JAY-Z called out the Recording Academy while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
Hov appeared on stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday (February 4) and used his speech to take aim at the organization for continually snubbing his wife Beyoncé in the Album of the Year category.
“We want y’all to get it right,” he said, standing alongside his 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy. “We love y’all, we love y’all, we just want y’all to get it right. At least get it close to right.
“Obviously it’s subjective because, you know, it’s music and it’s opinion-based, but some things… I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won Album of the Year!”
He continued: “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.
“Some of you are gonna go home tonight and feel like you’ve been robbed. Some of you may get robbed. Some of you don’t belong in the category. Nah, nah, nah. When I get nervous I tell the truth!”
Beyoncé holds the record for the most Grammy wins with 32. However, she has never won the coveted Album of the Year award despite being nominated four times (I Am… Sasha Fierce in 2010, Beyoncé in 2015, Lemonade in 2017 and Renaissance in 2023).
JAY-Z previously took shots at the Grammys last year for overlooking his own album 4:44 in 2018.
“In that moment, I was like, ‘They missed the opportunity,’ because people emulate success,” he told TIDAL. “In that moment, that album, 4:44, was a moment for us to say, ‘Hip Hop is viewed as a young man’s sport. Now here is this album that could take us into the next sphere.’
“I feel like they missed the moment. I didn’t feel bad for myself, because I know it’s the Grammys: I probably won some joints I shouldn’t have won and I probably lost some joints I should’ve won.”
He added: “That’s the way it goes, so I actually had a party. I had a great time, staying out until 6 in the morning.”
JAY-Z was nominated for eight Grammys in 2018 but went home empty handed. He later vented his frustration with the Recording Academy on his 2018 “Apeshit” collaboration with Beyoncé, rapping: “Tell the Grammys fuck that 0 for 8 shit.”
After receiving the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, which was introduced last year, the Roc Nation mogul was seen dapping up the legendary producer and posing for a photo with him in the audience.
Hov also poured D’USSÉ cognac into his award and drank from it, recreating his viral moment from the 2013 Grammys.
JAY-Z wasn’t the only rapper who took home silverware this year as Killer Mike was a triple winner in the rap categories (Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance) while Lil Durk and J. Cole nabbed Best Melodic Rap Performance (“All My Life”).
I don’t really like Jay-Z but that speech was dope. Glad that he mentioned DMX as an example for Grammys hypocracy.
It’s hypocrisy, you illiterate moron
Nerve struck. Seriously, dude gave the most balanced and thoughtful response. He was positive. And you still gotta call him a moron? People suck.
So you spend decades tryna tear down the Grammys for w.e reason,. Just to show up for awards and talk more shit.. idk about y’all but as a man if I don’t support or like something ..I GIVE IT NO ATTENTION AT ALL. Weird times though
I don’t think it’s been him trying to tear down the Grammy’s as opposed to claiming they don’t get it right, and wanting hip hop or RnB to get their just dues. Hard to fight against injustice when you don’t fight at all.
Don’t get it right based on whose opinion, tell the clown start his own award show them lol wild. Feels like over privileged problems
lol guy said ‘hard to fight injustices’ lmao it’s an award show get a grip!!! Injustices 😂😂
And here comes the Nas Stan’s.
“Injustice” lol. The Grammy awards are purely politics. That’s it. This goes for all award shows. Goes for noble peace prizes too. They gave Obama a noble peace prize for committing to getting rid of nuclear weapons… what did he do? The opposite lol. Just imagine being so privileged and entitled that you’re like “man, I’m a billionaire or worth hundreds upon hundreds of millions, and yall ain’t gon gimme Dat award?!? How UNFAIR the world is!!!”.
Imagine winning an award for global impact and makeing a speech that only impacts YOU.
JUST UGLY, INSIDE AND OUT.
Jay Z just made more of an impact. S. Carter is the GOAT. Period. No matter how many of these bigots and barrel crabs try to knock his hustle.
he is definitely with “the goat”, just like the rest of the industry. Such a waste of life. SubhanaantaAllah.
But she doesn’t make album of the year music! She has hits on albums but not album of the year overall quality.
You know what doesn’t “work”, anyone in the industry. Salaam/Peace/Shalom
Dont lyk Jay but he on point. King Tekashi got da streetz on fire with dat new joint he just dropped but no nomination. Da metrics ain right! Right on Jay
White people hate Jay because he doesn’t need them…..hahahahahahah
What a huge sense of entitlement. I understand Beyonce’s importance as an artist, but biases aside I do not feel that she made any AOTY contenders in her career.