The Grammys are four days away. Mastercard House is taking note.
Last Tuesday brought the attention to the subject of reminiscence as Grammy-nominated musical artists Grace Weber, Rapsody and PJ Martin took the stage at Mastercard House’s questionnaire and panel segment, ‘My First GRAMMY Memory’. The artist’s dove right in, talking real issues, along with their own positive experiences that jump-started their careers.
The Grammy Awards have come under scrutiny for a slew of affairs big and small over its long tenure. Frankly, this is inherent for an awards show – the Grammy’s being no exception here. But as specified by our Grammy-nominated celebs, hiccups range from the depiction of female hip-hop artists to Macklemore’s dominance in the rap category of the 2014 Grammy Awards – a feat he, and many others believed, should’ve been won by Kendrick Lamar.
Although it was short, there’s a certain appeal about sharing your time with individuals who themselves are looking back on their best and worst experiences in their field of study. It’s humanizing. And as we relish in the wide array of new music nominated, let’s not forget one of the biggest accomplishments of which got us to this point – and a feature of the Grammy’s that may become a staple going forward: multiple rap albums up for a nomination. Of which currently, there are five.
This was highlighted in the panel, as the host asked our trifeca of musical artists what their take on rap’s indisputable presence in the 2018 Grammy’s is, mostly in regard to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘DAMN’ and Jay-Z’s ‘4.44’.
PJ Martin: I definitely think that’s progress. It’s never felt like this before. For a long time, Hip-Hop couldn’t get the respect – like, these were real producers.
Martin further elaborated on Hip-Hop’s slow growth to fame. A change that, according to Refinery, was necessary given the Academy’s tendency to snub or undermine the recognition most Hip-Hop advocates believe the genre deserves. Rapsody, one of the nominees for Best Rap Album category, agreed.
Rapsody: I think it’s progress. And it’s great that we continue to make progress. It’s the best thing you could ask for.
This is a small example, mind you, but tantamount in understanding the metamorphosis between the Academy of yesterday and the Academy of today. There will always be problems to address, but in the setting of which Mastercard provided on Tuesday, it’s not hard to see the fun in reminding ourselves of past issues, and to encourage future individual and industry-wide success.
“You don't have to measure yourself to other people's standards. Just do your thing." – Inspiring words from @rapsody on the “My First GRAMMY Memory” @billboard panel at the Mastercard House in NYC. #StartSomethingPriceless pic.twitter.com/LdpyL38fLB
— Mastercard (@Mastercard) January 23, 2018
The 60th Annual Grammy Awards premiere this Sunday.
