The Weeknd Calls For Justice For Jacob Blake With VMA Acceptance Speech

The Weeknd used his speech at the VMAs to call for justice for Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake.

BYCole BlakeAug 30, 20204.9K Views

The Weeknd used his platform at the Video Music Awards, after winning Best R&B VMA for his After Hours single “Blinding Lights,” to advocate for justice for Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake.

Cindy Ord / Getty Images

The singer spoke for just under 20 seconds, implying that the recent killings are weighing on his mental: “It’s really hard for me to celebrate right now and enjoy this moment, so I’m just gonna say justice for Jacob Blake and justice for Breonna Taylor,” he told the audience.

Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by Louisville Metro Police Department officers executing a no-knock search warrant at her apartment. Officers fatally shot Taylor who was in her bed during the unannounced break-in. The shooting sparked protests across the nation.

Blake was shot in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin while attempting to enter his vehicle. Blake is reportedly paralyzed from the waist down after being shot at seven times. The shooting prompted NBA players to go on strike amidst the playoffs. They returned to play Saturday, having settled on several agreements with ownership, including that NBA stadiums be used as voting centers for the upcoming presidential election in November.

Check back later tonight to see other winners from the event.

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Cole Blake

Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.