Home WebMail Saturday, November 2, 2024, 06:28 AM | Calgary | -2.5°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Posted: 2013-12-11T20:46:35Z | Updated: 2013-12-11T20:52:08Z Kanye West Blasts Grammys For Giving 'Yeezus' Only 2 Nominations | HuffPost

Kanye West Blasts Grammys For Giving 'Yeezus' Only 2 Nominations

Kanye West: F--k Those Grammy Nominations
Open Image Modal
FILE - In this May 23, 2012 file photo, singer Kanye West arrives for the screening of "Cruel Summer" at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France. West appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Wednesday night Oct. 9, 2013 to discuss his feud with Kimmel. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

Kanye West has a big problem with the Grammys -- again.

While performing in Phoenix, Ariz., Tuesday, Dec. 10, the Chicago native blasted the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for giving his album "Yeezus" only two nominations this year . West was nominated for Best Rap Album for "Yeezus" and Best Rap Song for "New Slaves," but he failed to make it into the Album of the Year category.

"Im 36 years old and I have 21 Grammys," West told the crowd during his latest rant. "Thats the most Grammys of any 36-year-old. Out of all of those 21 Grammys, Ive never won a Grammy against a white artist. ... So when the Grammys nominations come out, and 'Yeezus' is the top one or two album on every single list, but only gets two nominations from the Grammys, what are they trying to say? Do they think that I wouldnt notice? Do they think that, someway, that I dont have the power to completely diminish all of their credibility at this moment?"

"But no, no. Only positive energy, only positive vibes," he added. "But when you see me talking about what people are doing when I say 'marginalized,' when I say 'boxed in,' when I say 'hold back,' when I say 'people are afraid of the truth,' thats one example right in front of you. And people come to me and they congratulate me on those two nominations. F--k those nominations."

MTV noted that West has received 53 Grammy nominations over his career and that "Yeezus" has been acclaimed by some as one the rapper's "most challenging and adventurous albums to date."

"Yeezus" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart when it first dropped in June, but sales fell 80 percent just two weeks after the release. Billboard reported it was the fourth-largest second-week slump since 1991 .

"[H]is scandalous love life, frequent impolite pronouncements and his gradual shift away from conventional hip-hop have alienated many of his fans," The Kansas City Star wrote last week after West's show at the Sprint Center drew less than 4,500 people.

Listen to West's full rant in the video below (around the 10-minute mark).

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Support HuffPost