According to Pitchfork, A Tribe Called Quest received zero nominations at the 2018 Grammy Awards. Their latest album, We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service, came out in November of 2016 making it eligible for awards for 2018 still. The groundbreaking album was the sixth and final release of the band, and featured notable songs such as “We The People…” which spoke to issues of social justice. Mxdwn even ranked it at number 4 on the list of 50 best albums of 2016. It was also the last album that the late Phife Dawg was able to work on. The artist passed away suddenly in March, leaving the remaining members (Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White) to finish the final touches on the album.
The band first formed in 1985, and has been crafting a special brand of alternative hip-hop ever since. As a group, they never conformed to what was popular and instead staying on the cusps of commercialism in order to speak their own truth lyrically and melodically. In their latest release in particular, the band took time to deliver poignant lyrics about relevant subjects such as the election, racism, xenophobia and the global immigrant crisis.
Q-Tip took to Instagram with five videos to shares his frustrations on the nomination snub. He expresses disdain over the fact that just last year the group went out of their way to perform at the 2017 Grammy’s: “Y’all get us out there to perform last year and close and shit, and y’all don’t get us no f***ing nominations!?” He went on to note that he respects the other nominees and wants to give credit where its due, but that he is also tired of a large portion of up and coming rappers using their voice for meaningless subjects: “None of y’all rap n***** say shit.” Q-Tip noted that the Grammy’s have a long history of snubbing legendary artists such as Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson. He goes on to argue that their band is, “the most black, cultured group,” to release music this year. He sums up his thoughts by inviting viewers to shift their attention to the Kennedy Center Awards where he has just taken the role as artistic director for hip-hop culture.
To check out the contested nominees for rap/hip-hop categories, check out Mxdwn’s post. For complete list, check out Billboard’s post.
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