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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJanelle Monàe Cut Off During Her Message About Black Lives Matter On 'Today'
Janelle Monàe's Friday morning performance on NBC's "Today" was lively, original and cut short -- right when she started to talk about police brutality.
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At the end of her performance of "Hell You Talmbout," a rousing protest song for the Black Lives Matter movement, Monàe told the crowd:
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...
But before she could finish, the camera cut away and an anchor tried to talk over her.
Monàe shared a message via Instagram about the meaning of "Hell You Talmbout" hours after the members of Wondaland led a march in Philadelphia protesting police brutality on Wednesday:
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?
The song specifically mentions black Americans like Sean Bell, Trayvon Martin, Walter Scott, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Sandra Bland and the many others who have died, mostly at the hands of the police.
While interviews and musical segments from Monàe's 'Today" appearance were quickly posted to the show's website on Friday, the "Hell You Talmbout" performance was conspicuously absent.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/janelle-monae-cut-off_55cdff7fe4b07addcb42acdb?cps=gravity_5059_-2014020290930308109&kvcommref=mostpopular
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mmonk
(52,589 posts)but take it away when it gets to the heart of the matter.
TeeYiYi
(8,028 posts)Sorry to hear she was censored....though not surprised. 
TYY
BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)If her performance reached the end of it allotted time, it would be cut short. That happens all the time. Gotta get the commercials set up. That's job #1.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)If you watch the video, they do the outro tag to the commercial break, and then stay on her until the last beat of the performance.
Rex
(65,616 posts)Cowards one and all.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Ah... "conspicuously absent"... clearly there is only one reason for that!
It seems that NBC broadcast a live performance on the show, and that the appearance was to promote a new recording. The Huffpo article has the end clip, apparently recorded from a television. My question is whether the entire song was performed. It's clear they do finish the song, but if the performance was of the entire song, then I wouldn't expect the entire performance to be posted to NBC's website under the terms by which promotional appearance was made.
Figure, the appearance was to promote a new recording. By whatever deals these sorts of book and recording promotional appearances are made on the TV talk show round, then offering and agreeing to broadcast a performance helps sales. But you wouldn't grant the broadcaster continued rights to publish the entire performance. That would not be a good idea for you.
Looking at her authorized YouTube channel, it doesn't seem that this is among the songs she has made available via YouTube. The embedded video of the OP is from someone who ripped the audio track and posted it to YouTube, depriving her of royalty revenue on the recording.
Her recording company should up its game, but the irony here is palpable. First, she's "cut off" and then she is ripped off.