I’m going to say it now so we aren’t shocked later: Iggy Azalea is taking home all of the rap Grammys this year. Favorite or save this piece, but make sure you mark my words.
This year, Iggy is nominated for four Grammys: Record of the year, Best New Artist, Best Rap Album and Best Pop/Duo Group Performance.
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Last year, we were all shocked (well I was) when Macklemore swept the Grammys taking home all the top prizes including: Best Rap album, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song over (can’t argue with me on this one) the best rap album of the last 5 years, Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city. For some reason, we were all blind-sided. But not this year. Nope. We’re not falling for it.
You can see it in the tweets (and in the streets) and we already know how this typically goes.
I can’t remember a time when the rap Grammys ever accurately reflected the culture. If we aren’t boycotting the award show because they aren’t airing the Black awards, then we’re mad when certain artists aren’t even nominated. And the fan favorite nomination often goes to a white pop star who has a hot single.
The only exception to that rule may be Eminem. We all know as an emcee, he’s a beast, but is he really deserving of all the awards he’s received? Eminem literally wins a Grammy anytime he releases a project while rap favorites Nas and Snoop have yet to win a golden gramophone. Is it because he’s white? Duh.
Iggy has had it particularly hard while Eminem and Macklemore haven’t had to face the criticism that she has. (We all know that’s because she’s a woman.) I won’t try to cape for her but the actual criticism is the fact that people feel like she’s not authentic. She’s an Australian woman that raps with a Southern accent. Girl what?
She doesn’t write her own lyrics and that doesn’t bother me because chances are, your favorite rapper doesn’t write his. “Fancy” was a big single, even possibly deserving of the “Best Pop/Duo Group performance” award but certainly not any of the rap awards that she is more than likely going to win.
Every year we see the same tweets: “Y’all still care about the Grammys? Who cares? They don’t know or respect the culture anyway.” Whether people would like to admit it or not, we do care. We want the winners of awards to reflect us: our community.
Folks are quick to jump on twitter and clown the BET Awards, BET Hip-Hop Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and NAACP Image Awards but what other award shows recognize us for our art? Not many.
I understand that the Grammys aren’t “for us” but when I listen to the music created by my own people, I want them to be recognized for their greatness. Ultimately, true artist recognition is going to come from the real fans; not the old people that sit on boards and decide the winners.
I’m still going to watch the 2015 Grammys and hope Common brings the Best Rap Album home to Chicago.
But I’m going to brace myself.
Because we all know how this story ends.
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‘The Iggys': Why We All Should Be Prepared For An Iggy Azalea Grammy Sweep was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
