On Friday, Janelle Monàe performed on NBC’s “Today,” and while the performance was amazing, the message afterward was cut short when she began to talk about police brutality.
She had just finished performing the song “Hell You Talmbout,” which is being hailed as a theme song for the Black Lives Matter movement and was about to begin to address the themes of the piece when the camera cut away and an anchor tried to talk over her.
“Yes Lord! God bless America! God bless all the lost lives to police brutality. We want white America to know that we stand tall today. We want black America to know we stand tall today. We will not be silenced…” she said to the crowd before the rude interruption.
What’s more, although clips from the show and other musical segments were posted to the “Today” website on Friday, there were no clips or recordings from the performance of “Hell You Talmbout.”
You can see the interrupted moment below starting at the 14:45 mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJl2IwzeaT0
On Wednesday, Monàe had shared the message behind her song on Instagram:
“This song is a vessel. 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?”
https://twitter.com/theseMYtweetz/status/632195350653112321