The Grammys have a history of controversy. In 1989, rap duo Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff boycotted the award show after winning a Grammy for Best Rap Performance.
Why boycott a show that’s giving you recognition? Well, two of hip hop’s most influential rappers felt it wasn’t fair that their award presentation wouldn’t be televised.
Rap is, without a doubt, one of the most popular genres of music worldwide, so why wouldn’t the award ceremony be publicized? Also, Smith and Jeff were the first artists to win an award in that category, making it a historical moment. Not showcasing such a historical moment must have felt like a slap in the face to the rap artists.
The whole controversy around this issue seems odd, to say the least.
Over 30 years later, the Grammys still seem reluctant to honor certain artists. As recently seen at the 66th Grammy Awards, rap artist Jay-Z made his feelings known and shared how he believed the award show undermined some of the industry’s most talented people. More specifically, he called out the Recording Academy for not honoring his wife and the mother of his children, Beyonce, with the Album of the Year award.
His speech, without a doubt, made members of the BeyHive happy. However, it also made others consider that some injustices may be happening behind the scenes. Are the Grammys biased? Should they re-evaluate their voting process? Let’s talk about it!
Three minutes of cold hard truth from Jay-Z
The 24-time Grammy winner Jay-Z was awarded an honorary Grammy for the second annual Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at this year’s ceremony. During his acceptance speech, he nervously shared his thoughts and opinions.
He boldly stated, “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady [Beyonce], but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year. So, even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work.”
So how does it work?
According to an interview between NPR and Anastasia Tsioulcas, a former Grammy judge, the way it works is complicated.
In their interview, Tsioulcas shared that the Recording Academy has about 21,000 members; however, only 12,000 are eligible to vote for the Grammys. When it comes to nominations and voting, there are 94 different categories. Members can vote in up to 10 categories across up to three genres, including voting in six categories of the General Field, which include Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Producer of the Year, Non-classical and Songwriter of the Year.
With limited voting options, Tsioulcas stated that voters often choose the most mainstream name because that’s who they are familiar with.
Perhaps this is why a Black woman has not won Album of the Year since Lauryn Hill received her award 25 years ago. Even more surprising, SZA, nominated for AOTY and received the most 2023 Grammy nominations, lost to Taylor Swift. SZA received an award for Best R&B Song, yet many fans wonder why SZA didn’t receive one of the Grammy’s highest honors.
Is this just a celebrity drama, or is there an underlying issue?
Of course, this moment wouldn’t be newsworthy if it didn’t generate multiple reactions on X, formerly Twitter.
“Classless !!! Total disrespect for the award !!!” posted X user Jo Doyle.
“No offense, this is kind of disrespectful and in poor taste. There are other ways to get a point across,” User Clouds and Things also shared.
The Queen’s Speech wrote, “#JayZ at #GRAMMYs2024. When a billionaire wants one more trophy. Jfc”
Yet, many others understood the gravity of the matter and fully supported Jay-Z’s speech.
“Jayz reading the Grammys for filth while holding an ALL BLACK GRAMMY during Black History Month,” expressed THECHANELDl0R.
“#TSRGrammys—#JayZ accepts the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the Grammys and kept it all the way real in his speech,’ shared @TSRmedianews.
“The Greatest Grammy Acceptance speech ever by a Black American JayZ,” wrote @Nibiru1000
“Listen, #Jayz just spoke some serious truth and called out the #Grammys for never giving Bey AOTY when it was deserved! That’s why he’s the goat because he’s gonna say what everyone is too scared to say!” @BrooklynCreme expressed.
The Album of the Year is one of the most coveted awards, often called “The Big Award.” The candidates are considered based on artistic achievement, overall excellence in the recording industry without considering sales or chart position, and technical proficiency. While some people believe that Jay-Z was out of line, others see it as shining a light on a dark corner.
Celebrity drama aside, this Grammy moment was an excellent portrayal of a Black man standing up for a Black woman and standing up for Black artists everywhere. It’s a reminder that although society has progressed in matters of race and equality, Black people must continue to speak out and hold different entities accountable. Because if Black people stay quiet for too long, society may succeed in erasing Black culture.
