DONT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH MURDER

PRESS KIT

SANKOFA.ORG/MUSIC ANNOUNCES DEBUT SINGLE, VIDEO AND SONG CONTEST FEATURING NOTED HIP HOP/ARTIVIST JASIRI X

February 24, 2015, New York, NY - - Sankofa.org/Music, the music content division of Sankofa.org, the artist driven social justice non-profit organization founded (October 2013) by iconic activist/entertainer Harry Belafonte has officially announced its first single release today. “Don’t Let Them Get Away With Murder” was written and performed by new millennium artist/rapper Jasiri X, featuring Emmanuel “Manny” DeAnda and produced by Akil Esoon for Undeniable Music Group. The song is being distributed digitally only by CDBaby.com and will also be available for purchase through all of the company's major digital partners, such as iTunes and Amazon.com. proceeds from donations, sales and commercial exploitation of "Don't Let Them Get Away With Murder" will be distributed to select Sankofa.org grassroots partners.

"Don't Let Them Get Away With Murder" is an arresting, poignant call-to-action about the wave of police brutality that has taken the lives of a growing number of Black and Brown youth across this country. Jasiri X started writing the song right before hearing that police officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted (November 24, 2014) for killing unarmed 18 year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. (August 9, 2014). "Unarmed people of color are being killed wholesale by police officers across the country. Their deaths are being ruled as homicides, yet no one is being held accountable, " he stated. "It is my hope that this song will serve as a reminder of how severely broken the justice system is and that we need to take action now to make sure all people are treated equally and given justice. "

Sankofa.org/Music is also releasing a video of the song today which can be viewed on Youtube.com, (http://bit.ly/JasiriXLaunch). "Don't Let Them Get Away With Murder was filmed in New York City. Award-winning documentary film director and editor Susanne Rostock directed the video.

In addition, Sankofa.org/Music is launching its first ever SONG WRITING CONTEST in support of the release. The contest is free and open to all unsigned songwriters and artists. Entrants are being asked to write new lyrics for the first verse to Jasiri X's song based on a police shooting that didn’t end in charges or an arrest where there was suspected foul play in their community. All submissions will be judged by Jasiri X and a panel of noted music industry experts. The panel of judges will select the winner will be awarded an all expense paid trip to perform their winning verse with Jasiri X at a concert event to be scheduled in the future. Submission and rules for the six week contest can be accessed by going to www.sankofa.org/music.

"We're extremely thrilled and excited to have Jasiri X and "Don't Let Them Get Away With Murder" as our first music content release," said Sankofa.org Co-Directors Gina Belafonte and Raoul Roach. "Jasiri X is a commit-ted and dedicated artist and activist who has supported efforts since our inception. His song aptly embodies our mission and belief that it is our responsibility to make ‘The State’ (i.e., local, state and federal authorities), accountable to its citizenry, and stop those in authority from opressing communities like Ferguson.”

Prior to writing the song, Jasiri X was on the ground in Ferguson and was an active voice in supporting the non-violent protest marches and the national and global social justice movement that was ignited there. Sanko-fa.org also sent artists and activists to Missouri to assess, connect and identify indigenous leadership and find tactical solutions that will help bring true and lasting empowerment to the Ferguson community.

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Sankofa.org is a social justice organization that enlists the support of today's most celebrated artists and influential individuals in collaboration with grassroots partners to elevate the voices of the disenfranchised and promote peace and equality. Over the past year Sankofa.org served as producing partner on several events, including a finale concert event for the Peter Seeger Music Festival with Summer Stage/Central Park and an Emancipation Day live event and one hour television broadcast presented by Centric TV in Washington DC.

For more information go to: www.sankofa.org | info@sankofa.org

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ABOUT JASIRI XJasiri X is a new millennium leader leveraging the transformative power of Hip-Hop, Social Media and Technology into a new brand of social change. Jasiri performs nationally and internationally, delivers keynote addresses and speaks on scholarly panels. He has worked in underserved communities as a mentor, educator, community leader. and is a founding member of the anti-violence community organization, 1Hood. After garnering over 1.5 million YouTube views for his conscious elevating Hip-Hop, he felt that it was imperative to provide training for young people in new forms of digital media that will help empower them to change their own communities and tell their own, often maligned and marginalized stories. In 2011, Jasiri founded 1Hood Media Academy in Pittsburgh, where he leads a team of educators and artists in teaching young people in media literacy, photography, videography, music production, creative lyricism, entrepreneurship, journalism and other 21st century skills. Jasiri is a new millennium Civil Rights Activist working closely with his mentor Harry Belafonte to address social ills of today’s society. Jasiri is poised to lead a global genera-tion in changing Hip Hop’s bad rep by staying true to his artistic intention – FREEING MINDS ONE RHYME AT A TIME.

For more information about Jasiri X go to: www.jasirix.com

TO VIEW THE VIDEO GO HERE: HTTP://BIT.LY/JASIRIXLAUNCH