With the 2021 Grammy nominations being rolled out on Tuesday (November 24), it reminded Nicki Minaj of the time she believed she was snubbed out of the Best New Artist Grammy Award in 2012. Nicki spoke up about her near-decade-long grudge with the Recording Academy’s decision to give indie rock band Bon Iver the nod over her.
“Never forget the Grammys didn’t give me my best new artist award when I had 7 songs simultaneously charting on billboard & bigger first week than any female rapper in the last decade-went on to inspire a generation,” she wrote. “They gave it to the white man Bon Iver.”
Bon Iver pulled out the underdog victory at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards over the heavily-favored Nicki, J. Cole, Skrillex and the Band Perry. Bon Iver appeared alongside a burgeoning Nicki on Kanye West’s “Monster,” which served as her introduction to much of the mainstream Hip Hop world.
“It’s really hard to accept this award,” Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon said during his acceptance speech. “There’s so much talent out here on the stage and there is a lot of talent that’s not here tonight.”
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During a 2019 episode of Queen Radio, Nicki detailed how Grammy’s producer Ken Ehrlich and the Recording Academy “blackballed” her following a controversial “Roman Holiday” performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards, which received backlash from the catholic church.
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“I can now let everyone know a song like ‘Monster’ or you name it doesn’t have a Grammy, that’s why,” she began. “It’s because a little Black girl thought that she could go against this powerful white man and say, ‘No, I’m going to perform. You’re not making any sense.’ He told me I should’ve lied and basically said, ‘The Grammy’s didn’t know what I was going to perform.'”
Nicki was also nominated in the Best Rap Album category for her debut album Pink Friday, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last week, and Best Rap Performance with the Drake-assisted “Moment For Life” at the 2012 Grammy Awards. She is still searching for the first Grammy victory of her career.
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Stream the reissued complete edition of Pink Friday below.
