Rapper and businessman Jay-Z didn’t hold back at this year’s Grammy Awards, openly criticizing the event for its failures – particularly when it comes to awards for hip-hop and rap.
While accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award alongside his 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, Jay-Z recalled the boycott of the Grammy Awards in 1989 by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff due to the non-televised nature of the rap awards event.
Similarly, Jay-Z declared that he boycotted the event in 1998 after DMX was snubbed for what the rapper thought were two worthy albums that year. He went on to address the subjective nature of voting, related it to his wife Beyoncé’s career, and criticized the voting process of the Grammys.
He pointed out the fact that Beyoncé, who holds the record for the most Grammys won, has never received the album of the year award, despite her unparalleled success. The declaration that Beyoncé has never won album of the year, even by the Grammys’ own measure, was met with shock and support from the audience.
“This young lady has more Grammys than anyone, and never won album of the year,” Jay-Z said of Beyoncé. “Even by your own metric that does not work. Think about that, most Grammys, never won album of the year, that doesn’t work.”
Fans of Beyoncé have consistently criticized the Grammys for being biased and keeping her from receiving the prestigious album of the year award. This is a particularly touchy subject given that Beyoncé made history at last year’s awards by becoming the most awarded artist in the history of the Grammys, as she took home her 32nd award.
During his speech, Jay-Z also hinted that some artists could feel like they were “robbed” at the Grammys, taking a dig at the credibility and fairness of certain winning artists. Despite the humor, it was clear that Jay-Z used the occasion to call out the Grammy Awards’ inadequacies and inconsistencies.
Finally, Jay-Z urged all artists to keep showing up and striving for success, both at the Grammys and in life, until they receive the recognition and accolades they deserve. “You got to keep showing up until they give you all those accolades you feel you deserve. Until they call you chairman, until they call you a genius, until they call you the greatest of all time,” he proclaimed.
