EXCLUSIVE: J.J. Fad Calls Out Recording Academy Over Hip-Hop 50 Segment: “Make It Make Sense”

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday (February 5). This year’s ceremony boasts a special tribute to Hip-Hop in honor of its 50th anniversary executed produced by Questlove. Among the long list of legendary artists hitting stage are De La Soul, Run-DMC, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five. But one groundbreaking trio wasn’t included nor invited.

On Saturday (February 4), Ruthless Records’ first ladies—MC JB, Sassy C and Baby D—shared an Instagram post calling out The Recording Academy for the perceived oversight. After all, in 1989, J.J. Fad became the female rap group to be nominated for a Grammy at a time when the rap categories were brand new.

With a nod in the Best Rap Performance category for their smash hit “Supersonic,” J.J. Fad decided to go, even though their peers were boycotting the awards at the time. While they ultimately lost to the DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” it’s a decision they never regretted. Understandably, J.J. Fad is wondering why they weren’t considered for the Hip-Hop segment.

“So when the @recordingacademy Grammy’s first introduced the rap category in 1988, we were the first to be nominated in that category,” they wrote. “Now there’s a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop at the Grammy’s and we aren’t invited?? Make it make sense!!”

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Speaking to AllHipHop, MC JB explained why she and her fellow J.J. Fad members are hurt by the exclusion.

“We are so honored to have been nominated in the very first rap category at the Grammys,” he says. “We would also never want to take away the importance and amazement of Hip-Hop being around for 50 years. We just want the same respect as any other Hip-Hop artists that have put their stamp on the culture’s history.

“Being female and being from the West Coast and accomplishing what we have, should be celebrated, and we just don’t understand the oversight. We crossed over into the pop world when it wasn’t cool to crossover. Now everyone wants to crossover. That’s setting a precedence.”

Of course, nobody can take away J.J. Fad’s accomplishments or the indelible mark the group left on Hip-Hop, especially when it came to women. J.J. Fad earned the first gold record for Ruthless Records and helped make N.W.A more digestible for the masses. At the end of the day, they aren’t asking for much.

“We just want the same respect as all of our other Hip-Hop brothers and sisters that made a difference in Hip-Hop,” she contends. “We attended the Grammys when we were nominated along with Kool Moe Dee who should also be there representing Hip-Hop. We hate to sound whiny and we aren’t hating on anyone, we just want to be there with our Hip-Hop brothers and sisters and be honored for our contribution to Hip-Hop as well.”