The murder of Ahmaud Arbery has sparked outrage across the nation and beyond. Arbery was murdered in broad daylight by a father and son duo who claimed to have shot the 25-year-old man out of suspicion that he had burgled a house in the predominantly white neighborhood. 

Jay-Z and Roc Nation artists Meek Mill, Yo Gotti, and Alicia Keys have signed off on an open letter calling for a fair but quick trial so felony convictions can be placed against Gregory and Travis McMichaels. Additionally, they’re demanding the man who filmed the incident, William Bryan, is arrested and faces trial as an accomplice. The letter was addressed to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, GA AG Christopher Darr, and D.A. Tom Durden.

“By now, we’ve all seen the crime’s disturbing video, so the facts here are not in doubt: He was unarmed and innocent and the victim of a hate crime. Which is why we call upon you today, as official leaders of the Great State of Georgia, and with the entire world watching, to ensure that a fair trial is conducted, as that can only lead to the appropriate felony convictions of both McMichaels. We also implore you to charge William Bryan as an armed accomplice to the crime.”

The letter also addresses the conflict of interest in the case since Gregory Michaels, a former cop in the area, previously worked with D.A. Durden. Team Roc demands that Durden is recused from the case.

Read the full letter below. 

The past few months have seen Team ROC, spearheaded by rapper Yo Gotti, go up against the Mississippi Department of Corrections for the absolutely detrimental conditions within their prison system. The call for action is getting even louder now that the spread of coronavirus is threatening to make matters even worse.

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Based off a press release shared by AP News earlier today (March 13), the philanthropic arm of Roc Nation is officially demanding for the Mississippi DOC to develop a plan that will prevent coronavirus from spreading to inmates over at Parchman where they previously filed lawsuits on behalf of 152 prisoners. The press release went on to state the following: “Inmates at Parchman have been forced to live in deadly environments that lack clean water, adequate food, electricity, heat, access to healthcare and clothing, among many other basic human necessities. While visitors are restricted from accessing the prison and visiting loved ones inside, the recent classification of COVID-19 as a pandemic and the rising death toll are cause for alarm in a penitentiary already low on resources.”

The “Rake It Up” rapper added his own words, saying, “These inmates have been subjected to inhumane health and safety risks, and now have to deal with the uncertainty and potential devastation of the coronavirus, too.”

Read the full press release over at AP, and we pray that everyone stays safe out here and is doing their best to maintain healthy habits for the sake of yourselves and others.

Just last month we saw Team ROC, the prison reform initiative backed by JAY-Z and Yo Gotti, share a video of the insanely gruesome conditions happening within the Mississippi prison system. It looks like they aren’t backing down anytime soon either, as the Roc Nation entity has filed a second civil lawsuit against the Mississippi Department of Corrections on behalf of 152 inmates.

Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Roc Nation

Team ROC’s fight for change within the prison system isn’t a new one at all, with Yo Gotti seen in the photo above showing love for the “Free Meek Mill” movement back in 2017 at Jay-Z’s 4:44 Tour stop in Philadelphia. Given the serious conditions that prisoners are going through at Mississippi State Penitentiary, also sometimes referred to as Parchman Farm, it makes perfect sense why they’re doubling down on the suit. 18 inmates have already  reportedly died throughout Mississippi’s correctional system, mainly due to food contaminated with rat feces and cockroaches or not getting the proper medical care for health issues like cancer and serious heart defects, according to an official Team ROC press release.

Jay-Z originally filed the first suit back in January according to BBC News, with efforts to bring awareness to 29 prisoners forced to “live in squalor” and other life-threatening conditions. In this most recent follow-up, Hov, Gotti and Team ROC are requesting on behalf of a total of now 152 inmates to get the court to maintain jurisdiction of Parchman until the DOC can assure the environment is safe and stable overall.

Watch the new PSA that Team ROC released below, but we warn you that some images in the video may be hard to view:

Most people who are awarded the prestigious honor of having a day named after themselves usually, you know, hail from the city or state that is crowing them with the honor. That wasn't the case for rapper Yo Gotti, who just received his own day in St. Louis, Missouri although he was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for EA Sports Bowl at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest

It's worth noting that Gotti apparently spends a lot of time in St. Louis, particularly when it comes to the prison reform initiative Team Roc that he spearheads alongside Jay-Z. Still, many were very confused as to how that meant he should get an entire day when actual St. Louis natives like Nelly, any of the St. Lunatics or even former hitmaker Chingy weren't awarded the same recognition during their rap peaks. What's even funnier is that Gotti already has a day named after himself in his own city, with Memphis honoring "Yo Gotti Day" as well on June 29. Whether you agree with the decision or not, make sure to celebrate "Yo Gotti Day" if you're ever in St. Louis on February 22 though.

Peep some of the most agreeable, wild and downright hilarious responses to Yo Gotti getting his own day in St. Louis below:

Roc Nation is an entertainment conglomerate with branches specifically dedicated to music, movies, television, sports, and philanthropy. Team Roc, the philanthropic branch of Roc Nation, has been doing a lot to fight against injustices. The recent headlines surrounding the deaths of nine inmates in the notorious Mississippi penitentiary has caused Team Roc and Yo Gotti to fight for justice and better conditions.

According to TMZ, Team Roc has shared leaked footage from the gruesome conditions in the prison. Videos and photos were taken from contraband phones from inmates. One of the photos includes what appears to be a knife fight between two inmates as well as individuals suffering injuries inside of filthy cells.

Yo Gotti was among one of the first to bring these issues to light. With Team Roc, they've filed these images and photos in their filing for an emergency protective order on behalf of dozens of inmates. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced that he would shut down Parchman Farms, one of the sections of the prison.

“Governor Reeves’ plan to close down a Parchman prison unit that has caused devastating deaths is a necessary first step," Yo Gotti said. "Beyond that, he must implement broader safety measures to address similar issues in other units and urgently provide inmates with medical attention. In the interim, we’re calling for the Department of Justice to step in, move the Parchman inmates to federal prisons and ensure their immediate well-being.”

Governor Reeves, however, was just complaining about the contraband phones inside of the prisons, going as far as blaming the phones for the violence. However, it seems like he may have not been willing to shut down Parchman Farms if the pressure wasn't applied by Team Roc.