NEW YORK – Stevie Wonder says he won’t perform in Florida and other states with a “stand your ground” law.

In a video posted on YouTube, the 63-year-old singer said at a concert in Quebec City on Sunday “that until the ‘stand your ground’ law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again.”

Wonder added: “Wherever I find that law exists, I will not perform in that state or in that part of the world.”

The “stand your ground” law allows people to use deadly force if they believe their life is in danger.

George Zimmerman shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a February 2012 confrontation in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman said he fired his gun in self-defense.

A six-member jury acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges on Saturday.

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Wonder’s representative said the singer had no further comment.

Rapper Nas gets Harvard fellowship

NEW YORK – Nas has rapped his way to Harvard University.

The Ivy League school announced Tuesday that the 39-year-old rapper is being honored with the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship at its W.E.B. Du Bois Institute. It’s a joint venture with Harvard’s Hip-Hop Archive.

The fellowship will assist students who excel in the arts “in connection with hip-hop.”

Nas is one of hip-hop’s most celebrated lyricists, best known for his reflective rhymes and deep storytelling. His 11th album, “Life Is Good,” was released last year. It earned four Grammy nominations. His hits include “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That),” “Street Dreams” and “I Can.”

The Hip-Hop Archive was established at Harvard in 2002. It supports growing research in hip-hop.

– From news service reports


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