Jay-Z Calls Out Recording Academy in Grammy Speech

Last night at the 66th Grammy Awards, rapper Jay-Z was honored with the prestigious ‘Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.’ Arriving on stage with his daughter Blue Ivy in tow, he gave his acceptance speech, fearlessly addressing uncomfortable truths about the Recording Academy’s historical disservice to Black artists.

His candid remarks shed light on systemic issues within the industry, highlighting the need for greater recognition and representation for Black musicians.

Image: Mike Blake for Reuters

In his speech, Jay-Z acknowledged the Grammys’ progress in recognizing hip-hop, citing the historical boycott by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff in 1989 when rap categories were not televised – which is ironic as during this year’s ceremony none of the rap categories were televised.

With his characteristic charm, Jay-Z humorously noted their boycott wasn’t successful, emphasizing that despite the protest, they still tuned in. He then shared his personal experience of boycotting the Grammys in 1998 due to DMX’s non-nomination, playfully remarking that his own boycott was unsuccessful as he, too, couldn’t resist watching.

Jay-Z said,

“I’m just saying, we love y’all, we love ya’ll, we love y’all, and we want y’all to get it right – at least get it close to right.”

Continuing, Jay-Z addressed the disparities in the Recording Academy’s voting process, highlighting his wife Beyoncé’s – who was in the audience rocking her signature Renaissance tour style – consistent oversight for the Album of the Year award. Despite Beyoncé being the most awarded artist of all time with 32 wins, Jay-Z pointed out the fact that she has never secured the Album of the Year accolade.

He underscored the irony, noting that even by the Recording Academy’s own metrics, the logic behind this snub does not make any sense. Jay-Z raises a good point here, underscoring Beyoncé’s repeated nominations for the Album of the Year award.

Despite her historic and acclaimed album runs, including her self-titled album Lemonade and last year’s groundbreaking Renaissance album, which sparked a record-breaking stadium tour, she consistently lost to less deserving white counterparts.

This not only puzzled audiences but also left the industry bewildered. The unsettling trend extends back to 1999 when Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was the last album by a Black woman to win Album of the Year. Ironically, as Jay-Z delivered this speech, the same Grammy ceremony saw SZA losing to Taylor Swift’s Midnights album, a decision that left even Billboard perplexed.

Jay-Z said,

“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won Album of the Year. So, even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that – the most Grammys. Never won Album of the Year. That doesn’t work.”

Image: Mike Blake for Reuters

Jay-Z then emphasizes the notion that awards don’t define an artist’s worth, subtly throwing more shade at the Recording Academy. He suggests that after the ceremony, some artists will feel robbed, others will genuinely be robbed, and some artists do not even belong in their category. To the crowd’s laugh and shock, he even jokes that he “tells the truth” when he’s nervous.

His remark subtly alludes to the Recording Academy’s historical tendency to pigeonhole Black artists into categories like ‘urban,’ ‘rap,’ ‘hip-hop,’  and ‘R&B,’ despite their music transcending these genres.

This playful jab also underscores the irony that some nominees might not truly merit their nominations in the first place. He ended his speech on a light note, advising everyone to never give up and to keep showing out. And that sometimes it’s okay to just forget about the Grammys. He said,

“Just keep showing up. 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. You feel me?”

Image: Francis Specker for CBS

Jay-Z even ended up having some fun with his award by using it as a cup for the night in another playful move. You can watch Jay-Z’s speech in full below.