his year at the Grammy Awards, hip-hop dominated the major categories. That cements the fact that the ghetto has gone completely mainstream … also the fact that many now consider Justin Timberlake hip-hop.
Four of the five nominees for Record of the Year were hip-hop (Black Eyed Peas with Justin Timberlake; Beyonce with Jay-Z; Eminem, and OutKast), and three of the five nominees for Album of the Year were either hip-hop or Justin Timberlake. The only question on my mind is how soon he’s going to start going by “J.T.” The hip-hop nominees were Missy Elliot and OutKast.
I’m not saying the prevalence of urban music at the Grammys is bad. I am however saying that Justin Timberlake’s presence anywhere is bad.
Personally, I’m thrilled for Andre 3000 and Big Boi of OutKast – no one deserves a Grammy more. (OutKast received Album of the Year for “Speakerboxx/The Love Below,” Best Urban/Alternative Performance for “Hey Ya!,” and Best Rap Album, also for “Speakerboxx/The Love Below.”)
“Speakerboxx,” Big Boi’s album of the two-album set, is consistently impressive, if only for his vocal prowess (see the rapping on “Ghetto Musick”). “The Love Below” is Andre “3000” Benjamin’s half of the set, and it pushes the hip-hop idiom to new places with genre-bending instrumentals and atypical lyrics in hip-hop (see “Love Hater”). Both halves of the set incorporate elements of rock, jazz, and electronica, and feature absolutely astounding production. The entire album is inventive, and displays OutKast’s incredible talent and originality.
Beyonce, another big winner, has a decidedly urban flavor; she got Grammy’s in four out of the five categories in which she was nominated. (She missed out on Record of the Year, but got Best R&B Duo or Group, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Contemporary R&B Album).
Strangely enough, three of the four songs or albums for which Beyonce “I’m pretty sure I used to have a last name” Knowles was awarded contain the phrase “in love” as the last two words. Derivative? Clich? Never!
There were some rockers awarded, however. Coldplay nabbed Record of the Year over OutKast, Eminem, Beyonce, and the Black Eyed Peas for their single “Clocks.” The White Stripes got a few of their own, too, namely Best Rock Song for “Seven Nation Army” and Best Alternative Album for “Elephant.”
All is not happy in the world of rock Grammys, however.
The fact that Evanescence got a Grammy makes my blood boil more than the fact that Beyonce got four.
Evanescence got the award for Best New Artist, which at least, if history doesn’t fail me, means they are a one-hit wonder, and will be gone by next year, if not next month.
At least Avril Lavigne didn’t get one. She was nominated for two though, Best Song, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, which I’m sure she was angry about, because she seems to think she’s “hardcore.”
I’d go into the other Grammy awards like Best Polka Album, Best Spoken Word Album for Children, or Best Contemporary World Music Album, but, like so many brilliant artists on independent labels, there’s not enough public interest to merit my recognizing them.