While accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Jay-Z criticizes the overlooking of Black artists, including his wife Beyonce, within the Academy. Jay-Z is not the only one that feel this backward push by the Academy. While giving his acceptance speech, he underscores the lack of attribution to his wife.

Jay-Z criticized the Award show for its bias and referred to the boycotts of the Grammys such as Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff’s boycott because the rap category was not televised and he also noted that he boycotted the Grammy himself when DMX released two top albums but was not nominated.

According to the Recording Academy, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has 24 grammy awards and 88 nominations. Jay-Z holds the most grammy awards for a rapper. “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work,” Jay-Z said. Many people in public feel as though Beyonce is a versatile artist that was snubbed album of the year on multiple occasions. Beyonce was nominated for album of the year in 2010 for “I Am…Sasha Fierce,” in 2015 for “Beyonce,” in 2017 for “Lemonade,” and 2023 for “Renaissance.” A reoccurring pattern is that Beyonce has lost to all white people. A Black woman has not one album of the year since Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” despite multiple nominations on Beyonce’s behalf. He also concluded his speech with “It’s music and it’s opinion based,” he said.

Jay-Z stating all that was in his speech was not just a stand-up for his wife, but a reiteration on patterns of the Recording Academy. The Grammy Awards has a history of racial bias. While trying to look forward, it’s important to acknowledge the past.

Other Black artists that have been snubbed at the Grammys include Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, The Weekend, and Nicki Minaj. Lamar’s “Pimp A Butterfly” lost to Taylor Swift’s “1989,” in 2016. TPAB is one of the shape shifting albums of culture and was not nominated into one the top categories. Also, it is crucial to note that Nicki Minaj has ten Grammy nominations but zero wins in the top category, in which Nicki is not acknowledged for the hard work she has put out.

By speaking out against these biases and calling out the Academy on its biases within the music industry, Jay-Z not only advocates for his wife and other fellow Black artists but he also encourges a change in process in which artists are chosen for awards, recognition, and success within the music business. He encourages those to keep going and to fight the good fight. Jay-Z’s acceptance speech serves as a reminder that progress has been made with the recognition of Black artists, but there is still work to be done to ensure equal and fair representation for all artists.