Drake has a long history of frustrations with the GRAMMY Awards and the Recording Academy, first skipping the show in 2017.
In another bold move, Drake has once again taken to social media to express his frustration with the GRAMMY Awards.
The chart-topping rapper posted a video on his Instagram Story, featuring a clip of him accepting a GRAMMY from a previous year. In the video, Drake can be heard saying, "You've already won if you have people singing your songs word for word, if you're a hero in your hometown."
Accompanying the video was a caption that read, "All you incredible artists remember this show isn't the facts; it's just the opinion of a group of people whose names are kept a secret 🤫 😂 (literally you can Google it). Congrats to anybody winning anything for hip hop; this show doesn't dictate sh*t in our world."
Despite his vocal opposition to the GRAMMYs, Drake earned two nominations for the 2022 awards, even after publicly refusing to submit his solo music for consideration in the 2023 season. The nominations were for his featured work on two tracks, "Churchill Downs" by Jack Harlow and "WAIT FOR U" by Future, both competing for the title of Best Rap Song.
His post comes as part of Drake's long-standing grievances with the GRAMMY Awards and the Recording Academy. His tumultuous relationship with the prestigious awards ceremony began in 2017 when he skipped the show after criticizing the Academy for categorizing his hit, "Hotline Bling," in the rap genre rather than pop.
In 2022, Drake escalated his protest by withdrawing his nominations for both his album, Certified Lover Boy, and the track "Way 2 Sexy." Speaking on Apple's Beats 1, the rapper expressed his dissatisfaction with being exclusively recognized as a rapper by the Recording Academy.
"I'm a Black artist, I'm apparently a rapper, even though 'Hotline Bling' is not a rap song," he stated. "The only category that they can manage to fit me in is in a rap category, maybe because I've rapped in the past or because I'm Black."
In 2019, during his acceptance speech for Best Rap Song for "God's Plan," Drake's remarks were abruptly cut off when he asserted that an artist doesn't need a GRAMMY to validate their career.
"We play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport," he emphasized. "This is a business where sometimes it's up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say ... the point is you've already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you're a hero in your hometown."
The 2024 GRAMMY Awards is on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and being broadcast and streamed live on CBS and Paramount+ from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Follow along at ETonline.com for full coverage from music's biggest night, including performances, GRAMMY winners and more.
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