On November 20th, A&E will air their concert special Shining A Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America. With the goal of bringing attention to the still-present racial disparities in this country, the special will see performances from a number performers including John Legend, Jill Scott, Miguel, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Pharrell Williams, and others. As a preview of the event, the network has shared Nicki Minaj’s stirring reading of Maya Angelou’s essential work, “Still I Rise”.
As Pigeons and Planes points out, Minaj’s rendition is perfect in its emotive presentation. She’s captivating in her rising and falling accentuations, hitting just the right words to deliver prime impact. Of course, she gets the most positive crowd reaction during the line about diamonds between her thighs, but there’s still power in that simile and the way she says it with an unfamiliarly sheepish smile.
Check out the clip below, and tune into A&E at 8 p.m. EST on Friday to watch the entire concert special.
