Rapper Jay Z has released a new song in response to the police shootings of two black men along with a statement attacking police brutality.

The rapper said that he wrote song Spiritual a while ago, but never finished it. He's now released it on his streaming service Tidal.

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"I trust God and know everything that happens is for our greatest good, but man ... it's tough right now," he says.

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The song's lyrics repeat: "I am not poison, no I am not poison - just a boy from the hood that's got my hands in the air in despair, don't shoot, I just want to do good".

Alton Sterling was shot in Louisiana on Tuesday after being pinned to the pavement by two white officers.

A Minnesota officer shot Philando Castile dead while he was in a car with a woman and a child, just a day later.

A demonstration against their deaths ended in further tragedy as a sniper opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas, killing five officers and injuring six others on Thursday evening.

Jay Z appears to have written the song at least two years ago, as his statement mentions the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014.

The black teenager was shot dead by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014, sparking mass protests and rioting.

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