Jane Lee featured on BLACKVOICES.com

Attempting to classify Janelle Monáe is a waste of time.

The Kansas City native has been making her rounds at some of the year's top festivals, including SXSW and Bonaroo. And if her tuxedo and black-and-white saddle shoes are any indicator of what's to come, then her show is definitely a break from the norm.

This week, the petite 25-year-old hits the road again, opening for pop group No Doubt's reunion tour. She's been known to throw water on the audience, finger paint and crowd surf.

Her out-of-the-box display of showmanship has clearly worked to her advantage.

"I don't marginalize black people or white people. They either like it or they don't," Monáe declared during an interview with BV Newswire. "People discuss my art and talk about it as though they understand it, but it is never required of them to understand what I am doing. I don't get frustrated by that. I can't help my skin color, but it is very important to show that [black people] are not monolithic, and I'm redefining the stereotypes that have been placed on us."

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