Kanye West Slams Grammy Awards For Blackballing “808’s & Heartbreak” [Video]

Written By S. Samuel

Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West has aired out his issues with awards shows like the Video Music Awards and accused the Grammys of blackballing 2008's 808's & Heartbreak.

Kanye West
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From Yeezy’s perspective, there is a lack of equality in today’s awards ceremonies.

“It won’t get blackballed like the last album?,” Kanye asked a reporter after she mentioned My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy would likely be up for multiple awards. “I’m just making sure. ‘Heartless’ just didn’t get nominated for anything, they ignored 808’s, you know. It’s just that, where’s our instant replay clock? Why are the last four albums of the year Taylor Swift, Dixie Chicks, Ray Charles and Herbie Hancock? With all due respect, like I always say, that’s inaccurate…I pinpoint the Grammys and the VMAs because they have to take a responsibility because they mean something to us. Little kids that are six years-old that are singing in front of the mirror, they’re also thinking about their Grammy speech. They’re thinking about winning a VMA. So these people, whoever runs them, they have to take some responsibility to say, ‘What really happened in culture this year because we’re marking it down.’ I don’t really care about me, that’s what you don’t understand. I’ll jump in front of a moving car for history. It’s not really about me, it’s about everybody. It’s about all the artists. It’s about fair ground. If Drake is having an awesome year and having a better year than mine, I’m not gonna say I should win. I’m gonna say Drake should win. It’s not about me, it’s just about being fair for once.” (Access Hollywood)

In 2009, West publicly interrupted country singer Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech and voiced his issues with her win.

‘Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but Beyonce has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!,’ Kanye shouted to a mortified Swift and the speechless audience. According to sources at the VMAs, Swift was seen hysterically crying backstage after Kanye’s outburst, making it convenient that her performance of ‘You Belong to Me,’ which immediately followed the acceptance speech, was prerecorded. Wale, who is serving as MC for the house band, told the crowd, ‘You can’t fault a man for speaking his mind,’ which was promptly met by boos from the Radio City Music Hall crowd. (Rolling Stone)

Following the incident, West isolated himself from the media.

“The relationship with the public and with your fans is like the relationship with your girlfriend. How could I not, at a certain point, be like, ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been at the awards show. I’m sorry.’ Not that I don’t deserve to get beat up or change who I am inside, to make sure that that doesn’t happen again…I knew I wasn’t in a great spot publicly after the incident, but I would just block it out and work as hard as possible and let my work be my saving grace. In a way, I had thrown a Molotov cocktail at my own career, and it gave me an opportunity, for the first time, to go away and find out who I was. Because I felt very alone.” (XXL Mag)

West’s 808’s & Heartbreak debuted atop the charts in November 2008.

Taking a shot at R&B with his new album 808s and Heartbreak, mega rap star Kanye West has locked in No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 with over 450,100 copies sold in his opening week. According to the Nielsen SoundScan, Ye’s fourth project followed in 2007’s multi-platinum Graduation landing atop the charts for a third consecutive time. Unlike his previous discs known for various collaborations, the Grammy-winning rapper’s new LP features only four collaborations by Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, Lil’ Wayne plus Mr. Hudson and is led by popular hits “Heartless” and “Love Lockdown.” (SOHH Sales Wrap)

Check out Kanye West’s interview below:

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Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

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