Kanye West was all ready and amped to close out the 2015 Billboard Music Awards with “All Day” and “Black Skinhead,” two songs few can listen to and remain serene and composed. But home viewers weren’t able to fully enjoy Yeezy’s performance, as the broadcast heavily muted parts of the show, including words that don’t even anger the FCC or violate its regulations.
Reps for the rapper released a statement on the incident Tuesday, criticizing the handling of it and tabbing it as “ridiculous.” “Kanye West was grossly over-censored at the Billboard Music Awards. Non-profane lyrics such as ‘with my leather black jeans on’ were muted for over 30 second intervals,” it says. “As a result, his voice and performance were seriously misrepresented.
“It is ridiculous that in 2015, unwarranted censorship is something that artists still have to fight against,” it continues. “Although West was clearly set up to face elements beyond his control during the live broadcast, he would like to apologize to the television audience who were unable to enjoy the performance the way he envisioned.”
It looked like a cool show, but not hearing it killed any effect. Relive the debut of “All Day” from earlier this year and return to the simplicity of flamethrowers and a clearly visible West that were absent Sunday.
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