In the wake of 37-year-old Alton Sterling’s death, many people within the hip hop community have come forth to express their outrage and disbelief. Figures like The Game, Meek Mill, Talib Kweli, and Chuck D went to social media to express their emotions after a video emerged showing Sterling being fatally shot by police after he was pinned down.
On Wednesday night, Drake and Kanye West also shared their reactions:
Drake went to Instagram to articulate his thoughts on the tragedy. The Toronto rapper began by calling the U.S. his "second home." He then wrote about the strained relationship between minorities and the country's law enforcement, and said the recent killing pushed him to say something on the matter.
It's a big move for Drake, who was once advised not to speak on a Toronto nightclub shooting because his lawyers feared his words would be misinterpreted. However, Drake ultimately did what he felt was right and posted a statement about the shooting on his blog. There, he expressed his concern about the growing violence in his home city, and sent his condolences to the families of the victims.
West went to Twitter to reshare an Instagram video of the shooting, with the hashtags #RIPAltonSterling, #StandForSomethingOrFallForAnything.
Since the 48-second cell phone video emerged, demonstrators across the country have begun protesting. Sterling is the 558th person to be killed by police this year.
