Jay-Z blasts Grammys on stage for not giving wife, ‘Album of the year.’
During his acceptance speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, US rapper Jay-Z criticized the Grammys for not giving his wife Beyonce the Album of the Year award, while also expressing gratitude for his own award and urging the Recording Academy to “get it right.”
He mentioned his wife’s historic win last year, where she earned a record-breaking 32 trophies.
“How far we have come with Will Smith, the Fresh Prince winning their first Grammy in ’89 and boycotting, because it was not televised. And then they went to a hotel to watch the Grammys,” he recounted at the beginning of his speech.
“I don’t even understand, it was not a great boycott,” he joked, “But then in ’98, I took a page out of their book and was nominated for Best Rap Album. And DMX put out two, they were both number one, and he was not nominated at all. So I boycotted and I watched. I’m just saying, we want you all to get it right. We love y’all, we love y’all. We want you to get it right — or at least get it close to right. And obviously, it’s subjective, because it’s music and its opinion-based, but some things…”
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“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year.
“Think about that. Most Grammys never won Album of the Year, that doesn’t work.
“Some of you will go home tonight and feel like you’ve been robbed, some of you may get robbed, some of you don’t belong in the category.
“When I get nervous, I tell the truth,” Jay-Z said.
His point is straightforward: Beyoncé has been nominated for Album of the Year four times and has lost to a white artist each time. In 2010, I Am… Sasha Fierce lost to Taylor Swift’s Fearless; in 2015, her self-titled album lost to Beck’s Morning Phase; in 2017, Lemonade lost to Adele’s 25; and in 2023, Renaissance lost to Harry Styles’s Harry’s House.
There’s an inconsistency in Grammys voting, and these inconsistencies rarely seem to favor Beyoncé or any other Black woman. Some years prioritize fame, others focus on cultural impact, and some emphasize musicianship and attention to detail. Despite Beyoncé’s projects aligning with these criteria, she has not been recognized accordingly.
In his speech, Jay Z, accompanied by Blue Ivy, stated that some artists may feel robbed at the Grammys, and he suggested that not all nominees belong in their respective categories. He also discussed the Grammys voting process, which involves a pool of names submitted by Academy members and record labels, screened by over 350 experts, and voted on by more than 11,000 eligible members each year, aiming to maintain the quality of voting.
Jay-Z blasts Grammys on stage for not giving wife, ‘Album of the year.’
