
streaming
musicVideoDirector Ava DuVernay
narrativePerspective first person plural
notableFor collaboration with Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th
critique of the U.S. criminal justice system
politically charged lyrics
partOf soundtrack of the documentary film 13th
partOfAlbum Black America Again
performer Bilal
Common
performerInstrument vocals
politicalOrientation social justice
producer Karriem Riggins
Robert Glasper
recordLabel ARTium Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
releaseContext era of heightened debate on mass incarceration in the United States
theme criminal justice reform
mass incarceration
racial injustice
systemic racism
usedIn 13th
vocalStyle conscious rap
workType political protest song

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Black America Again hasSingle Letter to the Free
Black America Again includesSong Letter to the Free