Drake Voices Discontent with Grammys, Chooses Concert Over Awards Show

Drake, the Canadian rapper and global music sensation, recently made headlines not for winning an award, but for his conspicuous absence from music's grandest celebration, the Grammy Awards. Despite being a contender in several categories, Drake chose to perform at a concert instead, highlighting his ongoing dissatisfaction with the Grammys.

Grammys Critique

Through a message to his vast followers on Instagram, Drake, age 37, made his thoughts clear about the prestige of the Grammys. "All you incredible artists remember this show isn’t the facts it’s just the opinion of a group of people whose names are kept a secret (literally you can google it)," Drake stated. He also acknowledged his fellow hip hop artists who won awards but firmly declared that the award show has no real bearing on the hip hop world.

Alternative Concert

Instead of gracing the Grammy's red carpet, Drake found himself in Tampa, Florida, engaging with fans at a tour stop with fellow artist J Cole. The event, named It’s All A Blur – Big As The What?, took precedence over the Grammys—an awards ceremony he's been increasingly disconnected from over the years.

Past Grievances with the Grammys

Drake's quarrel with the Grammys isn't a recent development. He's been confrontational about its representation of young, Black artists for years. Notably, after his hit Hotline Bling won awards in 2017, he was perturbed by its categorization as "rap" simply due to his past works or his racial identity. Drake's rebuff of the Grammys continued with withdrawing his nominations in 2021 and speaking out against the snub of The Weeknd's album After Hours and the hit song Blinding Lights in 2020. He urged artists and fans to look beyond the traditional accolades and consider creating new institutions that better reflect contemporary artistic achievements.

Drake's Grammy History

Drake's relationship with the Grammys has been quite extensive; since 2010, he has amassed 55 nominations and secured 5 wins. Yet, despite this history, Drake's recent gestures suggest he's reevaluating the importance of such acknowledgments in juxtaposition with the real-time impact and cultural relevance of music today.

Drake, Grammys, Concert