Jay-Z Says Kalief Browder's Death Is 'Here To Teach Us To Save A Generation Of Kids'!

Jay-Z is opening up why he decided to take on Kalief Browder‘s story in his latest passion project!

The 46-year-old rapper was joined by executive producer Harvey Weinstein, Gayle King, New Yorker writer and legal scholar Jeffrey Toobin, comedian Michael Che, and NYT‘ reporter Michael Schwirtz at MTV Studios on Wednesday (March 9) for TIME AND PUNISHMENT: A Town Hall Discussion to talk about his documentary event series on Kalief Browder, who was held in solitary confinement for two years after allegedly stealing a backpack, a crime he says he did not commit.

“His death is here to teach us to save a generation of kids. I say this about the movie. It’s hard to watch, but important to see,” Jay-Z said at the panel (via RollingStone). “There’s got to be an awakening across the country. It doesn’t have to be looking at the White House or senators. I think it’s about looking at what’s happening in your county, your town, your city, right now. If Americans can think small, they can do much bigger things.”

“We put people in office; we make the laws,” Jay-Z added. “These government officials? They work for us. They speak to us like we work for them, but we are the power. Three million people watched this the first week; we need it to be 20. We need everyone to be talking about this. That’s how this stops.”