The 66th Grammy Awards was filled with many poignant and historical moments. However, one of the most unforgettable moments was Jay-Z’s candid and powerful acceptance speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.
Dr. Dre was the recipient of the inaugural award named in his honor last year, making Jay-Z the second person to receive the prestigious honor, which recognizes Black music creators who have had a significant impact on the music industry. Jay-Z is no stranger to the Grammys, as he is a 24-time Grammy winner, while his wife, Beyoncé, is a 32-time winner, boasting the most Grammy wins in history. While Jay-Z expressed gratitude for the meaningful award, he also used the opportunity to call out the Grammys for its lack of diversity.
Throughout most of its 66-year history, the Grammys has frequently been accused of racism. After all, in 66 years, just 11 Black artists have won the show’s top award, Album of the Year. Most Black artists are seemingly limited to the Best R&B Award or Best Rap Song Award while being excluded from top honors. The Grammys has also had numerous controversies, such as choosing Jennifer Lopez to lead its Motown tribute in 2019 or cutting a Prince quote last year to omit its connection to Black Lives Matter. Artists like Drake, The Weeknd, and Lil Wayne have wholly boycotted the Grammys for its lack of diversity. Though the Awards show is trying to remedy the problem with recognitions like the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Jay-Z isn’t overly impressed.
Jay-Z tells the Grammys the truth in an epic speech
Jay-Z called out the Grammys in a speech that would have been improved only by a mic drop. He wasn’t about to let the Recording Academy give him this award and pretend like that fixes its problems. Partway through the show, he headed onstage to give his acceptance speech with his oldest daughter, Blue, at his side. He began his speech by thanking Dr. Dre for his trailblazing in the industry and the Black Music Collective for the opportunities it provided young artists.
However, he went on to reference some of the Grammys’ problematic history, such as in 1989, when Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff boycotted the Grammys when their win for the first-ever Grammy for best rap performance wasn’t televised. Jay-Z also recalled boycotting the Grammys himself in 1998 when he was nominated for Best Rap Album, though neither of the hit albums DMX dropped that year received recognition. Though he acknowledged that the Grammys had grown since then, he still wanted the show to “get it right” or at least “close to right.”
He also acknowledged that there will always be subjectivity in the Grammys and that certain snubs can be attributed to different tastes and opinions. However, there are still things that don’t add up. Referencing Beyoncé in the crowd, he said, “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won Album of the Year.” Addressing the Grammys, he said, “So, even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work.” He encouraged the audiences to “think about it” and how there’s simply no way to make it “work” that a 32-time Grammy winner never received the night’s biggest award.
He then took his message a step further, acknowledging those who would go home “feeling robbed” and insinuating that some artists simply didn’t belong in the categories they were nominated for, which earned some stunned cheers from the crowd.
Jay-Z then gave a hilarious apology, stating, “I’m sorry, when I get nervous, I tell the truth.” He concluded by grabbing his daughter’s hand and encouraging artists to keep showing up until they got the recognition they deserved.
Wow! Talk about shots fired. What was so memorable about his speech was that it was so brutally honest. He was grateful for the award, but in no way does it erase that the Grammys had such major issues that he boycotted the show years before accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. It certainly doesn’t erase the fact that his own wife still hasn’t received the recognition she deserves. He’s not just sticking up for her because she’s his wife but because it genuinely does not make sense. Someone had to say it. 32 Grammys and no Album of the Year? It doesn’t add up. Jay-Z wasn’t afraid to tell the Grammys some hard truths, and audiences applauded him for this.
Jay-Z was calm, collected, and funny as he gave his speech. However, it’s also the selflessness that stands out. After all, the Recording Academy has been kind to Jay-Z throughout his career, awarding him 24 Grammys. However, just like in 1998, when Jay-Z refused to be recognized unless his fellow artists were recognized, he refused to celebrate his monumental win without advocating for those who haven’t been honored fairly. It was a bold and powerful moment that succinctly reminded the Grammys it still needs to do better.
(featured image: Axelle / Bauer-Griffin /FilmMagic / Getty)
