By Chris Richburg
Members of the Hip-Hop community are uniting to pay tribute to Sean Bell in song, just weeks after three New York City detectives were acquitted of fatally shooting the 23-year-old.
Producer/rapper Swizz Beatz, Talib Kweli, Cassidy, Drag-On, Maino and Styles P. are featured on the track, titled “Stand Up (A Sean Bell Tribute).”
"Stand Up," which debuted on AllHipHop.com today (May 28), will also be available for purchase for .99 cents in the iTunes music store, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Sean Bell Benefit Fund.
“I don't usually listen to Hip-Hop but I can understand where they are coming from as far as what their words say,” Sean Bell’s mother Mrs. Valerie Bell told AllHipHop.com. “We aren't going to take it any more and I'm with them on that because enough is enough. I'm glad that they are involved so they can be heard mainly to the youth, the young children and young adults.”
Plans for the tribute song were carried out by Grind House Studios co-owner Grady Spivey, who executive produced the single, along with Georgina Prentice.
The Heat Makers-produced song, which features a sample of Lyfe Jennings’ “Cry,” comes amid public outrage over the April 25 acquittal of detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora of manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment in the death of Bell.
The third detective, Marc Cooper, was cleared of reckless endangerment.
Bell died in November 2006, in a 50-bullet barrage on the night before his wedding.
According to reports, Oliver fired 31 shots as two of Bells friends were wounded in the incident, which took place at the Kalua strip club in Queens, NY.
Although 50 bullets were fired by five officers, only three were charged.
No gun was found near Bell or his friends.
Citywide protests over the acquittals were held earlier this month.
Hundreds of protestors and demonstrators were arrested as they called on the federal government to look into the case.
“There’s nothing in [the song] that’s fabricated,” added Mr. William Bell, Sean Bell’s father. “We appreciate them making this song. Like my wife said, it's good for the young ones to understand what's going on instead of always hiding behind the scenes and hoping it doesn't happen to them.”
Last week the officers and four others were hit with departmental charges and a full disciplinary hearing is scheduled.
The Justice Department is currently debating whether or not to charge the officers with civil rights violations.
