The 'Tightrope' hitmaker addresses 'police brutality' at the end of her 'Hell You Talmbout' performance but an anchor interrupts her speech.
- Aug 18, 2015
AceShowbiz - Janelle Monae was silenced by NBC during her short speech on Black Lives Matter. The singer addressed the deaths of unarmed African American people at the hands of police after she performed her protest song "Hell You Talmbout" on "Today" show. However, an anchor began speaking and ignored her speech before she could finish.
"Yes, Lord," Monae said to the crowd. "God bless America. God bless all who've lost lives to police brutality. We want white America to know that we stand tall today. We want black America to know that we stand tall today. We will not be silenced." A female anchor interrupted, "We'll have much more from Janelle Monae � coming up."
dang @TODAYshow, just couldn't let her finish, huh? love ya @JanelleMonae! #BlackLivesMatter cc: @deray @Nettaaaaaaaa pic.twitter.com/QeGhY5lQGJ
— marla york. (@theseMYtweetz) August 14, 2015Janelle Monae also delivered "Tightrope" and "Yoga" during her stop to the NBC breakfast show. Her performances of the two songs were later posted on the show's website, but her performance of "Hell You Talmbout" was not.
The names of Eric Garner, Walter Scott, John Crawford, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, and Michael Brown were chanted in the protest song. "This song is a vessel," Monae said of her track on Instagram. "It carries the unbearable anguish of millions. We recorded it to channel the pain, fear, and trauma caused by the ongoing slaughter of our brothers and sisters. We recorded it to challenge the indifference, disregard, and negligence of all who remain quiet about this issue. Silence is our enemy. Sound is our weapon. They say a question lives forever until it gets the answer it deserves... Won't you say their names?"
