Hip-hop producer, Pharrell Williams has lambasted American celebrities making public political endorsements ahead of the presidential election.
The music producer is calling out Hollywood stars, bluntly telling them to “shut up” and stop pushing their views on the public.
Pharrell Williams’ complaints come as stars like Taylor Swift, Aubrey Plaza, and Stevie Nicks led the charge in the “Childless Cat Lady” trend, endorsing Kamala Harris.
Other notable figures such as Megan Thee Stallion, Lance Bass, America Ferrera, and Billie Eilish have also joined the Harris/Walz train.
Williams has never been shy about sharing his thoughts, and this time, he is aiming at Hollywood stars who get involved in politics. The music producer made it clear that he does not appreciate celebrities pushing their political views on the public.
“I don’t do politics,” Williams said, explaining that he gets “annoyed” when he sees famous figures telling people how to vote. While he respects some celebrities who have an opinion, he noted, “not all of them.”
“I’m one of them people [who says], ‘What the heck? Shut up. Nobody asked you.'”
Pharrell Williams
He did not mince words when calling out self-righteous behavior, saying, “When people get out there and get self-righteous and they roll up their sleeves and sh-t, and they are out there walking around with a placard: ‘Shut up!'”
Williams emphasized that, while he cares about his country and his community, he prefers to focus on action rather than grandstanding.
Despite his firm stance against celebrity endorsements, Williams noted his commitment to voting, stating, “I’m going to vote how I’m going to vote.”
Williams’ response follows several high-profile endorsements for Vice President Kamala Harris, particularly the trend of the “Childless Cat Lady” remark.
It was reported last week that Aubrey Plaza, inspired by Taylor Swift, embraced the “childless cat lady” trope to mock conservative rhetoric while supporting Harris for President.
Pharrell Williams Calls Out Grammys
Music producer, Pharrell Williams said the Grammys has a lot of issues and they had “better” finally give Beyoncé the Album of the Year award.
Williams is a prolific producer, rapper, singer, and men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton.
He has been on the press trail recently promoting a Lego biopic about his life and career called, Piece by Piece. One of his promotional stops included when he was how he felt about the Grammys.
“I think it’s a good thing. I think it needs to continue to evolve. And it will,” Williams replied.
The “Happy” singer was asked his thoughts on “Black artists famously losing in the top three categories at the Grammys.” Those categories include album of the year, song of the year, and record of the year. The Grammys are run by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, otherwise known as the Recording Academy.
“They’ve definitely got a lot to work on, because they’re a big organization, and they try to be too many things to all people, that’s where a lot of nuanced things get skipped over and fall between the cracks, and that’s a problem. But they know what their issues are, and they’re working on them. There are some good people in position now.”
Pharrell Williams
Williams was also asked if Beyoncé would finally have her moment at the 2024 Grammys by winning the Album of the Year with her country-themed album, ‘Cowboy Carter’.
“It better be. It better be. They know,” Williams said.
Even though Beyoncé is the most-awarded Grammy artist of all time, with 32 wins, she has never won any of the major awards. Many had hoped her 2022 album ‘Renaissance’ would finally get her album of the year at the ceremony in February, but she lost out to Harry Styles for his album, ‘Harry’s House’.
Williams himself has won 13 Grammys from 39 nominations. In 2023, he received the Grammys On The Hill’s Creator Leadership Award at the U.S. Capitol for his work advancing the rights and protections of musicians.
“I’ve been incredibly lucky in my career as a musician. But there are a ton of my brothers and sisters who are just starting out. And even some that have been in the game for a very long time haven’t had the same advantages.
“The worth of these musicians needs to be protected. I think it’s a very beautiful thing that our government is shining a light and giving visibility to the struggle [experienced by] us as musicians.”
Pharrell Williams
The Grammys has long been criticized for its apparent lack of gender and racial diversity when it comes to major award winners.
READ ALSO: Ablakwa Calls for Full Accountability Following NSA Boss’s Dismissal
