Asks the liberal writer: "Critics say Kanye West was snubbed because his fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is not up for album of the year, and neither is his collaboration with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne, both well-received and critically acclaimed. No rap album has won album of the year since Outkast's 2004 victory for their double-album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. They were only the second rap act to win this award, after Lauryn Hill 1999 win for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Neither of these albums are strictly rap, however."
He continues his commentary: "Hill also has the distinction of being only the second rap act to win the Grammy for best new artist, the only other winner being Arrested Development in 1993. The wins for rappers outside of the designated rap categories are scant and the cause of much backlash. This doesn't square with the impact rappers continue to have on our culture. In an era where rappers are performing in tuxedos at Carnegie Hall, it's hard to argue that hip-hop is a fringe music. It's firmly planted in the pop music vocabulary of the day."
More commentary from Mr. Smith, about the awards: "Why is this important? To echo the sentiments of Public Enemy: 'Who gives a f**k about a godd**n Grammy?' It would be easy to embrace that feeling and criticize the Grammys for being more interested in an artists' chart sales than actual creative merit. However, the Grammys are still considered the pinnacle of musical achievement by the viewing public and musicians themselves. It's a matter of respect. There is a difference between being able to say 'Grammy award-winning' artist as opposed to having to ride on your name alone. Where Jay-Z may feel he only needs to approval of the people, a Grammy does offer some validation that you have contributed something of cultural import."
He ain't done yet: "Also, as Zack O'Malley Greenburg reports for Forbes, winning a Grammy isn't just about earning respect among your peers; there's a potential financial windfall. After winning a Grammy for his work on Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter III, Mississippi born rapper/producer David Banner saw his production fees jump from $50,000 to $100,000. From Greenburg's analysis, the 'Grammy bounce' comes out to around a 55 percent bump in concert ticket sales and the year after a Grammy win. Esperanza Spalding, who shocked many by winning the best new artist award over the presumed favorite Justin Bieber, saw her average nightly gross go from $20,000 to $32,000, a 60 percent increase. That's a drop in the bucket in comparison to the impact winning multiple Grammys had on Taylor Swift, whose average nightly gross started at $120,000, went to $600,000 after winning four Grammys in 2010, and soared to $1.1 million in 2011."
Booker Rising response: Of course, Mr. Smith assumes that most rappers nowadays are even worthy of winning the Grammy award for album of the year! None of them out now are though. Kanye has yet to put out a single good song, much less an album. The same goes for Drake, Lil Wayne and all of these other crap rappers out here. Given that most rap songs feature cliched lyrics and auto-tuned vocals over a beat stolen sampled from some R&B or rock artist with actual talent, 99% of rappers shouldn't be getting Grammy awards at all!
MYCHAL DENZEL SMITH COMMENTARY: Are The Grammys Prejudiced Against Rap Music?
