“Hell You Talmbout” is a 2015 protest song by Janelle Monáe and the members of her Wondaland artist collective, including Deep Cotton, George 2.0, Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, and St. Beauty. The word “talmbout” in the title is a contraction of “talking about”; thus, the title asks “what the hell are you talking about?” The song lists the names of various African-American people who died as a result of encounters with law enforcement and/or racial violence, and implores listeners to say the names of the dead. Wondaland and Monáe subsequently released the instrumental track of the song, so that listeners could make their own versions.
Contributed by
Elka Krajewska + Gregor Neuerer