Jay-Z took a stand at the Grammy Awards, criticizing the Recording Academy for its failure to award his wife, Beyoncé, an Album of the Year accolade.
The ’99 Problems’ artist, who received the Dr. Dre Global Impact award at the ceremony, used the platform to express his thoughts on what he perceived as significant snubs in the past. Reflecting on previous instances of artists boycotting the Grammys, Jay-Z emphasized the need for the Academy to accurately recognize deserving artists.
He referenced historical boycotts, stating, ‘How far we have come with Will Smith, The Fresh Prince winning their first Grammy in ’89 and boycotting because it was not televised.’ Jay-Z then recounted his own experience in 1998 when he boycotted the Grammys after being nominated for Best Rap Album, while DMX, who had two number one albums, received no nominations.
Expressing the desire for the Recording Academy to ‘get it right’ and highlighting the subjective nature of music awards, Jay-Z pointed out the inappropriateness in Beyoncé having more Grammys than anyone but never winning Album of the Year.
He urged the Academy to reconsider its metrics, emphasizing the need for fair recognition in music awards. In closing, he acknowledged the potential disappointment artists might feel, urging honesty in the evaluation of music.
“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone, number one album of the year. So even by that own metric it does not work. Think about that, most Grammys, never won Album of the Year, that does not work.”
Main image: CNN
