Source: Cole Burston / Getty
Drake called out the Grammy Awards in a post on social media, declaring his support for those artists nominated that evening
As the Grammy Awards got underway Sunday night (Feb. 4), Drake expressed his feelings about the ceremony, making it clear that he wasn’t going to be paying attention. In a post to his Instagram Stories, he shared a clip of his acceptance speech during his last appearance at the awards in 2019. “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),” the rapper wrote in a text caption over the clip. “Congrats to anybody winning anything for Hip-Hop, but this show doesn’t dictate s—t in our world.”
His animosity against the Grammy Awards and the Recording Academy began during that 2019 appearance where he won the Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan.” “We play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport,” he said at the time (at one point, his microphone seemed to be cut off). “It is not the NBA … This is a business where sometimes it is up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say … or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis,” Drake said. “You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown. If there is people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here, I promise you, you already won.”
The Toronto, Canada, native also threw barbs at the Grammys in 2021 after The Weeknd didn’t receive any nominations that year. Drake was nominated four times at the 66th edition of the Grammys, including Best Rap Performance for “Rich Flex” from the Her Loss joint album with 21 Savage, which was also nominated for Best Rap Album. His solo album from last year, For All The Dogs, was not submitted for consideration. Drake is currently on his It’s All A Blur: Big As The What nationwide tour, performing the second of two nights at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, with J. Cole. It runs through April 16, where it will end at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
