By Bryanna Bartlett
For the musicians nominated at the Grammys, the implementation of gender and racial discrimination is more than just a categorical error. Blatant discrimination is powerful enough to dismiss the award show entirely, and with each passing year it is doing just that.
The Grammys are simply losing value.
Music producer and artist Tyler, the Creator won best rap album at this year’s Grammys, but in a post-ceremony interview with the Recording Academy, he didn’t hesitate to call out the award show’s tendency to “racially avert” in genres.
While maintaining his gratitude for the win, he said, “It sucks that when we, and when I say we, I mean guys who look like me do anything that’s genre bending. . . they always put it in a rapper or urban category.”
At the 55th Grammy Awards in 2012, Frank Ocean earned his first career Grammy for Best urban contemporary album (Channel Orange). He is yet another example of a black artist shoehorned into a category that his music doesn’t fit.
Likewise, Tyler’s 2019 album “IGOR” just does not fit into the category of a rap album. Anyone who listens to it could tell you that. The album is soaked in jazz, pop-funk, soul, and gospel with synth-heavy backdrops.
After winning the award, Tyler asked, “Why can’t we just be in pop?”
We are all wondering the same thing.
Other artists such as John Legend, YG, DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, Roddy Rich, and Kirk Franklin paid tribute to late rapper Nipsey Hussle with their performance at the Sunday night awards show, according to Time.
YG specifically came out to honor Hussle and explore the overall gang violence predicament in Los Angeles, as well as the animosity between the Bloods and Crips, two rival gangs at odds in Southern California. What he was met with when he walked out on stage, however, was a predominantly white crowd clapping their . hands.
There’s really no way to explain the plight of violence in Los Angeles to an upper-class white mosh-pit that holds no stakes in the matter.
If the Grammys really wanted less discriminatory representation, the crowd simply would have had color.
Singer and Grammys host Alicia Keys said onstage, “We refuse the old systems. We want to be respected and safe in our diversity. We want to be shifting to realness and inclusivity.” While Keys made no further comment, it is clear she was advocating for the artists facing race and gender inequality throughout the Grammys.
Not only have the inequality of the awards been voiced on the very platform, but legal action has finally been taken as well.
Deborah Dugan, former CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, knew too well of the discrimination within the Grammys and filed a lawsuit against the Academy, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Dugan’s lawsuit was filed on Dec. 22, 2019, just a few short weeks before this year’s Grammy awards.
According to The Guardian, Dugan was suspended from the Recording Academy for exposing the Grammys for its boy’s club atmosphere and rigged nominations process.
Dugan accused her predecessor of rape, perpetuation of irregularities in the Grammys’ nomination and review process and gender and racial discrimination.
While only working in the Academy for a short 5 months, Dugan called the Grammys out on its counterfeit foundation.
The cutbacks on attendance to the shows have already started. Whether in support of Dugan or simple disinterest, artists Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Young Thug, Beyonce and Bon Iver ditched this year’s Grammys.
The award show is proving to be more and more discriminatory as time passes. With more celebrities raising their voices about grievances, there are no questions . about its declining irrelevancy.
Tyler, the Creator described the Grammys best when he said, “Oh, my little cousin wants to play the game. Let’s give him an unplugged controller so he can shut up and feel good about it.”
