By Shannon Carlin
To celebrate the release of his new album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, J. Cole hit the stage at the Late Show with David Letterman to perform his song “Be Free.”
Cole wrote the track in honor of Michael Brown, the unarmed teen was shot and killed in Ferguson, releasing it days after the shooting. Along with the track, Cole wrote, “Rest in Peace to Michael Brown and to every young black man murdered in America, whether by the hands of white or black. I pray that one day the world will be filled with peace and rid of injustice. Only then will we all Be Free.”
Related: J. Cole Honors Michael Brown with New Song ‘Be Free': Listen
For his performance, Cole sounded on the edge of tears, exhausted, singing over a rather somber piano loop, “All we want to do is break the chains off/ All we want to do is be free.”
But he makes it clear, “I’m letting you know, there ain’t no gun they make that can kill my soul.”
Ending with a bit of a cappella, Letterman came out to shake his hand repeating, “Oh my God” before saying it was “fantastic” and inviting him back, which as we now know, has to happen before May 20.
