Listen to T.I.'s "New National Anthem" f/ Skylar Grey

T.I. addresses the killing of Mike Brown on his new song, "New National Anthem."

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Image via Complex Original
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In response to the tragic killing of unarmed teenager Mike Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, T.I. has released his new song, "New National Anthem," featuring Skylar Grey. The song gets underway with Skylar on the hook, where she sings, "Home of the brave and free, free just to murder me, land of the beautiful, cursed by the hate we throw."

T.I.'s verses on the song focus on the current social and racial tensions ongoing in America, with standout lyrics like, "I was raised in a decade of hate young nigga, always dodging polices because they hate young niggas, and we hate them too, 38 in them shoe." The full lyrics to the song can be found here. T.I.'s new album, Paperwork, is expected to be released this upcoming fall. T.I. has been very vocal about the killing of Mike Brown, which included a personal letter on his Instagram about the situation.

Listen to the song and read his open letter below.

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Look at us....America has created a monster. The result of ignoring & mishandling an already fragile spirited, recently enslaved, presently oppressed race/generation of people. Look at us. We're the monster that now refuses to be dismissed, overlooked,& ignored. We were brought to this place,unaware of our own cultures,religion,&traditions therefore,we created our own. Now look at us. For years we've been crying out for the nation to address the substandard education systems & disparaging treatment of our citizens in communities across America. Our people have had an increasing lack of opportunities for generations. There have been homes broken,lives shattered,and futures lost on your watch....unanswered. Look at us. How long can u expect a nation/race/generation of people to be blatantly disrespected? Spoken to and treated with arrogant tones of insignificance. Our fathers,uncles,brothers& role models were killed& Imprisoned more often than educated. Now look at us. Our friends,& relatives Murdered and cast aside without thought,as though your human life is more valuable than ours. How long can that go on without consequence? Now Look at us. How long can u continue to pass the buck & make excuses of why u can't do today what should have been done yeste-year? Although I DO NOT support the negative responses & actions of my people in light of dis tragedy....I WILL NOT condone your lack of effort to show any urgency to improve the treatment of our people, nor the living conditions in our communities. Your refusal to address these life altering issues makes events such as these seem inevitable. Although I too am at fault to a degree & I admit that I may not have all da answers... I do have a fun fact for you. Insanity is...Going about things the same way,expecting a different result. U wanna different result? U must take different action. What else do u expect? Look at us!!!

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