Ferguson, Mo., has become the epicenter of American news over the past week, and the town has seen famous reporters and even celebrities descend upon the small St. Louis suburb.
Several violent nights of militant police, rioting and general discord seem to be cooling off ever so slightly, but the death of Michael Brown at the hands of a policeman on Aug. 9 has certainly caused an uproar that will take months to completely subside.
Of course, several rappers - including J. Cole and Talib Kweli - have visited recently, but the events have become enough of a national talking point that many other entertainers have felt the need to sound off.
VIBE just published a video interview with Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa, who shared his personal experiences with the police.
"This is Wiz Khalifa urging everyone in Ferguson, Mo., to keep the peace," he said during the introduction. "Free your minds and your spirits at the same time and be aware. Stay aware.
"I started driving when I was 16, and I can't remember one time being pulled over and asked for my license and registration. They pull you over with a gun to your head and tell you to get out of the car."
He then commented on Ferguson and the universality of recent events.
"It happens all over the place, though," he said of racially-charged police conflicts. "It happens in any urban community. There's laws in Miami that if a black male is 15 to 30 years old, you stop 'em and check 'em. Like, just because. But people don't know that in America."
But Wiz was not "anti-police," so to speak. He recognizes what sort of effect a statement like that might have on his career.
"I don't talk about it to the point where I want to offend any cops or anything," he said. "There's a lot of police who work my shows, and there's a lot of police who keep me safe at my meet 'n greets and stuff like that. So I'm not going against them, but I am going to say, beware of your own actions and other peoples' actions."
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