Vic Mensa Debuts “16 Shots” at Justice for Flint Event

While Hollywood's elite attended the 2016 Academy Awards last night (Feb. 28), Creed director Ryan Coogler and his Blackout for Human Rights collective were in Flint, Michigan holding a #JUSTICEFORFLINT benefit to raise awareness for the water crisis going on in the city. Performing at the free event was Vic Mensa who used his time to debut a new song called "16 Shots."

Dedicated to Laquan McDonald, a Chicago teen who was shot 16 times by police in Oct. 2014, Mensa pulls no punches and goes hard after cops with lines like, "We on 16th riding by the police station/I make a pork rind out a pig, bro/Somebody tell these muthafucka's get there hands off me, I ain't a muthafuckin' slave get the chains off me."

The SaveMoney MC also shows his support for the jailed Bobby Shmurda by rapping, "Cops killin' kids and staying out of jail/While Bobby Shmurda can't even catch bail."

As he left the stage, Mensa showed his solidarity with Flint by saying, "I stand with y'all in Flint. Chicago stands with y'all."

The #JUSTICEFORFLINT benefit was attended by comedian Hannibal Burress, actor Jesse Willimas, singer Janelle Monae and film director Ana DuVernay, amongst others. Scheduling the event the same day as the Oscars was, according to the organizers, purely coincidental as they wanted to host it during the last weekend of Black History Month.

“With the #JUSTICEFORFLINT benefit event we will give a voice to the members of the community who were the victims of the choices of people in power who are paid to protect them, as well as provide them with a night of entertainment, unity, and emotional healing,” Coogler told BuzzFeed in a statement. “Through the live stream we will also give a chance for people around the world to participate, and to donate funds to programs for Flint’s youth.”

The event was streamed live via REVOLT TV.

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