Tyler, The Creator‘s LP “IGOR” won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, which took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
But Tyler said receiving the trophy was bittersweet, and that he feels his music is placed in the rap category just because he’s Black. It was something the 28-year-old told the media after receiving the award, and he talked about his ambivalence.
“On one side I’m grateful that what I can make can just be acknowledged in a world like this,” Tyler told reporters.
“But also it sucks that whenever we — and I mean guys that look like me — do anything that’s genre-bending, they always put it in a rap or urban category, and I don’t like that ‘urban’ word. It’s just the politically correct way to say the N-Word to me. So when I hear that I’m just like, ‘Why can’t we just be in pop?'”
Tyler is the second person to take the Grammys to task in recent days, because Sean “Diddy” Combs did the same on Saturday during his acceptance speech as the 2020 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honoree.
Combs said the Grammys never respected hip-hop or black music in general, and that he’ll give the award show, as well as its nominating committee, one year to make a change.
As for Tyler, he received a lot of support after his words made the internet rounds, and many agreed the Grammys often lump artists together based on race, not by the actual genre they’re supposed to be in.
“It’s just that these award shows have no idea wtf they’re voting for,” someone wrote on Instagram. “It shows their lack of knowledge on the genre.”
“I always felt that way FOH with that urban ish,” another person chimed in.
“His album WAS NOT RAP OR HIPHOP 🤷🏾♀️ he’s right I’m sure he was intentional when he created this is album he’s right 100%.”
