LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 10: Lady Gaga poses in the press room during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy/AFP
Alberto E. Rodriguez / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP
The controversies: It is awards season and last Sunday was D-day for the Grammy Awards, which seem to have been surrounded by so much controversy. From racial allegations, Drake’s microphone being switched off before he completed his speech, hip hop artistes snubbing performances to the Cardi B deserving or undeserving award, these awards will be talked about for a while. Isaac Ssejjombwe spoke to some people about their take on the 61st grammy’s.
Fred Sakura
Fred Sakura – Music scheduler/presenter KFM
There was an element of racism in the Grammy’s and when it was noticed that Black talent was sidelined so much, the Black artistes did not keep quiet. Just when we thought they were trying to revise that, now there is like a punishment for those who are complaining.
Actually Nicki Minaj came out on Monday and said she was pushed into silence and asked not to complain about being sidelined at the Grammy’s by one of the producers at the awards and that is the same man who had issues with Ariana Grande, who decided not to perform.
A lot is happening at the awards that is not straight. Now we come to learn Childish Gambino who won four Grammy’s including Song of the Year, was actually not deserving in many ways.
The song This is America, has had two artistes come out to claimed this is their song. Some artistes who I have forgotten said, “Sorry I will not bother about the fashion at the Grammys, I will appear the way I want.” The glitz and glamour is lost yet this is the biggest music event across the world.
I went through the list of all the winners and songs that topped charts with billions of views on YouTube were not considered. Walk around and ask anybody here who Childish Gambino is and nobody knows, but he took home four awards.
I have a friend who told me that they recruit you into their cocoon to make money off you and when they exhaust you, they dump you and on the other hand if they approach you and you are not willing to be used, they will sideline you. I do not know how true that is. Joe Thomas was nominated 23 times but did not win any award.
The organisers do not want artistes who will stand on their own to speak about the wrong.
About Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, it looks like Cardi B became the favourite because she was very hungry for fame and money and was willing to be used.
Who is a better rapper of the two? I will say Nicki Minaj is not comparable even to artistes such as Foxy Brown and Eve.
Big Tril
Big Tril – Musician
I think various artistes boycott the Grammy’s because of various reasons, although many say Grammy’s do not really acknowledge rap a lot.
They look at it as a little subsection so the artistes always find reason to boycott. For example Childish Gambino did not attend the Grammy’s yet he won one of the best awards and I think it has, to do with the beef that the Grammys have with rap and hip hop and I think it is high time they did.
I think the winners of the night were deserving because at the end of the day it is the Grammy’s. It is not a popularity contest.
They sit down and do research and I think one of the surprise of the night was Cardi B winning Best Rap Album, considering all the albums that were released last year from J Cole to Drake to Kanye West, Pusher T, Migos.
I think the reason she won was that people did not expect her album to blow up the way it did and listening to the album, I was blown away because the lyrics were good, the song selection is good, the beats, the message, the stripper Cardi, the rapper Cardi, I think it was a very good project and I think she deserved it.
I would one day want to be nominated or even win a Grammy and become the first Ugandan to do so. They are the most prestigious awards any musician can ever have.
If I was invited, I would never boycott. It would be a great pleasure for me.
About Alicia Keys hosting, I think she killed it and I think she should host everything from now on. I enjoyed, she’s a legend, she has a beautiful voice so it was all good. She played the piano well.
Some artistes take this awards thing too seriously. For me awards are not so important. If I have people who have regular jobs and they come pay to watch me perform and buy music online or even CDs in stores that is what matters.
All I care about is my music making a difference in people’s lives. If I win it, it is a bonus. I don’t do music for awards and any musician who does music for awards might probably be in the wrong profession.
Timothy Code Muhumuza
Timothy Code Muhumuza – TV and events host
Many artistes often feel like they are left out, they are not well represented and are not respected, so when it comes to winning awards or even being nominated, you will find scenarios where they are nominated and win awards but do not pick them at the main show.
Such artistes will pick their awards and because some awards are not televised, there will be a negative approach towards them.
Even this year when Childish Gambino won Song of the Year, it felt like a small win. The Black community is stepping out now because the truth is they are making the most popular music right now – they have billboard number ones.
If they have more Black inclusion, they will change the whole entity.
About the winners, I agree on some depending on the category; for example, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Rap Song yes but Nicki Minaj not winning, we will get into that.
When it comes to the beef between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, I feel like Nicki should just accept the fact that someone else is rising up very fast. I caught this from J Cole’s song where he says, ‘They want two rappers to always come at each other because they act like as if two ladies can’t co-exist”.
It is true you can co-exist. You can be Drake, Kendrick and J Cole all in the same industry. You do not have to have an issue with someone if they are making moves. There is no male beef between the top rappers so why should Cardi B and Nicki have an issue with each other?
Gloria Batuta- Content provider SMSOne
Artistes beefing each other is not new on the entertainment scene. Form generations, they have always been using it as a tool to gain publicity and it has always worked for them. Cardi B and Nicki are both female rappers and apparently, they are the only ones on top in that field so you would expect them to beef and fight for supremacy.
Like any other awards, the Grammy’s had deserved winners but there will always be losers who will come up with excuses that they were cheated. Cardi B deserved the Best Rap Album award because it was relating to her life, it was out of her personal experience and that is what makes it different. She grew masses in a very short time and it did not come as a surprise for me.
However, I like both Nicki and Cardi B because they are both women who are trying to inspire other women out there. They are fighting to see that females also get a spot in the male dominated industry. I like Cardi because she brings out the Ghetto out of her while Nicki brings out the ‘I’m my own boss attitude.’
Nicki has not been able to win any Grammy because Hip Hop is one of the most competitive categories from way back. It has legends competing and for one to win, it is a sigh of relief.
I liked the intro of the Grammy’s where Alicia Keys brought out inspirational people from different walks of life to inspire the audience and generally, the award show was lit, with the perfect host and a glamorous red carpet that did not disappoint.
