MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Manatee County man is doing his part to encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. And he’s using an approach that he’s hoping will catch the ear of those on the fence about getting the shot.

Bishop Freeze is the Executive Director for a faith based community center called SOZO Missions. 

“I’ve been talking till I’m blue in the face telling people go get vaccinated. People don’t want to hear that. And music is a part of my life. Music is a part of our ministry, our mission,” Freeze said.

For the last ten years he's used music, activities, and education to impact inner city kids in East Bradenton. Now he's trying to reach another audience using music. 

“So many of our inner city people are just dying,” Freeze said. “I mean I just went to two funerals last weekend. So many people around us are dying and I believe in the science. I believe that the vaccine works and my whole motivation behind this is to encourage and inform our inner city people to go get vaccinated to save not only their lives but others lives.”

Freeze said he's recorded songs for almost two-dozen Christian rap albums but this one could potentially save lives. 

In his music video he shows footage of him getting the COVID-19 shot.

In one of the lines of his song he said, “I had to get my COVID vaccine, protecting all my friends and family.”

It’s a message in music he plans to expand on even more as he expands their community center. 

He’s hoping the young people from his organization will take the message from the song back to their families to protect them from this deadly virus. If they dance and have a good time while doing it, well Freeze is happy with that too.

Since releasing the song he’s encouraged almost a handful of people to go and get vaccinated.