Kanye West Says Beck Should ‘Respect Artistry’ and Give His Award to Beyonce
After Kanye West rushed the stage during Beck’s acceptance speech for Album of the Year at last night’s (Feb. 8) Grammys, many thought the rapper was surely going to recreate the moment where he interrupted Taylor Swift’s win at the 2009 VMAs to preach the good news that is Beyonce (and of course, why she was more deserving of the award). Instead, West made it to the stage, broke out in a smile and returned to his seat. Meanwhile, Beck – the good-natured sport he is – seemingly tried to usher West back to the stage so he could intercept the microphone after all.
Though it looked like a friendly joke on last night’s broadcast, it appears West does carry some resentment toward Beck and his win over Beyonce’s 2013 self-titled album.
In a conversation with E!, West said, “Beck needs to respect artistry, he should have given his award to Beyonce” (via the Daily Beast).
Giving away his award aside, it sounds like West’s beef is more so with the Grammys and its judging system – one many accuse of being broken and favoring white male musicians over women and artists of color:
I don’t even know what [Beck] said. I just know that, the Grammys, if they want real artists to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us. We aren’t going to play with them no more. ‘Flawless.’ Beyoncé’s video. And Beck needs to respect artistry, he should have given his award to Beyoncé. At this point, we tired of it. What happens is, when you keep on diminishing art, and not respecting the craft, and smacking people in the face after they deliver monumental feats of music, you’re disrespectful to inspiration. We, as musicians, have to inspire people who go to work every day, and they listen to that Beyoncé album, and they feel like it takes them to a different place. And then they do this promotional event, and they’ll run the music over somebody’s speech, the artist, because they want commercial advertising. We aren’t playing with them anymore. And by the way, I got my wife, my daughter, and I got my clothing line, so I’m not going to do nothing that would put my daughter at risk, but I am here to fight for creativity. That’s why I didn’t say anything tonight, but you all knew what it meant when ‘Ye stepped on that stage.
Beck, on the other hand, had nothing but good things to say about his stage crasher.
“I was just so excited he was coming up. He deserves to be on stage as much as anybody,” Beck said of West. “How many great records has he put out in the last five years, right?”
“You can't please everybody, man,” Beck continued. “I still love [West] and think he's genius. I aspire to do what he does.”
And as for whether or not Beyonce’s album should have won over his ‘Morning Phase,’ Beck agreed, saying she “absolutely” should have won.
“I thought she was going to win,” he said. “Come on she's Beyonce!"