(AllHipHop News) There were some music insiders that questioned why Tyler, The Creator’s Igor was not nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Some Hip Hop heads also wondered why the LP was on the list of Best Rap Album nominations when the project leaned more towards Pop or R&B.
Despite those debates, Igor did pick up the victory for Best Rap Album. Tyler was asked to give his opinion on the Recording Academy’s voting process during a backstage interview, and the first-time Grammy winner’s answer focused on the connection between race and genre.
“I’m half and half on it. On one side, I’m very grateful that what I made could just be acknowledged in a world like this,” said Tyler. “But also it sucks that whenever we – I mean guys that look like me – do anything that’s genre-bending they always put it in a rap or urban category. I don’t like that ‘urban’ word. It’s just a politically correct way to say the n-word, to me.”
He continued, “When I hear that, I’m just like, ‘Why can’t we just be in Pop?’ Half of me feels like the rap nomination was a backhanded compliment… But another half of me is very grateful that the art I made can be acknowledged on a level like this.”
It should be noted that African-American artists Lizzo and Lil Nas X won Grammys this year in Pop-centered categories. Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” won for Best Pop Solo Performance, and Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” won for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
