Cyrus Langhorne
Odd Future‘s Frank Ocean isn’t here for the annual Grammys Awards. The hitmaker has delved into his issues with the prestigious showcase and how its nomination process is flawed.
According to Ocean, he did not feel any need or obligation to submit his new Blonde album to the Grammys for nomination consideration.
“That institution certainly has nostalgic importance,” he said. “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.” He noted that since he was born, just a few black artists have won album of the year, including Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Ray Charles. … I think the infrastructure of the awarding system and the nomination system and screening system is dated. I’d rather this be my Colin Kaepernick moment for the Grammys than sit there in the audience.” (New York Times)
Last month, rap star Kanye West threatened to boycott the upcoming Grammy Awards if the organization did not nominate Blonde.
“Wait, wait, hold up while I speak on my brother for a second. My brother Frank Ocean. So, you know they didn’t put his album in the Grammy nomination, right? So, I don’t know if any of y’all remember but I was supposed to go on a tour with [Lady] Gaga about six, seven years ago – it was something where she was nominated. She wasn’t nominated for ‘Best Artist’ but they wanted her to open so the Grammys secretly changed something about the nominations in order to nominate her for her to perform at the show. Now, Frank Ocean on the other hand, is very vocal and his album wasn’t nominated for a Grammy. And since it’s vocal, nobody wants to say nothing about, no one wants to do nothing about and I’m saying this to y’all because a lot of people try to make it as if I’m self-centered. The album I listen to the most this year is Frank Ocean’s album. And I’ll tell you what, I’ll tell you this right now. If his album’s not nominated in no categories, I’m not showing up to the Grammys. As artists, we have to come together to fight the bullsh*t they’ve been doing to us for years. All we need is a fair shot.”
Buzz recently developed about Ocean not submitting his Blonde album in time for Grammys consideration.
Why didn’t Frank Ocean submit his albums Endless and Blonde for Grammy consideration? Perhaps, as SPIN’s Brian Josephs argued, it’s because the Grammys always get it wrong, and Ocean isn’t the kind of guy to humble himself in front of a Recording Academy that picked 1989 over To Pimp a Butterfly. (SPIN)
Last month, Ocean’s longtime pal Tyler, the Creator spoke on Blonde’s greatness.
“I liked it a lot. Like, it’s my favorite thing from him. It’s weird because I’m friends with him and this album made me so, so, so much of a fanboy. It’s crazy because I was with him when it came out, like that week or whatever, and I kept complimenting him on certain songs, certain little things that I liked in different songs. And I low-key think he started getting annoyed cause I just kept badgering him about how much I liked the album. But I really, really f*cking like it. And I’m really hyped for him and he’s hyped and shit’s great.” (GQ)
