KRS-One shared his displeasure with the Grammys in a recent interview. The rap legend discussed the recent 50th-anniversary celebration, A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop, and why he declined his invitation.
KRS-One Talks The Grammys
In an interview with Harold St. Louis on Dec. 12, KRS-One explained why he turned down a personal invite from fellow rap legend LL Cool J to perform at A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop, which took place on Sunday, Dec. 10.
Hip-Hop ‘Ignored For 49 Years’
KRS-One says he refused to attend because the award show “ignored hip-hop for 49 years”:
“I was asked about two months ago; they asked me to do it and I turned them down,” he said. “With all due respect, LL Cool J J himself called me, spoke to my wife and pretty much begged for me to be on the show but we turned him down. And reason being is because I know people don’t understand this, and I say this respectfully. KRS-One is a Hip Hop extremist. I’m not violent, a violent extremist. I’m insane with this culture. I know I must have lost my mind in this.”
The hip-hop legend continued to go in-depth on his bone to pick with the Grammys:
“I restrict myself in a certain way, because I know who I am in this culture. Never will you ever see me standing in the environment where our culture is being exploited.” He then added, “So when I got the call, I immediately said nah. First of all, it’s the Grammys? You get no respect here. None. Now we respect your existence, we know you exist. And we know that you’re the Grammys and we understand that and we respect that. But you ignored Hip Hop for 49 years. At the 50th year, you wanna call us? You couldn’t even call on 47 and gear it up to 50. You wait to the 50th year to call Hip Hop’s authentic teacha? Nah, you don’t get that privilege.”
Hip-Hop Boycotts The Grammys
The Grammys has a history of being accused of “ignoring” or “disrespecting” hip-hop for decades.
One notable boycott was in 1989 when Will Smith, who went by his rap name The Fresh Prince, and DJ Jazzy Jeff decided not to attend the Grammys that year after noted and won the award for “Best Rap Performance.” The Grammys told the duo that their award presentation would not be televised, and they thought it was disrespectful.
Other rappers such as Salt-N-Pepa, LL Cool J, and executive Russell Simmons among others, followed suit and supported the hip-hop boycott.
KRS-One Talks Israel-Palestine Conflict
In other news, KRS-One also shared his thoughts on the conflict between Israel and Palestine. In an interview with SOHH, KRS-One felt that both sides were wrong, but Israel shouldn’t own Palestinian land.
Nicki Minaj Goes Off On The Grammys
Another rapper who spoke out against the Grammys was rap superstar Nicki Minaj. In an Instagram live, she argued that her song, “Super Freaky Girl,” was nominated in the wrong category, but was eventually completely left out.