Diddy Blasts Grammy Awards: “Black Music Has Never Been Respected”
Diddy has seen enough. The rap mogul recently blasted the Grammy Awards for its lack of diversity when it comes to winning major categories.
On Saturday night (Jan. 25), the Bad Boy Entertainment boss was on hand at Clive Davis’ pre-Grammys gala, where he was honored with the 2020 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Award. During his acceptance speech, he used the opportunity to call out the coveted award ceremony for what he sees as a total lack of respect for rap and R&B music.
“So I say this with love to the Grammys, because you really need to know this, every year y’all be killing us man. Man, I’m talking about the pain. I’m speaking for all these artists here, the producers, the executives," he said according to Bloomberg. "The amount of time it takes to make these records, to pour your heart into it, and you just want an even playing field.”
He added, “In the great words of Erykah Badu, ‘We are artists and we are sensitive about our shit.’ We are passionate. For most of us, this is all we got. This is our only hope. Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys. Black music has never been respected by the Grammys to the point that it should be.”
The numbers prove there is definitely a historical lack of rap and R&B wins in the biggest categories. In the Grammy Awards past 61 years, only two rap albums have been awarded Album of the Year (Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below). When Childish Gambino's "This Is America" won Record of the Year at last year's ceremony, it marked the first time ever a hip-hop song received the award.
“So right now with this current situation, it’s not a revelation," Puff continued. "This thing been going on, and it’s not just going on in music, it’s going on in film, it’s going on in sports, it’s going around the word. And for years we’ve allowed institutions that have never had our best interest at heart to judge us. And that stops right now.”
Puff is pushing for change to happen by next year's show. “I’m officially starting the clock. Y’all got 365 days to get this shit together,” he closed.
The 62nd annual Grammy Awards airs Sunday night (Jan. 26) at 8 p.m. EST live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
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