'Running (Refugee Song)' Turns Headlines Into A Jazz-Rap Reflection

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At first it seems like a typical music video.

A big, calm-looking bearded man sits in a posh armchair and sings in an emotion-choked baritone, "I'm running, I'm running, I'm running."

He's Grammy Award-winning jazz singer Gregory Porter.

A little bit into the song, a rapper joins in: "I fight through the night just to find a stronger day."

He's the Oscar-winning hip-hop artist Common.

But they're singing and rapping about the unlikeliest of topics for a song: refugees.

"Running (Refugee Song)" was released this week in honor of World Refugee Day. It's the first composition from a new venture called Compositions for a Cause, a collaboration of musicians Keyon Harroldand Andrea Pizziconi. Harrold, an acclaimed trumpeter, composed the song with Pizziconi. Common contributed to the lyrics. The song can be downloaded from refugeesong.com for a donation and will soon be available on iTunes for $1.99. Proceeds go to some of the world's biggest refugee-oriented groups, including Refugees InternationalHuman Rights First and the International Rescue Committee.

To learn more, we spoke with Harrold while he was riding on a bus; he's currently performing with the soul singer Maxwell on a national tour. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.