Ty Dolla $ign, Raphael Saadiq, Mali Music, and Elijah Blake are using their talents to fight social injustices in the Black community.

In a new project titled 17 and brought to us by TIDAL and SANKOFA.org, the artists come together to take a stand against racial and police violence. Written and directed by Gerald Bush and Christopher Renz, and produced by Jeff Burroughs, the 17-minute visual EP was inspired by all the men and women who’ve fallen victim to such cruelties, including Trayvon Martin who was killed at just 17 years old back in 2012.

After releasing 17 to the world on Friday, Gina Belafonte (Co-Director of SANKOFA.org and daughter to Harry Belafonte), took a moment to speak on how inspiring the project was with Global Grind‘s Sukii Osborne.

“It is always so inspiring to work with artists who are passionately committed to learning more about the injustices taking place in communities across our country, and to help elevate the voices of society’s most disenfranchised,” says Belafonte. “Artists are the gatekeepers of truth. The artists featured on 17 and SANKOFA.org‘s forthcoming social justice album have done an amazing job of using their art to invoke calls to action around urgent human rights issues like racial and police violence. Working with TIDAL has been a great collaboration. We are grateful for them partnering with us on this important project and for using their platform to promote such important subject matters. Hopefully this visual EP will inspire more artists to use their massive cultural influence and followings to shine a light on issues of political and moral urgency.”

Watch 17 below and let us know what you think!

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