You can hear the pain and frustration in his voice on “Be Free.” American hip hop artist J. Cole wrote and recorded this raw ballad about the Aug. 9 killing of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. On the Dreamvillain blog, he writes, “That coulda been me, easily. It could have been my best friend. I’m tired of being desensitized to the murder of black men. I don’t give a fuck if it’s by police or peers. This shit is not normal. I made a song. This is how we feel.” It says it all. Take a listen. — K.B.