Ben Harperís 'Black Rain' floods cyberspace

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a new Ben Harper single has leaked its way onto the internet and is trickling down to thousands of fans.

The new song "Black Rain" is edgy, controversial, and politically charged - an anthem reminiscent of Harper's earlier work. It opens with the lines "You left them swimming for their lives down in New Orleans/can't afford a gallon of gasoline." From there it paints a prophetic image of a revolution yet to come.

Though several prominent African-American musicians - such as Kanye West and KRS-One - have publicly denounced the Bush administration's slow response to Hurricane Katrina, Harper is one of the first artists to go beyond verbal slurs, recording a scathing single in the storm's aftermath.

Harper's official website makes no mention of the leaked single, but many users of the website's message forum have been trading the song amongst themselves for more than a week.

Harper and his band the Innocent Criminals are said to be working on a new studio album, so it's possible the track was slated to be on that release.

In the meantime, internet traffic is sure to encounter showers, as "Black Rain" is in the forecast for weeks to come.

To download the Ben Harper's latest single "Black Rain" visit http://www.evilvince.com/.