Tyler took home his first Grammy last night.
Tyler, the Creator took home the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album last night. Speaking backstage after his acceptance speech, Tyler admitted to being torn over the victory, criticising the Grammys’ tendency to place black artists in rap and urban categories. “I’m half and half on it. On the one side I am very grateful that what I made can be acknowledged in a world like this…” he said. “But it sucks that whenever we, and I mean guys that look like me, do anything that’s genre-bending or anything, they always put it in a rap or urban category.”
Tyler went on to criticise the ‘Urban’ category itself. “I don’t like that ‘urban’ word. It’s just a politically correct way to say the n-word, to me. So when I hear that, I’m just like, why can’t we just be in pop? Half of me feels like the rap nomination was a backhanded compliment. ‘Oh, my little cousin wants to play the game, let’s give him an unplugged controller so he can shut up and feel good about it.’ That’s what it felt like a bit.”
Last night marked the rapper-singer-producer’s first Grammy win. Tyler accepted the award joined on stage by his mother as well as longtime friend and collaborator Jasper Dolphin. Earlier in the night, he performed a medley of New Magic Wand and Earfquake with Charlie Wilson and Boyz II Men.
Watch his remarks in full, via Variety, below.
