Anyone who tuned in to see Kanye West close out the Billboard Music Awards with a live performance on Sunday was greeted with an entirely different spectacle: the sound of silence. For the telecast of the Billboard Music Awards, much of West's performance of the songs "All Day" and "Black Skinhead" was censored, resulting in multiple awkward, extended gaps of silence as West performed on stage:
Given the explicit content of the songs, a little censorship was to be expected. But in a new statement, West argues that he was "grossly over-censored," spoiling the performance for viewers at home.
"Non-profane lyrics such as 'with my leather black jeans on' were muted for over 30 second intervals," says the statement. "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. 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."
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