The Recording Academy is taking hits from all sides following the reveal of their 2021 Grammy nominations. There were quite a few exclusions, many of which caused controversy—but none quite like that of The Weeknd's hit album After Hours. The No. 1 charting project was an international success and the singer continues to play on the overall theme of the album, even attending the recent American Music Awards in full After Hours garb. However, The Grammys decided that The Weeknd didn't deserve recognition at all, and it once again sparked a conversation about their relevancy in the growing, and changing, diverse culture of popular music.
Charlamagne made an appearance on MSNBC where he spoke on the disconnect that the Grammys has from the culture. "The Grammys definitely messed up by snubbing The Weeknd but the Grammys are a bunch of culturally clueless White people so I don't expect them to get it," said Charlamagne. "I hate seeing all of these brothas and sistas who are extremely pro-Black seeking this validation from a White award show like that. It shouldn't matter at this point what the Grammys think about our culture."
"I get it... I understand that musicians want a reward and to be validated but yo, The Weeknd is still gon' wake up The Weeknd tomorrow," he continued. "Guess what tomorrow is, the beginning of the weeknd." Charlamagne added that other artists like Lil Baby and Roddy Ricch shouldn't worry about being excluded or unrecognized because it doesn't change who they are.
"What the Grammys won't do, I'm sure the Soul Train Awards will." Check out the clip below.