Spike Lee Drops Chrisette Michelle Song From Netflix Series Soundtrack Over Trump Inauguration Appearance
If Chrisette Michelle was hoping for a slot on the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s upcoming Netflix TV series adaptation of his 1986 pic She’s Gotta Have It, she can forget it. The Grammy-winning R&B singer drew massive criticism today after belatedly revealing that she had accepted an invitation to perform at inauguration festivities for incoming President Donald Trump, including from Spike Lee himself. This morning, Lee took to his Instagram, stating that he had considered using Michelle’s song “Black Girl Magic” in the Netflix series but, in light of her decision to perform, has changed his mind.
Ouch. To be fair, how much of a done-deal the use of Michelle’s song actually was is unclear. It admittedly sounds more like Spike Lee likes the song and was considering it but hadn’t actually licensed it yet. Even so, it was a big symbol not only of the criticism heaped at Michelle, but at the cultural fight over who is, and who isn’t willing to be associated publicly with incoming President Donald Trump.
Shocking no one, the vast majority of popular artists fall into the latter camp. That’s especially true for African American artists, thanks in no small part to the president-elect’s campaign, which relied heavily on well documented support from white nationalists and, let’s be honest, well-documented implied reciprocal support from Trump and his team for the same.
Michelle is as it turns out fully aware of that unfortunate context, but insists it’s important to reach out nonetheless. “We Can’t Be Present If We’re Silent,” she said in a message posted to her own Instagram today, explaining that while she is devastated over the election results, she hopes for “peaceful & progressive conversation,” and that she is “willing to be a bridge.” Read the whole thing below.
Whatever else happens during the next four years, the divisions over the incoming Trump administration are going to be hashed out again and again in popular culture. So it goes.
Related stories
Hollywood Reacts To Donald Trump Inauguration: No Joke, Tweets Alec Baldwin, "Country Is Lost"
Shia LaBeouf Kicks Off 4-Year Anti-Trump Live Stream At Museum Of The Moving Image
Donald Trump Delivers Pugnacious Speech After Swearing In As 45th President Of The United States
Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
