As music listeners, we've grown so accustomed to the convenience of streaming platforms that those of us who use them run the risk of forgetting the songs that didn't make the transition. That's not to say the songs themselves go unappreciated, but they fall by the wayside all too often. For J. Cole, one of the songs that got away was "Be Free," a song Cole wrote following the death of Michael Brown in 2014.
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At the time of its SoundCloud release, Cole shared a message about the song: "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." Given everything that is currently going on six years removed from Brown's killing, many listeners have taken to revisiting "Be Free."
Seeing as the track has yet to hit streaming platforms, many have taken to asking Dreamville's Ibrahim H with direct requests. As he explains, the pieces are already in place for the transition to happen. "I’ve def seen a bunch of y’all tweets and got a bunch of texts asking for “Be Free” on streaming services," he writes. "I spoke to Cole today though had to let him know about that and he with so let me work on getting up this week."