Janelle Monae and her imprint, Wondaland Records, just released a new song protesting police brutality.
The song, which you can listen to on SoundCloud, is a revamped version of “Hell You Talmbout” from Monae’s 2013 album The Electic Lady. It features the Wondaland roster, including Deep Cotton, St. Beauty, Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, George 2.0 and Janelle Monae. Between choruses and accompanied by a strong marching beat, they call out the names of African American men and women who have been victims of violence, interspersed with chants of “Say his/her name.” Among those are recent victims of police brutality, including Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Kimani Gray, Michael Brown, and Miriam Carey.
In their litany, the artists also include Emmett Till — who was murdered in Mississippi at the age of 14 in 1955 by Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam for talking to a white woman. Bryant and Milam were both acquitted. After trial and protected by double jeopardy, they publicly admitted to the crime. Till’s mother held a public funeral with an open casket so that the world could see his mutilated body. Outrage over his murder helped spark the Civil Rights Movement.
On Instagram, Monae said of the track: “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 comes one day after Monae and Jidenna, a member of the Wondaland roster and also featured on the new song, led a Philadelphia protest march in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Addressing the gathered crowd, Monae provided a preview of the plea later posted on instagram, asking the crowd “Won’t you say their names? Can we say their names right now? Can we speak their names, as long as we have breath in our bodies?” as reported by The Guardian.
She and Jidenna then led the crowd in chants the of names of black men and women who have been killed as a result of police brutality, and in the earlier version of “Hell You Talmbout.”
Janelle Monae joins other artists with her involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement. These include Killer Mike and El-P, who make up the hip-hop duo Run The Jewels, Charles Hamilton, who focused on police brutality in his video for New York Raining, Common and John Legend, whose song “Glory” won best Original Song at this years Oscars, and Beyonce, whose dancers referenced the “hands up, don’t shoot” motion at this year’s Grammys.
Janelle and Wondaland’s debut EP The Eephus comes out Friday.