Mary J. Blige Serenades Hillary Clinton With the Truth of Being Black in America on Apple Music’s The 411

Like you’ve never seen them before.@MaryJBlige sits down with @HillaryClinton.#The411
Coming September 30th.https://t.co/hbaWqfjJcp pic.twitter.com/P2qpm3h3Pm

— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) September 27, 2016

In a promo that hit Twitter last night and coincided with the Presidential debate, Apple Music announced the premiere of a new show, The 411. Check out the video above in which Mary J. Blige and Hillary Clinton have an unexpected interaction.

The 411, which is probably named after Blige’s debut album What’s the 411?, seems to star Mary J. Blige interviewing prominent people, as well as doing what she does best: singing to them. In what I imagine is the show’s first episode, Blige sits down with Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton. In an intense moment, Blige sings Clinton a song from the point of view of a black mother giving her son advice as to how to handle himself so as not to get shot by the police:

If an officer stops you
Always be polite
And never ever run away
Promise Mama you’ll keep your hands in sight
Is it a gun?
Is it a knife?
Is it a wallet?
This is your life.

Meanwhile, Clinton looks genuinely moved by the song, and when Blige point-blank asks her, “Where do we go from here?”, it looks as though Clinton might actually attempt to give an answer. It’s a pretty powerful moment.

It’s also a pretty awkward one.

When the promo dropped, there were some pretty mixed reactions. Some were excited by the idea of Clinton actually needing to answer Blige’s question:

@AppleMusic @maryjblige @HillaryClinton I am so excited about this interaction because I feel it will be honest!

— TJ (@TJKelly10) September 27, 2016

Others were more like:

@AppleMusic @maryjblige @HillaryClinton pic.twitter.com/zJlTl4Qukp

— Bae. K. Rowling (@HeelsNheartbrk) September 27, 2016

@AppleMusic @maryjblige @HillaryClinton who knew you could fit so much embarrassment into one minute.

— Megan Cassidy (@meganmcassidy) September 27, 2016

And others still were just really, really blunt:

@AppleMusic the fuck is this

— ERIC. (@Ericccxjonathan) September 27, 2016

Ahem. What do you think of this new show/interview format? And would you prefer Clinton speak or sing back her response? Tell us in the comments below!

The 411 premieres on September 30th on Apple Music. 

(via The Muse, featured image via screencap)

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