Jay-Z Opens Up About Why He Boycotted The Grammys In 1999
9 years ago
Jay-Z Opens Up About Why He Boycotted The Grammys In 1999
Jay-Z said though he boycotted the Grammys almost two decades ago, he's better served helping the Recording Academy grow instead of abandoning it.
At Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy gala on Saturday — where Jay-Z earned the Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Award — he said he initially boycotted because DMX had an amazing year in music but didn't earn any nominations at the 1999 Grammys. Jay-Z's sophomore project, "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life," won best rap album that year though he didn't attend the show, besting albums by A Tribe Called Quest, Mase, Big Punisher and Jermaine Dupri.
"I didn't come back until... 2004 when a beautiful, young lady whom I love dearly had a solo album... the beautiful Miss Beyonce. And I realized, 'Man, art is super subjective and everyone is doing their best, and the Academy, they're human like we are and they're voting on things they like and it's su..