Prince Records Protest Song for Baltimore

Prince has recorded a new song addressing the unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray.

The song is a tribute to all of the people of Baltimore and will address not only the unrest in that city but also "the socio/political issues around the country in the wake of a slew of killings of young black men," according to information supplied to NBC by the singer's official publicist.

News of the upcoming release arrived the same day that six Baltimore police officers involved in the arrest of Gray were charged, one with second-degree murder. Gray's death after suffering a spinal injury while in police custody earlier in April sparked protests nationwide and riots in his hometown of Baltimore.

Release plans for the song, which was recorded this week at Paisley Park, have not yet been announced. The official artwork is above. 

Taking a stand on issues that matter to him is nothing new for the "Purple Rain" singer. 

In 1987 he released "Sign 'O' the Times," which highlighted the AIDS epidemic, crack use and the space shuttle Challenger disaster. The opening lines of "Sign 'O' the Times" are:  "In France, a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name/ By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same.

During the Grammy awards in February, Prince quoted the protest slogan “Black Lives Matter” on stage.

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