Since the nominations for the 2022 Grammy Awards were announced on Tuesday, artists, both new and experienced, have shared their reactions. Some of the most impressive nominations, though, are those for Jay-Z, who just surpassed Quincy Jones for the greatest number of Grammy nominations. 

According to Consequence, the Brooklyn-based rapper earned three Grammy nominations this year, two for collaborations on tracks nominated for Best Rap Song (“Bath Salts” with DMX and “Jail” with Kanye West), and credits on West’s Donda, which was nominated for Album of the Year. This puts Jay at 83 nominations — he was previously tied with Jones at 80.

Despite being praised by the award ceremony, Jay-Z isn’t afraid to take a stand against them. In 1999, for example, he boycotted the award show because they didn’t nominate either of DMX’s two number-one albums. He has also shared his strong stance on streaming services: in 2015, he pulled his album Reasonable Doubt from Spotify and moved it exclusively to his platform Tidal, to show that if audiences want better quality music, they may have to pay for it. 

In February, Quincy Jones joined the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) alongside artists such as Dave Grohl, Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and The Tantrums, Killer Mike of Run The Jewels, COO of RIAA Michele Suzanne Ballantyne and many more. Although he was not nominated for any Grammys this year, he is still making changes in the industry with projects like this.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna