New Spin column is up, I go in on this year’s Grammys. Enjoy!
Country music, and yes, indie rock, were the big winners at this past Sunday’s 53rd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. But you know what lost? Black music. The slight wasn’t much of a surprise, really; the Grammys are notoriously out of touch. But this year’s ceremony felt actively dismissive, with hip-hop and R&B, inarguably African-American strains of music, getting pointedly whitewashed.
The subtle digs at hip-hop started early. As is often the case, awards for “urban music” categories were handed out before the show. Legendary rapper Guru was left out of the people-that-died-last-year montage; Kanye West immediately noticed (he tweeted “R.I.P to GURU!!!”), as did thousands of others. When recording engineers, agents, managers, etc., are summarily eulogized, the rapping half of an incredibly influential and fairly mainstream ’90s rap duo should at least get a mention. Another example of Grammy cluelessness, more funny than offensive (though still telling), was the use of a Jay-Z photo from his 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt as visual representation of the rapper in lieu of his absence. Incidentally, 1996 was the first year the Grammys implemented the “Best Rap Album” category. And oh yeah, “Best Rap Album”? That went to Eminem’s Recovery…
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very good points. How do you think this relates compared to the Black Eyed Peas in the superbowl, which is considered the “first hip-hop” halftime show
earleybird
19 Feb 11 at 4:09 pm
Not to mention the opening tribute to Aretha Franklin featuring 3/5 white singers.
Really enjoy your writing and musical taste, and I thought this was an excellent article.
JayMacAdoo
21 Feb 11 at 11:56 pm