Janelle Monáe and Co. Perform Protest Anthem 'Hell You Talmbout' on 'Today,' Get Cut Off

[Uncle Joe]

http://www.colorlines.com/articles/janelle-mon%C3%A1e-and-co-perform-protest-anthem-hell-you-talmbout-today-get-cut

Janelle Monáe and the artists signed to her Wondaland imprint are quickly ascending to the front of the contemporary R&B vanguard with their classic-meets-futurism sound and passion for activism. Hot on the heels of her and Jidenna leading an anti-police brutality protest in Philadelphia, she and her fellow Wondaland artists have just released the most passionate protest song of the Black Lives Matter era to date.

"Hell You Talmbout" is propelled by drumline-style percussion and verses where Monae, Jidenna, Roman GianArthur and other Wondaland artists shout "Say her name!" and "Say his hame!" in succession as they list the many black men and women murdered by police in the last year. The song premiered at Monae's Philadelphia performance Wednesday night (soon after they led the aforementioned protest).

So perhaps it's no surprise that after they performed the song on NBC's "Today," Monáe's statements at the end of the song were cut off by an anchor and a camera pan:


https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/632194959005716480/pu/vid/640x360/F47FreuWMQZvGnv-.mp4

Subtleties in censorship.

[BillZBubb]

1. Bullshit.

They ran over their time slot and Today was going to cut to the next segment. This happens all the time on live shows.

[shenmue]

2. Ooookay

[Uncle Joe]

3. They had enough time to pan the crowd while she said her final words and then come

back at the last second after her words were complete.