Macklemore and the Appropriation of Rap
Posted on March 20, 2014
Before the 2014 Grammy telecast even began, some of the winners were announced. And the controversy started early with the news that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis won 3 rap Grammys.
Yes. They pretty much swept the rap category. And when you look at who he was up against for Best Rap Album (Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Kanye West, and even Drake), Macklemore’s win feels like a slap in the face. .
There are the obvious questions. How do white people dominate a traditionally black category even when up against legends? How does anybody beat Kendrick Lamar – the new artist dubbed as rap’s savior? Who the hell chooses these winners? But the last question is the only one that matters here.
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