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| Kanye West, hip hop's hero without a cape. |
As many who know me can attest to, I am a HUGE Kanye West fan. In my opinion, he's one of the few rappers who has consistently put out good music throughout his career, all while taking risks musically in order to grow as an artist. As far as I'm concerned, the man has yet to put out a bad album--his two polarizing albums, 808s & Heartbreak and Yeezus, showed that you couldn't pigeonhole him as a typical rapper. 808s featured his best overall work as a producer and his most emotionally honest and vulnerable lyrics; Yeezus was nothing short of a canvas eloquently painted with his creativity.
And yes, I know I'm a bit late with this (more like EXTREMELY late with it lol) but Kanye's crashing the stage at the 57th Grammy Awards was seemingly done in jest...that is until he explained why he did so afterwards during a post-Grammys interview with the E! network. Kanye lambasted the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for its lack of respect towards hip hop artists and the music they create. He initially criticized Beck, who won Album of the Year over Beyonce, but later clarified those remarks, saying they were meant for the Academy, not Beck. His words and actions predictably caused its fair share of backlash. But that's because many don't see where he's coming from.
Ironically, the same people who ridicule the Miley Cryruses and Iggy Azaleas of the world for profiting off of black culture and not respecting it don't see that that's what Kanye is truly upset with. It's like the powers that be that is the Academy says "y'all can win a Grammy in your own category, but that's as close to the table as you're gonna get." Think about it--when was the last time a hip hop album or song won a major award at the Grammys such as Album of the Year or Song or the Year, or Record of the Year, despite the fact that hip hop dominates the airwaves and pop culture itself?
Sam Smith and Adele essentially sing R&B tunes...but the Academy will categorize it as "pop." That's where the man's beef lies, in the Academy not respecting hip hop as an art form nor its artists. And frankly it never has. Kanye's problem is his message always gets lost in his over-dramatic delivery. He has admittedly stated in the past that he's not the best at getting his points across in a diplomatic fashion. Be that as it may, that still does not change the fact that what he's saying is true. He wants the powers that be to give the artists their just due. Maybe he's asking for too much and is overly ambitious in his desires, but you can't fault the man for wanting his genre to be respected, especially with all of its undeniable influence and indelible thumbprint on society.
Now, I am by no means a Kanye West apologist--I don't agree with everything he says and does the same way I don't agree with everything my friends and family members say and do--but I often understand where he comes from when he goes on his "rants." It's so easy for people to dismiss someone and what they say when they don't say it how we want them to say it. It's much harder to discern the root issue, and gain understanding of a person and why he/she feels how they feel.
And yes, I know I'm a bit late with this (more like EXTREMELY late with it lol) but Kanye's crashing the stage at the 57th Grammy Awards was seemingly done in jest...that is until he explained why he did so afterwards during a post-Grammys interview with the E! network. Kanye lambasted the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for its lack of respect towards hip hop artists and the music they create. He initially criticized Beck, who won Album of the Year over Beyonce, but later clarified those remarks, saying they were meant for the Academy, not Beck. His words and actions predictably caused its fair share of backlash. But that's because many don't see where he's coming from.
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| Talented artists or culture vultures? |
Ironically, the same people who ridicule the Miley Cryruses and Iggy Azaleas of the world for profiting off of black culture and not respecting it don't see that that's what Kanye is truly upset with. It's like the powers that be that is the Academy says "y'all can win a Grammy in your own category, but that's as close to the table as you're gonna get." Think about it--when was the last time a hip hop album or song won a major award at the Grammys such as Album of the Year or Song or the Year, or Record of the Year, despite the fact that hip hop dominates the airwaves and pop culture itself?
Sam Smith and Adele essentially sing R&B tunes...but the Academy will categorize it as "pop." That's where the man's beef lies, in the Academy not respecting hip hop as an art form nor its artists. And frankly it never has. Kanye's problem is his message always gets lost in his over-dramatic delivery. He has admittedly stated in the past that he's not the best at getting his points across in a diplomatic fashion. Be that as it may, that still does not change the fact that what he's saying is true. He wants the powers that be to give the artists their just due. Maybe he's asking for too much and is overly ambitious in his desires, but you can't fault the man for wanting his genre to be respected, especially with all of its undeniable influence and indelible thumbprint on society.
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| Kanye's Shakespearean tragic flaw just might be his ambition. |
Now, I am by no means a Kanye West apologist--I don't agree with everything he says and does the same way I don't agree with everything my friends and family members say and do--but I often understand where he comes from when he goes on his "rants." It's so easy for people to dismiss someone and what they say when they don't say it how we want them to say it. It's much harder to discern the root issue, and gain understanding of a person and why he/she feels how they feel.
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