Awards Drama! Frank Ocean Attacks Grammys For Giving Taylor Swift 'Album Of The Year' Over Kendrick Lamar
Feb. 12 2017, Published 5:26 p.m. ET
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Frank Ocean has declared that he is officially done with the Grammys! He accused the event of being outdated and not inclusive enough.
The 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Show
The rapper—who won two Grammys in 2013—didn't submit his latest album Blonde for consideration this year, telling the New York Times, "That institution certainly has nostalgic importance. It just doesn’t seem to be representing very well for people who come from where I come from, and hold down what I hold down.”
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Ocean noted that very few black artists have received "Album of the Year" since he was born, and just yesterday he attacked the show's producers directly after they criticized him on Rolling Stone's podcast.
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Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich and writer David Wild discussed Frank’s boycott of the event on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, saying that his lackluster performance of "Forrest Gump" in 2013 lead to the star disliking the Grammys. "His feelings about the Grammys right now, I would imagine, probably go back to that in one way,” Ehrlich said.
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In response to Ehrlich and Wild, Ocean posted an all-caps rant on Tumblr. "YOU KNOW WHAT’S REALLY NOT ‘GREAT TV’ GUYS? 1989 GETTING ALBUM OF THE YEAR OVER TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY. HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE MOST 'FAULTY’ TV MOMENTS I’VE SEEN," the singer wrote.
The 58th GRAMMY Awards - Roaming Show
"USE THE OLD GRAMOPHONE TO ACTUALLY LISTEN BRO, I’M ONE OF THE BEST ALIVE," Ocean vented. "AND IF YOU’RE UP FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CULTURAL BIAS AND GENERAL NERVE DAMAGE THE SHOW YOU PRODUCE SUFFERS FROM THEN I’M ALL FOR IT. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT."
What are your thoughts on Frank Ocean's criticism of the Grammys? Let us know in the comments!