While accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, JAY-Z used the platform to call out the ceremony for never awarding Beyoncé an album of the year award.
According to Variety, in his speech, he spoke about how he’s always wanted the ceremony to celebrate artists whose work influences culture. Beyoncè was in the audience, and their oldest child, Blue Ivy Carter, was onstage alongside Hov while he accepted the honor. The family skipped the red carpet.
“How far we have come with Will Smith, the Fresh Prince winning their first Grammy in ’89 and boycotting, because it was not televised,” Variety reported he said. “And then they went to a hotel to watch the Grammys. I don’t even understand, it was not a great boycott. 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…”
He continued, explaining that it doesn’t make sense that, with record-setting 32 Grammy wins, Queen Bey has yet to win album of the year.
“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.”
The rapper threw a little shade by saying some nominees don’t deserve recognition in their categories.
“Some of you gon’ go home tonight and feel like you’ve been robbed,” he said. “Some of you may get robbed. Some of you don’t belong in the category.”
He laughed off his final statement, saying, “When I get nervous, I tell the truth.”
The New York City native ended his message on a motivational note, urging artists to “keep showing up.”
“Just in life you’ve got to keep showing up, just keep showing up. Forget the Grammys, you gotta keep showing up until they give you all those accolades you feel you deserve.”
Watch the full speech below:
