Sean Combs Slams the Grammys Over Treatment of Black Music

3 Min Read
Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean "Diddy" Combs - Arrivals

Sean Combs slammed the Recording Academy and the Grammys ahead of the showโ€™s big Sunday night awards ceremony while accepting an award as the 2020 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honoree at Clive Davisโ€™ Pre-Grammys Gala.

He had ALOT to say because his speech lasted 50-minutes.

โ€œThereโ€™s something that I need to say to the Grammys โ€” and I say this with love,โ€ Diddy told the crowd. โ€œEvery year yโ€™all be killing us. Iโ€™m speaking for all the artists and executives: in the great words of Erykah Badu, โ€˜We are artists and we are sensitive about our shit.โ€™ For most of us, this is all weโ€™ve got. This is our only hope.โ€

โ€œTruth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys. Black music has never been respected by the Grammys,โ€ Diddy continued.

Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean "Diddy" Combs - Arrivals
Honoree Sean โ€œDiddyโ€ Combs attends the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean โ€œDiddyโ€ Combs on January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

โ€œSo right now, with this current situation, itโ€™s not a revelation. This thing been going on โ€” not just in music, but in film, sports, around the world. And for years weโ€™ve allowed institutions that have never had our best interests at heart to judge us โ€” and that stops right now,โ€ Diddy said while the crowd cheered, Variety reports.

โ€œIโ€™m officially starting the clock: youโ€™ve got 365 days to get this shโ€” together. We need the artists to take back control, we need transparency, we need diversity. This is the room that has the power to [force] the change that needs to be made. They have to make the changes for us: Theyโ€™re a non-profit organization that is supposed to protect the welfare of the musical community. Thatโ€™s what is says on the mission statement: they work for us,โ€ he added.

Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean "Diddy" Combs - Arrivals
(L-R) Justin Dior Combs, Honoree Sean โ€œDiddyโ€ Combs, Christian Casey Combs, and Quincy Taylor Brown attend the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean โ€œDiddyโ€ Combs on January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

โ€œItโ€™s going to take all of us to get this done. Iโ€™m here for the artists, so sign me up.โ€

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