MOS DEF SPARKS HIP HOP SUPPORT OF JENA SIX

Last week, Mos Def sent out a viral video calling for students to walk out of classrooms to protest the prosecution of the Jena Six, six black teens in Jena, La. who were initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate.

The rapper has been outspoken in his outrage over the Jena Six case, and was front and center at the march in Jena last month, as were fellow rapper Bun B of UGK and singer Lyfe Jennings. Ice Cube and T.I. are among the rappers who have supported the protest either morally or financially, reports AP.

"I don't know what motivated the prosecutors to do what they did but what's definitely evident to anybody who looks at the case is that he placed a bigger (punishment) upon the black man than he did upon anybody else was involved," Jennings told the Associated Press.

Soulja Boy, who has the No. 1 song in the country with "Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)," has also gone public with his feelings about the case.

"Right now with the situation going on with Jena Six, I got to pay my respects to them," says 17-year-old rapper. "When I was in high school there was a lot of fighting going on; I ain't never really seen nobody get the type of punishment they got, where the dude is trying to throw the book at them. I feel like that's not right, so I gotta send my respects out to those young dudes, and I hope everything go well with them and their families."

Mississippi rapper David Banner, who spoke out against censorship in hip hop during a recent Congressional hearing, decided not to attend last month's protest in Jena. Instead, he went on a radio tour to promote his album so he could spread the word about the case.

"I thought it would have been more powerful for me to get on the radio and talk about it, and drive people there and let people know what's going on than actually being there," said Banner. "We wanna be there to show face, but if you're actually more powerful at the capacity that you are, then you should do what you do."

Banner says he became involved because "it's so close to home.

"No. 2, there's a Jena Six that goes on in Mississippi every month — or every two months," he continued. "See that's the thing. America has a tendency to try to make things — single out things — as if this is a one-time occurrence. ... We have to stop acting like stuff don't exist."

According to the AP, the walkout planned by Mos Def was a collaborative effort among artists Talib Kweli, M1 of Dead Prez, Common and the activist groups the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Sankofa Community Empowerment, Change the Game and the National Hip Hop Political Convention.

"We will continue with these acts of civil protest until Mychal Bell's freedom, not only — but safety, is secured," Mos Def had said in a video last month publicizing the walkout.