The Roc Nation founder and “4:44” rapper questioned the Recording Academy and its decisions while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 66th Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. “We want y’all to get it right,” he said, joined by daughter Blue Ivy Carter.
After thanking artists including Dre for opening the doors for him and fellow rappers, Jay-Z got real honest about the Grammys and how it has overlooked Beyoncé for the marquee album of the year prize. Though she was not nominated this year, the “Break My Soul” singer” is the winningest artist in the show’s history. Last year her “Renaissance” album was passed up for the Grammy.
“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady but she has more Grammys than everybody and never won album of the year,” Jay-Z said, referring to his wife, who watched from the audience. “So even by your own metrics that doesn’t work. Think about that.”
In her decades-long career, Beyoncé has been in the running for album of the year four times but has never won. Last year, “Renaissance” lost to “Harry’s House” by Harry Styles.
Jay-Z didn’t mention his wife by name but doubled down and dug deeper: “The most Grammys, never won album of the year. That doesn’t work. Some of you gonna go home tonight and feel like you’ve been robbed, some of you may get robbed, some of you don’t belong in a category.”
After acknowledging, “I tell the truth” when nervous, Jay-Z concluded his acceptance speech with a note on perseverance, despite the snubs. “Just in life you gotta keep showing up … until they give you all the accolades you feel you deserve,” he said.
The Knowles-Carter family, even without an album of the year win, touts a total of 57 Grammy wins. On his own Jay-Z has 24 Grammy wins and a total of 88 nominations. Blue Ivy, 12, earned her first Grammy in 2021 for the music video category.
Sunday’s ceremony, which aired on CBS, concluded with Taylor Swift and her “Midnights” winning album of the year. Swift now holds four album of the year Grammy Awards.