We’ve Come A Long Way, Maybe? The Grammys and Hip Hop

Despite how easy it is to criticize the Grammys for how they treat hip hop, it’s still safe to say that the Grammys are in a better place when it comes to rap, than it has been in years past.

This year, a newly-introspective Kanye West made fun of himself — and made us laugh — Eminem and Kendrick Lamar both took home trophies, and Iggy Azalea went home with nothing but a pocket full of broken dreams.

Lecrae, a Christian rapper, once again broke through the traditional Gospel ranks with a win for his song “Messengers.”

Even though Kanye may have had a point about artistry, rap music didn’t fare as badly as it could have in 2015.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a long way to go when it comes to the Grammys properly recognizing music from all genres, and the artistry therein, especially in terms of hip hop.

The animus toward the Grammys from the minds of ‘hip hop heads’ hearkens back to 1988, during what what some consider as the “Golden Age of Hip-Hop.” As hard as it may be to appreciate today, this was the year that such classics song as LL Cool J’s “Goin’ Back to Cali,” and Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” were all the rage. This was also the year of NWA’s epic Straight Outta Compton (also the title of the upcoming biopic on the crew, whose “supertrailer” debuted during the Grammys this year), Public Enemy’s iconic It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and a quintessential album from the era, Big Daddy Kane’s Long Live the Kane.

So much hip hop, so little time.

Yes, 1988 was the year that really helped galvanize hip hop into the pop culture zeitgeist, and the first time the Grammy organization first recognized the genre.

So, you ask, how did the Grammys celebrate this cultural revolution?

By giving the first Grammy ever for Best Rap Performance to… wait for it… “Parents Just Don’t Understand” by the Artist Formerly Known As The Fresh Prince.

To put it in perspective: according to the Grammy committee, this…

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW3PFC86UNI]

outshines this

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdizL4on-Rc]

Subjective? Sure. But absolutely the “safe” choice.

To be fair to all involved, the Grammys haven’t been only ridiculously short-sighted when it comes to hip hop. The same year that the Grammys delivered a slap to the “Golden Age of Hip Hop,” they delivered a similar slap to the “Golden Age of Modern Heavy Metal.” As a rock fan who began her industry career in the rock pantheon, I distinctly remember this snub, and it’s frequently cited as one of the most prominent — if not the most prominent — examples of just how hopelessly out-of-touch the Grammy committee really is with modern American pop culture.

That year, Metallica was nominated for the first-ever Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. There are certain bands that hold a reverence in the rock pantheon, and Metallica has joined the ranks of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles in that rarefied air. Even back in 1988, they were considered the pioneers of the modern heavy metal genre, and they were also the first-ever heavy metal band to perform at the Grammys.

That year, Metallica’s …And Justice for All (one of their best albums) was up against other titans of rock: AC/DC (for Blow Up Your Video), Iggy Pop (for Instinct), and Jane’s Addiction (for Nothing’s Shocking). Jethro Tull, a progressive rock band, was also nominated for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance — a nomination that lead singer Ian Anderson felt was completely out of touch and short-sighted, because the band didn’t even consider themselves heavy metal (for the record: there was a FLUTE played on their Grammy nominated album, Crest of a Knave. A FLUTE!).

Everyone thought that the trophy all but belonged to Metallica. But guess who took home the Grammy? GO AHEAD, GUESS!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOzDsYPNWQU?rel=0&w=480&h=360]

So, are we really surprised that, for the longest time, the Grammys did hip hop so dirty? No. (I actually compiled a list of some of the more embarrassing times that the Grammys pulled some grimy issh on rappers.)

Have they gotten better in recent years? Absolutely. Do they still have a long way to go? No question.

Eminem bringing home a Grammy in 2015 might have still been a “safe choice”… but then again, thank God Iggy Azalea didn’t win.