Rap-A-Lot Records Founder and CEO J. Prince says it’s time for hip-hop artists to take a collective stand against the Grammys.
The music exec recently posted an appeal he called “HIP HOP VS. THE GRAMMYS” on Instagram and urged artists including Drake, Kanye West, The Weeknd and Nicki Minaj to boycott the awards.
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Over on Twitter, he wrote a tweet thread and said the awards have been overlooking Black artists for decades. He also criticized the Recording Academy for canceling a scheduled performance by Kanye West, after the rapper was temporarily suspended from Instagram for using a racial slur against Grammys host Trevor Noah.
“I’ve been watching the Grammys control and dictate our culture to their benefit up close and personal for the past 30 years,” J. Prince tweeted. “And all the artists, managers and executives would do is complain, but never have the nuts to come together to do anything about it. Even though the latest episode deals with Trevor Noah and the cancelling of @kanyewest, this racist act is so much bigger than them.”
And all the artists, managers and executives would do is complain but never have the nuts to come together to do anything about it.
— J Prince (@jprincerespect) March 21, 2022
He continued by suggesting artists “come together in Las Vegas” and perform on April 3, at the same time as the awards — saying “there’s power in numbers.”
on a special network and streaming platform to prove that ratings will change where the Grammys are concerned when the #1 selling genre in the music – HIP HOP – comes together because there’s power in numbers.
— J Prince (@jprincerespect) March 21, 2022
Migos star Quavo said he liked J. Prince’s idea of protesting the awards. “Let’s do it,” Quavo told TMZ.
Last year, The Weeknd said he planned to boycott the Grammy Awards after he was shut out of the nominations.
“I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys,” he said after the Recording Academy snubbed his song “Blinding Lights,” which topped the charts in 34 countries.
Drake previously expressed frustration that he’s never won a Grammy outside the rap categories. In December, his management team asked the Recording Academy to remove him from consideration in the final-round of ballots for the 2022 awards, according to Variety.
This year’s Grammy Awards will air from Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3 on CBS.
