Text and design by KIMI LILLIOS • Additional reporting by BRIDGET PACKER • Art by KIMI LILLIOS
criti Tyler, T he opp cized t he G Creator ress i spar ve albu rammy ’s m king conv genres, over er a issu e: th long-s sation tand e dis in cr of b iminati g lack o artis n ts.
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red an stripe d hot-pi n d shir t eme k more es fro crowd likely r m g th the a and saun e roaring as an R& to be con isle in Bo sid ters that’s down stretc why t r rap artis ered suc h from disbelief. h h as t, and p a o t Han rary urb ger to th album pop and ra congr e audience ds nior, genre exi an contem s p. as he - le sts,” P Amel leaps atulate the , easser k are nomi So when i a a l y L a j n T u- a on n gn a accep s urb own categ ated for ts th to the stag rtist by he Gramm a said. an co o nearly e and e qu gold g y’s, w ntemp ries, such do no intess ramo atche 2 w 0 o t o m r e p y r ld d n n i hone Tyler, ition ield the sa ary, they troph tial, influ wide, has llion peop t h t m e l o y e m tance . ence an im e reco Creat the a on e s o mens e w nt. “Nobo rtist’s achie gAwar peech at th r’s accep- try. The a the musi c ds dy ev ha w v e en kn efelt gr was filled Grammy ly ranks t ard show e indus- m t urban o h atitud e with h x w e a c p c o s n l s al ar icitntemp s, ucce e has su e orary catego ” Lagna pport to everyone art- win tists throu ss of mus said ry j ed him ners a i- to g sical who jo nd su h the awa under ust seems l . “The rd btly in ike the o urney. Ho in his mu- the ideol m fl w ffi ogy While ine black a a way of A uences vealed cial cerem ever, after through rtists. t his cle m the s o tereot ericans a arly appar issue of ra ” over h his conflic ny, he re- inforced ype ce en te b d i conte s success in d position “Groupin y the ou s re- of eeper flaw t, there is a is mpor g t lso c i genre omes. n music ary ca the urban artists in catego the proce He b i t s tegory y o s t o ss h ri b like se . exp when grega eir own ge lack to t subjective zation. “A artists lained h r t n a “ i t e o r n I e n t a d r , m i ” genre ti s it p -bend of color how inc akes it see Lagna sai into t st that you ersonal m a c d i n h c that d reate pable . gn a g mu e o of ful like they ar s a said se categor n’t box [into l e to ge es not exac ic—music i . y e o “ s,” L i t n M h b t er e e app u nr tly co nfor m In ad music gen grating t reciat sic should awork e expecta d h e res tio iti just d at it is is “urba often cat ns—their Grammy’ on to the w ].” music for the a rap f s egoriz n” or a a n ct y o t f s h t u or po t at el st e “ result p albu because it’ ereoty he s in t rap.” This d as the span acro B s u m t p he m . segreg usic i often th y also affec ss the nati es black the fact re ” ating n o t e ma artists dustry n, the su artists indivi presti c are s ins that gi dual a t artist. cess of ill un “ cerem ous musi t the most Grammy N ob fairBe ca a o sings ny. “A blac l award ist helps a ward-winn ing a urb ody eve i k artis a n in a n n y arti g artn con tion know t pop s The tyle i who the in the musi st gain tra cate tempora s what s way re are c- a c indu ry stry, way gory ju cat signifi st se means. to un cantly egories th but ar em at tists. derm more presti are ” ine b s like gious, lack A meli
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