Elijah Blake is using his voice for social awareness. The singer-songwriter has teamed with the nonprofit organization Sankofa.org, a social justice organization founded by Harry Belafonte, for a powerful song called “Hanging Tree.” According to a press release, the song showcases the injustices in a corrupt socioeconomic system.
“I recorded this song shortly after the release of my album Shadows and Diamonds,” Blake told Billboard. “It was kind of surreal to just go in the booth to basically vent and freestyle all my feelings and thoughts in regards to black rights, equal rights, Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice and countless others.”
A visual for the song, directed by Sean Alexander, will release on June 1 via Vevo.
“Hanging Tree” is lifted from Sankofa.org presents 17 EP, which released in February.
Check out a snippet of Blake’s “Hanging Tree” video below.
Hear “Hanging Tree” below on Spotify.
