Willie D has called out the Grammys for including Scarface in their 50th anniversary Hip Hop tribute but not the Geto Boys as a unit.
The massive performance, which took place during the 65th Annual Grammy Awards at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday (February 5), was kicked off by Black Thought and The Roots before a barrage of Hip Hop pioneers took the stage including Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Run-DMC, LL COOL J, Queen Latifah, Public Enemy, Rakim, Method Man, Missy Elliott, Lil Uzi Vert and more.
The almost 14-minute spectacle also saw Scarface grace the stage to perform Geto Boys’ classic 1991 single “Mind Playing Tricks on Me,” which marked the first Southern rap song to be played during the decades-spanning medley. Face Mob hit the stage solo dolo, with no Willie D in sight. (Fellow Geto Boy Bushwick Bill died in June 2019.)
After the performance, Willie took to Instagram to vent his frustration with the Recording Academy, saying it was “corny” that he wasn’t asked to be a part of the big moment.
“A reminder to the Grammys and all the rest of y’all out there trying to hustle the Geto Boys brand by only including Scarface, who had a stellar solo career: How in the hell are you gonna have a 50-year tribute to Hip Hop and not include Geto Boys the group?” he asked.
He continued: “If you forgot, the group includes Scarface and Willie D. How you gonna use a performance that includes a song that I co-wrote but not even have the decency, the respect to reach out to me and ask me if I wanted to participate? Y’all are some clowns for that. All the way out of pocket. Whoever made the call, y’all some clowns… No more talking.”
“Disrespectful Mofos!!! No mo’ talk,” Willie concluded in the caption.
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Questlove announced the Hip Hop 50 tribute show on January 31, and said it would be in partnership with Nas’ Mass Appeal to include “some of the biggest names from the genre coming together to celebrate Hip Hop history.”
“Hip Hop has been a driving force in the music and the culture,” Questlove said in part. “It’s had an immeasurable impact on our culture and our world and I’ve had the great privilege of co-curating this thing with the Roots and many others that are gonna join us that night.”
At the end of the performance, LL COOL J returned with a message for the crowd and highlighted Hip Hop’s contribution to the world.
“From The Bronx to the five boroughs, to the West Coast to the Heartland; overseas to Europe, to Africa, to Asia; TikTok, whatever’s next,” he said. “Because thanks to the 33 Hip Hop artists on stage and the countless more we love, Hip Hop is a global platform today. We’re celebrating. Happy 50th anniversary to Hip Hop, baby!”
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Hip Hop was also honored on the awards side. Kendrick Lamar added three trophies to his collection for Best Rap Album (Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers), Best Rap Song (“The Heart Part 5”) and Best Rap Performance (“The Heart Part 5”), while Future and Drake took home Best Melodic Rap Performance for their “Wait For U” collaboration with Tems.
GloRilla and Latto both earned their first Grammy nominations, while heavy-hitters like JAY-Z, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross were in the race for Song of the Year thanks to their “God Did” collaboration with DJ Khaled.
The foursome closed out the Grammys ceremony in Biblical fashion by performing the song outside the Crypto.com Arena, where they recreated the Last Supper behind a lavish dining table while toasting to Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary.
