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After releasing the visual for TLC-assisted single, “Crooked Smile,” J. Cole is now explaining what inspired the rapper to dedicate the video to Aiyana Stanley-Jones, the 7-year-old girl who was killed in a Detroit drug raid.
The rapper actually re-shot the visual in an effort to “strike a nerve” in the same way the movie Fruitvale Station — based on the true story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who was shot and killed by a police officer in 2008 — resonated with people.
“I never forgot about this little girl Aiyana Stanley-Jones,” Cole told MTV News. “I never forgot about her story when it happened a few years ago. I definitely wanted to dedicate this video to her and get more people to know about her story.”
For those who complained that the song didn’t match the video, Cole says, “I don’t care…I don’t want to make the videos that people expect anymore. I just think that story, unfortunately, happens everyday.”
The song is the second cut from his sophomore album, Born Sinner, to receive a visual.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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