Give Hip-Hop Its Accolades
Words by Ananda Acharya (he/him)
The Grammys is infamous for its mistreatment of various genres but most notoriously its mistreatment of hip-hop. The awards show has consistently failed to acknowledge or appreciate the genre as well as the artists behind the music. Hip-hop is one of the most followed and streamed genres in the world, so what exactly does it take for a hip-hop album to win big at the Grammys?
In its 64-year run, only two hip-hop albums have won the prestigious Album Of The Year award. Lauryn Hill won in 1998 for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and OutKast won in 2004 for Speakerboxx/The Love Below. Since 2004, the hip-hop and rap landscape has changed vastly and seen significant growth with mainstream audiences.
Outkast at the 2003 Grammys (pictured left)
Lauryn Hill at the 1999 Grammys (Pictured Right)
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) by Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF) is the fifth studio album by hip-hop artist and producer Kanye West. At the time, not only was the music community against Kanye West, it seemed as though the entire world was too. MBDTF is Kanye’s grand return to music—following a near career downfall in 2009 with his infamous Taylor Swift VMAs incident. It’s his magnum opus and chance at redemption.
The album explores themes such as the quest for the American dream, being illuminated by the light, and becoming your own worst enemy—as expressed on the track of the album, “Runaway.” “Let's have a toast for the douchebags, Let's have a toast for the assholes. Let's have a toast for the scumbags. Every one of them that I know” is perhaps one of the most self-aware lyrics Kanye delivers on the album—and could be considered his apology to Swift. This hip-hop album borrows from a variety of genres and features artists such as Elton John, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Jay Z, Raekwon, Pusha T, and Kid Cudi. Kanye’s production on MBDTF is unrivalled and this body of work cements him as an elite hip-hop producer.
A decade later, MBDTF has stood the test of time. Inspiring an influx of today’s artists, MBDTF’s influence isn’t exclusive to the hip-hop genre, having garnered the respect and praise of artists across many music genres. It is fascinating to think that an album so influential would only stack up the Rap Album of the Year award at the Grammys.
TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY (2015) by Kendrick Lamar
(image cred: Wikipedia)
Fast forward to 15 March, 2015, the date of what I’d argue was one of the biggest hip-hop album drops of the 21st Century: To Pimp A Butterfly (TPAB).
With immersive storytelling and worldbuilding in its sixteen track list, Kendrick uses his various alter egos to take the listener on a journey through issues such as racism, the predatory music industry, and survivor’s guilt. TPAB is a harsh and twisted journey that shows the listener inside the dark life of Compton, California. It showcases this through its excellent Jazz, Soul, and R&B infusions.
Kendrick repeats the phrase,“We gonna be alright,” in the track “Alright” to emphasise the importance of holding onto hope despite the pain and suffering felt by black communities—both historical and current. This message is deeply associated with the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against police brutality. TPAB is a long poem that highlights the beauty of black culture as well as the societal issues that black people face. It's hard to compare it to Taylor Swift's 1989, which is an electrifying pop album, but shouldn’t have beaten TPAB for Album Of The Year.
Seven years later, TPAB is still regarded as a raw, honest, and highly influential album. It is dissected in university classrooms across America because of how strongly it tackles prevalent political issues.
Apart from the rap and the, now renamed, “urban contemporary” categories, respect for hip-hop is still missing from The Grammys despite it being a top five genre category. The quality of hip-hop is high and yet the Grammys refuses to acknowledge its existence outside of awards like “Best Rap Album.”