Tyrese Stages Protest At Radio Station: Fans Excited, Cops Involved
Singer Tyrese made headlines this week by staging a protest outside of the iHeartRadio station in Los Angeles, California.
After getting out of a large van, Tyrese drew a lot of attention from bystanders by performing his chart-topping single, “Shame” live.
In a video released by TMZ, Tyrese made the purpose of his self-proclaimed “peaceful protest” clear.
“I want my music to be heard by everyone in the world. Look around. I see every color in the rainbow. Music has no limits, music has no sexual boundaries. Music is supposed to be heard by everyone around the world.”
In addition to performing his hit single, Tyrese also treated his fans to free copies of his album – copies that he hand delivered to them personally.
The longtime R&B singer shared a heartwarming story on Instagram about how he went above and beyond to please a young fan that was afraid she would not get one of his CDs because of her height.
“I seen a little girl cry because she wasn’t tall enough to get a cd while I was passing them out – Wiped her tears, Gae her hug and took a cd from a dude and she smiled awwweeeee!!! That was the highlight of this moment….”
Tyrese further explained the main reason why he was out there in the first place: promoting his chart-topping single with an attempt to grab the attention of mainstream radio.
“All I wanna do is have my #1 song #Billboard #Shame thats 2 weeks in a row on Billboard to be HEARD!!!!”
In a different Instagram post, Tyrese claimed that not even the involvement of the police changed his position and viewpoint on the issue that he has with mainstream radio.
“8 police cars and 4 motorcycle cars later – R&B going #Mainstream must be a REAL THREAT – I fear no man but GOD and my position won’t change – thank you to the 80+ multi ethnic fans for showing up – there’s power in numbers – #RnBSOULDIERS I FREAKIN LOVE YOU!!!!! #BlackRoseMission”
On Thursday, Tyrese posted a short video clip on Instagram reminding fans and critics alike of the purpose of his “Black Rose Mission” – claiming that it has nothing to do with him.
“My mama taught me that, in this life, if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything. This mission is not about Tyrese. It’s about the overall state of R&B. The truth is uncomfortable and change is uncomfortable. Bless y’all.”
In the weeks that have passed since his Black Rose album was first released, Tyrese has used social media and the Internet to promote it one way or another.
He made headlines when he performed and promoted his album on a New York City subway. He even promoted it in a now-viral video clip while sitting next to a sleeping homeless woman.
Tyrese asks the hard questions: Is this passed out homeless woman sleeping on R&B? http://t.co/NejVn3B4PF pic.twitter.com/WPmY1Q262B
— Noisey (@NoiseyMusic) July 20, 2015
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Tyrese openly admitted his disappointment with mainstream radio for not putting “Shame” in rotation. In his opinion, the song would have received the airplay it deserved if it was recorded by such popular Caucasian artists as Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke and Sam Smith.
[Image Credit: Jonathan Liebson/Getty Images & Tyrese Instagram]
